Senior Director, Capacity Building

About Youth Organize! California

Youth Organize! California (YO! Cali), a 501c3 nonprofit organization, is a statewide network of grassroots youth organizations committed to expanding and growing the strategic, professional, and socio-emotional power and political analysis of young people and youth organizers across the state.

We cultivate transformative youth organizing to genåerate long-term transformation in our communities. We strengthen the youth organizing ecosystem and grow the capacities of organizations to build power in deep alignment towards a shared vision of liberation, healing, and justice.

We invest in sustainable leadership pathways that center the voices and experiences of the most impacted young people, nurturing a bold, multi-issue movement.

About the Role

The Senior Capacity Building Director is the lead strategist responsible for developing and driving our Capacity Building Strategy across the state, strengthening our network members' culture and craft in organizing and building power, and expanding youth organizer pathways. The Senior Director will lead a team of staff members and consultants to design & deliver our core training, programming, and focused support to Youth Organizing Groups in the field. The Capacity Building Director will work with the field and network partners to gain a deeper understanding of the core training needs, explore & design programming, opportunities, and collaborations that build and strengthen organizing skills, strategy, capacity, and sustainability of organizers, organizations, and the next generation of youth organizers to be more effective, durable, and powerful.

In addition, they will work closely with our Senior Director, Power Building & Manager, Healing Justice to execute and drive strategy and implement our strategic plan and long-term power-building vision. Success in this role requires a visionary & innovative leader capable of setting a clear strategic direction, stewarding a team in implementation, and cultivating offerings that offer breadth and depth in the field.

The Senior Director, Capacity Building reports to YO! Cali’s Co-Executive Director. The position is a full-time, exempt position (40 hours per week) based in California. In all duties and responsibilities, this position exercises discretion and independent judgment.

Essential Responsibilities

Statewide Capacity Building Strategy

• Lead, Design, Develop & Implement Organizational Capacity Building Strategy that builds & strengthens the transformative organizing skills, strategy, pathways, and sustainability of youth organizers and organizations in our network.
• Facilitate strategic thinking & design meetings with Staff, Board, stakeholders to set organizational strategy, priorities, and goals that advance our strategic plan
• Design, Innovate, and Execute programming that advances our Capacity Building goals and strengthens the collective knowledge, muscle, pathways, and practices of organizations in transformative youth organizing. Including:
  • Foundations of Organizing Curriculum & Training
    • Design & Develop YO! Cali’s Foundations of Youth Organizing curriculum & training series to implement regionally & statewide
    • Train and work with YO! Cali staff to facilitate & integrate Foundations Curriculum into program offerings.
    • Coordinate and Facilitate Foundations of Organizing Training annually or as needed based on regional and statewide needs.
  • Leads & Directors Fellowship (frequency as determined ~ every 3-4 years)
    • Overall Design, Coordination, and Implementation of 9-month Leads & Directors Fellowship, including outreach, program design, facilitation of training sessions & retreats, logistics coordination, fellows communication, evaluation, budget development & tracking, and coaching & consultant coordination.
  • Emerging Organizers Fellowship (annually)
    • Work with EOF Manager to develop, refine, and implement fellowship goals and strategy that strengthen youth organizers and organizations in the field connected to regional and statewide power building strategy.
• Support, Manage & Coordinate with Staff implementing Capacity Building Programs
  • Emerging Organizers Fellowship: Support, manage, & Coordinate with the Fellowship Manager around design, implementation, and evaluation of Fellowship & Alumni Engagement.
  • Alumni Coordinator: Support, manage, and coordinate with EOF & Alumni Program Coordinator around design, implementation and evaluation of ongoing pathways, engagements and programming for fellowship alumni.
  • Healing Justice Strategy: Support the creation, development and implementation of Healing Justice Programming Statewide, ensuring this strategy is aligned and woven across all program offerings, in collaboration with the Manager, Healing Justice and Program Directors.
• Provide Coaching: Serve as part of YO! Cali’s Coaching Team, providing individual coaching to fellows in any of the Fellowship Programs (Emerging Organizers Fellowship, Leads & Directors,etc.) or through Power Building or Youth Organizing Hub Programming.
• Develop, Manage & Track Capacity Building & Program Budgets to ensure effective & fiscally responsible use of financial resources, and in compliance with organizational policies.
• Support Fundraising: Support funder and donor cultivation and fundraising efforts by participating in funder and donor meetings and supporting grant proposals and reports related to Capacity Building strategies, as needed.
• Conduct, Coordinate & Engage in Program & Strategy Evaluation to assess effectiveness and identify areas for growth, expansion or adjustment.
• Cultivate & Deepen relationships and mutual connections with key capacity building organizations, trainers, facilitators, subject-matter experts, researchers, and practitioners throughout the state and country.
• Partner with the YO! Hub Director to develop and/or deliver capacity building programming to fiscally sponsored projects and other Hub partner organizations.
• Support major statewide or regional YO! Cali events by designing and facilitating sessions, supporting turnout, logistics, or other support roles as needed.Other programmatic duties as assigned/needed.

Statewide Support & Strategy:

• Cross-Strategy Weaving: Ensure Capacity Building strategy and program offerings are aligned with and embed YO! Cali’s Power Building strategy
• Annual Youth Organizing Institute Goal Setting & Strategy:
  • Coordinate Regional Managers to Align & Develop Shared YOI Strategy & Themes annually
  • Design and develop shared tools, templates, and resources across regions
  • Develop and refine curriculum annually based on shared needs, and train staff to implement and facilitate cross-regionally.
• Collaborate with Regional teams to set clear annual capacity building goals, ensuring alignment with our strategic plan and org-wide priorities.
• Regional Support & Alignment: Support & Provide Guidance and Alignment for Regional Leads/Organizers in their Regional Capacity Building offerings, training and programming, including design, facilitation, and resource sharing.
• Serve as a member of the Regional Team (where they reside), and provide support and leadership to implement regional efforts, including regional network building & engagement, annual Youth Organizing Institute, and strategy sessions with regional staff & organizations

Organizational Strategic Direction, Development, and Culture

• Supervise & Support Staff Leading & Implementing Capacity Building Programming providing regular coaching, feedback, and strategic guidance to ensure that their area of work is aligned and responsive to network needs and organizational priorities. These include but not limited to:
  • Fellowship Manager
  • Alumni Program & EOF Logistics Coordinator
  • Healing Justice Director
• Actively participate & Support facilitation in internal organizational spaces, including all-staff meetings, leadership or strategy teams, planning sessions, staff retreats, and team-building activities.
• Participate in one of YO! Cali’s Leadership Stewardship Teams to help advance organizational strategy, culture, and infrastructure.

Other Responsibilities

• Represent YO! Cali in collaborations, or movement projects aligned with our Capacity Building Priorities, to strategically influence resources or opportunities.
• Occasionally, support statewide and regional events, such as meetings, convenings, and gatherings, as needed.

Required Qualifications:

YO! California seeks a dynamic, strategic, and results-oriented leader who is deeply committed to youth organizing and movement-building in California. The ideal candidate will bring a strong mix of analytical & strategic thinking skills, organizing, facilitation, and communication skills, along with a passion for collective liberation and power-building. This individual excels at transforming bold ideas into actionable strategies and executing them with precision and care. The ideal candidate will possess most of the following professional and personal skills, abilities, and experiences:

• A strong alignment with YO! Cali’s mission, values, and culture.
• Demonstrated expertise in community organizing and program development, with at least five to seven years of experience in youth organizing, grassroots base-building, and campaigns.
• Director-level experience in long-term strategic planning and visioning, developing campaign strategies, capacity building and curriculum, supervising staff, and building teams
• Significant facilitation and strategic thinking skills, particularly in base-building and campaign development, with the ability to support individual growth & development, and guide groups toward alignment and collective action.
• Demonstrated success in curriculum development and program design, especially in leadership development, political education, base-building, and campaign strategy.
• Training, leadership, commitment to, and/or expertise in one or more arenas of embodied transformative practice, ie: Somatics, Forward Stance, meditation, therapeutic methods, Healing Justice, or related arenas of practice; recognizing them as essential components of resilient organizing and long-term sustainability.
• Experience with work plans and program and budget planning, management, evaluation, and monitoring, including the ability to align resources with program goals, track spending, and support financial decision-making and grant reporting in collaboration with team members.
• Exceptional project management, prioritization, and planning skills, with demonstrated success producing high-quality deliverables on time and with attention to detail and accuracy.
• Familiarity with the California youth organizing landscape, including regional dynamics and the issues young people are organizing around.
• Proven ability to link the development of people with the achievement of organizational outcomes.
• Excellent computer skills (Google Workspace, Zoom, Canva, Powerpoint, Signal, etc)and willingness to learn additional applications and accessible technology as necessary for communication, collaboration, and project management.
• Excellent written & verbal communication skills.
• Flexible availability, including occasional evenings and weekends to support events and time-sensitive organizing needs.
• High-level of cultural awareness and experience working with different demographic and cultural groups
• Values cross-collaboration and building strong and trusted relationships across diverse individuals, organizations, regions and stakeholders.
• Flexible, adaptable, and solution oriented approach, with the ability to give and receive feedback and engage in principled struggle.
• Unafraid to tackle issues of race & equity, and engage in conflict transformation processes, both internally with YO! Cali colleagues and networks members in the field

Physical Demands:

The Sr. Capacity Building Director role includes the following physical demands:

• Ability to sit and work at a computer for extended periods.
• Ability to read and process information on a screen.
• Manual dexterity to operate a keyboard and standard office equipment.
• Ability to communicate clearly and effectively by phone, video call, and in person.
• Ability to occasionally lift and carry materials or equipment weighing up to 10 pounds (e.g., event supplies, printed materials).
• Ability to travel regionally & statewide for trainings, retreats, convenings at least four (4x a year)

Additional Position Details:

• Position Type: Full-time, exempt
• Location: Remote, Based in California (hybrid flexibility may be specified if applicable)
• Compensation: Annual salary of $117,369.00
• This position includes the following benefits:
  • Comprehensive health coverage for employees and dependents, including:
  • Medical, dental, and vision insurance (based on full-time equivalent/FTE status)
  • Life insurance
  • Short-term and long-term disability insurance
  • Generous paid time off, including vacation, sick leave, holidays, and organizational rest periods

How to Apply

Please submit your application via THIS FORM.

Application will remain open until position is filled: Next review deadline is 03/30/26

The goal for start date is mid-May 2026.

If you have any issues submitting your application, please email Tamila@yocalifornia.org

Youth Organize! California is an equal opportunity. People of color, women, lesbian/gay/bisexual/transgender/gender nonconforming people, and people with disabilities are encouraged to apply.

• This position includes the following benefits:
  • Fully remote work environment
  • Computer supplied
  • Comprehensive health coverage for employees and dependents, including:
  • Medical, dental, and vision insurance (based on full-time equivalent/FTE status)
  • Life insurance
  • Short-term and long-term disability insurance
  • Generous paid time off, including vacation, sick leave, holidays, and organizational rest periods
  • $500 wellness bonus
  • Home office expense reimbursement
  • Phone and internet stipend