About the Peace & Justice Center
Since 1981, the Peace & Justice Center has been a Vermont leader in creating a just and peaceful world, tackling the interconnected issues of human rights and economic, social, and environmental justice. The PJC leads our own campaigns but also works for collective liberation with other local and grassroots organizations and activists on the issues that matter the most to us. We host justice-based workshops and events for the public and individual organizations. We run a small storefront dedicated to creating opportunities to educate local consumers on issues such as child labor and livable wages.
We use education, advocacy, and activism to advance the interconnected issues of human rights and economic, social, and environmental justice. We seek true and meaningful peace within and beyond Vermont.
The premise of Peace & Justice Center’s work is that our political, social, and economic institutions were built on principles that favored some (male, white, typically abled, straight, cis-gendered, wealthy, powerful) at the expense of others (women and gender nonconforming people, people of color, differently abled, LGBTQI, the 99%, and the nonviolent). These dynamics are embedded in our culture’s DNA. The PJC is committed to raising awareness of injustice, redressing the harms of generational oppression, and equipping people with tools to lead viable social change movements that include and empower all people and ultimately, create a peaceful and just world.
About the Job
The role of the Executive Director is to lead the organization’s long-term vision, support diverse staff members and unite diverse constituencies around shared solutions. Team leadership, fundraising, and communication are core responsibilities. The ED must have a strong understanding of economic and racial justice issues, particularly institutional racism, white privilege, classism, in addition to knowledge of issues related to peace, human rights, and globalization.
The Executive Director reports to the Board of Directors. This may be either a FULL or PART-TIME exempt position. The expected salary range is $45,000-$60,000, full-time equivalent, based on experience and the scope of the position. If the position is part time, the compensation range will scale proportionally.
The ideal candidate will be someone organized, goal-oriented, and people centric with a passion for social justice work. Other important characteristics include:
• Articulate speaking and strong critical thinking and problem-solving skills
• A strong understanding of justice-based movements and inequity and the ability to address systemic racism, classism, peace, human rights, and globalization
• Commitment to learning and growing and open and able to hear, reflect, and act.
Major Responsibilities
PROGRAM LEADERSHIP, SUPERVISION, & PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT (30%)
• Work with staff to fully develop the PJC’s key program initiatives, strategize on implementation, identify resources, and evaluate progress
• Provide general oversight of all systems and programs and provide program staff with ongoing support, direction, and advice
• Hire, supervise, evaluate, and staff—including working with the Program Manager to
oversee and grow facilitator base for educational programs
• Delegate tasks, set priorities, and communicate expectations clearly with the staff, board,
volunteers, and other team members and assist staff members in setting and fulfilling their annual work plans and professional growth goals
• Maintain a supportive and healthy office culture while leading by positive example and manage one’s own self-care
• Staff onboarding and orientations as well as how to handbooks & manuals
• Support staff morale and appreciation as well as staff retreats, perks, and celebrations, and professional development
• Pitch in on programs, as necessary
DEVELOPMENT and FUNDRAISING (30%)
• Increase revenue through donations, memberships, and grants – with a particular focus on cultivating and increasing the PJC’s major donor base and maintaining recent grant growth
• Work with the staff and board to plan, implement, and evaluate annual fundraising activities, grant solicitation, and membership development.
• Ensure timely and accurate grant writing, management, and reporting
• Collaborate with the staff and board to plan and produce special events
• Keep donor database up-to date including data entry, queries, reports, and ongoing clean-up
• Donor stewardship including in-person meetings, calls to donors, correspondence, and networking. Consult with staff for specific item requests and solicit donations
VISIBILITY & COMMUNICATIONS (15%)
• Act as the spokesperson for the organization to the media, state officials, the business
• community, PJC membership, and the public with personal dignity, poise, and respect for others
• Continually work on cultivating relationships with stakeholders and community members to broaden the support of PJC and its goals.
• Oversee communications for the organization to ensure the consistency and quality of PJC’s messaging and the presence and visibility of the organization in the community
• Keep up with and utilize changing technologies and social media platforms, contribute material, and coordinate efforts to meet the communication needs of the organization.
ADMINISTRATION, FINANCE, COMPLIANCE (15%)
• Create annual budgets, monitor monthly finances, create program budgets with staff
• Approve and pay bills submitted by staff for overhead expenses, create and pay bills for overhead expenses (telephone, health insurance reimbursement, printers etc);
• Approve and submit payroll; save quarterly payroll reports to send to tax consultant
• Supervise financial and donor data entry and monthly reconciliation to create accurate monthly P&L and Balance Sheets as well as annual tax preparation
• Work with IT support to provide in-house support for technology, and hardware including store registers, card readers, and associated software; stereo system; phones, Wifi, Computers, online accounts and password management
• Keep up-to date insurance for general liability, worker’s liability, and directors and officers plans
LEADERSHIP & STRATEGY (10%)
• Collaborate closely with the staff and board to establish and update the PJC’s strategy
• Inspire and motivate the staff, board, volunteers, membership, and community members to take actions and responsibilities that stretch their comfort zones and work toward the goals of PJC
• Stay abreast of local, national, and international political and social trends, and draw on this knowledge to identify new opportunities and directions and be an active leader in the region on issues related to PJC campaigns and programs.
• Connect with others and build trust with the staff, board, volunteers, Allied Groups, and
community members— particularly having the ability to connect across lines of difference
• Work closely with the Board of Directors, including attendance at monthly board meetings, and additional communication and consultation as necessary.
The PJC is an equal opportunity employer. PJC actively seeks a diverse pool of candidates. PJC does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, marital/civil union status, age, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, veteran/uniformed service status, disability, or other legally protected classifications.
Application Open Date: September 15th 2022
For full consideration, please apply by October 18th, 2022
We strive to dismantle systems of oppression. While doing so, and in order to do so, we seek to be equitable. We commit to put those who are most marginalized at the center of our work. We listen to believe, and we trust impacted communities. We always pay our facilitators of color for their time and expertise. If we seek input from someone based on their marginalized identity, we pay them for their time.
We create and support programs and practices that foster leadership that reflects the diversity we strive to create. This commitment can be seen in our board, staff, volunteer, and intern selection processes that reflect our understanding that people from marginalized identities might have less access to formal experiences but have an abundance of valuable lived experience. Additionally, this can be seen in our interviews which are ideally conducted by diverse hiring committees in order to support applicants from marginalized identities and to see how those with dominant identity groups respond to leadership from marginalized people.
We strive to offer programming that anyone can afford as reflected in our sliding scale model.
We offer to pay people for not just their time but to reimburse them for childcare, mileage, and wage compensation for them to participate in work that is specific to their marginalized identities.
We maintain a leadership structure that is at least 50% BIPOC (board and ED)