Executive Director, MBK Alliance

At the Obama Foundation, we are guided by a core belief: that ordinary people working together can change history. Our mission is to inspire those people to take action, empower them to change their world for the better, and connect them so they can achieve more together than they can alone.

We were founded by community organizers, so when we seek change, we do it by bringing people together. 

That approach begins at home, on the South Side of Chicago, where we are building the Obama Presidential Center. The Center represents a historic opportunity for Chicago: a chance to build a world-class museum and public gathering space that celebrates our nation’s first African American President and First Lady, steps away from where he began his career, where she was raised, and where—together—they made their home. 

But that approach extends to all our work, whether it’s holding leadership training sessions in communities throughout the U.S., bringing local leaders together in countries around the world, working to support the global education of girls, or ensuring young men of color have pathways to opportunity.

As President Obama has said, “we cannot solve the challenges of our time unless we solve them together.” So join us. 

For more information, please visit www.obama.org.

Purpose of the Role

The Executive Director of MBK Alliance / Director of Youth Opportunity Programs leads a diverse, impact-oriented team to execute President Obama’s national call to action to build safe and supportive communities where boys and young men of color feel valued and have clear pathways to opportunity. The individual also works across the Obama Foundation to help evaluate, design and refine (proactive and reactive) programs focused on building pathways to opportunity in communities of color, ensuring a focus on diversity, equity and inclusion, the integration of proximate individuals and the application of best practices.

Core Job Responsibilities

• Lead the team in the development, refinement and execution of our strategy to accelerate impact in targeted communities, particularly helping MBK Impact and Seed Communities meet their stated goals to reduce barriers and expand opportunity for BYMOC, while ensuring programmatic excellence, sustainability and proliferation of lessons learned.
• Lead the team in the development, refinement and execution of our strategy to strengthen the MBK Network and promote what works, particularly maintaining standards of excellence, providing high quality technical assistance and creating forums to share best practices and build communities of practice.
• Work in partnership with the MBK Alliance and Digital team to develop, refine and execute an innovative multimedia strategy to mobilize individuals and institutions, particularly knowledge sharing, spotlighting best practices and stories of hope, online action campaigns, growing the tent and diversity of supporters and providing onramps for anyone, anywhere to help make a difference.
• Serve as the lead of a cross-departmental team, as well as local partners, to successfully execute the Reimagine Policing Pledge, while garnering lessons that can be applied to the future policy reform campaigns.
• Lead the MBK Alliance team in serving as internal advocates, champions and consultants to colleagues across the Foundation to evaluate, design and refine (proactive and reactive) programs focused on building pathways to opportunity in communities of color (outside of MBK Alliance), ensuring a focus on diversity, equity and inclusion, the integration of proximate individuals and the application of best practices.
• Lead the team in overarching vision and strategy development and refinement, as well as annual planning and budget development alongside donor and partner cultivation in coordination with key foundation support teams, including Development, Finance and Legal.
• Oversee the MBK Alliance Advisory Council, working in partnership with its Chair and Executive Committee to garner strategic counsel, development and partner cultivation and external amplification.
• Oversee successful recruitment and on-boarding process to recruit high-caliber, mission oriented professionals that will ensure program goals are met - and ensure MBK Alliance is run strategically and efficiently with a team of happy, impactful employees supported to do their best work for kids and communities.
• Serve as the chief spokesperson for MBK Alliance through Foundation mailings and social media, at industry events and diverse media and publications.
• Serve as a thought partner and consultant to city leaders on the development and enhancement of local strategies to improve life outcomes for BYMOC.

Key Deliverables / Outcomes

• MBK Five Year Strategic Plan
• MBK Annual Operating Plan and Budget
• MBK Network technical assistance and best practice implementation
• Innovative multimedia strategy
• Reimagine Policing Pledge activation
• Foundation pathways to opportunity programming for people of color
• MBK Alliance Advisory Council
• Robust, results-oriented, collaborative cross-sector network

Required Qualifications

• Significant experience in developing and executing social impact strategies and theories of change, preferably with a nonprofit or other social-impact organization. Experience in and/or considerable understanding of approaches to reduce barriers and expand life outcomes for boys and young men of color preferred.
• Strong understanding of DEI, systemic racism and the strategies needed to disrupt.
• Strong public relations, marketing, cross-sector partnership development and fundraising experience -- dynamic and charismatic team player who enjoys being the public face of an organization.
• Proven leader, with the ability to manage up and down, including experience with boards of directors, to create positive team culture.

Equal Opportunity Employer

The Foundation is committed to creating a diverse work environment and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. The Foundation does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, gender identity, religion, sexual orientation, age, disability, parental status, veteran status, or any other protected status under applicable laws. We encourage individuals of all backgrounds to apply. If you are a qualified candidate with a disability, please e-mail us at careers@obama.org if you require a reasonable accommodation to complete this application.