Do you enjoy connecting people and communities to bicycling and the outdoors? Can you cultivate a thriving, efficient team? Do you love setting a persuasive and driving vision?

We’re hiring an Outreach Director to lead our outreach and education programs, strategy, and staff.

About the Team

WABA’s programs focus on building networks and engaging people with WABA’s vision of a region with a just and sustainable transportation system where walking, biking, and transit are the best ways to get around. Our approach acknowledges that identity, neighborhoods, lived experience and other factors shape everyone’s experience with public space and bicycling, and therefore outreach must be specific, responsive to needs, and culturally competent.

Our programs include our education programming for adults, youth and families, two of WABA’s and the District of Columbia’s flagship programs– the DC Trail Rangers and the DC Bike Ambassadors– and our regional outreach program with a focus on WABA’s priority constituencies. We have 12 dedicated, full-time staff members, in addition to supportive volunteers and a cohort of instructors.

Job Responsibilities 

The Outreach Director oversees WABA’s outreach and education programs, strategy, and staff. The Director provides organizational and strategic leadership, helping to build broad public support for bicycling and to bring about positive changes for our region.

• Lead the creation, implementation, and refinement of an outreach strategy that is creative, innovative, and inclusive, and in line with WABA’s strategic plan and focused on our priority constituencies, 
• Ensure close collaboration between WABA’s outreach and advocacy programs and campaigns. 
• Oversee the technical and financial delivery of grants and contracts, including our DC Trail Ranger program and our bicycle education and outreach programs. 
• Support the expansion of WABA’s networks and relationships with other non-profit organizations, businesses, elected public officials, governmental agencies and community leaders, especially in WABA’s priority constituencies.  
• Supervise WABA’s Programs team with a lens towards managing for diversity, equity, and inclusion, helping to grow and expand staff’s professional skills and experience.
• Direct program risk management reporting, evaluation and training to ensure safe programs and develop cohesive program standards and processes.
• As a member of WABA’s senior management team, engage on strategic decision making, organizational management, collective problem solving, cross-team collaboration, risk and financial management, and priority-setting.
• Develop and implement new programs and initiatives in line with the Strategic Plan and contribute to fundraising and development efforts to expand programming areas and constituencies, in partnership with the Development Team.
• Represent WABA at public speaking engagements, conferences, and coalitions to advance our outreach partnerships and opportunities. 

Qualifications 

Core skills and experience (these are essential to performing the job):

• At least seven years of experience, including:
  • At least five years of program management experience, including developing, managing and analyzing program and organizational budgets;
  • Creating and implementing high-level programmatic and strategic goals for a team;
  • At least three years of demonstrated team management and leadership experience.
• A proven track record for being dependable, timely, and communicative, and working collaboratively within a team.
• Excellent writing, presentation and public speaking skills, including excellent communication skills in informal settings and across lines of difference.
• An understanding of how race, gender, and other factors shape conversations and experiences, and how climate and transportation justice are connected to a trails program. 
• The ability to organize time wisely and balance many projects.
• Creative problem-solving skills and capacity to innovate.
• An authentic passion for WABA’s mission and vision and enthusiasm for our organizational values.
• Be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 or be eligible for an exemption as defined by the District of Columbia Mayor’s Order 2021-099, Section III. 

Useful skills and experience (these are great to have, but not required):

If you have this experience or these skills, let us know. You don’t need them to be considered for the position, but you should be eager to learn them:  

• Experience engaging and navigating government agencies, including local municipal and county governments and the National Park Service. 
• Experience with field-based operations programs. 
• Working fluency in Spanish, ASL and/or Amharic.
• Experience with the Objectives and Key Results (OKR) framework. 
• Experience with Google Suite (Gmail, Chat, Drive, Sheets, Docs) and Salesforce.
• The ability to ride a bike, with a willingness to ride in mixed city traffic and off-street trails, and a commitment to being a safe and exemplary bicyclist if and when you ride.
• Experience in physical, athletics, or outdoor education, instruction, or teaching.
• Current driver’s license, clean driving record, and the willingness to occasionally— and very safely— drive and parallel park a 19.5-foot cargo van. WABA will work to accommodate great candidates who cannot meet this requirement.

Working at WABA

Location

This position will be based in WABA’s Adams Morgan office. The Outreach Director role is classified as Hybrid Flex– working primarily remotely, but requiring routine in-person and in-office work. Specific in-person days are determined by the employee and their manager based on priorities and program needs. Employees may be required to work additional days in the office or in the field to support specific projects or activities.

Support 

There’s a lot of work to do! Here’s what’s available to help get it done:

• A collaborative and dedicated professional team to support your onboarding, and mutual success and growth.
• Decades of leadership in the promotion of bicycling and an established, successful program with over 10 years of experience across the region.
• A network of 15,000 members and donors across the Washington, DC region.
• Existing networks and relationships with non-profit organizations, businesses, elected public officials, governmental agencies and community leaders.

The Outreach Director reports to the Deputy Director, and manages the Education and Outreach Manager, two Trail Ranger managers, and the Culture and Engagement Manager.

Compensation & Benefits 

This is a full time salaried exempt position with compensatory time in exchange for additional weekend and evening hours worked. The salary starts between $69,700 and $78,000. Other benefits include:

• 100% employer-paid health, dental, and vision insurance premiums.
• Vacation, sick and personal leave, including:
  • Accrue up to 120 hours of paid vacation starting in your first year, with additional hours after two, five, and ten years of service.
  • Accrue up to 160 hours annually of paid sick time starting in your first year.
  • WABA supports and promotes the health of its staff. You may use accrued sick time for unscheduled leave when not feeling well (mind or body), as well as for scheduled medical appointments.
  • Paid time off for holidays following the federal holiday calendar.
  • One-to-one compensatory time in exchange for any additional hours worked. 
• Eight (8) weeks paid parental leave and up to eight (8) weeks of additional parental leave from the DC Paid Family Leave act (based on eligibility).
• Immediate access to WABA’s 403(b) retirement program, with up to a 5% employer match after one-year of service.
• Optional commuter transit benefit (pre tax deduction)
• Optional voluntary benefits including life insurance, short-term disability, and long-term disability.
• A fun and relaxed workplace environment.
• Passionate, supportive colleagues who are dedicated to working together for our mission and seeing the impact of our work. 

How to Apply

Send a cover letter and resume to jobs@waba.org with “Outreach Director” in the subject line.

No phone calls please.

Position available immediately. Applications accepted until the position is filled. The interview process will be remote and require a device suitable for video conferencing. Expected start date is on or around February 15, 2023.

WABA is committed to providing equal employment opportunity for all persons regardless of race, color, religion, national origin, marital status, arrest record or criminal convictions, political affiliation, sexual orientation or gender identity, disability, sex, or age.

About WABA

WABA empowers people to ride bikes, build connections, and transform places. We envision a just and sustainable transportation system where walking, biking, and transit are the best ways to get around.

To make our vision a reality, we ground our work in five key values:

• Joy: We celebrate people and share the joy of bicycling.
• Boldness: We think big and transform passion into action.
• Integrity: We earn trust through consistency, honesty, and transparency.
• Justice: We put justice at the heart of our work.
• Stewardship: We care for people and the environment, conserve resources, and evolve thoughtfully.

Do you have a passion for connecting people with the issues that matter most to them? Are you a talented communicator and experienced fundraiser who loves talking to people and is eager to take on the challenge of meeting ambitious revenue goals—alongside an enthusiastic team?

WABA is hiring a Development and Membership Manager to oversee our fundraising appeals and membership drives as part of a team working to raise a combined $1m of unrestricted revenue/year. 

About the Team

The Development and Membership Manager is a member of WABA’s Development and Communications Team. Our team’s job is to connect people to the work that’s most relevant to them, building our community of donors and advocates to strengthen and sustain WABA for the long-term.  That means:

• Growing and sustaining our donor base of 7,000+ people giving between $1 and $100,000 annually, along with a growing portfolio of corporate support and major potential in the foundation space.
• Working closely with staff across the organization to tell the story of their work in a way that moves donors to invest in our mission.
• Ensuring that actionable, relevant content gets to members, supporters, the press, and the public.

This position reports to the Development Director.

Job Responsibilities 

Fundraising

• Implement two fundraising appeal campaigns per year, each with print and digital components, with a combined revenue goal of $250,000; 

• Organize two membership drives a year, including one in partnership with Bike to Work Day, with a combined revenue goal of $80,000;

• Collaborate closely with other staff in external-facing roles, especially WABA’s outreach and advocacy staff, to:
  • Craft thoughtful and compelling talking points about organizational mission and impact, and
  • Support staff in building confidence and comfort fundraising;

Sustaining and Expanding Membership

• Work with staff across the organization to grow WABA’s membership, working towards our goals of reaching 10,000 members by 2025  and expanding our membership base to reflect  the diversity of people who bike in our region; 

• Design and implement occasional membership appreciation and engagement events, both in-person (when safe) and online, including organizing the Annual Member Meeting and keeping the online Membership Hub and Member Extras pages up to date;

• Regularly update membership materials with relevant, engaging information;

• Respond to member inquiries by phone or email kindly, accurately, and within one business day (often to connect them with another relevant WABA staff member);

Team Responsibilities 

• Be an enthusiastic team player on the Dev/Comms team, including working full-day shifts at 3 weekend Signature Events, and being available to lend a hand and few hours here and there to help teammates with event prep, thank you note writing, phone banking, and brainstorming.

Qualifications 

Core Skills

We perceive these competencies as essential to the job:

• 1-3 years of relevant professional experience in nonprofit development, including demonstrated success in—and passion for!— membership acquisition or fundraising
• Excellent written communication skills, including the ability to adapt writing style for different audiences 
• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple projects on overlapping timelines;
• A commitment to inclusivity and support for anyone coming to WABA, regardless of their background or lived experience; 
• Comfort with picking up the phone to call a donor to say thank you or make an ask.
• An authentic passion for WABA’s mission,  enthusiasm for our vision, and ability to work in alignment with organizational values.

Useful experience and skills:

If you have this experience or these skills, let us know. You don’t need them to be considered for the position, but you should be eager to learn them:  

• Proficiency with:
  • Google Suite (Gmail, Chat, Drive, Sheets, Docs)
  • Salesforce or another Customer Relationship Management software
  • WordPress
  • Mac OS platforms & software
• Knowledge of transportation equity; and
• A commitment to being a safe and exemplary bicyclist if and when you ride.

Working at WABA

Hybrid Remote/In-Office Position

The candidate must be located in the Washington, DC area. 

WABA is a hybrid workplace. While some of this job can be done remotely, the Development and Membership Manager is required to be in the office in NW DC for in-person development events and event prep, as well during busy periods around appeals and membership drives. 

Support 

There’s a lot of work to do! Here’s what’s available to help get it done:

• A mutually supportive team to…
  • Support your onboarding to the organization
  • answer questions about our database and work processes so you can  learn to navigate these systems on your own, and 
  • provide introduction to and perspective on our donor base and membership program
• Well-documented membership, donation, and Salesforce processes 
• A staff and board committed to membership growth
• A network of 15,000 members and donors across the Washington, DC region
• A hybrid workplace with options for remote and in-person work to fit the needs of your job responsibilities and schedule

Compensation & Benefits 

This is a full time salaried exempt position, with compensatory time in exchange for additional weekend and evening hours worked. The expected salary range is $55,000 – $60,000. Other benefits include:

• 100% employer-paid health, dental, and vision insurance premiums.
• Generous vacation, sick and personal leave.
• Up to 120 hours of paid vacation starting in your first year, with additional hours after two, five, and ten years of service.
• Up to 160 hours annually of paid sick time starting in your first year.
• Flexible use of sick leave. WABA supports and promotes the health of staff, who may use accrued sick time for unscheduled leave when not feeling well (mind or body), as well as for scheduled medical appointments.
• Immediate access to WABA’s 403(b) retirement program, with up to a 5% employer match after one-year of service.
• Optional commuter transit benefit (pre tax deduction).
• Optional voluntary benefits including, life insurance, short-term disability, long-term disability, other.
• Paid holidays annually following the federal holiday calendar.
• A fun and relaxed office environment.
• Passionate, supportive colleagues who are dedicated to working together for our mission and seeing the impact of our work. 

About WABA

WABA empowers people to ride bikes, build connections, and transform places. We envision a just and sustainable transportation system where walking, biking, and transit are the best ways to get around.

To make our vision a reality, we ground our work in five key values:

• Joy: We celebrate people and share the joy of bicycling.
• Boldness: We think big and transform passion into action.
• Integrity: We earn trust through consistency, honesty, and transparency.
• Justice: We put justice at the heart of our work.
• Stewardship: We care for people and the environment, conserve resources, and evolve thoughtfully.

How to Apply

Send the following to jobs@waba.org with “Development and Membership Manager” in the subject line:

• Resume
• Cover letter
• Two short writing samples (250-500 words each) composed for different audiences.

No phone calls please.

We anticipate interviews will begin in late November-early December, with a start date in early-mid January. The interview process will be remote and require a device suitable for video conferencing.

WABA is committed to providing equal employment opportunity for all persons regardless of race, color, religion, national origin, marital status, arrest record or criminal convictions, political affiliation, sexual orientation or gender identity, disability, sex, or age.

About the organization:

The Washington Area Bicyclist Association (WABA) is a 501(c)(3), member-supported organization. We just celebrated the 50th anniversary of our founding, in 1972.

WABA empowers people to ride bikes, build connections, and transform places. We  envision a just and sustainable transportation system where walking, biking, and transit are the best ways to get around. Transportation equity is central to our work. When we’re successful, our transportation system looks different — easier to use, accessible to everyone, more affordable, and climate-resilient — and more people join us for the ride.

We educate and advocate in The District of Columbia, Montgomery County, Prince George’s County, Arlington County, Fairfax County and the city of Alexandria.

About the opportunity:

Our new executive director will join us at a moment of transformation, as the entire Washington region is on the cusp of a more sustainable future. Thanks in large part to WABA’s years of advocacy, governments are prioritizing biking and walking in a way we couldn’t have pictured 50 years ago – each year, miles of new infrastructure make riding safer. A prime example is upper Beach Drive, now closed to cars year-round.

Even so, much work remains. The mobility that our transportation network provides and the safety and the health burdens it creates are unjustly distributed. While car convenience was prioritized across the board, cities and towns also used transportation planning as a tool to divide, exclude and displace communities of color. The legacy of underinvesting in basic services like sidewalks and transit, disconnecting street grids, and bulldozing neighborhoods to build highways will take far more work to repair. 

To advance WABA’s mission, our new executive director will inspire, guide and collaborate with our staff, supporters and partners. Core responsibilities include:

• Lead WABA in strategically executing our mission and living our values, working to advance transportation equity as outlined in our strategic plan. 
• Maintain and grow WABA’s fiscal health and integrity, ensuring we have the financial resources to meet our ambitious vision.
• Manage and oversee WABA’s staff and systems. 
• Represent WABA externally. The Executive Director is a powerful spokesperson for WABA and is uniquely positioned to develop relationships on our behalf. 

The Executive Director reports to the Board of Directors and works from our Washington, DC office. The salary range starts at $120,000.

Candidate qualifications:

The ideal candidate will bring:

• Passion for WABA’s mission: Must be able to tap into a personal passion around biking’s essential role in our transportation system, be willing to travel around the area in harmony with WABA’s vision and be able to participate in WABA events. 
• Fundraising: Must be able to cultivate relationships, paint an inspiring vision, apply emotional intelligence and confidently make big asks. We strongly prefer a history of fundraising results and experience developing fundraising strategy. 
• Equity and justice: We require experience identifying and addressing barriers to equity. Candidates must be able to listen to and connect authentically with a wide range of people, and to reflect on and thoughtfully address misunderstandings or missteps.
• Vision and leading through change: We require a history of bringing people together around a vision and through times of transition, at either a team or organization level. 
• Management: At least five years of management experience; longer experience and a history of supervising senior employees across multiple functions are strongly preferred. We require a history of turning plans into impact, as well as literacy of financial statements, standard nonprofit financial practices and internal controls. 
• Work context: We strongly prefer experience in the nonprofit sector. Significant volunteer service or relevant experience in government could qualify. Ability to navigate the Google Suite (chat, documents, shared calendars) and other digital tools is required.
• Advocacy and building community partnerships: Experience as an advocate or building partnerships is welcome but not required, as are existing relationships and positive reputation in the DC area.
• Transportation policy experience: Given staff’s deep knowledge, we do not require experience in transportation policy, though we welcome past work in this or related fields. We do require the ability to learn our issues quickly, conduct executive-level conversations with stakeholders and weigh in on high-level policy-related decisions.

To apply:

Please use this link to submit your resume and a cover letter that addresses how your experience and qualifications align with what we seek.  

Jami Armstrong, Executive Search Consultant at Nonprofit HR, is the lead search consultant for this engagement.