BLUU’s work puts Blackness at the center of Unitarian Universalism. BLUU gives a spiritual home to Black people who have roots in many traditions but share values that all support Black liberation and self-determination, in spiritual communities and beyond. Since BLUU’s inception, BLUU has held in-person convenings, organizing campaigns, and monthly worship. BLUU evolved from an informal gathering of Black UUs in 2015 to a thriving 501c3 organization.
BLUU’s current Organizing Collective Board, a working board comprised of both staff and volunteers, is currently reshaping and re-evaluating BLUU’s structure, staff and volunteer roles and responsibilities, and BLUU’s purpose. At the end of this process, BLUU will have an organizational strategy that names its purpose, maps its future, and explains who is leading BLUU’s work and how.
Black Lives of Unitarian Universalism (BLUU) is searching for a part-time, interim, Developmental Board Chair who will add capacity, clarity, and strategy to the Organizing Collective Board during its restructure process. The Developmental Board Chair’s primary focus will be building capacity for the Organizing Collective Board that is complementary to the new goals, programs, and responsibilities that emerge from BLUU’s restructure process.
OCB Recruitment
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Help recruit new members of the OCB with an initial focus on key officer positions.
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Design a process and create accompanying materials for OCB member onboarding and offboarding.
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Work with each OCB member to create distinct portfolios that include their responsibilities and lines of accountability.
Skill Building and Coaching
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Create and implement development plans for OCB members, focusing on skilling OCB members up in their portfolio work and resourcing them to do the work in their portfolio.
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Establish regular one-one-one check-ins with OCB members to discuss ongoing work plans and resource needs.
Meeting Facilitation
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Facilitate all OCB meetings or work with other OCB members to establish a meeting facilitator.
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Create all full-team OCB meeting agendas and collect and distribute supplemental materials.
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Create opportunities (online or in person) for OCB team building and strategic planning.
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Lead processes for mediation and/or restorative justice if necessary to tend to OCB conflict or harm.
Project Management
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Serve as point person for all OCB deadlines.
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Create or delegate project management plans for all OCB projects or ministries, including deadlines for projects and budget.
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Create procedures and documentation as needed for ongoing OCB processes.
Liaison between the OCB and the community
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Convene community conversations and create other ways to gauge community feedback about the ongoing restructure process as needed.
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Serve as BLUU spokesperson when needed.
LIaison between the OCB and the staff
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Facilitating communication with staff who aren’t part of the OCB about OCB needs, requests for collaboration, etc.
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Creating reports as needed about OCB projects, including budget updates.
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Organizational development experience, including work on organizational restructures and related transitions.
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In-depth analysis of race and intersectionality, especially related to the complexities of Black identity.
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Excellent facilitation skills, including experience with and understating of mediation and restorative justice processes.
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Exceptional verbal and written communication skills, including but not limited to writing internal and organizational announcements, acting as a BLUU spokesperson if necessary, and communicating organizational changes to all BLUU stakeholders.
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Emotional intelligence that puts trust, respect, and accountability at the center of organizational change work.
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Administrative and project management skills, including use of the Google Suite, discernment around time management (knowing if a conversation requires a meeting vs. email), and tracking deadlines.
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Experience managing people, including developing work plans and systems of shared accountability.
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If the consultant is not based in Minneapolis, it is important to me that they be available to attend in person BLUU leadership retreats (i.e. the person is willing and able to travel)
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Applicants whose lived experiences (especially as a Black person working toward collective liberation) inform their understanding of organizational change work are strongly encouraged to apply.
COMPENSATION:
While work tasks may vary week-to-week, this position will require an average of 10-15 hours per week. We ask for a two-year commitment, minimum 10 hours/week at $500/week or $50/hour, not to exceed 15 hours/week.
BENEFITS:
This interim position is a contracted position with no benefits.
*Remote employees will be consnidered.
Please submit a resume and cover letter as Word documents or pdfs.