Director of Metro Violence Prevention

About the Alliance for a Safe Oregon

The Alliance for a Safe Oregon is a statewide gun violence prevention organization working to build safer, healthier communities across Oregon through policy, advocacy, public education, and implementation.

Gun violence disproportionately impacts Black, immigrant, refugee, and other communities of color. In the Portland metropolitan area, young people are increasingly affected by firearm homicide, shootings, brandishing, and threats involving guns.

The Alliance believes homicides and acts of gun violence are preventable and that the people most impacted by violence must be at the center of developing and leading solutions.

About the Role

The Director of Metro Violence Prevention will lead the Alliance’s metro-area strategy to reduce firearm homicides through community partnerships, advocacy, public education, and support for evidence-backed violence prevention strategies.

The Director will build trusted relationships with community members, survivors, Community Violence Intervention organizations, public officials, educators, healthcare professionals, business leaders, and other stakeholders. Working closely with the Executive Director, the Director will help develop and advance policies and public investments that reflect community priorities and strengthen prevention efforts.

This position is highly collaborative and community-facing. The successful candidate will be a strong relationship builder, communicator, and advocate who can turn community priorities into meaningful action.

Responsibilities

Program Planning and Leadership

• Develop goals and work plans for the Alliance’s metro violence prevention and Safe Communities work in partnership with community stakeholders.
• Ensure people most impacted by gun violence have meaningful opportunities to shape solutions, policies, and public investments.
• Center community resilience, violence prevention, and upstream solutions in program development.
• Track progress toward program goals and recommend adjustments as needed.
• Stay current on research and emerging practices in homicide and violence prevention.

Community and Stakeholder Relationships

• Build and maintain trusted relationships with organizations and leaders across the Portland metropolitan area.
• Develop strong partnerships with Community Violence Prevention/Intervention organizations and other community-led violence prevention efforts.
• Build relationships with survivors, youth-serving organizations, educators, healthcare professionals, faith leaders, business leaders, and neighborhood organizations.
• Listen to community priorities and help partners identify opportunities for collective action.
• Represent the Alliance as a trusted partner in local violence prevention efforts.

Advocacy and Public Policy

• Develop relationships with state and local elected officials and other public leaders.
• In partnership with the Executive Director, develop strategies to increase public investment in upstream violence prevention and direct services.
• Advocate for sustainable funding for Community Violence Intervention and other evidence-backed, community-led violence prevention strategies.
• Advocate for effective violence prevention and public safety strategies that are responsive to the needs of BIPOC communities.
• Based on community priorities, advocate for state and local policies, programs, and public investments that reduce firearm homicide and improve community safety.
• Participate in coalitions and represent the Alliance in meetings with policymakers and community leaders.

Communications and Public Education

• Educate the public and marginalized communities about an equity-centered approach to gun violence and homicide prevention.
• Build public understanding and support for Community Violence Prevention/ Intervention, upstream prevention, and investment in communities.
• Work with BIPOC-led and immigrant/refugee-led organizations to develop culturally appropriate gun violence prevention materials and communications.
• Help communicate the connection between firearm homicide, suicide, community conditions, and access to resources.
• Represent the Alliance at community meetings, events, panels, and other public forums.

Survivor Engagement

• Build authentic and respectful relationships with gun violence survivors.
• Ensure survivors have meaningful opportunities to inform the Alliance’s policy and program priorities.
• Identify ways to increase support and resources available to survivors.
• Support survivors who choose to share their experiences publicly in ways that are respectful, empowering, and aligned with their goals.
• Approach survivor engagement with empathy and an understanding of trauma and grief.

Technical Assistance and Capacity Building

• Understand the landscape of evidence-backed and locally led violence prevention/ intervention strategies.
• Identify gaps in capacity, resources, and technical assistance available to local organizations.
• Determine where the Alliance can add value by connecting organizations with expertise, training, resources, and technical assistance.
• Help expand community access to effective violence prevention strategies and resources.

Organizational Collaboration

• Work closely with the Executive Director and other Alliance staff to align metro-area work with the organization’s broader mission and strategy.
• Collaborate across the Alliance’s 501(c)(3), 501(c)(4), and PAC organizations as appropriate and consistent with legal requirements.
• Represent the Alliance in coalitions, community meetings, public events, and other settings.
• Participate in occasional evening and weekend meetings and events.

About You

You care deeply about Oregon and want to help build safer communities. You believe gun violence and homicides are preventable and understand that lasting change requires both effective interventions and long-term investment in the people and communities most affected by violence.

Ideally, you:

Understand Historic and Structural Racism

You understand that firearm homicide disproportionately impacts Black, Indigenous, and other communities of color and that these disparities are connected to historic and structural racism, disinvestment, and inequitable access to resources.

Are Focused on System-Level Change

You understand that reducing homicides requires more than responding to individual incidents. You are interested in the policies, investments, programs, and community conditions that shape violence and safety.

Build Trust Across Differences

You are a strong relationship builder who can work effectively with people from different racial, ethnic, cultural, socioeconomic, political, and professional backgrounds.

You listen before acting, follow through on commitments, and understand that trust is built over time.

Communicate with Purpose

You are an effective writer and speaker who can explain complex and controversial issues in ways that bring people into the work. You can facilitate difficult conversations and adapt your communication style to different audiences.

Are a Collaborative Advocate

You are comfortable advocating for change while recognizing that communities are the experts on their own experiences. You can build coalitions and turn shared priorities into concrete strategies.

Represent the Alliance with Integrity

You will represent the Alliance in a wide range of settings and understand that relationships are at the heart of effective advocacy. You are comfortable with occasional evening and weekend activities.

Valued Experience

The Alliance recognizes that people from communities most impacted by gun violence are often less likely to apply unless they meet every qualification listed. We strongly encourage people with relevant lived and professional experience to apply.

A degree is not required for this position. We value experience gained through work, community leadership, organizing, lived experience, education, and other paths.

We particularly value:

• Direct professional or personal experience with communities most impacted by firearm homicide and gun violence, including Black, Indigenous, and other communities of color, immigrant and refugee communities, and young people.
• Experience in Community Violence Intervention, violence prevention, public health, community organizing, survivor advocacy, youth development, or related fields.
• Experience bringing people together across differences to identify shared priorities and develop solutions.
• Experience building relationships with community-based organizations, particularly BIPOC-led and immigrant/refugee-led organizations.
• Experience advocating with or working alongside local or state government.
• Experience developing or implementing community-based programs or initiatives.
• Experience communicating about complex or controversial issues to diverse audiences.
• Knowledge of the Portland metropolitan area and its communities.
• Understanding of firearm homicide prevention, community violence, gun violence prevention, or related public health and community safety issues.

We will provide onboarding and support to help the right person understand the Alliance’s organizational structure, policy priorities, and approach to program planning and evaluation.

Compensation and Benefits

The salary range for this position is $78,000 to $82,500, commensurate with experience and qualifications.

The Alliance offers a flexible work environment, generous time off to support employee well-being, and employer-paid healthcare.

Please submit a resume, cover letter, and three references by EOD Friday, October 9th.

Our Commitment

The Alliance for a Safe Oregon is committed to building an organization that reflects the communities we serve. We encourage people from historically underrepresented communities and people with direct experience of gun violence and community violence to apply.

If you are passionate about preventing homicide, building community power, and creating safer communities, we would love to hear from you.

Employer paid health, dental, and vision for employee. Retirement plan available.