Director, Human and Civil Rights

The National Education Association (NEA) is America’s oldest and largest organization committed to advancing the cause of public education. Headquartered in Washington, DC, NEA proudly claims more than 3 million members devoted to the following mission: to advocate for education professionals and to unite our members and the nation to fulfill the promise of public education by preparing every student to succeed in a diverse and interdependent world. Our vision is a great public school for every student. We strive to improve the quality of teaching, to increase student achievement, and to make schools safer and better places to learn.

Position Summary: NEA seeks a Director of the Human and Civil Rights (HCR) Department within the Center for Racial and Social Justice. The HCR Director must be able to lead a department while simultaneously moving NEA’s strategic priorities forward in a highly complex, dynamic environment, while balancing the competing needs of various stakeholders. The HCR Department advances equity and racial justice as the foundation of organizational effectiveness across state affiliates, member engagement, and internal teams.

The Director of HCR manages and sets the strategic priorities for the Human and Civil Rights Department in alignment with the Center for Racial and Social Justice. A successful candidate demonstrates:

• Deep understanding of complex networks, union or member-based structures, and the ability to navigate internal politics and relationships (inclusive or historical relationships) across the NEA enterprise while maintaining trust and alignment across multiple stakeholders.

• Expertise in diagnosing inequitable systems and designing interventions that strengthen belonging, clarity, and accountability.

• Ability to move from theory to practice, turning equity language into measurable shifts in culture and outcomes.

• Skillful facilitation and design of adult learning experiences that deepen teams’ shared understanding of equity frameworks, power analysis, and liberatory practice; scaffolding from awareness to applied leadership.

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This position reports to the Senior Director of the Center for Racial and Social Justice. This position is a DC-based position with NEA's headquarters building serving as the central workplace. This position may be eligible for a telework arrangement, dependent on approval from the direct supervisor and in accordance with organizational policy and NEA business needs.

Responsibilities:

The HCR Director serves as a member of NEA’s executive team, with specific responsibilities to ensure the HCR Department serves NEA’s members and advances racial, social, and economic justice internally and externally by:

• Guiding the design, implementation, and continuous improvement of programs by working with teams to develop racial justice-centered engagement strategy tools, frameworks, and trainings.

• Coaching and mentoring staff to strengthen expertise in racial justice frameworks, equity practices, and strategic program delivery and relationship building.

• Ensuring alignment and integration of work across all HCR teams and with Community Advocacy & Partnership Engagement (CAPE) Department.

• Supervising and guiding assigned program staff and managers in executing departmental and center-wide programs and approving work plans, deliverables, and operational resources.

• Tracking team performance, evaluating progress on programmatic goals, and providing guidance to improve effectiveness and outcomes.

• Leading the design and delivery of NEA’s Annual Conference on Racial and Social Justice.

• Engaging and collaborating with staff union representatives on issues that impact HCR staff, including professional development opportunities, all-staff meetings, and identifying opportunities to remedy systems issues.

• Managing the HCR Department’s budget and operations in a fiscally responsible manner in adherence to relevant organizational policies and procedures.

• Implementing effective project management strategies, ensuring strong stewardship of members’ dues, and meaningful outcomes of all programs.

• Acting strategically in rapidly changing internal and external environments, advising staff and elected leaders on opportunities and challenges related to social, racial and economic justice issues.

• Other duties as assigned.