Director of Patient Capital Programming

Background

Mission: The Urban Manufacturing Alliance is a coalition of organizations and individuals working together to grow more equitable and prosperous economies in cities by building robust, environmentally sustainable, and inclusive urban manufacturing sectors.

Values: We believe that manufacturing is good for cities: a vibrant urban manufacturing sector offers unique pathways for diverse residents to share in economic prosperity through manufacturing employment, entrepreneurship, and business ownership. An authentic, inclusive local manufacturing economy also reinforces and celebrates a city’s unique cultural assets and pride of place.

Team: UMA Staff works remotely and maintains a relatively flat organizational structure. Directors will work independently and have an influence on programs and organizational strategy. They will also support and contribute in a significant way to our participatory culture that values shared leadership. We are committed to equity in pay and leadership/growth opportunities. We manage programs and people in a matrixed environment, so staff will often be part of a variety of work circles that focus on projects, programs, and organizational strategy. We believe in peer feedback and have a growth mindset to encourage the knowledge, skills, and abilities of every individual.

Summary

Role Description:
Depending on the needs of the organization and the unique knowledge, skills, abilities, and relationships of each team member, each Director will have a clearly defined focus on specific domains of work that she/he/they are responsible for leading. This Director role will focus on the following domains of work: Cohort Management, Project Management, Facilitation, and Research and Writing.

Duties:
This Director is someone with significant knowledge and experience working to support peer learning networks and who understands the complexities needed to generate findings and discern impact from cohort-based learning models. This Director writes and researches topics as needed to amplify and support peer learning. She/he/they also support the ongoing iteration of innovation to deliver impact goals as stated in grant agreements for each program. The UMA team needs cohort management, project management, and writing and research support for one main program, Pathways, initially, along with writing and research support across multiple additional programs.

–The Pathways to Patient Capital program is a cohort of 14 community-based lending organizations (such as CDFI’s or other non-profit lenders) who have been working for the past year to build more flexible, responsive capital products, specifically for makers and manufacturers of color. This group is supported by an advisory board, as well. We are in our second iteration of the work, looking to build more connectivity between cohort members, expert practitioners, and our advisory board. We are working towards creating shared action guides, policy briefs, and a collective policy statement that each work individually and together to demonstrate the unique role capital plays for manufacturers, particularly manufacturers of color.

Full Organization Participation:
UMA is working towards operating in a shared leadership framework. In addition to meeting the responsibilities outlined above, the Director will be asked to do the following to ensure the healthy evolution and sustainability of this framework:

• Devote time to communicating with teammates to work across projects.
• Serve in various team-led work circles at any given time.
• Develop solid systems for working fluidly with other Directors in a matrixed environment.
• Independently manage competing priorities and work proactively to remove roadblocks.
• Support the overall organizational operations and identify specific efforts and work strategic to the organization.
• Demonstrate commitment to UMA’s future by aligning your career goals with this role as we build and grow the scale of our impact.

Responsibilities

Knowledge:

• Understanding of capital access models and concepts, particularly those that are non-extractive and community-based/supportive, and how these models/concepts intersect with governmental policy, manufacturing, and racial inclusion.
• Demonstrated interest in urban manufacturing, economic development, planning, or other related topics as an equity-building strategy for urban communities

Skills:

• Writing
• Research
• People management
• Public speaking
• Program & project management
• Organizational operations (I.T., financial acumen, nonprofit management)

Abilities:
You are a great fit for this role if you:

• Are an avid learner and thought leader. You should enjoy learning and contribute to our organizational thought leadership.
  Effectively build relationships with a group of diverse stakeholders including local governments, universities, companies, community organizations, and others.
• Are a strong writer with the ability to boil down complex subjects. You write in ways that make those policy concepts and recommendations concise, journalistic, and digestible for economic development practitioners, policymakers, and others.
• Are a good team manager. You have experience managing cohorts and peer-learning groups and know how to work internally with individual contributors who may not report directly to you.
• Are mission-driven. Team members are motivated by making a positive impact on cities and pursuing economic justice. We would love to add you to the team if you are the sort of change maker who would roll up your sleeves (no task too small) to keep things running smoothly while also stepping up to add to the bigger picture and impact of UMA.
• Are curious and flexible. You are interested in where you can lend your unique talents to generate lasting systemic progress. This job is an amazing opportunity because you are a Jane or Jack of many talents who will join a power team of other rock star Directors who are blazing new trails in the urban manufacturing ecosystem. Our work changes and iterates, so being change-ready is essential. While you will work hard and do a lot of different things in this role, you also get to see so much from one key seat. We work alongside fascinating people in the arts, social justice, workforce development, economic development, entrepreneurship, manufacturing, land use, and real estate development.
• Want to contribute as an organizational leader. This is a position that will help shape the organization in both the near- and long-term. We are looking for Directors who view this as a key role in their career trajectory.
• Have a “Growth Mindset.” Peer coaching is essential. Expect to receive and share constructive feedback and communicate with a high degree of professionalism.

Compensation and Benefits

Work Expectations:
Full-time or Part-time | Exempt | Flexible Schedule | Remote Work | No Physical Labor Requirements

Compensation:
This position starts at $75,000 for a full time role. We offer a flexible benefits menu and salaries that are aligned with market benchmarks. Final offer amounts are determined by factors including candidate experience and expertise, and may vary. Our pay scale is transparent and consistent for positions at UMA.

How to Apply

Visit www.urbanmfg.org/project/careers

Our hiring process:

• We do…need someone who can start work immediately. We will at some point ask people to travel when it is safe to do so.
• We commit to…not wasting your time. We move quickly with hiring. Please know that we will communicate honestly and respectfully throughout the process.
• We are asking…for virtual interviews and potential video chats or submissions that help us get to know our top candidates. We may also ask for a writing sample.