SEIU (Service Employees International Union)

JOB TITLE: Deputy Director, Strategic Initiatives (Capital Stewardship)

GRADE: MGT G

SALARY: $141,691

LOCATION: Washington, D.C. (Headquarters)

ORGANIZATIONAL OVERVIEW: We are the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), a union of about 2 million diverse members in healthcare, the public sector, and property services. We believe in and fight for our Vision for a Just Society: where all workers are valued and all people respected, no matter where we come from or what color we are; where all families and communities can thrive; and where we leave a better and more equitable world for generations to come. We are an anti-racist union determined to check corporate power and uproot structural racism through unions, worker power, collective action, and government, legislative, and political action. We fight for Unions for All and a Government that Works for All so that all of us, across race and place, can have power together in unions and participate fully in our democracy.

Purpose: The Deputy Director of the Strategic Initiatives Department leads the Capital Stewardship Program (CSP) and manages assigned staff. SEIU Capital Stewardship work focuses on ensuring that members’ retirement funds are invested in their best interests. The program encompasses engagement on public company shareholder initiatives, private investor initiatives, and other broader capital market initiatives. These initiatives are designed to protect the interests of SEIU members’ pension funds, and to promote SEIU’s Corporate Social Responsibility principles. The Capital Stewardship program also engages in member and trustee education and sophisticated financial and corporate governance critiques and analyses to provide perspectives on fiduciary risks to investors.

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES: Any one position may not include all of the specific duties and responsibilities listed. Examples provide a general summary of the work required and should not be treated as a total and complete list of expected duties to be performed by employees in the classification.

• Campaign Development and Leadership Development
• Coordinate short and long-term planning, implementation, and evaluation of campaigns in capital stewardship. Work closely with the team on the development and execution of the union program as defined by the International Executive Board.
• Assist in the development and implementation of major strategic organizing, bargaining, issue initiatives, and campaigns with the union and coordinate support for such projects in concert with other international departments and local union leaders and staff.
• Analyze and track investment portfolios of public pension funds to assess fiduciary risks and other considerations.
• Work with International and Local officers, staff, divisions and departments, with SEIU State Councils and with fund trustees to protect the interests of SEIU members’ pension funds, and to promote SEIU’s Corporate Social Responsibility principles.
• Build relationships and work with investment consultants, investment managers, analysts, and other capital market players necessary to accomplish the purposes of the Capital Stewardship Program.
• Work with capital stewardship staff in other unions and outside organizations to promote effective capital stewardship. Represent the Capital Stewardship Program at meetings and conferences.
• Organize and run workshops, conferences, training and education programs, and other meetings for the Program with a particular emphasis on Trustee Leadership Development.
• Facilitate the formation of strategies that link the fight for racial equity in the capital markets with the fight for racial and economic justice.
• Manage, direct, and lead capital stewardship staff.
• Participate in the administration of the Strategic Initiatives Department, including planning, budgeting, hiring, resource and project management. Conduct administrative tasks, including preliminary determination on staff leave/expense matters.
• Manage all SI staff assigned to capital stewardship (either directly or via their managers).
• Through own modeling and development of shared team practices, help create a culture of constructive accountability within the team.
• Lead comprehensive planning and assessment of overall program work across the organization, needs, and priorities both internally and externally.
• Manage the work plans and responsibilities of the Capital Stewardship staff.
• Support an organizational culture that attracts, sustains, and motivates a diverse staff of top-quality people devoted to the mission.
• Oversee planning and execution of staff-wide initiatives, meetings, and staff development. Oversee and manage the day-to-day operational functions of the program and staff operations of the program.
• Partner with the SI department leadership to embed the team values into work and contribute to the evolution of cultural changes across the team.
• Help to build a relational, transparent culture of excellence, including creating learning opportunities for all staff and timely, regular internal communications.

Contacts: Includes SEIU staff, affiliate staff, local union officials, and International union officers.

Direction and Decision Making: This position is supervised by the Director of Strategic Initiatives.

Experience and Skills:

• At least 8–9 years of demonstrated expertise in economics, business, finance, or a related field, gained through a combination of formal training and substantial professional experience in pension fund investments and administration, corporate governance, capital stewardship, and related labor-advocacy work.
• Advanced knowledge of pension fund investment and fiduciary issues.
• Advanced knowledge of finance, economic development and investment issues.
• Advanced knowledge of labor and public interest issues; Strong campaign experience and management, leadership, interpersonal, analytical, writing and communication skills.
• At least five years experience with labor, public interest organizations, finance, investment management, capital stewardship or related labor-advocacy work.
• Skill in the use of a personal computer, including Google Suite and Microsoft Office Suite.

Physical Requirements: Work is generally performed in an office setting. Extended hours and extensive travel required.