DanceSafe: Outreach Director

Outreach Director

Classification: FT Exempt 40 hours/week (2080/year) 

Location: Remote position based in USA

Salary: $82,000

Report to: Chief Operations Officer

About DanceSafe

Founded in 1998 in San Francisco, CA, DanceSafe emerged from a recognized need within the rave community for better access to drug checking and drug education. Since its inception, DanceSafe has been at the forefront of harm reduction efforts within the electronic music and nightlife communities.

Today, our mission has expanded to promote health, safety, and fulfilling experiences for people who use drugs and their communities. We believe in harm reduction as a pragmatic approach to reducing the risks and enhancing the benefits associated with drug use and other health behaviors, empowering individuals to make informed decisions about their health and well-being. Examples of current programs and services include field outreach, FTIR program, DanceSafe Training Program, WeLoveConsent, and the Harm Reduction Distribution Program.

Central to our work are our values of authenticity, cultivating community, curiosity, collaborative service, and popular education. These values coupled with our principles guide everything we do, from our outreach efforts to our organizational culture. Learn more about our values and principles at dancesafe.org/about-us/.

While DanceSafe has existed for 26+ years, we are very much a developing organization. In recent years, DanceSafe has been undergoing deep and transformative growth focused on establishing critical administrative infrastructure (e.g. budget and financial systems, human resources, etc.), revamping our outreach systems and processes, implementing a brand refresh, and navigating the ever growing demand for our services. In the years to come, we intend to continue investing in the foundational infrastructure of our organization, diversity our revenue streams, and expand the reach and scope of our programs and services.  

Join us at DanceSafe as we continue to drive positive change, advocate for social justice, and create safer and more inclusive spaces for people who use drugs and their communities.

Position Summary

DanceSafe’s Outreach Director serves as a key member of the leadership team alongside the Executive Team and fellow directors, playing a vital role strategically carrying out the organization’s mission and vision.

Reporting directly to the Chief Operating Officer (COO), the Outreach Director provides strategic direction and daily oversight of all outreach initiatives, including digital and on-site operations. Leading the Outreach Team, the Outreach Director steers the development, implementation, and evaluation of chapter development and outreach efforts.

The ideal candidate for this position demonstrates a deep passion for social justice and maintains a steadfast belief in transformative change. They bring extensive experience to the table as a multifaceted leader, showcasing exceptional strategic planning, people management, technological and communications prowess, and operational expertise. In alignment with DanceSafe's organizational values and principles, they excel at fostering a culture of belonging, driving innovation, and ensuring accountability across all levels of the organization.

We are seeking a self-starting individual who excels at staying on top of a vast and ever-changing outreach landscape, and anticipating the needs of team members and volunteers before they arise. With a collaborative leadership style, they engage and inspire their team while navigating the complexities of organizational growth and development. Strong interpersonal skills and a commitment to servant leadership are key attributes of this role.

The Outreach Director position requires a substantial amount of interpersonal interaction, travel, and extraordinary adaptability due to the breadth of responsibilities that may arise over the course of coordinating even a single event. This role is heavily front-facing and ideally suited to someone who thrives on social interaction.

Essential Job Duties and Functions

[25%] Program Strategy & Relationship Building  

• Lead the development of programmatic plans that are aligned with DanceSafe's mission and strategic objectives. Establish clear structures and processes for program implementation and evaluation.
• Drive the growth and sustainability of DanceSafe's nationwide chapter network. Foster a culture of servant leadership among chapter leaders, promoting a "nothing about us without us" ethos that prioritizes the voices and perspectives of volunteers.
• Develop relationships with key stakeholders including event producers, promoters, artists, and venues, as well as related organizations and community partners.
• Support and co-facilitate programs/projects that intersect with the Outreach Programs, including the FTIR Program, the DanceSafe Training Program, all educational & science initiatives, reagent drug checking operations, naloxone distribution project (anticipated), and future programs that involve DanceSafe’s presence on the ground.
• Cultivate a strong sense of community, trust, belonging, and open communication among volunteers. Create opportunities for volunteers to connect, collaborate, grow, and share. Prioritize creating a feeling of personal significance for volunteers by diligently obtaining and implementing feedback.

[25%] Outreach Service Provision

• Build and oversee the teams providing DanceSafe services at events, ensuring adequate staffing, training, communication, and coordination.
• Develop trainings and resources for both logistical and on-site event coordination efforts. Evaluate training outcomes and make ongoing improvements to promote sustainability and service quality.
• Provide on-the-ground support during training initiatives, as well as consistent, reliable digital support for event coordinators.
• Communicate with event producers to negotiate the scope and scale of provided services.
• Collaborate closely with the Outreach Team to keep tabs on and/or oversee issues related to outreach materials, retail products, and outreach financial management.
• Appropriately delegate logistical tasks to supporting team members including the Outreach Associate and any pre-event or on-site Coordinator(s).
• Collaborate with other DanceSafe National team members to enhance accessibility in outreach services, including offering conference scholarships, traveling to host in-person chapter meetups, and expanding the demographic scope of DanceSafe’s patron base.

[20%] Digital Infrastructure Administration

• Develop processes within Airtable to manage volunteers, track engagement, and support autonomous chapter development. Ensure that volunteer data is organized, accessible, and utilized effectively.
• Develop automation systems between different platforms, including Airtable, SignRequest, Square, Discord, and Slack, using Zapier as well as native automation functionalities.
• Oversee the volunteer Discord server and strategize methods for moderation and community engagement. Foster a positive and inclusive online community environment, ensuring that volunteers feel supported, connected, and engaged.
• Ensure up-to-date, comprehensive handbooks, SOPs, guidelines, policies, and other documentation via the Chapter Central Notion site. Regularly review and update documentation to reflect changes in processes, policies, and best practices.
• Actively solicit feedback from volunteers regarding processes, impact, and suggested improvements. Use feedback to make continuous adjustments to digital infrastructure, volunteer management systems, and outreach strategies.
• Create data visualizations to effectively communicate outreach impact to stakeholders, including volunteers, donors, and organizational leadership. Utilize data analytics tools and techniques to analyze outreach data, identify trends, and present findings in visually compelling formats.
• Provide ongoing, regular, comprehensive updates on tasks and activities to fellow National team members and chapter leaders within Slack, as well as the DanceSafe volunteer email list.

[15%] Program Human Resources & Development 

• Oversee and interface with the Outreach Team, Site and Logististics Coordinators, Chapter Leaders, the FTIR Program Coordinator, and FTIR Techs.
• Oversee and manage recruitment, onboarding, training and development, retainment, and evaluation efforts for outreach leadership, chapter leadership, and volunteers.
• Co-create and co-host in-person and online training events to support professional development and community building.
• Track chapter health through quarterly check-in meetings and regular office hours. Use these opportunities to assess chapter needs, address challenges, and provide support to chapter leaders and volunteers, ensuring the ongoing success and sustainability of chapters.
• Update and expand training and organizing guides in collaboration with the Director of Education. Ensure that training materials are comprehensive, up-to-date, and accessible..
• Work alongside the Conduct Team to resolve disputes or challenges that arise with volunteers. Provide guidance, mediation, and support to address conflicts and maintain a positive and respectful working environment within the organization.
• Engage in ongoing education around power dynamics, nonviolent communication, de-escalation, and other strategies to promote DanceSafe’s internal consent culture..

[10%] Program Financial & Operations Administration 

• Lead the development and management of a dynamic budget for all outreach and chapter development efforts. Work closely with relevant stakeholders to forecast expenses, effectively allocate resources, and ensure financial sustainability in alignment with organizational goals and priorities.
• Co-create and co-manage a simple, efficient, and accessible system for DanceSafe chapter financial management, compliance, supply ordering, and inventory management.
• Ensure all financial and impact information from any event serviced or provided by DanceSafe is meticulously tracked, organized, labeled, and reviewed, and propose strategic adjustments as needed.

Additional Responsibilities

[5%]  General Program Communications 

• Field requests for relationship building and outreach expansion in cooperation with chapter leadership.
• Review and facilitate responses to incoming event service requests.
• Directly reach out to events that may be interested in harm reduction services.
• Evaluate the cost and benefit of attending events like conferences to determine appropriateness of fit.

[5%] Public Speaking

• Occasionally engage in public speaking around topics related to outreach and on-site effectiveness.

Qualifications

• Strong strategic planning abilities, including the development and implementation of comprehensive programmatic and outreach strategies to support organizational objectives.
• Deep commitment to fostering a culture of belonging within the organization, with a demonstrated understanding of and dedication to principles of diversity, equity, and inclusion.
• Strong background in advocacy around many intersecting topics that relate to the drug war and interpersonal harm.
• (Preferred) Experience operating and managing within a non-profit organization 
• (Preferred) Personal experience as a DanceSafe volunteer, demonstrating a commitment to the organization's mission and values.
• (Preferred) Experience managing or operating within a chapter-based organization, with an understanding of the dynamics and challenges associated with chapter-based structures.
• (Preferred) Experience working within the nightlife and/or live music industry with an understanding of the unique challenges and opportunities within these sectors.
• (Preferred) Degree in public health, social work, hospitality, psychology, or any other relevant subject.
• (Preferred) Bilingual in Spanish.

Requirements

• 5+ years of experience of demonstrated experience in mid-level leadership positions, preferably in nonprofit or advocacy organizations, with a track record of driving organizational growth and achieving strategic goals.
• 5+ years experience in organizational management such as administration, budgeting, problem solving, etc. Ability to oversee multiple projects and initiatives simultaneously while maintaining attention to detail.
• 3+ years of program planning, implementation, and evaluation including the development of SOPs, trainings, policies, and other relevant documentation
• 3+ years of oversight and management of recruitment, onboarding, training and development, retainment, and evaluation efforts for applicable staff.
• 3+ extensive experience with community organizing, either on a personal or professional level, demonstrating the ability to mobilize and engage diverse communities effectively.
• Background in harm reduction, drug policy, or other relevant fields required, with a preference for on-the-ground work with impacted communities. Advanced knowledge of harm reduction principles and practices is essential.
• Strong technical background and/or strong commitment to learning and understanding new technologies and software (Airtable, Google Suite, Zapier, Square, Relay, Notion, ClickUp).
• Extraversion, exceptional interpersonal and communication skills, and a strong desire to be in regular, ongoing communication with others, including diverse stakeholders, including promoters, artists, community partners, volunteers and staff members.
• Advanced knowledge of critical interpersonal topics such as consent, power dynamics, psychology, crisis support, leadership, and/or other relevant subjects.

Salary and Benefits 

The salary for this position is $82,000. Salary offer is firm in a desire to keep compensation equitable within our organization.

In addition to your regular salary, you will be eligible to receive employment benefits, including the following: 

1. Generous PTO policy with 10 day vacation to start, holidays, wellness days, sick days, and more  
2. 100% employer covered health insurance for employee only 
3. 75% employer covered dental insurance for the employee only
4. HSA, FSA, DCFSA
5. 100% employer covered life insurance for FT employees 
6. Employee Assistance Program
7. Yearly professional development fund
8. Yearly home office fund
9. Monthly remote work fund
10. 401k 3% employer contribution (after 12 months)

Travel Expectations 

Significant travel (up to a total of a 7 days per month on average) should be expected in this role. The Outreach Director will need to periodically travel to coordinate events in person, support community building efforts with local volunteers & chapters, and attend conferences and team gatherings.

Job Accommodations & Specifications 

General

• High emotional labor capacity needed to navigate varied interpersonal relationships and demands such as frequent social engagement, sensitive relationships, and conflict resolution. 

Off Outreach 

• Keyboarding up to 8 hours a day when you're at the computer
• Up to 5+ hours of remote meetings per day
   

On Outreach

• Camping and/or working in a variety of weather conditions including freezing and hot temperatures, (sometimes both within a single event), rain, wind, dust, etc.
• Standing, sitting, and walking for long periods of time
• Lifting/carrying heavy objects (up to 75 lbs) such as camping equipment, boxes of literature, etc. 
• Frequent travel which will total up of 7 days out of the month on average. Travel will include flying and driving for potentially long hours for both coast to coast domestic (more frequent) and international travel (less frequent, travel documents available or ability to receive required documents).

DanceSafe is an equal opportunity employer. DanceSafe does not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, place of birth, age, marital status, or ability.
 

Applicants who are queer, trans, non-binary, Black, Indigenous, people of color, disabled, parents, non-monogamous, immigrants, and anyone else who has experienced systemic oppression and/or gender-based violence are encouraged to apply.

Our Commitment to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging

Nonprofit HR is committed to fostering and maintaining a work environment where diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) are fully integrated into everything we do for the benefit of our employees and the clients that we serve. To fully realize our goal, we prioritize our understanding of the complexities of DEI within our workforce to inform our approach to talent management. We believe that this guides how we do our work, advise our clients to operationalize DEI and position our content and educational opportunities help strengthen the talent management capacity of the social impact sector.

Continue reading our about our commitment at nonprofithr.com/deinow.