Hybrid Director

at Black Pen Recruitment

• Job title: Director
• Job type: Full Time
• Experience level: Lead
• Salary: $130,000 - $160,000 per year
• Degree requirement: Bachelor's Degree
• Location requirements: Hybrid, Los Angeles, United States

About the role

• Director leading PEN America’s programming, public profile, and partnerships in Los Angeles. Fostering free expression advocacy and community engagement with the literary and publishing community.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute a strategy to advance and elevate PEN America’s presence in Los Angeles, including through public programming; membership and community outreach, engagement, and cultivation; advocacy; fundraising; and media outreach
• Collaborate with the Development team to identify and cultivate individual donors and foundation funders to support organizational fundraising efforts
• Serve as the primary spokesperson and representative of PEN America and its priorities in Los Angeles, effectively communicating its mission and vision to a wide variety of community partners and constituents
• Oversee the creation and development of innovative initiatives including advocacy campaigns and public programs that will build PEN America’s profile in Los Angeles and throughout California
• Coordinate with the Literary Programs department to conduct public programming and support and engage with the literary community in Los Angeles
• Collaborate with the U.S. Free Expression Programs department to ensure our free expression advocacy work is informed by perspectives of our constituents in Los Angeles and California, and to ensure our work reaches and serves those constituents.
• Coordinate with the Membership team to expand and serve PEN America’s membership in Los Angeles and throughout California, particularly to ensure that it encompasses a diversity of literary, film industry, academic, and other writing communities.
• Build partnerships with counterpart organizations, including academic, literary and cultural institutions, film and television industry stakeholders, advocacy groups, and community leaders
• Build PEN America Los Angeles’ profile through partnerships, dynamic programming, media coverage, outreach efforts, and being a presence at key events and in prominent settings
• Oversee and develop, as appropriate, the operational structure of the PEN America office in Los Angeles, liaising with PEN America’s operational departments including Human Resources and Finance
• All PEN America staff are considered to be stakeholders in the development of our shared organization. As such, staff play a role in varied activities within the workplace as part of their job responsibilities. These may include committees or task forces to work on office issues, diversity and inclusion, strategy projects, training or other initiatives.

Requirements

• Demonstrated success as a leader with a track record of developing initiatives through vision and drive and with measurable results
• Established network of relevant relationships in Los Angeles including with the literary community, counterpart organizations, community and academic leaders, policymakers, and/or philanthropists
• Experience in fundraising, including with major donors and foundations, and stewarding relationships with supporters
• Comfort in outward facing role, with willingness to deftly and energetically represent PEN America at public events and social gatherings, on panels, and in the media
• Exceptional verbal and written communication skills that eloquently motivate support for PEN America and its mission and activities
• Capacity to strategize, operate, and problem solve independently, while developing collaborative relationships with colleagues across a national organization
• A prodigious work ethic that relishes challenges, accountability, and putting in the work to drive forward multiple initiatives simultaneously, troubleshoot challenges, and reach goals
• Must be able to provide valid proof of U.S. work authorization
• Commitment to PEN America’s mission, centered on the celebration and defense of free expression for all.
• Willingness to defend the right to engage in speech that may be offensive and discomfiting and that reflects a wide range of political opinions and ideologies.

Benefits

• medical, dental, and vision health insurance
• paid time off
• 10 paid holidays
• pre-tax commuter benefits
• 403b retirement plan