Director of Collaborations

                     Director of Collaborations

Department(s):    National Initiatives

Location:                Flexible

Reports to:           Senior Director Special Initiatives and Partnerships

Salary

Range:                $90k- $105k

Background:

SAGE is the country's largest and oldest organization dedicated to improving the lives of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBTQ+) older people. Founded in 1978 and headquartered in New

York City, SAGE is a national organization that offers supportive services and consumer resources to LGBTQ+ older people and their caregivers, advocates for public policy changes that address the needs of LGBTQ+ older people, provides education and technical assistance for aging providers and LGBTQ+ organizations through its National Resource Center on LGBTQ+ Aging, and cultural competence training through SAGECare.  SAGE supports a growing network of 70+ SAGECollab Partners across the country.

Position Summary:

The Director of Collaborations is responsible for mobilizing and increasing the network of SAGECollab Partners, consisting of local non-profit groups and organizations that engage in advocacy or provide services and programs to LGBTQ+ older people. In this role, the Director

of will oversee the SAGECollab Partner network, recruit new partners with intentional outreach to LGBTQ+ non-profit organizations and groups focusing on BIPOC, TGNB, and Rural communities, facilitate ongoing networking meetings, provide technical assistance and ensure network partners align with SAGE’s mission and commitment to equity and inclusion. The Director will also leverage these relationships to work closely with the SAGE National Resource Center on LGBTQ+ Aging, Advocacy and Policy team, Center of Excellence, and SAGECare to advance SAGE’s support of LGBTQ+ friendly aging networks and policy and advocacy priorities at the state and local level.

Further, the Director will also partner with other SAGE departments to help convene other organizations across the U.S. to catalyze more LGBTQ+- and age-friendly policies and programs in support of LGBTQ+ elders through coalition building; relationship development; capacity building; and the provision of technical assistance to a range of local, regional, national and global organizations. The context for the Director of work is SAGE’s goal, as expressed in its current Strategic Plan, to exponentially increase the organization’s positive impact on, and relevance to, the nation’s 4 million LGBTQ+ older people by: (a) catalyzing and leveraging partners; (b) networking with LGBTQ+ BIPOC, TGNB, and Rural organizations (c) ensuring that vulnerabilities among LGBTQ+ older people are addressed; (d) advocating SAGE’s vision in LGBTQ+ and aging communities, and in public and private systems; (e) engaging the vibrancy of LGBTQ+ older people as community asset; and (f) supporting and energizing LGBTQ+ cross-generational communities. 

The Director of Collaborations will accomplish their work driven by SAGE’s fundamental values

of diversity & equity, collaborative teamwork, and partnership (internal and external), top performance, innovation, LGBTQ+ older voices come first, and dignity and respect.  To ensure top performance, SAGE strives for disciplined strategies and governance, disciplined people, disciplined allocation of resources, and disciplined execution.

Key Responsibilities:

• Build a movement of organizations and advocates across the U.S. working towards the

shared goal of improving the lives of LGBTQ+ older people and create opportunities for LGBTQ+ aging advocates to connect with and learn from each other.

•  Manage SAGECollab Partners, facilitate and organize monthly peer meetings, offering

ongoing technical assistance, organize and execute its annual Intergenerational Institute at the Creating Change Conference and other networking/leadership opportunities as defined by the annual workplan.

• Provide strategic vision and direction to inform the growth and evolution of the SAGECollab

network, including as SAGE implements its 2022-2026 strategic plan. This includes intentional outreach and engagement with partners supporting BIPOC, TGNB, and Rural LGBTQ+ communities.

• Co-facilitate with SAGE’s Advocacy Team, the National LGBTQ+ Aging Roundtable. 
• Support SAGE Advocacy team with mobilizing SAGECollab Partners to further SAGE’s local,

state, and federal advocacy and policy priorities.

• Deepen SAGE’s relationships with existing partners and develop, steward, and nurture

new high-value and high-visibility strategic partnerships with diverse organizations, in collaboration with the National Resource Center on LGBTQ+Aging.

• Represent SAGE and LGBTQ+ aging issues at select conferences to include coordination of

the Intergenerational Institute at the annual Creating Change Conference.

• Develop, on occasion and in partnership with SAGE’s Communications & Marketing team

and the National Resource Center on LGBTQ+ Aging, content, including but not limited to letters to the editor, op-ed pieces, fact sheets, online content, case studies, toolkits and resource guides, etc. 

•   Manage projects including budgets, setting priorities and managing workflow, based both on

internal and external deadlines.

• Oversee the implementation of grants and contracts, providing regular reports and

ensuring that all deliverables are met.

• Manage external agencies, vendors, and contractors as appropriate.

Required Skills/Qualifications

• Familiarity with LGBTQ+ issues and cultural competency around issues related to age, ability, sexuality, gender identity and expression, race, ethnicity, class and other characteristics that affect the lives of diverse older people.
• Passion for LGBTQ+ and aging issues
• Proven track record as a relationship builder, working with and across organizations of varying

sizes and budgets in different geographic regions.

• Demonstrated commitment to SAGE’s organizational values, including of diversity, equity and

inclusion.

• Ability to manage multiple projects and deadlines simultaneously while working in a fast-paced, multi-disciplinary organization.
• Demonstrated experience in implementing, managing and meeting grant-funded deliverables.
• Strong facilitation skills and experience work with and in coalitions

Strong attention to detail

• Nimble, flexible and dependable – this position requires flexibility around scheduling; some evening and/or occasional weekend hours will be required.
• Strong organizational skills with an ability to manage and prioritize multiple tasks.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to work independently as well as a member of a team.
• Computer-literate, with knowledge of Microsoft Office and ability to learn other pertinent software systems.
• Willingness/ability to travel across the U.S. and potentially internationally.

Preferred Qualifications

• Past experience working in coalitions and organizations serving diverse older people.
• Bilingual: Ability to speak and understand and/or write in Spanish.

Equal Employment Opportunity

SAGE is an Equal Opportunity Employer that does not discriminate on the

basis of actual or perceived race, ethnicity, creed, color, religion, sex or

gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, alienage or

national origin, ancestry, age, citizenship status, marital or family status,

family medical history or genetic information, veteran status, HIV serostatus, military or military discharge status, height, weight, disability or handicap, domestic violence victim status, employment status, socioeconomic status,

criminal history or arrest record, sexual or other reproductive health decisions, natural hair or hairstyle, or any other status or characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local laws. SAGE is dedicated to

this policy, with respect to all matters concerning employment.