DEI Learning & Development Manager

ABOUT US

Democracy Fund is a foundation working to defend American democracy and challenge it to be more open and just. Created by eBay founder and philanthropist Pierre Omidyar, Democracy Fund has made more than $200 million in grants to support free and fair elections, a vibrant and diverse public square, effective and accountable government, and a just and inclusive society. In addition to grantmaking, Democracy Fund advocates for better solutions and works with partners to grow philanthropic support for our democracy. To learn more, visit www.democracyfund.org and www.democracyfundvoice.org.

POSITION SUMMARY

Democracy Fund champions leaders and organizations who defend democracy and challenge our political system to be more open, just, resilient, and trustworthy. We believe that experimentation, learning, and adaptation are key to the health and resilience of any system, whether it is our organization or the American political system. As grantmakers, we focus on listening and being of service to our grantees, who are visionaries and our collaborators, and on ways we can more deeply embed diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) as values central to the success of our work and mission.

The Operations team supports the execution of Democracy Fund’s work, ensuring that our colleagues have the resources, trainings, and infrastructure necessary to fulfill our mission. We hold ourselves accountable not only to talking the talk but also to walking the walk as we adopt best practices, both for Democracy Fund as a whole and for our own department, that lead with equity and efficiency.

We’re looking for a leader to create, curate, and deliver educational materials and training programs that advance our ongoing efforts to expand our culture of inclusion — an avid learner and experienced learning and development professional who can translate their knowledge into various platforms and media for the benefit of an engaged and diverse employee population. The DEI Learning & Development Manager works under the general direction and guidance of the Chief Operating Officer (COO) to research, develop, implement, and execute learning strategies and programs that are aligned with Democracy Fund’s goals.

The successful candidate will be able to effectively create and manage relationships with employees at all levels and lead our established organization-wide DEI Committee, while working alongside teams across the foundation to make an impact on our employees, partners, and key stakeholders.

This position has a two-year term, with the possibility of renewal, and reports to the Chief Operating Officer.

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES

DEI LEARNING AND DEVELOPMENT

• Develop and implement the organization’s short-term and long-term DEI strategy in consultation with the COO. 
• Design and execute scalable trainings and programs, including toolkits, workshops, and job aides, that strive to more deeply embed DEI through learning and collaboration.
• Evaluate individual and organizational development needs.
• Chair the DEI Advisory Group to provide necessary support for and engagement of DEI initiatives.
• Collaborate with the People Team and internal partners to assess DEI training in the context of Democracy Fund’s broader training and learning goals.
• Maintain relationships with external and internal DEI partners.
• Experiment with innovative ways to achieve organizational change and create opportunities for practice and application.
• Manage internal communications regarding DEI training and development opportunities.
• Serve as a sub-administrator for Democracy Fund’s learning management system, managing DEI-related content and processes.

PROJECT MANAGEMENT

• Lead cross-functional projects and facilitate meetings; handle project documentation and plans, including success metrics, timelines, and milestones to ensure timely completion of project deliverables; and communicate project status across the organization.

PROFESSIONAL LEARNING AND DEVELOPMENT

• Assist management and individual staff members with identifying and/or arranging suitable training and development solutions, utilizing funds set aside for these activities.
• Partner with the People Team in the creation and implementation of training and development programs, facilitating training as appropriate.
• Assess training and development needs through surveys, one-on-one employee meetings, focus groups, and other communications with staff.
• Research, cultivate, and maintain training and development resources and online training solutions (e.g., SkillPath and other resources).
• Manage internal coaching program, which includes recruiting and managing a diverse roster of coaches and matching them with internal clients.

TEAM MEMBER

• Promote a high-performance, continuously improving team culture that values learning and quality.
• Bring enthusiasm and a positive outlook to problem-solving and day-to-day juggling of priorities.
• Contribute to a team culture that values collaboration, positivity, and transparency.

EDUCATION, EXPERIENCE, AND SKILLS REQUIREMENTS

• Passion for strengthening American democracy.
• Deep commitment to racial equity and justice.
• A high level of integrity that embodies and reflects Democracy Fund values.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to effectively interact and communicate with all levels of the organization.
• Demonstrated ability to navigate ambiguity while working independently to complete projects, and effectively collaborate with cross-functional teams and senior-level leadership.
• Demonstrated understanding of learning and development, training, or a related field, with the ability to develop and deliver creative and powerful learning solutions.
• Strong DEI subject-matter expertise, including research, trends, data, and leading practices.
• Certified Diversity Professional or National Diversity Council Certified Diversity Professional strongly preferred.
• Bachelor's degree from an accredited four-year college or university in education, curriculum development, human resources, sociology, organizational psychology, or closely related field required and at least eight years of experience working on DEI learning strategies and programs. Master’s degree preferred.
• Democracy Fund follows a hybrid remote and in-the-office model, which enables flexibility and meets collaboration needs. New staff are expected to reside in the DMV, though exceptions will be granted on a case-by-case basis by the Personnel Committee. All employees, regardless of location, will be expected in the office several days a month.

SALARY

Salary range begins at $123,025.00 per year.

HOW TO APPLY

Interested candidates should submit a cover letter and resume through our Jobs page. Applications submitted without a cover letter or lacking the desired years of experience will not be considered. Take this opportunity to tell us about yourself and why you’re interested in joining our team. No calls please.

Democracy Fund is committed to a diverse workplace, seeking voices and expertise from people from across the political spectrum. Our board, staff, advisors, and grantees include Republicans, Democrats, and Independents. Democracy Fund is an Equal Opportunity Employer, where we encourage candidates of all ages, color, ethnic background, country of origin, religion, disability status, gender, sexual orientation, and gender identity to apply.