Senior Director of Place-Based Partnerships

Oakland Thrives

Senior Director of Place-Based Partnerships

Job Description

Reports to: Chief Executive

Organization: Oakland Thrives (OT)

Location: Oakland, CA

Position: Full-Time, Exempt

About Oakland Thrives

Oakland Thrives is a collective impact backbone organization, fiscally sponsored by the Tides Center, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. It is dedicated to advancing well-being and equity for Oakland’s children, families, and communities. Oakland Thrives is connected to the Youth Ventures Joint Powers Authority (YVJPA), a public-sector collective impact forum that includes the County of Alameda, City of Oakland, Oakland Unified School District, Alameda County Office of Education, Peralta Community College District, and First 5 Alameda County. The YVJPA was established to improve outcomes for Oakland youth through coordinated, cross-sector collaboration. Over time, Oakland Thrives has expanded into a robust public-private partnership, bringing together leaders from business, nonprofit, philanthropy, and the broader community.

As a collective impact organization, Oakland Thrives brings these leaders together to plan and implement initiatives that create the conditions for Oakland’s children, families, and communities to be the healthiest in the nation. Oakland Thrives works across the city on high-priority community needs in the areas of health, wealth, education, safety, and housing. Our current priority initiative is Rise East, a multi-year collective impact effort to improve the health and well-being of Black children and families in East Oakland.

Position

The Senior Director of Place-Based Partnerships is a key strategic leadership role at Oakland Thrives. This position leads neighborhood-based partnerships and implementation efforts with a special focus on Rise East. The Senior Director is responsible for building relationships with community leaders, managing partner support contracts, and ensuring that collective impact strategies are effectively implemented at the neighborhood level.

This role reports to the Chief Executive and collaborates closely with Oakland Thrives’ executive and programmatic teams, as well as community stakeholders.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Serve as the primary liaison between Oakland Thrives and Rise East, including the 40x40 Council and other community partners.
• Lead and manage the annual Rise East grant renewal process, ensuring alignment with funder requirements and timelines
• Support, guide, and monitor the implementation of community-led strategies identified in the Rise East plan.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with community partners; provide technical assistance and remove barriers to implementation.
• Attend and convene Rise East partner meetings to ensure alignment, communication, and collaboration.
• Oversee and coordinate the work of consultants staffing the Governance Advisory Committee, the Steering Committee, and other consultants engaged with Rise East
• Plan, develop, and oversee materials for quarterly Governance Advisory Team meetings and annual ratification meetings
• Identify and connect partners to philanthropic opportunities aligned with Rise East goals.
• Develop and manage scopes of work, budgets, and reporting structures for partner contracts in line with Rise East implementation.
• Provide project leadership and cross-functional coordination across Oakland Thrives teams supporting Rise East, including grants monitoring and reporting, fundraising and donor engagement, evaluation, communications and public affairs
• Track collective progress through short- and long-term planning and report results to the CEO, Oakland Thrives Leadership Council, and other stakeholders.
• Provide or arrange capacity-building support for partners as needed.
• Monitor and respond to the evolving needs of Oakland flatland neighborhoods, identifying opportunities for expanded support and impact.
• Ensure alignment with best practices in collective impact and community development.
• Leverage internal and external relationships to further Rise East implementation and Oakland Thrives’ mission.
• Collaborate with finance and admin staff to support contract execution, payment processes, and compliance.
• Supervise future partnership and contract associates.
• Represent Oakland Thrives in community coalitions, stakeholder meetings, and public forums.

Education and Experience

• Bachelor’s degree required; Master’s degree preferred in public administration, community development, nonprofit management, or related field.
• 5–7 years of professional experience in place-based or community-focused initiatives.
• Strong experience developing and managing partnerships with both public and community-based organizations.
• Proven track record in budget development, contract management, and grant compliance.
• Experience supervising staff and managing cross-functional teams.
• Demonstrated commitment to racial equity and experience working in historically disinvested communities.
• Familiarity with Oakland neighborhoods and East Oakland’s unique challenges and opportunities is highly preferred.
• Excellent communication and facilitation skills.
• Strong organizational and project management skills.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Strong interpersonal and collaboration skills with diverse stakeholders.
• Ability to work independently, prioritize competing tasks, and adapt to evolving priorities.
• Skilled in convening, facilitation, and partnership development.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite, Google Workspace, and project management tools.
• High emotional intelligence and cultural humility.

Physical Demands and Work Environment

This is a full-time position. OTLC supports a hybrid and remote work environment to ensure that geographic location is not a barrier to employees contributing to the OTLC mission. While remote work is supported, employees are encouraged to work in person two days per week, as their geographic location permits. Evening and weekend work may be required.

Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Statement

Oakland Thrives is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We are committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all qualified individuals without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, or any other characteristic protected by law.

Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Statement

Oakland Thrives complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities. If you require an accommodation to participate in the application process or perform the essential functions of the job, please contact us to discuss your needs.

Exempt Status

This position is classified as exempt under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). As an exempt employee, you will not be eligible for overtime pay for hours worked beyond the standard 40-hour workweek.

Salary Range

This role has an annual salary range of $145,000 to $165,000 based on experience.

Benefits:

• Health Insurance: Comprehensive health coverage.
• Dental Insurance: Includes routine and major dental care.
• Vision Insurance: Coverage for eye exams, glasses, and contact lenses.
• 403 (b) Plan: Retirement savings plan with employer contributions.
• Additional Stipends: Other applicable stipends as per company policy.

To Apply:

The deadline to apply for this role is Friday, May 1 and applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. Please email a resume and cover letter to hello@oaklandthrives.org.

• Health Insurance: Comprehensive health coverage.
• Dental Insurance: Includes routine and major dental care.
• Vision Insurance: Coverage for eye exams, glasses, and contact lenses.
• 403 (b) Plan: Retirement savings plan with employer contributions.
• Additional Stipends: Other applicable stipends as per company policy.