Executive Director

Good Jobs First

Executive Director

Good Jobs First is a national policy resource center that tracks and analyzes federal, state, and local-government economic development subsidy deals and programs (a.k.a. “corporate welfare,” or “business incentives”). We promote transparency and accountability policies that ensure that public investments result in quality jobs, strong labor standards, and fair distribution of resources. We often highlight how subsidies disproportionately benefit large corporations rather than small businesses or workers.

Our work includes: providing a daily stream of technical assistance to grassroots groups, journalists, policy coalitions, and public officials; maintaining three unique databases on economic development subsidies (Subsidy Tracker, Amazon Tracker, and Tax Break Tracker); publishing more than 200 reports, many of them establishing research precedents enabled by disclosure breakthroughs; winning and activating the landmark municipal finance sunshine rule Governmental Accounting Standards Board (GASB) Statement No. 77 on Tax Abatement Disclosures; and assisting a global user base of academics who use our data in numerous academic disciplines including corporate ethics, ESG, inequality, and tax policy.

We also maintain three globally popular databases (Violation Trackers) aggregating records of many kinds of regulatory and prosecutorial penalties imposed upon corporations in the United States, the United Kingdom, and 75 nations. We also maintain the best corporate research guide on the web.

For anyone seeking to promote accountability in economic development, or corporate accountability in general, Good Jobs First is a well-known “go to” resource.

With a current staff of nine and seven consultants, Good Jobs First has a budget of $1.7 million. Its team resides in several states and two European nations, having worked remotely since the pandemic. See our website: https://goodjobsfirst.org

Current Circumstances

Our long serving founder (since 1998) is retiring. He has been our principal advocate and the face of our organization. His leadership in synthesizing complex information and data into language and concepts that are accessible to policy makers, campaigners, administrators and community activists has been key to our success. He is committed to passing forward his knowledge, stepping away and being available to our next leader, if needed.

Our board has granted considerable autonomy to the founder while also maintaining fiduciary oversight. The board is composed of highly regarded experts and leaders in this field. The board is committed to shaping our new strategy with and actively supporting the next Executive Director. We anticipate that the new Executive Director and board will collaborate in growing the board membership and seeking additional members who best complement our strategic focus and needs.

We are financially sound, with numerous income producing products, strong philanthropic support and a growing demand for our work. Our budget has more than doubled since 2018.

Our research analysts and database managers are a vital part of this organization. Their expert technical assistance, their credibility, and the quality of their publications and databases are foundational to our work.

We are open to a variety of possible approaches to build on our work and impact. For example, an Executive Director who is a subject matter expert and effective communicator might continue with the model now in place, focusing on public leadership while forming an in-house management team that will concentrate on fundraising, professional development, innovation and performance improvement. Alternatively, an Executive Director who is an accomplished and well-rounded manager, fundraiser and mentor, aligned with our values and goals but not a subject matter expert, might focus on overall management and development activities while staff subject matter experts assume more of the public advocacy and communication role. This approach would necessitate establishing and facilitating an ongoing, internal team, including the necessary subject matter expertise, to take up the vital strategic and tactical conversations and analysis necessary to accomplish the vision and mission of the organization.

Even if you don’t meet every one of the qualifications desired, we strongly encourage you to apply.

Role and Responsibilities

The Executive Director provides overall leadership for the organization, setting strategic direction, overseeing day-to-day operations, and establishing employment and administrative policies. The Executive Director ensures a collaborative, inclusive, and high-performing workplace by supporting staff development, fostering accountability, and promoting equity throughout the organization.

Key Responsibilities:

Oversee programs and initiatives to ensure alignment with the organization’s mission and strategic goals; support staff in planning, implementation, and evaluation to achieve impact and maintain high standards of quality and accountability.

Lead fundraising and resource development efforts. Cultivate relationships with key funders, donors, and partners; develop additional strategies for growth and beneficial partnerships.

Effectively supervise and support managers and staff in a fully remote workplace—including the Deputy Executive Director, Research Director, Violation Tracker Project Director, full-time and part-time staff, and contracted workers—to foster a healthy, collaborative, and cohesive workplace.

Provide organizational leadership that encourages strong connections across program teams, grows staff capacity, equity, and shared accountability and trust.

Manage labor relations and bargaining with Workers United for Good Jobs First/CWA, the staff union.

Maintain regular, clear and open communication with the Board of Directors.

Provide strategic oversight of enterprise activities, revenue generation, and technology investments, ensuring licensing, databases, and technology systems are managed effectively and support organizational growth.

Financial Management and Fundraising

The Executive Director ensures the organization’s financial health and sustainability while leading resource development initiatives.

Key Responsibilities:

Oversee budgeting, financial operations, reporting, and compliance with applicable regulations; ensure resources are allocated effectively and monitor organizational financial performance.

Provide strategic oversight and planning for enterprise activities as key revenue-generation opportunities, including evaluating future technology investments and vendor partnerships to optimize resources, expand product offerings, and increase usage by a wider range of partners.

Strategic Direction and Organizational Alignment

The Executive Director works with the Board and staff to ensure that the organization fulfills its mission through programs, strategic planning, and partner engagement.

Key Responsibilities:

Lead strategic planning processes to define the organization’s long-term mission priorities.

Develop and implement a sustainable organizational plan that builds on GJF’s brand, strengths, and unique capacities to expand its impact.

Maintain expertise in economic development and corporate subsidies, with a working knowledge of state-level policy landscapes and their connection to organizational priorities.

Guide technology strategy to enhance operational efficiency, expand enterprise offerings, and strengthen revenue generation.

Apply an evolving understanding of racial, economic, and social justice frameworks to inform and strengthen the organization’s strategy, operations, and advocacy.

External Relations and Advocacy

The Executive Director represents the organization externally and advances its mission, visibility, and influence.

Key Responsibilities:

Serve as the organization’s primary spokesperson to funders, policymakers, partners, the media, and the broader community.

Build and maintain strategic relationships with community groups, labor unions, journalists, tax and policy groups, and advocacy coalitions to advance Good Jobs First priority areas, including providing strategic guidance for issue campaigns and serving on state and national coalitions and networks.

Maintain relationships with journalists and media organizations to enhance the organization’s profile as a trusted source on tax and subsidy issues.

Lead the organization’s efforts to expand external relationships with new partners and communities as part of its overall growth strategy.

Required Competencies

Minimum of 4 years of leading a nonprofit organization or large program team. Experience must include staff management, board relations, and organizational development.

Demonstrated experience with leading teams, including planning, delegating, program development, and task facilitation.

Demonstrated experience in managing supervisors and frontline staff and with leading staff leadership development efforts.

Experience utilizing class, race, and gender equity principles to guide organizational work and leadership.

Demonstrated success in fundraising and resource development. Excellent donor relations skills and understanding ofthe funding community.

Experience successfully working with unions, grassroots organizations, and community-based movements.

Excellent communication skills—both written and verbal—with the ability to convey complex concepts clearly and effectively to diverse audiences.

Experience with change management within social justice or nonprofit organization.

Strong financial management skills, including budget preparation, analysis, decision-making, and reporting.

Bachelor’s Degree or higher.

Experience in one of the professional fields of expertise within the organization, including: economic development, tax and public finance policy, labor research and sectoral analysis, urban planning, equity and inclusion, community development or public policy.

Preferred Experience

Experience with strategic research and corporate accountability campaigns.

Familiarity with economic development policy issues and tax policy, including economic development subsidies.

Experience navigating state and local level policy and translating policy contexts into advocacy or organizing strategies.

Experience in developing and implementing power-building strategies in collaboration with unions, grassroots organizations, community-based movements and public officials.

Track record of coalition leadership, including convening and aligning diverse stakeholders toward shared goals.

Experience with fee-for-service enterprise units and revenue management including evaluating market opportunities and ROI to guide organizational decisions on revenue diversification and technology upgrades.

Compensation and Benefits

• $140,000 to $160,000 salary commensurate with qualifications and experience
• Benefits package that includes a platinum-level PPO healthcare policy plan (including dental and vision) 100% employer-paid premium
• 403(b) retirement plan with generous employer contribution
• Professional development benefit
• Generous PTO policy including vacation, most federal holidays, the week between Christmas and New Year’s Day, and parental leave.

Location

The Executive Director and other staff work remotely. The Executive Director can work from anywhere in the United States.

A Note to Potential Candidates

Studies have shown that women, trans, non-binary folks, and Black, Indigenous people, people of color, are less likely to apply for jobs unless they believe they meet every single one of the qualifications as described in the job description. We are committed to building a diverse and inclusive organization and are most interested in finding the best candidate for the job. This candidate may be one who comes from a background less traditional to our field of work – we hope you’ll apply anyway!

Application

Please submit a resume and cover letter to: Goodjobsfirst@fordwebb.com

• $140,000 to $160,000 salary commensurate with qualifications and experience
• Benefits package that includes a platinum-level PPO healthcare policy plan (including dental and vision) 100% employer-paid premium
• 403(b) retirement plan with generous employer contribution
• Professional development benefit
• Generous PTO policy including vacation, most federal holidays, the week between Christmas and New Year’s Day, and parental leave.

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