Strategy Director, United States

Strategy Director, United States

The Christensen Fund

The Christensen Fund works to support Indigenous peoples in advancing their inherent rights, dignity, and self-determination. Founded in 1957 in San Francisco, we are a nonprofit, nongovernmental organization, led by an independent Board of Trustees. Our team of global experts center Indigenous voices, leadership, and perspectives in our philanthropy and advocacy.

Position Summary

The Strategy Director, United States (SDUS) is responsible for working with the CEO and Director of Partnership Strategy in designing, evolving, and advancing the programmatic goals and outcomes of The Christensen Fund’s Indigenous rights-focused U.S. strategy.

The SDUS collaborates and builds partnerships with The Christensen Fund’s staff, Grantee Partners, donors, and allies. The SDUS also facilitates programmatic strategy, grantmaking, capacity-building, learning and exchange, fundraising and network- and alliance-building within and through The Christensen Fund’s domestic grantmaking.

The Christensen Fund recently adopted a strategic plan to guide the organization through 2028. This plan focuses on providing long-term support to core partners. The organization is currently figuring out its long-term grantmaking plan to activate the strategic plan’s goals, and the SDUS position will play an important role in determining how we best engage with partners for longer-term support.

The SDUS is a key member of the Program Team and reports to the CFOO. This is a full-time, US-based position. Location is flexible but must include reliable high-speed internet access and the ability to access an international airport within a day's travel. This position requires regular travel.

Core Areas of Responsibility

Key responsibilities are based on The Christensen Fund’s core grantmaking functions and on the goals of the U.S. strategy.

• Cultivating, managing, and maintaining trusting relationships with Grantee Partners, aligned national organizations and allies, and a network of aligned donors/multi-donor funds and bi- and multilaterals
• Managing U.S. grantmaking including relationship management and documentation for all U.S. portfolio partners
• Understanding, building, and supporting the U.S. strategy by staying current on the social, economic, and political forces, including processes affecting Indigenous rights, land tenure, and self-determination.
• Organizing opportunities for staff and Board members of The Christensen Fund to better understand the needs and work of our partners and grantees, including webinars, retreats, site visits, and panels.
• Other duties as assigned.

Key Competencies, Skills, and Attributes

Commitment to programmatic vision and excellence

The SDUS brings comprehensive knowledge and understanding of Indigenous Peoples’ movements, rights and issues in the US and a proven ability to connect issues, struggles and opportunities towards strategic alignment and action. The SDUS is able to self-identify growth areas, asks questions, seeks solutions and requests assistance openly.

Ability to leverage strong Indigenous networks, trusting relationships, and strategic resources towards the Purpose of The Christensen Fund

The SDUS brings a commitment to promoting solidarity within racial/cultural groups, between Indigenous Peoples and their allies across geographic locations and sectors. The SDUS will have extensive experience and expertise working with Indigenous Peoples’ organizations and/or Tribal Nations, as well as government agencies, civil society organizations, etc., along with their networks within each of these sectors towards the goals and visions of Indigenous Peoples.

Ability and orientation toward informing the collective

The SDUS will have excellent communication, facilitation and presentation skills informed by an ability to analyze, map and strategically engage power and to build and leverage social capital at a variety of scales (local, national, regional and international) and sectors.

Organized systems-thinker and collaborative teammate

The SDUS displays ownership and accountability for their work product and for the larger grantmaking flow. Given the relatively small size of The Christensen Fund’s team, this position must be hands-on, flexible, and adaptive.

Compensation & Benefits

The target salary for this position is $170,000 to $190,000 annually, with a generous benefits package also provided.