Passionate about leading race and social justice work in the City of Seattle? Learn more about the position and apply!

The Seattle Office for Civil Rights (SOCR) is seeking a leader centered by their commitment to racial equity and empowerment to lead a high-impact team to support the City of Seattle’s Race and Social Justice Initiative, the City’s long-term commitment to end racism and achieve racial equity in Seattle. RSJI builds on the work of the civil rights movement and the ongoing efforts of people and community groups in Seattle to confront racism. The Initiative’s long-term goal is to change the underlying systems that create race-based disparities in our community and to achieve racial equity. 

The Seattle Race and Social Justice Initiative was established in 2004 at a time when no other U.S. city had ever undertaken an effort that focused explicitly on institutional racism. Since then, hundreds of jurisdictions have joined this growing effort by local governments to support the movement for racial justice by working to change their own policies and practices and building partnerships with grassroots community groups, non-profit organizations, philanthropy, and other institutions. Across the United States, local governments are acknowledging that institutional and structural racism restrict opportunities for Black, Indigenous, and other People of Color, including immigrant and refugee communities. At the same time, RSJI recognizes the intersectionality of oppression and centers its efforts on racial equity while also working to eliminate other barriers to equity. 

What We’re Looking For

A successful applicant is an experienced and effective institutional organizer and change agent for structural change, grounded in principles of antiracism and social justice; a creative thinker; and an effective collaborator, supervisor, and project manager. Strategic management, effective communications, and relationship building are central to their professional practice. They are an experienced people manager who compassionately holds teams accountable and celebrates their work.

The candidate must have a reputation for exercising a high level of tact, good judgment, discretion, and diplomacy and have cooperative working relationships with diverse groups of people. Additionally, the successful candidate must have the ability to:

• Navigate and nurture complex agency, community, and political relationships.
• Supervise, facilitate, and support a group to achieve tangible outcomes.
• Analyze situations with a racial equity lens.
• Effectively resolve conflicts to the benefit of all parties.
• Build strategic and trusted partnerships.
• Facilitate strategic planning and lead projects.
• Cultivate a work culture that embraces transparency, accountability, and collaboration.

Applications close on November 30, 2021. For more information about the position description and responsibilities, visit the application link below.