Resilience Hubs is a program founded by K. Baja in 2013 and brought to USDN in 2017. It has been designed and developed in collaboration with dozens of community members, local government practitioners, community based organizations and activists. With advisory support from the founder, this Director will be responsible for continuing to build out Resilience Hubs in the US and Canada and support the evolution of the program in USDN.

As a member of the Communications & Mobilization team, the Resilience Hub Director will support members in planning, design, development and implementation of Resilience Hubs. This includes the development and support of USDN’s Resilience Hubs community of practice for community-based organizations, local government practitioners and partners. The Resilience Hub Director will report to the Director of Communications & Mobilization. The Resilience Hub Director will participate and contribute to the overall health of the organization and work with staff to integrate resilience into the design and delivery of membership offerings.

The Resilience Hub Director will support program conceptualization, design, training, coaching and guidance in the following areas:

1. Peer Learning & Partner Support. There is an established Resilience Hub community of practice and a range of implementation partners involved in peer learning, direct support and project implementation. This role will coordinate and support the USDN member community of practice and the partners community of practice.
2. Fundraising. Identify and cultivate government, foundation, and major gift support for the program and the implementation of Resilience Hubs. Support members to develop grants and lead USDN Hubs programmatic fundraising.
3. Direct Support & Coaching. This position requires a great deal of 1:1 coaching and mentoring for USDN members and their partners. This may include giving presentations or helping to facilitate workshops in-person and remotely.
4. Centering Transformation & Equity. Ensure equity is embedded holistically in all elements of the Resilience Hub work. This includes helping local governments shift power to community members and community-based organizations.
5. Innovation. Experiment with and evaluate new and innovative approaches to getting Resilience Hubs implemented and sustained over time.
6. Communications & Resource Development. Utilize existing materials and create new materials to support members and partners in developing Resilience Hubs, including progress reports, short videos and other storytelling to capture impact and help practitioners and the field learn from their peers. Ensure that progress reports and website content is current and reflects the evolution of programming and learning.
7. Embedding Resilience in USDN Programming. Work with teams to ensure resilience is embedded into USDN programming. Advise and support the design and development of new resilience programming.
8. Monitoring & Evaluating Results. Develop and implement the evaluation methodology in partnership with partners and communities. Maintain the contact management, data and surveys that support the ongoing programming and impact reporting for the program.

Examples of Resilience Hub Materials include

• The USDN Resilience Hub White Paper
• USDN Resilience Hub Guidance Document
• USDN Resilience Hub website

Core Responsibilities

Team

• Foster engagement, camaraderie, collaboration and clarity within a remote environment
• Co-develop a clear work plan that aligns with an integrated team plan
• Participate as an effective team member

Supporting Projects & Programs

• Manage and support the USDN Resilience Hub community of practice & Resilience Hub initiative
• Manage USDN Resilience Hub portfolio and general resilience programming
• Create and maintain internal project tracking systems
• Design, support and facilitate workshops and events
• Bring in new sources of funding and seek sustained funding with federal agencies

Communications & Relationship Building

• Support team and staff collaboration within USDN
• Share learnings and ideas within the Communications & Mobilization team and with other internal teams; seek to learn from their experiences and perspectives
• Establish positive working relationships and cooperative arrangements with key programmatic partner organizations
• Recruit and support Resilience Hub planning and implementation partners that commit to the holistic concept and work to shift power to community-based partners
• Contribute to materials that USDN may develop to broadly share to influence the field of practice
• Manage and update usdn.org resilience pages and Resilience Hub website

Equity, Diversity & Inclusion Focus

• Cultivate and maintain professional competency in equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI). Emphasize USDN’s adopted EDI principles in the design and delivery of support and throughout the performance of job responsibilities. Identify and respond to EDI challenges that members are experiencing
• Advance EDI principles as a characteristic of responsible governance, where all levels of government have a fiscal and moral responsibility to address the long-term implications that inequity has on prosperity, health and safety of residents
• Demonstrate in practice a commitment to social justice and anti-racist principles

Qualifying Strengths & Skills

While no single candidate may embody all the qualifications below, the ideal candidate will have a deep understanding of and background in sustainability, resilience, equity and climate justice. Knowledge in the theory and practice of racial equity, justice and indigenous reconciliation, a passion to fundraise for implementation, exceptional relational skills needed to coordinate connections with local, state and federal partners, an innovation-centered leadership approach, and coaching mindset to effectively manage and support several Resilience Hub projects across the US and Canada.

Successful applicants will have seven to nine years of leadership experience in working with cities and climate. They will have demonstrated capacity in:

• Leading, designing, managing and supporting complex initiatives with multiple teams, stakeholders and partners, including in a remote environment
• Developing, delivering and evaluating climate resilience programs with a desire to shift away from conventional approaches to more innovative solutions
• Experience centering equity in climate resilience practices and policies and background in sustainability, equity and climate justice work
• Understanding of the theory and practice of racial equity, justice and indigenous reconciliation
• Designing, convening and supporting productive workshops and training
• Providing leadership support and coaching to other highly-skilled professionals
• Working with or within local and/or federal government and other professional organizations and agencies that work on climate resilience
• Track record of successful fundraising and grant writing in support of initiatives
• Exceptional capacity to convene, facilitate and lead solutions building processes and the capacity to apply systems thinking approaches to complex problems
• Expert ability to design and facilitate productive workshops, brainstorming sessions and training (virtually and in-person)
• Ability to work adaptively and effectively in uncertainty and ambiguity while assisting in sense-making
• Strong relationship-development skills and the ability to work effectively across a diverse array of teammates, partners and communities
• Exceptional ability to effectively track large projects and make necessary connections to other initiatives
• Ability to think outside of the box and seek new equitable methods for supporting local government sustainability practices and policies
• Design skills in adobe programs and basic website design
• Proficient in Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Google Suite, Zoom, Salesforce and Slack

Terms of Employment: This is a full-time, regular, exempt position that reports to USDN Director of Communications & Mobilization. The compensation for this position is expected to be in the range of $110,000 to $120,000 annually, commensurate with qualifications. USDN offers a robust benefits package, including 100% employer covered health, dental, disability and life insurance, flexible leave policy, generous paid leave, and 401(k) program.

Location: This is a fully remote, work-from-home position. USDN has no central office but staff collaborate via video calls and through periodic in-peron convenings. Employees must furnish their own quiet space for conference calls. USDN provides an IT stipend to cover internet and phone use, computer, software, and other home office supplies. Work hours: 9am-5pm Eastern, Central, Mountain, or Pacific Standard Times (flexible); 40 hours/week.

Application Instructions: We accept applications through an online application program. When you apply you will be prompted to provide your contact information, cut and paste your cover letter and work experience in text fields, and attach a cover letter. You are welcome to attach your cover letter along with your resume if you prefer. You will also be invited to complete a demographic questionnaire. Your responses to the questionnaire are kept separately from your application and help us to monitor and improve our recruitment and outreach efforts to ensure we are reaching a wide diversity of candidates. If you do not wish to provide responses, please select the option, "prefer not to answer."

Urban Sustainability Directors Network is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We strongly encourage applications from qualified people of all gender expressions and identities, sexual orientations, racialized communities, Indigenous persons, veterans and persons with disabilities. Should you require accommodations through the application process, please let us know.

Learn more about Urban Sustainability Directors Network

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until the position is filled. Candidates are encouraged to apply early!