Regional Manager or Regional Director

To apply, please submit the following materials to careers@disabilitylead.org with your full name in the subject line:

• Cover letter describing your interest in and qualifications for this position
• Current resume
• One professional writing sample, such as a thought piece, op-ed, funder or partner letter, blog post, newsletter article, advocacy brief, or outreach materials
• Contact information for three professional references

Location: This is a remote role based in Southwestern Pennsylvania. You must live in the region.

You will attend in-person meetings and events locally, with occasional travel to Chicago, IL.

About Disability Lead

Disability Lead is a network of people with disabilities who use our power to create an equitable and inclusive society. Our vision is that people with disabilities lead with power, influence, and authenticity. Our mission is to elevate and connect a network of leaders with disabilities who shift power, transform systems, and redefine leadership.

Alongside our Network, we lead with our disability identity to pursue our vision with a voracious belief that creating a more equitable and inclusive society matters and is an obligation of everyone. We believe our disabilities are an asset and that we are most powerful when we are represented by an intersectional voice. We believe our leaders will change the world by delivering disability justice, and that they can and will create solutions for our most intractable social problems, because those problems are inherently disability issues.

We know that to feel engaged, connected, and empowered to make a difference, our employees must feel valued. We strive to build a culture where inclusion is a reflex, not an afterthought, providing accommodations through every phase of employment, from application and hiring through onboarding and day-to-day work. We are committed to creating a place where employees feel a deep sense of pride, passion, and belonging, unified by a shared commitment to supporting new leaders and improving civic life. We believe that when different ideas, perspectives, and backgrounds come together, we build something stronger, and that is reflected in a program that remains the only one of its kind in the nation.

Director/Manager Information

The job description reflects the full scope and expectations of the Director level, which represents our ideal candidate profile. That said, we recognize that strong candidates may bring many of the right qualities and a track record of growth, but not yet the depth of experience for a Director designation. In those cases, we are open to a Manager level hire with a clear path toward greater autonomy and responsibility over time. Both levels require a deeply collaborative, accountable, and mission-driven approach. Title and compensation will be determined based on the experience and leadership level of the selected candidate. Both levels report to the Chief Strategy Officer.

Primary Responsibility

The Regional Director serves as Disability Lead’s strategic leader and primary presence in Southwestern Pennsylvania, responsible for building and advancing the organization’s regional impact through relationship-building, community engagement, and operational execution. This position drives the growth and visibility of Disability Lead Southwestern PA by cultivating partnerships across community, government, philanthropy, and corporate sectors, while ensuring regional work is implemented with rigor, accountability, and alignment to national priorities. The Regional Director also serves as an active spokesperson for Disability Lead’s mission in civic spaces, connecting regional stakeholders with Disability Lead members and advancing disability leadership across the region.

Position Description

Disability Lead seeks a dynamic, strategic, and community-rooted leader to serve as its regional representative and operational lead in Southwestern Pennsylvania. Reporting to the Chief Strategy Officer, the Regional Director will play a central role in expanding and elevating Disability Lead’s presence in the region, translating organizational strategy into on-the-ground impact.

This role requires someone who is equally comfortable setting strategic direction and rolling up their sleeves to execute by managing consultants, tracking data, stewarding relationships, and showing up as a credible and compelling voice for disability leadership in the region’s key civic spaces. The Regional Director will work in close partnership with national staff, including the Director of Development, Director of Programs, and the Marketing and Communications Manager, bringing a collaborative, responsive, and accountable approach to a growing and entrepreneurial organization.

The ideal candidate is a relationship-builder and communicator who understands the regional landscape, thrives in a dynamic environment, and is deeply committed to advancing the mission and values of Disability Lead.

Key Responsibilities

Strategy, Operations & Execution

• Develop and drive regional strategy, translating vision into concrete action plans with clear steps, timelines, and accountable outcomes.
• Oversee regional work in motion by tracking progress against goals, problem-solving in real time, and adjusting plans as needed to stay on course.
• Manage regional consultants effectively, including scoping work, setting expectations, and ensuring accountability for deliverables.
• Oversee data collection, reporting, and logistics for all regional activities, maintaining a high standard of detail and follow-through.
• Support the Director of Programs in executing regional programming by coordinating in-person logistics such as venue selection, catering coordination, and event execution, while ensuring alignment with organizational programming strategy.
• Prioritize organizational needs and resources thoughtfully, ensuring regional investments align with Disability Lead’s broader strategic goals.

Relationship Building, Communications & External Affairs

• Cultivate and maintain relationships across community organizations, government, philanthropy, and corporate sectors in Southwestern PA.
• Serve as a connector between regional stakeholders and Disability Lead members, fostering relationships that open doors and advance disability leadership across the region.
• Engage in civic spaces as a confident spokesperson for Disability Lead, clearly and proactively communicating the organization’s mission, positions, and value to diverse audiences.
• Produce compelling written content that advances Disability Lead’s presence and credibility in the region, clearly articulating the organization’s mission, positions, and impact for external audiences.
• Partner with the Development team to identify regional funding opportunities, steward existing donor relationships, and support fundraising events and outreach initiatives in the region.
• Contribute regional insights to support recruitment efforts led by the Marketing and Communications team, including sharing local market knowledge, suggesting messaging approaches, and identifying outreach opportunities for prospective Institute participants and Members.
• Develop relationships with regional media, civic leaders, and community influencers as appropriate.

Collaboration & Organizational Culture

• Partner actively with national staff, vendors, and the Executive Committee, bringing a collaborative and responsive approach to shared work.
• Maintain accountability to commitments, timelines, and colleagues across the organization, acting with integrity in every relationship.
• Bring curiosity and critical inquiry to the work, questioning assumptions, examining whether approaches are advancing equity, and staying open to growth and new perspectives.
• Honor and contribute to a culture rooted in inclusion, trust, and collaboration, recognizing that sustainable leadership and long-term impact depend on these values in practice.

Qualifications

• 5+ years (Manager) or 10+ years (Director) of experience in community engagement, regional leadership, external affairs, or a related field, ideally within a nonprofit or mission-driven organization.
• Demonstrated experience developing or implementing regional or community strategy in a nonprofit or advocacy context.
• Demonstrated experience building and managing relationships across multiple sectors, including community, government, philanthropy, and/or corporate.
• Proven ability to manage projects and consultants with a high degree of organization, attention to detail, and follow-through.
• Demonstrated ability to learn an organization's model, mission, and positioning quickly and represent it with clarity and confidence across diverse audiences.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including experience representing an organization as a public spokesperson or in civic settings.
• Familiarity with CRM platforms, project management tools, and data reporting systems.
• Experience producing written content for external audiences, including donor and partner communications, recruitment materials, and organizational messaging.
• Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively across teams and functions, with a flexible and accountable approach to shared work.
• Commitment to disability justice, equity, and the mission and values of Disability Lead.
• Experience in a chapter-based, multi-site, or growing nonprofit organization preferred.
• Experience working with or within the disability community, disability advocacy, or disability leadership spaces preferred.
• Experience working in or with the Southwestern PA region, with existing relationships across civic, philanthropic, or corporate sectors preferred.

Disability Lead offers a comprehensive benefits package, including:

• 32-hour work weeks with a flexible, remote schedule, with occasional flexibility needed for programming and community outreach
• Unlimited flex time and unlimited sick time, separate from vacation and personal days
• 15 days of paid vacation in the first year, increasing to 20 days in subsequent years, plus personal days, summer break, and winter break
• 12 weeks of paid parental leave
• Health insurance, largely organization-supported, with coverage beginning on the first day of employment, plus free vision and dental coverage
• Employer-paid short-term and long-term disability insurance
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
• Simple IRA with up to 3% employer match, beginning on the first day of employment
• Telecommunications stipend to offset internet and phone costs, as budget allows