Project Director, People’s Coalition for Safety and Freedom

Location: Remote, US (job must be performed within the United States)

Reports to: Ariel Cohen

About the Praxis Project

The Praxis Project is a values-driven, national nonprofit organization that seeks to advance health justice through partnerships that build community power and foster authentic collaboration and engagement. Praxis believes strongly that organized communities are critical partners in the struggle to create healthy communities. Praxis works with over 200 diverse grassroots groups across the United States that influence local policy, mobilize communities, and strengthen programs and organizations to improve health, equity, and racial justice. Praxis works to enable local efforts to build community power through training, technical assistance, capacity-building, hosting spaces for relationship-building and learning, and comprehensive fiscal sponsorship. Our capacity-building programming is focused on partnerships that actively advance Praxis’ mission to build healthy communities by transforming the power relationships and structures that affect our lives. For more information, please visit www.thepraxisproject.org.

About the People’s Coalition for Safety and Freedom

The People’s Coalition aims to dismantle and replace racist, harmful, and punitive policies that fuel criminalization and incarceration in the U.S. with policies and budgets that invest in communities and decarcerate our country. The People’s Coalition, rooted in progressive, racial-justice, base-building values, will also serve as a needed alternative to the bipartisan and corporate-dominated federal advocacy coalitions that often re-entrench punitive systems and power dynamics. PCSF seeks to democratize the federal legislation drafting and advocacy process by centering directly impacted communities. We utilized participatory democracy to implement our People's Process, wherein we engaged those directly impacted and harmed by the 1994 Crime Bill and related carceral policies in the brainstorming and drafting of replacement legislation rooted in community investment and

transformative justice. We engage in grassroots base building, political education, and advocacy.

Position Summary

The Program Director oversees all aspects of PCSF’s work. The Program Director provides strategic direction and ensures the execution of strategic organizational goals by providing strategic leadership, fund development, financial oversight, development of strategic partnerships, and is an active member of the organizational team operating through a shared leadership approach.

This is a part-time (32 hours per week), fully benefits-eligible, exempt position with a general work schedule of Monday through Friday, between 9 am-5 pm and 10 am-6 pm to accommodate working across different U.S. time zones. Overnight travel is required. The salary range for this position is $75,000- $ 85,000 per year, and the final salary will be based on experience. This role is fully funded through the end of 2026 and can be extended based on successful fundraising.

Duties and Responsibilities

Operational Management: (35%)

• Oversee day-to-day operations, ensuring the organization operates efficiently and effectively. Working closely in partnership with the Praxis Fiscal Sponsorship Team to ensure all internal and external operational functions are implemented and carried out in an effective and efficient manner.
• Serve as point of contact for fiscal sponsor and liaison between fiscal sponsor support team, Coalition partners, and Coalition Steering-Committee members
• Manage and hold organizational infrastructure, including meeting invites, mass communication with the Steering Committee at-large emails/announcements, social media access, and website and shared drive access.

Strategic Leadership and Partnership Engagement: (30%)

• Develop and implement PCSF’s strategic goals and objectives, aligned with the mission and vision of the organization, in collaboration with the Steering Committee
• Lead work plan development & evaluation reflective of the coalition, including annual strategic planning and visioning
• Establish and maintain strategic partnerships at the national & federal level and assist coalition members and/or designated staff and/or consultants in managing state & local relationships
• Identify and support the coalition through opportunities to expand its base, reach, and impact
• Build and maintain strong relationships with key strategic partners, including the Advisory Board, funders, fee-for-service clients, and other social sector organizations.

Fund Development & Financial Oversight (35%)

• Secure financial resources through building relationships focusing on long-term organizational benefit, including identifying and prioritizing prospects, developing a fund development plan, expanding reach and engagement of donors, and cultivating fee for service contracts.
• Draft grant reports and engage with program officers on behalf of the coalition
• Manage Coalition budget in accordance with Praxis Project policies and procedures.
• Draft grant reports and engage with program officers on behalf of the coalition
• Monitor and manage financial operations, including budgeting, forecasting, and resource allocation.

Other duties and responsibilities as assigned.

This is not a 100% comprehensive list of all duties and responsibilities that may be assigned.

Qualifications and Experience

• At least 5+ years in grassroots community organizing and/or coalition organizing, building, or management
• Experience working with communities directly impacted by the criminal legal system, specifically working on abolition with directly impacted people
• Proven experience as a Program Director, Managing Director, CEO, or in a senior executive leadership role within a similar organization
• A strong grounding and understanding of the criminal legal policy landscape and intersections between local, state, and federal policy
• Direct, clear, and inclusive communication skills and excellent organizational and collaborative leadership style, with the ability to inspire and motivate teams
• In-depth knowledge of nonprofit governance and best practices across functions such as fund development, program development, HR, and operations and solid understanding of organizational functions including planning, delegation, and such as operations, program development, and strategy development
• Exhibits transparency, accountability in leadership
• Strong financial management skills, including budgeting, analysis, and reporting
• Deep theoretical knowledge of and experience leading and working on equity, justice, diversity, and inclusion
• Ability to make high-stakes decisions and navigate complex challenges.
• Experience working within politically targeted movements or organizations is preferred

Required skills, knowledge, and abilities

• Strong interpersonal skills, relationship-building ability, and a high degree of comfort with public speaking, facilitation, and training and ability to work effectively with diverse stakeholders, including board members, staff, and external partners
• A strong track record of working with communities directly impacted by the criminal legal system, building and managing teams, coalitions, partnerships, and cross-functional projects
• Exceptional communication and interpersonal abilities, with a talent for building and maintaining relationships and ability to articulate a clear and compelling vision for the organization and inspire others to achieve
• Ability to use people-first, humanizing language in communication and knowledge of people-centered educational methodologies and outreach techniques
• Demonstrated commitment to participatory democracy principles
• Strategic planning and execution skills that translate vision into reality
• Capacity to analyze complex situations, identify opportunities, and develop long-term plans.
• Ability to make sound judgments, even under pressure, and to anticipate potential outcomes.

Desired qualifications: Skills, Knowledge, and Abilities

• Creativity
• Skill in motivating, developing, and managing a team to achieve organizational goals
• Extensive training, outreach experience, and experience in a network- or movement-building organization or movement intermediary organization are strongly preferred

Mental and physical demands

• Fast-paced work environment.
• High level of concentration and attention to detail required.
• Time speaking and listening ranges between 25–50%.
• Extended time sitting or standing while at a computer.
• Praxis currently works remotely, both internally and with our partners across the United States. Leading and participating in remote video and telephone conferences is required.
• Multiple video conferences per day with camera settings and video camera on.
• Occasional travel (about 1 trip per quarter), including overnight travel, is required; each trip may be 2 or more days. –
• In-person team meetings and/or participation in local (in your hometown) networking events may be expected approximately 1x per quarter.
• Some exposure to hearing, seeing, or imagining traumatic events or social crises within the communities we serve.
• Extensive interaction and communication with colleagues and strangers, in person and virtual.
• A valid driver’s license, a clean driving record, and insurance are required for employees driving on Praxis business; driving record checks may also be required.

Equal Opportunity Employer

The Praxis Project is an Equal Opportunity Employer. The Praxis Project does not discriminate on the basis of actual or perceived race, color, national origin, ancestry, sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression, religious creed, disability (mental and physical) including HIV, AIDS, and AIDS-related conditions, medical condition (including cancer and genetic characteristics), genetic information, age, marital status, sexual orientation, military and veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local law.

Praxis participates in I9 & E-Verify. You must be able to prove you are legally authorized to work in the United States. This role may require a background check.

The Praxis Project will endeavor to provide reasonable accommodations for the known physical or mental limitations of qualified employees with disabilities, unless the accommodation would impose an undue hardship on Praxis operations. Please submit reasonable accommodation requests to people@thepraxisproject.org.

Required Training

Praxis is committed to fostering a safe and welcoming work environment. All Praxis employees are required to complete annual training on preventing harassment and discrimination, managing bias, and creating an inclusive workplace. Ongoing training may be assigned for professional development purposes.

Praxis offers a very competitive benefits package for employees working at least 32 hours per week including employer-sponsored health, dental, and vision insurance. Employees working less than 40 hours per week earn paid vacation, paid sick leave, and paid holidays on a prorated basis, in line with the full-time accrual schedule. Additionally, the benefits include flexible spending accounts, a 401(k) retirement plan with a 6% employer match that vests immediately, stipend for cell phone and wireless internet usage.

Fluency in English (Reading, Writing, Speaking, Comprehending).