Posted: 01-Mar-24
Location: United States - Nationwide
Type: Full Time
A Better Balance
President
New York, NY, Washington D.C., or Nashville, TN
Background
Founded in 2005, A Better Balance (ABB) is a pioneering national nonprofit legal advocacy organization dedicated to advancing justice for workers, so they can care for themselves and their loved ones without jeopardizing their economic security. Through legislative advocacy, direct legal services, strategic litigation, enforcement, and public education, ABB’s expert legal team combats discrimination against pregnant workers and caregivers and advances supportive work-family policies like paid sick time, paid family and medical leave and fair and flexible scheduling. Since our founding, our organization has stood for the proposition that when we value the important work of providing care, long marginalized due to sexism and racism, our communities and our nation are healthier and stronger. We remain steadfast in working to dismantle the related forms of injustice that contribute to the structural inequality working families in this country face, including but not limited to, gender, racial, economic, and health injustice, as well as injustice against immigrants, LGTBQIA communities, and people with disabilities.
With offices in New York, Colorado, Tennessee and D.C., ABB has a long track record of investing deeply in local and state work -- getting results which both change people’s lives and also pave the way to advancing federal policies that impact the lives of women and caregivers nationwide. ABB is locally grounded, regionally networked, and a leader at the national level.
When A Better Balance was founded, there were no laws requiring paid sick time, only one state law requiring paid family and medical leave, and woefully inadequate protections for pregnant and postpartum workers so they could protect their health and keep their jobs. Over the last 18 years, A Better Balance has fought for and won paid sick or time off leave laws in 18 states, D.C., and most major cities; paid family and medical leave laws in 13 states and Washington D.C; and pregnant worker accommodation laws in 26 states, the passage of which fueled our battle to enact the groundbreaking federal Pregnant Workers Fairness Act. We also helped enact the federal PUMP Act, granting rights to breastfeeding workers throughout the country as well as other important protections for pregnant, caregiving and breastfeeding workers at the federal, state and local levels. We are committed to not only passing robust worker protections, but also ensuring equitable and effective enforcement of those laws through our national legal helpline, strategic litigation, agency work, and public education.
We have helped lead the fight to raise awareness of the diversity of families to ensure there are inclusive protections for all families, including LGBTQ families, and we continue to fight for economic justice for all. Our efforts have gained national recognition in dozens of outlets including The New York Times, Washington Post, CNN, NPR, and more.
Because of A Better Balance’s work:
- Workers with pregnancy, childbirth, and related medical needs in all 50 states are now entitled to reasonable accommodations to stay healthy and employed thanks to the federal Pregnant Workers Fairness Act.
- Nearly 57 million workers are now entitled to paid sick time to care for themselves or their loved ones under a state or local paid sick time law.
- Approximately 37 million workers have access to paid family and medical leave in their state, allowing them to care for a new child or seriously ill family member or to recover from their own serious health condition.
- 9 million more workers now have a right to time and space to pump breastmilk in the workplace thanks to the federal PUMP for Nursing Mothers Act.
- A Better Balance has vindicated nearly 5 million workers’ rights through our impact litigation and direct legal services, including pregnancy accommodation and paid leave rights throughout the country.
- Through our free direct legal services, we have served thousands of people each year nationwide and have educated hundreds of thousands of workers, empowering them to exercise their rights in the workplace.
Learn more about ABB by visiting www.abetterbalance.org.
Position
After 18 years of leading A Better Balance, the organization’s Co-Founders and Co-Presidents will be stepping down in mid-2024. Recognizing ABB’s mission is as vital and resonant as ever, the board now seeks a new President who will continue to make huge strides for work-family justice every day.
The ideal candidate should be well-versed in work-family justice issues and have strong legal, policy, and communications expertise. This person will build upon ABB’s existing work to create a framework for achieving progress and justice within the parameters of ABB’s mission. They will not be afraid to take on new opportunities and create innovative, bold strategies to bring justice and economic security to workers struggling to care for themselves and their loved ones.
The President should be able to cultivate and maintain strong relationships with stakeholders, including funders, sister organizations and relevant policy makers. They will be a collaborative and inclusive leader, with the ability to inspire and manage strong and effective teams while celebrating their impact. They should also be an effective fundraiser, excellent communicator and storyteller who will grow ABB’s visibility to make further strides towards ABB’s vital mission.
Role Priorities
- Develop and communicate a shared strategy and priorities for ABB, consistent with ABB’s mission.
- Assess internal infrastructure and prioritize investment in building out key areas.
- Raise the profile and brand awareness of ABB with funders, partners, media, and the public.
- Build relationships with existing and potential funders and drive growth in institutional and individual giving.
- Invest in strong and inclusive team and culture building with dispersed staff who work remotely.
- Cultivate a strong working relationship with the current board, recruit new board members, and facilitate board development.
Responsibilities
Strategic Vision and Leadership
- Provide inspirational leadership and direction to staff, maintaining clear guidance on innovative and impactful programmatic priorities, roles and responsibilities, and goal setting.
- Grow and maintain a strong Board of Directors, and work together with the Board to implement strategic goals and actively engage in governance and fundraising responsibilities.
- In collaboration with the staff and board, drive a strategic planning process, setting the vision, priorities, and milestones for the organization to bring it into its next phase.
Advocacy, Communications, and Public Education
- Serve as a sought-after, credible, and respected spokesperson for the organization’s mission and help promote ABB and its work through communications materials such as policy briefs, press releases, podcasts, news articles, conferences, speaking engagements, etc.
- Advance advocacy, legal and policy efforts related to ABB’s core priorities.
- Foster and build partnership opportunities at the local, state, and federal levels; establish a presence with relevant coalitions, committees, and collaboratives.
- Provide oversight to ABB’s communications team, ensuring that communications are aligned with the strategic plan to build greater visibility for ABB through storytelling, digital communications, social media, and other cultivation tools.
- Provide oversight to ABB staff engaged in public education, leveraging media platforms and ABB’s helpline to raise awareness of workers’ rights.
Program and Operations
- Provide direct supervision to ABB’s COO, two Vice Presidents and other senior leaders; in addition, play an integral role in the leadership of the complete team of 20+ staff and fellows.
- With the support of the COO, build and maximize operational efficiencies, implement streamlined systems that support the organization’s infrastructure, and align staffing requirements with organizational strategy, priorities, and mission.
- Foster a collaborative, cohesive, and deeply engaged team that readily takes on bold new challenges; work with the COO to provide opportunities for staff learning and development.
- Promote a culture and practices that embrace diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging throughout the organization, and work to maintain policies and staff culture that reflect ABB's organizational mission of work-family balance and support for caregiving.
Financial Oversight and Resource Development
- In collaboration with the Development Director (to be hired), Development Manager, Vice Presidents and the Board of Directors, develop a fundraising strategy that targets multiple streams of revenue, from institutional and individual donors.
- Maintain current funder relationships and cultivate prospective donors. Seek innovative and lasting funding opportunities and partnerships.
- Together with the COO, Director of Finance and the Board, ensure fiscal oversight, accountability, and sound management of the organization’s budget and finances.
Qualifications
ABB is looking for an innovative, results-driven nonprofit leader who will bring a deep passion for ABB’s mission and strong motivation to positively impact caregivers/workers across the country. Specific requirements include:
- Juris Doctorate degree strongly preferred; other advanced degrees in relevant disciplines will be considered.
- Proven strategic and visionary leader.
- Experience working in the field of work-family justice or relevant experience in related movements (labor, economic, reproductive justice, LGBTQ rights) preferred.
- Executive leadership experience in a mission-driven organization or government agency.
- Experience prioritizing fundraising for an organization, engaging major funders, and stewarding relationships with institutional and individual donors.
- Strong interpersonal and communication skills, enjoys being a spokesperson and ambassador and can establish a leading voice on policy issues.
- Experience conducting legislative or issue advocacy and developing partnerships with a wide range of organizations and constituencies; litigation experience preferred.
- Excellent manager and culture-builder, with a successful track record of leading and developing diverse teams. Experience leading remote and/or geographically diverse teams a plus.
- Interest and experience in promoting diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging in the workplace; welcomes and encourages a diversity of opinions.
- Engenders trust, respect, and confidence quickly. Bold, decisive, tenacious and action-oriented.
- Full-time availability and some travel required.
- This is a remote position, but the President must be based near New York City, Washington, D.C., or Nashville, TN metro areas and will meet regularly in person with staff and other key stakeholders.
Compensation & Benefits
Based on the qualifications above, the salary range for this position will be $225,000-$250,000. ABB offers 12 weeks of paid family and medical leave with full wage replacement, accrued paid time off up to 19.5 days a year (or 26 days a year after 5 years with the organization), up to 20 separate paid sick days a year, paid time off for 13 holidays, 3 paid personal days a year, and paid bereavement leave. ABB uses the same model inclusive family definition that it advocates for around the country. The organization offers pre-tax health, dental, and vision insurance, as well as access to pre-tax retirement contributions (an overview of the current benefits program is available here). ABB also provides reimbursement towards certain professional fees, as well as stipends and reimbursement for home office expenses. Given the organizational mission, ABB encourages a healthy work/life balance for all employees.
A Better Balance is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and we value diversity, inclusion, and belonging in our workforce. We are an equal opportunity employer and encourage applications from all qualified individuals without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, national origin, marital status, family status, citizenship, disability, veteran status, arrest or conviction, or any other factor protected by law.
To apply for this position, please click HERE.
Natalia Kepler Chasity Nickleson
Senior Talent Consultant Associate
nkepler@drgtalent.com cnickleson@drgtalent.com