This opportunity will remain open until filled with a first review of applications on January 9, 2023.
Communities of Opportunity (COO) is seeking an Interim COO Director, who is a strategic visionary and is intentional about centering race, transforming systems, and advancing equity. COO is a public-private-community initiative that aims to achieve social, economic, health, and racial equity through community-led solutions and equity-based strategies focused on the intersections of housing, health, economic opportunity, and community connections.
The Interim COO Director is the lead spokesperson for COO and liaison to partners that include: the COO Best Starts for Kids (BSK) Advisory Board (commonly known as the COO Governance Group), COO’s two sponsors -King County & Seattle Foundation, community partners, and Best Starts for Kids leadership. The Interim Director leads a diverse team made up of government and foundation staff dedicated to the successful implementation of the initiative.
This is a term-limited temporary position anticipated to last for 12 months.
Job Duties
Leadership and vision:
- Hold the vision and values of COO, provide strategic guidance, and oversee the implementation of the Communities of Opportunity Initiative consistent with Best Starts for Kids Implementation Plan, 2022-2027.
- Monitor the progress of COO and propose strategies to strengthen the work of COO based upon engagement of community partners and others.
- Primary liaison to partners that include: the COO Best Starts for Kids Advisory Board (commonly known as the COO Governance Group), COO Sponsors King County & Seattle Foundation, community partners, and Best Starts for Kids leadership.
- Work with COO sponsors, governing group, staff, and partners to maintain the collective vision, share power, and drive vision toward results.
- Work with Sponsors and COO partners to garner new opportunities that extend and leverage the work of COO in creating equitable, healthy, and thriving communities.
- Engage with Best Starts for Kids leadership, Best Starts for Kids/COO evaluation teams, COO sponsors, and COO program leads to inform policy decisions for the Best Starts for Kids levy.
- Partner with government affairs staff and Best Starts for Kids leadership in communicating with elected officials and the Executive’s office on issues related to Communities of Opportunity.
- Represent COO and Public Health on various intergovernmental planning groups, cross-division teams, and coordinate with other divisions and departments on joint implementation of projects.
Management, operations, and finance:
- Support the COO Governing Group and its committees in setting strategic direction and making policy recommendations to the King County executive and Council on the use of levy funds.
- Support and supervise the COO team, and actively create and foster an inclusive, supportive, power-sharing, and anti-racist workplace so that all employees can thrive.
- Work with the finance, contracting, compliance, administrative, and other department staff to ensure compliance with Best Starts for Kids levy requirements and sponsors (King County and Seattle Foundation) requirements.
- Support the work of COO program leads in developing and implementing anti-racist operational processes.
- Provide leadership and strategic direction for policy documents (e.g., annual report) and works with Best Starts for Kids/COO evaluators.
- Other duties as assigned.
Experience, Qualifications, Knowledge, Skills
- Minimum of 3 years in a leadership role.
- Experience advancing equity and social justice principles, practices, and policies that address the effects of place, race, policy, and systemic inequities on communities and populations.
- Knowledge and experience in at least one of the following areas: community development, housing, economic development, public health, or human services.
- Experience with capacity-building and partnerships, such as with non-profits and community-based organizations.
- Understanding of community organizing and policy and system change strategies.
- Experience working within partnerships and collaborations, and ability to share power with a group and support collective decision-making processes.
- Demonstrated ability to facilitate complex group dynamics and navigate inter-personal and group conflict in a generative manner.
- Strong written and verbal skills with demonstrated experience to communicate effectively with diverse audiences including community members, elected officials, representatives of agencies/organizations, peers, and staff.
- Skilled in comprehending, analyzing and interpreting information from multiple sources to inform strategy, operations, and budget.
- Strong problem solving and interpersonal skills.
Desired Qualifications
- Experience in local government, philanthropy, and/or non-profit settings.
Best Starts for Kids
Building on the deep knowledge, connections, and skills within King County communities, and backed by what science and research tells us about human development, the Best Starts for Kids King County initiative meets children and families with the right services at the right time. The first Best Starts for Kids levy, approved by King County voters in 2015, reached 490,000 of King County’s youngest children and their families and 40,000 youth and young adults, catalyzing strong starts in a child’s earliest years, and sustaining those gains through to adulthood. In August 2021, King County voters chose to renew the levy with over 62% approval for another six years. The plan for Best Starts for Kids 2.0 will maintain current Best Starts for Kids investments in promotion, prevention, and early intervention, while deepening our investments to address critical needs in our community. View the Best Starts for Kids Implementation Plan: 2022 – 2027 here.