Lead Instructor, Fellowships Program

Leadership for Democracy and Social Justice (LDSJ)

Position Summary
Organization: Leadership for Democracy and Social Justice
Position: Lead Instructor, Fellowships Program
Hours: Full-time, exempt, generally, 9:00am-5:00pm ET. Some weekends and evenings may be needed.
Location: This position will be expected to work in-person in New York City, dependent on public health guidelines (currently a hybrid work schedule, with 3 days in the office, subject to change). The office is located on the City College campus, and this position will be part of the staff team of the Colin Powell School for Civic and Global Leadership.
Pay and Benefits: The salary range is $115,000-$135,000 annually. This position will be an employee of the CUNY Research Foundation, which provides a comprehensive benefits package.

Position Description

Two schools at the City University of New York (CUNY) – the Colin Powell School for Civic and Global Leadership at City College of New York and the CUNY School of Labor and Urban Studies – have established a national institute to recruit, develop and connect diverse leaders for social change who can imagine and implement visionary solutions for the enormous challenges we face in the 21st century. Leadership for Democracy and Social Justice (www.socialjusticeleadership.org) sees a compelling opportunity in the abundant talent of an emerging generation of Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) leaders and will meet a vital need for a scaled initiative that prepares leaders early in their careers in social justice traditions, ideology, literature and history in order to achieve power in all sectors.

The flagship programs of the Leadership Institute are intensive cohort programs for early and mid-career leaders. We provide fellows with a broad, ecumenical curriculum to give leaders a grounding in the history and theory of social change, in addition to real-world practice and experience. Leaders in the cohorts will participate in paid internships, have options to connect to degree-granting academic programs, and have access to robust wrap-around services including mentorship, career services, and community building.

LDSJ is hiring anchor lead Instructors to develop retreat agendas and curriculum for our early and mid career fellowship programs. Instructors will also be expected to facilitate, train, and put together a training team to deliver top notch social change content. Our ideal instructor is someone with 15+ years of social justice leadership experience who has a passion for leadership development/mentorship, and who would be available to help facilitate retreats, as well as being available to the cohort participants as a mentor.

Core responsibilities:

Serve as the primary co-facilitator for all fellowship retreats.
Recruit and launch a top notch training team for each fellowship cohort.
Develop retreat agendas for all fellowship retreats:
- Movement Leader Fellowship - 3 week long retreats.
- Emerging Lead Organizer Fellowship - 2 week long retreats.
- Social Change Fellowship - Leadership, Organizing, Action: Leading Change Course.
- ROCC Fellowship(s) - 2 week long retreats.
Attend weekly meetings with LDSJ staff and guest trainers to plan curriculum and retreat logistics.
Ensure guest trainers develop curriculum content in a learning-centered way that includes a practice component for fellowship participants.
Develop materials for fellowship participants to use during the retreats.
Co-Teach courses like Power & Strategy with a CUNY SLU Professor.
Serve as a mentor for cohort participants, ensuring they have an overall positive experience, that the institute’s unique DNA is being communicated at all times, and valuing and being responsive to participants’ feedback, questions, and concerns.

Participate in the recruitment and selection of fellowship participants, this includes: reading and scoring applications, interviewing candidates, etc.
Have at least one 1:1 with each fellow over the course of their fellowship experience.

Be able to travel around the country for our fellowship retreats.

Qualifications:

Demonstrated commitment to social justice, including 10-15 years’ experience in the social justice sector, ideally as an organizer with training experience.
Track record of leading and organizing groups, even when not in positional power, and building community and relationships across lines of difference.
Strong facilitation skills that can move a group to productive and positive outcomes; highly emotionally intelligent and attentive to group dynamics.
Demonstrated commitment to equity based on race, gender and class; demonstrated cultural competency skills and ability to connect with people from historically marginalized identities.
Strong self-starter and self-organizer; demonstrated history of building things from scratch; can translate ideas and vision into real programs and products.
Strong organizational skills and strong attention to detail.
Works well under uncertainty and seeks opportunities to try and learn; willing to experiment, take risks, and is not afraid of failure; constantly seeks feedback and uses feedback to improve.

Flexible, positive attitude and someone who brings joy to their work.

The salary range for this position is $115,000-$135,000 annually. The Lead Instructor, Fellowships Program works in-person in New York City or remotely in the US. Strong preference for New York City candidates. The Lead Instructor, Fellowships Program will be an employee of the CUNY Research Foundation, which provides a generous and comprehensive benefits package.

How to Apply

To apply, please send your resume and cover letter (PDF) via the Movement Talent Opportunity Board application portal by clicking the "Apply To This Job" button:
https://recruitcrm.io/apply/17398976722480060944bvE

Deadline to apply: Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, priority will be given to those applications received by March 17, 2025.

Colin Powell School for Civic and Global Leadership

The Colin Powell School for Civic and Global Leadership includes all of the social science departments at CCNY as well as most of the core leadership development and public service programs of the College. Graduating the most CCNY students annually, the Colin Powell School promotes the values of service and engagement. The School supports a faculty of more than 250 tenure, tenure-track, and adjunct professors dedicated to the highest standards of research and to the university’s democratic and public obligations; the School is committed to disseminating research in usable forms, especially that which furthers equality, prosperity, stability, and peace for all people—in Harlem, in New York, and around the world. The School’s annual budget is $14 million.

CUNY School of Labor and Urban Studies

The CUNY School of Labor and Urban Studies (SLU) offers undergraduate and graduate degree programs in Labor Studies and Urban Studies that are designed to meet the needs of working adults as well as traditional-age college students who seek to learn more about the challenges confronting poor and working class populations in the workplace and in the community. It also collaborates with other units of CUNY to offer a range of college-credit programs designed to give workers the academic and technical skills they need for professional advancement. Its faculty includes distinguished scholars in the social sciences as well as expert practitioners in government, labor, and public service. In addition to its academic programs, SLU sponsors research; organizes forums and conferences; and publishes a national journal, New Labor Forum: A journal of ideas, analysis, and debate.

EEO Statement

The Colin Powell School is proud to be an Equal Employment Opportunity and Affirmative Action employer. We are committed to equity and inclusion and strongly value the experiences of historically marginalized people and encourage them to apply. We do not discriminate based upon race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, status as a protected veteran, status as an individual with a disability, or other applicable legally protected characteristics.