Learning & Impact (L&I) Director - Movement Innovation Collaborative

What You’ll Be Doing: 

This is a leadership function within our new Program Team that holds learning as a strategic focus in addition to being a key program element that contributes to innovation and impact.  We seek a L&I Director with a successful track record of building and supporting an organizational culture of reflection and learning using data, stories, and other narratives  to achieve program performance outcomes for scaled impact.  

More specifically, the Learning and Impact Director will have the following responsibilities focused on strategic and operational management in this startup phase of MIC:

• Develop the overall learning and innovation strategy for MIC in collaboration with the Program Directors and the Deputy Director of Programs
  • In alignment with MIC’s Theory of Change and in partnership with the Leadership Council, identify key hypotheses that are being tested and the strategy for documenting and disseminating learnings
  • Create an annual learning agenda in service to building greater power through the iteration of MIC’s core programs and activities
  • In alignment with MIC’s Theory of Change, co-create and implement MIC’s impact measurement strategy, identifying KPIs and short-term and long-term outcomes.
• Design and implement MIC’s internal learning systems
  • Assess knowledge management and data collection needs for L&I functions in order to create and manage internal  processes and systems for information to be stored, documented, analyzed, and shared across teams and individual staff.
  • Determine and implement standards and processes for completion and dissemination of learning assets (e.g. reports, analysis, case studies) among MIC staff, Movement Innovation Centers and externally to the field at large 
  • Provide thought partnership to other MIC colleagues incorporating learning into their roles and responsibilities.
  • Train and support staff on L&I standards, processes, and tools to apply them effectively for learning functions.
• Develop and implement learning and innovation partnerships with the field
  • Assess systems and processes for capturing innovations and knowledge from the field.  Make recommendations for how MIC can promote and support a culture of learning within the power building ecosystem.
  • Champion experiments and research projects to deepen MIC’s ability to foster innovation and understanding of the changes and their impact in the wider power building ecosystem
  • Coordinate and collaborate with external contributors (e.g. power building organizations, Movement Innovation Centers, educational, policy, and research institutions)  and consultants to further the learning agenda and MIC’s Theory of Change
• Oversee the learning and innovation function
  • Develop and manage project work plans
  • Ensure alignment across MIC functions (programs, operations, fundraising, stakeholder relations) with messaging of program impact.
  • Hire, train, coach/mentor, supervise and evaluates L&I staff, interns and/or volunteers

We envision that after a period in which the Learning and Impact function is designed and implemented, the responsibilities for this position will shift to address the growing and strategic needs of MIC and as additional program staff are onboarded.

Who You Are: 

While no one person will embody all of the qualities described below, the ideal candidate will possess many of the following professional and personal abilities, attributes, and experiences:

• A strong alignment with the MIC's mission, values and culture
• Will have demonstrated success in leveraging lived experience to drive meaningful results and change 
• Demonstrated subject-matter expertise in organizational learning as well as community and social science research including knowledge of grassroots organizations and the political landscape in California
• At least three to five years of experience in a similar role within a social sector or adjacent setting, preferably an organization that does organizing or community engagement. 
• Combination of related training and work experience for minimum of 10 years 
• Experience in leading and conducting applied and other research and analysis and equitable evaluation frameworks
• Experience in designing and executing systems and processes within an organization.
• Leadership style that is action-oriented, entrepreneurial, adaptable, community-centered and brings an innovative approach to addressing challenges
• Values cross-functional collaboration and building strong and trusted relationships across diverse individuals and groups of stakeholders
• High-level of cultural awareness and experience working with different demographic and cultural groups
• A flexible and resilient approach, with the ability to handle strong opinions/feedback well, and adapt to the dynamic nature of a startup environment.
• Unafraid to tackle issues of race & equity both internally with MIC colleagues and networks externally with the field
• Strategic leadership abilities, and the ability to link the development of people with achievement of organizational outcomes. 
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.  
  • Ability to effectively present information to diverse audiences (MIC staff,  Board of Directors and Advisors, funders, etc.)
  • Ability to communicate technical data and other information into accessible, actionable and meaningful information for decision-making and program improvement
• Possess facilitation, training and consultation skills in order to convene groups to interpret and examine data, make decisions, and move to action.
• Exceptional project management, prioritization, and planning skills, with demonstrated success producing high-quality deliverables on time and with attention to detail and accuracy. 
• Excellent computer skills (Google Apps, Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint, etc.); willingness to learn additional applications and accessible technology as necessary.