[Hiring] Texas Rising Director @Texas Freedom Network

Role Description

The Texas Rising Director leads TFN’s flagship youth power-building program, Texas Rising, advancing a statewide strategy that develops young leaders and builds a durable, diverse base aligned with TFN’s three core pillars:

• Public Education & Teaching the Truth
• Religious Freedom & Countering Christian Nationalism
• Fighting for Democracy & Building Civic Engagement

This role is responsible for ensuring Texas Rising serves as a primary pipeline for youth leadership, base expansion, and long-term movement infrastructure across Texas—including intentional growth across HBCUs, rural campuses, and historically underrepresented communities.

Reports to: Chief Program Officer

Primary job responsibilities for this position center on the following:

• Leadership, Vision, & Strategy
  • Set and drive a clear, multi-year strategic vision for Texas Rising that aligns with TFN’s three pillars and organizational win conditions.
  • Translate TFN’s strategic plan into a youth-centered power-building strategy.
  • Ensure all Texas Rising programming advances at least one of TFN’s anchor issue areas and/or power building domains.
  • Identify opportunities where youth organizing can shift narrative, policy, and civic participation across Texas.
• Program Design & Power Building
  • Design and implement integrated organizing programs that engage young people (18–30) in:
    • Civic engagement and electoral participation.
    • Issue advocacy aligned with TFN’s pillars.
    • Leadership development and long-term movement participation.
  • Build scalable organizing models that connect campus-based work to statewide advocacy campaigns.
  • Ensure programs explicitly address threats to public education, religious freedom, and democracy in Texas.
  • Develop leadership pipelines that move participants from engagement → leadership → advocacy.
• Base Expansion & Diversification
  • Lead intentional strategies to diversify and expand Texas Rising’s youth base, with a focus on:
    • HBCUs and Minority-Serving Institutions.
    • Rural campuses and communities.
    • First-generation college students and young people not currently engaged in civic life.
  • Develop tailored organizing approaches that reflect the unique political, cultural, and geographic contexts of the communities listed above.
  • Build sustained campus and community presence including, and beyond, traditional urban strongholds.
  • Establish partnerships with institutions and leaders serving these populations.
• Staff & Team Management
  • Provide supervision, coaching, and performance management for direct reports, ensuring alignment with strategic priorities.
  • Build a high-performing team with skills in organizing, leadership development, and issue advocacy.
  • Foster a culture of accountability, learning, and adaptability.
• Metrics, Data, & Impact
  • Establish and oversee clear metrics that track both program outputs and power-building outcomes.
  • Measure growth in base size, leadership pipeline, and engagement across priority communities (including HBCUs and rural campuses).
  • Track programmatic impact across TFN’s three pillars (e.g., issue engagement, voter participation, narrative shift).
  • Use data to continuously refine organizing strategy.
• Cross-Organizational Integration
  • Lead cross-functional collaboration to ensure Texas Rising is fully integrated into TFN’s broader strategy.
  • Align with Communications team to amplify youth narratives tied to TFN’s strategic agenda.
  • Partner with Political/Organizing teams on electoral and advocacy strategies.
  • Coordinate with Development team to articulate impact and support fundraising efforts.
  • Ensure organization-wide alignment and understanding of Texas Rising’s strategic role in TFN’s power-building model.
• Coalition & External Leadership
  • Represent TFN and Texas Rising in key coalition spaces ensuring youth perspectives shape broader movement strategy.
  • Build and maintain relationships with youth leaders, partner organizations, and institutional stakeholders.
  • Position Texas Rising as a leading force in youth civic power-building in Texas.
  • Identify opportunities to influence statewide strategy through youth organizing infrastructure.
  • Elevate youth voices in public forums, media, and policy conversations.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience in organizing, civic engagement, or related fields.
• Demonstrated experience in youth organizing, preferably in Texas, with understanding of the state’s political and cultural landscape.
• Proven ability to build and sustain organizing chapters or base-building programs (campus and/or community-based).
• Experience designing and implementing civic engagement, advocacy, or electoral programs.
• Track record of expanding engagement among diverse youth populations, including HBCUs, Minority-Serving Institutions, rural campuses, or other underrepresented communities.
• Strong team management and leadership skills, including supervision, coaching, and accountability.
• Ability to translate strategy into clear goals, metrics, and execution plans.
• Experience working in coalitions and cross-organizational partnerships.
• Demonstrated ability to work and effectively communicate cross-departmentally within an organization.
• Strong communication skills, including public speaking and stakeholder engagement.
• Demonstrated commitment to equity, inclusion, and youth leadership development.
• Alignment with TFN’s mission and core pillars: public education, religious freedom, and democracy.

Preferred

• Experience leading statewide or multi-site organizing programs.
• Deep familiarity with Texas youth organizing and movement landscape.
• Experience building leadership development pipelines for young people.
• Experience integrating organizing with communications, digital, or narrative strategies.
• Background in policy advocacy or electoral strategy in Texas.

Benefits

• Salary: $75,000 - $90,000 (depending on experience).
• 100% employer paid medical/dental/vision insurance.
• 401(k) savings plan with employer contribution.
• Paid vacation, personal, sick, and parental leave.

Company Description

Texas Freedom Network is an equal-opportunity employer and encourages people of color, ethnic minorities, women, and individuals from the LGBTQ+ community to apply.