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Senior Director, Leadership Development (Internal Role)
Sandy Hook Promise
On-site
Senior Director, Leadership Development
We will only consider internal applications at this time.
About Sandy Hook Promise
Sandy Hook Promise (SHP) envisions a future where all children are free from school shootings and other acts of violence. As a national nonprofit organization, SHP’s mission is to educate and empower youth and adults to prevent violence in schools, homes, and communities. Creators of the lifesaving, evidence-informed Know the Signs prevention programs, SHP teaches the warning signs of someone who may be in crisis, socially isolated, or at-risk of hurting themselves or others and how to get help. SHP also advances school safety, youth mental health, and responsible gun ownership at the state and federal levels through nonpartisan policy and partnerships.
SHP is led by several family members whose loved ones were killed in the tragic mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School on December 14, 2012.
Commitment to Belonging, Community, Engagement, and Respect
SHP strives to ensure its culture and work environment reflect the values of belonging, community, engagement and respect. We actively seek to understand and respond to the diverse perspectives and lived experiences of individuals across socioeconomic backgrounds, rural and urban communities, and diversity of thought, in addition to traditional protected categories. We are committed to ensuring that every SHP employee feels heard, valued, and a true sense of belonging. SHP encourages individuals who share our commitment to these core values and to our mission to apply.
Location
We are a U.S. based organization and most of our staff work remotely. This role will require some travel on an as needed basis (20-30%).
About the Role
*We will only consider internal applications at this time.*
The Senior Director, Youth Leadership Development is responsible for establishing and implementing SHP’s approach for youth and teen leadership to include national and regional board engagement, and strategies for effective youth leadership. The role will establish a youth-centered leadership development strategy that builds knowledge, skills, and attitudes for leading and advocating for violence prevention change initiatives.
Job Responsibilities Include (but are not limited to):Youth and Teen Leadership Strategy
- Develop a national strategy that aligns developmental ages and stages of youth and teen development with leadership concepts and skill-building to inform learning design & development, including Participatory Action Research as a focus area.
- In partnership with the Innovation, Research, Evaluation, and Quality Improvement Team, establish a measurement strategy to evaluate the effectiveness and impact of youth and teen leadership opportunities.
- Continuously evaluate youth leadership outcomes and make data-driven decisions to enhance program effectiveness and impact.
- Play a key role as an innovator and thought leader, amplifying youth voice through diverse communication mechanisms and interactive strategies.
- Integrate the youth leadership strategy into SHP’s unified program, ensuring that the role of youth leaders, by ages and stages of development, is clearly identified by defining dosage and specific implementation guidance is provided to ensure high-quality and developmentally appropriate leadership experiences. Ensure youth leadership implementation fidelity by providing the right support for the Partner Success and Implementation Teams.
- Prepare reports and presentations for senior leadership, executive leadership and funders to demonstrate youth leadership program outcomes and impact.
- In partnership with the Innovation, Research, Evaluation, and Quality Improvement Team, establish processes for co-development with youth and the operations to review, revise, and incorporate into Learning Architecture.
- In partnership with the Implementation Team, establish scalable models for youth leadership development training.
- Oversee SHP’s Youth and Teen Boards ensuring culturally responsive leadership opportunities on the local and national level.
- Operationalize the leadership strategy through the management of youth and teen boards, establishing a committee structure that supports the goals of youth leadership development.
- Provide all local, regional, and national Youth and Teen Board Members with Communication training to increase their ability to advocate for youth violence prevention with decision-makers and influencers.
- In partnership with the Innovation, Research, Evaluation, and Quality Improvement Team, establish a coordinated youth and teen generated content and feedback loop strategy and processes for integrating content into SHP’s Unified Program and supporting implementation supports.
- Oversee, guide the direction, and support the management of operations for all Youth and Teen Convenings.
- Establish in-person, virtual, and hybrid youth leadership development certifications to advance knowledge and skill building in critical thinking, complex, problem solving, creativity, negotiation and communication, adaptability, and decision-making.
- Develop and operationalize an approach for digital youth leadership engagement, leveraging technology to create connections across youth and teen leaders to ensure equitable access to high quality leadership experiences.
- Collaborate with external national and regional youth leadership organizations to develop mutually beneficial relationships that sustain and grow SHP’s youth leadership programs.
- Builds the foundation of a team, providing ongoing coaching and professional development to elevate youth and teen leadership development as a national strategy for SHP.
- At least 7 years of professional experience, including a minimum of 3 years in a director-level role with staff supervision responsibilities.
- A minimum of 5 years of experience working in a nonprofit or youth leadership development organization.
- Strong understanding of implementation science and proven experience designing scalable, nationwide program models.
- Demonstrated success in developing, evaluating, and bringing to life innovative youth leadership programs that make a measurable impact.
- Experience using Participatory Action Research (PAR) to create authentic youth-led structures and initiatives.
- In-depth knowledge of youth violence prevention and creative approaches to engaging and mobilizing youth and teens.
- Excellent project management skills, with a track record of leading complex initiatives that drive results and support program growth.
- A commitment to SHP's vision and values.
- Performs other duties as required.
The salary range for this position is $110,000-$120,000.
(SHP follows a strict internal rubric to help guide salary placement and ensure equitable pay amongst new hires and current staff. New hires should expect to be brought on at the start of the range, except in extenuating circumstances.)
- SHP offers a competitive benefits package, including:
- Unlimited PTO
- Flexible schedules
- Paid holidays and 10 days sick leave
- Paid parental leave
- Health, dental, and vision
- Employer paid life insurance and short- and long-term disability
- 401k match
- Professional development stipend
- Wellness & mental health support
- Employer Paid Employee Assistance Program.
Additional Instructions
- SHP Staff and Volunteers will have until Monday, July 7,2025 to submit their application. Please be sure to email TA + HR to flag your application.
SHP is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We strive to be an employer of choice: where a diverse mix of talented people want to come and do their best work. SHP does not make employment related decisions based on race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, or veteran status, or any other protected characteristic. We are focused on promoting multiculturalism and inclusion so that all SHP employees feel valued and respected. We believe deeply that a diverse workforce comprised of people of all beliefs, backgrounds, and life experiences who seek to prevent gun violence and stop the tragic loss of life will make SHP a stronger, more effective organization.