Campaigns & Advocacy Senior Director

About Hip Hop Caucus

Formed in 2004, the Hip Hop Caucus (HHC) is a non-profit, non-partisan organization that leverages Hip Hop culture to encourage young people to participate in the democratic process. Through a collaborative leadership network, HHC addresses core issues affecting underserved communities. HHC programs and campaigns support solution-driven community organizing led by today’s young leaders.

Our mission is to use the power of our cultural expression to empower communities who are first and worst impacted by injustice. Our members, as well as our dedicated national team, span the country and globe. We are multiracial and we center our work in communities of color. We span Gen Z, Millennials, and Gen X, and we come from diverse backgrounds and experiences. Our vision is for racial justice, healthy communities, and a healthy planet. We focus on addressing core issues impacting underserved and vulnerable communities, with programs and campaigns that support solution-driven community organizing led by today’s young leaders. Through a collaborative network, we hold elected officials accountable, shape policy, and build more diverse and powerful movements to ignite positive change.

What We Do

Cultural Organizing

We organize 14 – 40-year-olds, who identify with Hip Hop Culture, and share values of justice and equity. We connect the Hip Hop community to the political process to build power and create change.

Cultivate Leaders

We create platforms for cultural and grassroots leaders to use their voices, creative talents, and networks to educate, energize, and mobilize people and communities.

Engage Large Audiences

Through partnerships with artists, creatives, celebrities, and media we create content and share it through cultural channels reaching millions of people and inspiring action. It’s not only large audiences that we engage, we are intentional about engaging our communities on the frontlines of injustice.

Foster and Promote Thought Leadership

We source solutions for local to global challenges from our communities, and advocate for them to decision makers and influencers. We partner with a broad range of organizations, and we have a respected presence in the halls of the U.S. Congress, Federal Agencies, State Legislatures, and the United Nations.

Our Focus Areas

Strengthening Democracy – Respect My Vote! campaign

We register, educate, and mobilize voters through our non-partisan “Respect My Vote!” campaign. We fight against attacks on voting rights and advocate for election system reforms that make voting easier. We empower returning citizens who can vote and advocate for full enfranchisement in all 50 states. Visit RespectMyVote.com.

Climate Change and Environmental Justice – Think 100% platform

We advocate for climate action that will stop and reverse the impacts of the climate crisis that are happening now from the perspective of BIPOC communities for which pollution and climate impacts are life and death issues. Think 100% is our climate justice communications and activism platform. Visit Think100Climate.com.

Civil and Human Rights – Good Trouble Dept.

From police violence and criminal justice reform, to quality public education, healthcare, immigration, Indigenous rights, women’s rights, LGBTQ rights, and racial justice, we lead and act as allies on the most critical civil and human rights issues of today. 

Economic Justice – Justice Paid in Full platform

We advocate for an economy that works for everyone. We promote divest-invest strategies pulling money out from industries that harm our communities and investing in economically, socially, and environmentally empowering solutions. We stand with activists demanding good jobs, access to capital for communities locked out of industries, and fair housing.

For more information on Hip Hop Caucus, please visit www.hiphopcaucus.org.

The Opportunity

The Campaigns & Advocacy Senior Director provides the leadership required to design and lead strategic issue advocacy and non-partisan electoral campaigns that advance Hip Hop Caucus’s goals and impact.

Reporting to the Executive Director, the Senior Director will manage the Directors who run the organizing, field, and policy departments. The Senior Director will lead, support, and facilitate the successful development and execution of integrated programs and campaigns across organizing, field, and policy to advance the mission and brand of Hip Hop Caucus.

This leader will oversee a growing team and work to grow campaigns and advocacy infrastructure that builds the power of those who have been kept at the margins in HHC’s areas of focus. In addition, the Senior Director will be an external representative for the Hip Hop Caucus through media appearances, speaking engagements, and partnerships with aligned organizations and coalitions.

Core responsibilities of the Senior Director include:

• Develop and lead smart, existing and new creative advocacy campaigns that move the conversation about HHC’s areas of focus forward
• Manage organizing, field, and policy staff, providing coaching and support to staff in various locations, and ensuring cohesion and coordination across departments, with a consistent focus on teambuilding, process development, and leadership development
• Ensure integration of grassroots organizing and base building work with nonpartisan electoral and political work to maximize power-building
• Provide strategic programmatic leadership for all facets of our multi-issue civil and human rights agenda and affiliated educational campaigns – as a thought leader, manage a strategic vision, set goals, monitor progress, and evaluate outcomes to ensure objectives are met and in line with the needs and mission of HHC
• Oversee the efficient drafting and vetting process of campaign and program plans, tracking processes and timely reporting
• Build strategic alliances with organizations and individuals to advance the organization’s mission, engaging on shared priorities and exchanging knowledge and information in support of HHC’s programs and initiatives
• Partner with the Storytelling and Communication Senior Director to ensure cohesion, coordination, and consistent messaging between our Campaigns and Advocacy division and Storytelling and Communications division, which includes Digital, Production, PR, and Artist Relations departments
• Serve as a spokesperson and bridge builder for HHC’s work

Candidate Profile

The ideal candidate for the Campaigns & Advocacy Senior Director position will have an extensive background in developing and launching complex and impact-focused advocacy and electoral efforts that include grassroots advocacy, voter mobilization, finance activism, thought leadership, and engagement with elected officials. They will have a honed ability to formulate and translate theories of change to campaign targets, strategies, and tactics.

The Senior Director must be a flexible and dynamic change agent who is excited about the extensive opportunities (and understands the potential challenges) that come with leading advocacy efforts within a unique and growing organization like Hip Hop Caucus. The Senior Director should have experience at an advocacy or campaign organization or social-justice company leading teams and digital experiences that inspire change in the world. Ideal candidates will bring experience guiding campaigns with racial justice frameworks across any or all of HHC’s issue areas.

Strong candidates will also offer some, if not all, of the following skills and qualities:

• A commitment to the HHC mission, using the power of our cultural expression to empower communities who are first and worst impacted by injustice
• A clear track record with strategy development and execution
• Experience working on large scale advocacy and civic engagement campaigns and initiatives
• A natural affinity for partnership, coalition building, and leveraging networks or large external constituent groups
• Excellent people management skills with ability to coach and develop high-performing teams; experience managing remote teams a plus
• High level of cultural competence and experience working across cultures is essential; deep understanding of and experience engaging with multicultural or BIPOC communities of young people (Gen Z, Millennials, Gen X)
• Capable spokesperson and communicator with ability to translate the mission to a wide array of audiences
• At ease navigating between all sectors – nonprofit, government, and corporate – in the U.S. and globally
• Demonstrated ability to build positive culture and bring diverse groups together toward the achievement of common goals

Compensation & Benefits

The location for this position is flexible, with a strong preference for the person to be based in Washington, DC.

The annual salary range for this role is between $140,000-$160,000. Final salary will be based on experience and qualifications. HHC also offers a generous and comprehensive benefits package.

Contact

Koya Partners, the executive search firm that specializes in mission-driven search, has been exclusively retained for this engagement. Please submit a compelling cover letter and resume to Molly Brennan and Meghan Franklin here.

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HHC is an equal opportunity employer. HHC prohibits unlawful discrimination against any employee or applicant for employment based on race, color, religion, sex, gender identity, age, national origin, genetic characteristics, disability, status as a special disabled veteran or veteran, marital status, sexual orientation, sexual identity or any other basis prohibited by law.

About Koya Partners

Koya Partners, a part of Diversified Search Group, is a leading executive search and strategic advising firm dedicated to connecting exceptionally talented people with mission-driven clients. Our founding philosophy—The Right Person in the Right Place Can Change the World—guides our work as we partner with nonprofits & NGOs, institutions of higher education, responsible businesses, and social enterprises in local communities and around the world.

For more information about Koya Partners, visit www.koyapartners.com.