HRC Is Looking for another President } Looking for work? Think you have what it takes?

By Phil Reese     washingtonblade.com
                                                         

The Human Rights Campaign has posted the official job description for the next President, who will replace outgoing leader Joe Solmonese. Do you have what it takes to lead HRC?

…The President reports to the Boards of Directors of both the Human Rights Campaign and theHuman Rights Campaign Foundation and is responsible for the overall management and leadershipof HRC’s activities and programs.  The President’s job is  to develop and implement  HRC’sstrategic vision, its policies and programs to advance the interests of its membership and the LGBTcommunity as a whole.  The new President will be charged with leading this important organizationduring a time of great change and progress in the country.

The President will be working every day to improve the lives of LGBT Americans by identifyingand overcoming societal and legislative barriers to LGBT equality. At the same time, s/he will beworking to engage, educate and empower millions of fair-minded Americans to advocate for equalrights for the LGBT community.

Specific responsibilities include:

Provide vision and focus for a dynamic organization.  HRC is a large, diverse and highlymotivated organization with activities occurring simultaneously in many locations and on a varietyof issues, with a unique combination of professional staff, volunteers, allies, boards, donors, andmembers. The President must be able to inspire, motivate, coordinate and honor these multipleconstituents  in ways that advance the mission of HRC and maintain the highest standards ofservice and integrity.

Build, maintain and continually inspire a work environment to achieve the highest standardsof performance and accountability.  One of the hallmarks of HRC’s mission is to assureworkplace equality for all LGBT employees. HRC strives to attain those goals with  its ownemployees by fostering a workplace that welcomes and embraces diversity and encouragesindustry, teamwork and mutual respect. The new President must not only embrace these values, butcontinually lead in creating an atmosphere that promotes teamwork, client responsiveness,diversity, accountability, professional development and succession planning  – and helps theorganization adapt to changing and disparate needs within the community.

Manage through change.   The effectiveness of HRC as a civil rights organization will depend onhow well it manages uncertain changes in the political environment and how nimble it can be inresponding to external changes. Managing these changes in ways that keep HRC relevant andcentral to the movement will be critical for success.

Represent and lead HRC in the most positive manner, enhancing HRC’s visibility andinfluencing public opinion.  The President of HRC has the ability to reach government andbusiness decision-makers and influence public opinion on issues vital to HRC’s mission. It isessential that the new President be able to convey HRC’s activities (and those of the broader LGBTcommunity) effectively and persuasively to thought leaders and the broader public through a widevariety of communication tools.

Attract new members, allies, strategic partners, advocates, donors and volunteers.  HRCcontinues to grow and diversify its membership, which has helped to expand its impact. The newPresident must be able to lead HRC in building on its growth by effectively finding new ways toretain and attract a broader membership base.  S/he must be skilled in coalition building, working inpartnership with other LGBT and civil rights organizations to tackle legislative and policy needs onthe state and federal level.

Lead the development and promotion of legislation and public policies that positively affectLGBT families and their children, as well as, oppose legislation and public policies that wouldadversely affect LGBT families and their children.  HRC’s President also is the strategic visionaryon how to elect candidates for public office who will sponsor and support HRC’s legislative agendaand the creation of equities for LGBTs throughout society, as well as oppose those candidates whohave promoted policies and legislation adverse to LGBT families…

Engage diverse constituencies.    Diversity and inclusion are strategic imperatives for HRC andnecessary for the continued success of the organization. Diversity and inclusion have beenembedded in HRC’s mission since it was founded in 1980.  In the last several years however, HRChas provided diversity and inclusion objectives more sustained support internally by providing staffand resources to cultivate a diverse and inclusive environment at every level of the organization.

In addition, HRC has developed significant relationships externally to evidence its commitment todiversity and inclusion.   The President must work to broaden public support for LGBT equality byengaging fair-minded people and partner organizations that represent the multiple dimensions ofdiversity, including ethnicities, national origins, ages, sexual orientation, gender identity, beliefs,religions and faiths, geographies, experiences, cultures, socio-economic backgrounds and levels ofphysical ability.

Lead the development of educational programs that positively affect the societal and culturalcondition, as well as shift public opinion. HRC’s next President will continue to build upon thedynamic educational programs and tools of the organization such as the Corporate Equality Index,Healthcare Equality Index, Family Project and Religion & Faith programs. S/he also will push forinnovation and the creation of new programs consistent with HRC’s strategic plan that will educateand gain a broader understanding of the challenges and opportunities faced by the LGBTcommunity.

Read the rest of the job description, including the preferred qualifications (to see if you qualify),here.