Liberation Ventures (LV) is building the power to win federal, comprehensive reparations for Black Americans. LV is a field catalyst and intermediary, and exists to support the incredible field of people and organizations across the country building momentum toward that north star. LV is guided by five organizational beliefs.

LV’s three pillars of work include:

• Mobilizing abundant resources by investing in organizations that accelerate the reparations movement & co-creating grantmaking strategies with practitioners in the field
• Spreading irresistible narratives by building narrative power, amplifying the stories of our movement, and framing reparations as the issue of our time
• Strengthening movement capacity through relationship and connective tissue building, research, and tailored organizational development support

Liberation Ventures is laying the groundwork to secure racial repair, at scale, in our lifetime. LV is building a multiracial democracy that works for all of us – and realizing a dream in our name, where reparations for Black people unlock true belonging for us all. To find out more about LV’s work, visit Liberation Ventures’ website.

About the Opportunity

Working closely with the Co-Founder & CEO, the LV team, and external consultants, LV is seeking its first-ever Vice President of Operations. In this inaugural role, the VPO will be responsible for building operational infrastructure from the inside out – including spearheading the transition of the organization into an independent 501c3 and leading critical Human Resources functions.

This role is designed for a seasoned leader with experience in Human Resources, IT, Finance, Legal, Accounting and Contract management, who is capable of rolling up their sleeves while also holding the big picture. They have a proven track record of developing and implementing operational systems while also leading operations in small to mid-sized organizations. This candidate should be well-prepared to identify and address problems as they emerge. Exceptional candidates will possess strong communication skills, enabling them to effectively convey complex information to various audiences. Moreover, they should be enthusiastic about collaborating with both internal and external stakeholders, serving as a valuable partner in all of LV's endeavors.

The VPO will report directly to the Co-founder & CEO and will directly manage relationships with external partners, including consultants and contractors to support HR, IT, Finance and Accounting processes.  

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Responsibilities & Qualifications

Mission and Values Alignment: Contribute to an entrepreneurial, mission-driven environment with a desire to build operational infrastructure that operates in the liminal space between the present and the future (see Liberation Ventures organizational belief #3), is aligned with the organization’s mission and values, and promotes equity, accountability, wellbeing, and repair.

Key qualifications:

• Deep belief in Liberation Ventures’ mission
• Demonstrated commitment to LV’s beliefs in practice
• Strong understanding of LV’s field of work — racial, economic, and gender justice and their intersections, and the systems and structures that cause ongoing harm in these areas
• Able to hold multiple truths at the same time related to running a liberatory organization within a capitalist system, and able to take decisive action from that position
• Understands complexity as it relates to identity; able to hold and understand parts of ones identity that are historically marginalized as well as parts of ones identity that are historically powerful
• Able to see, name, and navigate power and privilege dynamics in a group and contribute to a working environment where all people are equally valued, feel cared for, and are accountable to each other

Planning and Implementation: Plan and implement LV’s transition to independent 501c3 status. Oversee development of short- and long-term financial, HR, IT and Accounting strategies in collaboration with team members and external consultants at all levels, including designing, building infrastructure, conducting analyses, communicating forecasts, and presentations to inform and drive decisions by staff and leadership. Ensure legal compliance with the evolution of LV, as well as internal controls and financial procedures.

Key qualifications:

• Track record of managing a department(s) with multiple functions/programs, providing “balcony-level” insights on trends, challenges, and progress
• Ability to anticipate and collectively plan for the future, providing experience-driven and data-driven recommendations; history of building out and implementing systems in a scaling organization
• Experience managing operational systems for organizations at a $10-20 million budget size
• Relevant experience with managing a 501c3 process and knowledge of technical and legal ownership of that transition

Accountable and Compassionate Management: Experience managing a team (internal and contractors) infused with collaboration, growth, and equity.

Key qualifications:

• Proven track record of senior leadership in a mission driven organization
• Able to manage multiple contractors to deliver high-quality, timely, aligned services to Liberation Ventures
• Exceptional project management skills; strong attention to detail and equitable, streamlined processes; highly organized and able to manage multiple streams of work in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment
• Exceptional written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills
• Track record of building “high EQ” teams dedicated to personal and professional growth
• Track record of serving as a thought partner and strategic advisor to executive leaders as well as reporting to and managing a board of directors
• Track record of building strong partnerships with team members at all levels of an organization; relational, collaborative approach to management and leadership

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Salary & Benefits

PolicyLink offers competitive salaries based on the experience and skills of employees. The starting salary range for the position is $150,000 - $190,000, dependent on experience. PolicyLink provides an excellent and comprehensive benefits package that includes unlimited vacation, medical, dental, vision, 401k match, ancillary benefits, access to Flexible Spending Accounts, commuter expenses, and generous leave benefits.

For this position, Liberation Ventures also provides a professional development stipend, coaching stipend, and annual healing bonus.

Liberation Ventures intends to spin out of PolicyLink within the next few years to become its own independent 501c3. At this time we will create our own benefits package, and plan to add a sabbatical policy, reimbursement for identity affirming medical care (e.g., fertility treatment), and more.

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Location

This position is open to people in any location in the US. Liberation Ventures has a flexible, remote working environment. The Liberation Ventures team has quarterly in-person retreats, usually in New York City. This position requires some travel; approximately 1-2 trips per quarter.

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PolicyLink strongly values equity and believes in a just and fair society where all can participate, prosper, and reach their full potential. We work towards a more inclusive world and as such we are an equal opportunity employer and do not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of race, skin color, ethnicity, religion, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, age, marital status, military status, pregnancy, or parenthood. PolicyLink is committed to maintaining a diverse and multicultural working environment.