Job Title: Managing Director, Community Engagement
Team: Community Engagement
Location: New York City (in-office, 5 days/week)
Employment Type: Full-Time
FLSA Classification: Exempt
Start Date: ASAP

ABOUT REFORM ALLIANCE
REFORM, founded in the wake of the #FreeMeek movement, is committed to transforming probation and parole throughout the United States by changing laws, systems, and culture. The organization is working to replace America’s criminal justice system with a restorative approach that is fair, accountable, and invested in rehabilitation. Our goal is for people to reenter society with dignity, create meaningful pathways to work, and equip them with the tools to succeed all while making families and communities safer and stronger. REFORM Alliance operates as both a 501(c)(3) and 501(c)(4) organization, allowing us to drive meaningful criminal justice reform through a combination of charitable initiatives and advocacy efforts.

ABOUT THE ROLE
REFORM is hiring a Managing Director, Community Engagement who will serve as the operational and cross-functional leader of the Community Engagement Department. This role is internal-facing and will manage the people, processes, and systems that power REFORM’s engagement, organizing, and membership efforts across the country.

Reporting to the Vice President, Community Engagement, the Managing Director will oversee internal operations, project management systems, staff development, departmental planning, and cross-functional coordination. They will drive execution of strategy by ensuring deadlines are met, performance is tracked, resources are aligned, and the team is highly organized and supported.

This person will be responsible for managing programs, staff, including providing direct oversight of the Reform Advocacy Institute, Community Partnerships, and the Resource Center.  This person will also be supporting leadership development and strategic goal setting. The ideal candidate has more than 5 years of experience managing large teams and 5+ years of project management, with a reputation for flawless execution, attention to detail, and outstanding team leadership.

This role is on the Community Engagement team and reports directly to the Vice President, Community Engagement.

WHAT YOU’LL DO 

Team Management, Training & Leadership Development (30%)

• Directly manage directors and senior team members, providing high-touch coaching, oversight, and accountability across multiple workstreams.
• Lead the design and execution of staff work plans, performance evaluations, and professional development plans.
• Coordinate and facilitate quarterly department retreats, team trainings, and skill-building opportunities.
• Oversee and strengthen leadership development pipelines for department staff and managers.
• Lead weekly department-wide meetings and supervise a shared departmental calendar to ensure planning, deadlines, and deliverables remain on track.

Department Operations, Budgets & Project Management (30%)

• Oversee all day-to-day operations of the department, ensuring strong workflows, internal communications, and resource alignment.
• Manage the departmental budget, including forecasting, tracking, and reporting.
• Develop and implement project management systems to ensure that all initiatives, events, and campaigns are completed on time, on budget, and with excellence.
• Monitor KPIs, generate regular performance reports, and ensure tools and tech platforms are optimized for team collaboration and accountability.
• Ensure an organized, efficient, and responsive internal operation where attention to detail drives every outcome.

Strategic Planning & Cross-Departmental Coordination (25%)

• Collaborate with the VP to develop and monitor strategic goals for the department that align with REFORM’s organizational mission.
• Support department-wide goal setting and long-range planning in collaboration with Policy, Marketing and Communications, and Operations teams.
• Serve as a cross-functional coordinator, ensuring shared understanding and sequencing across internal teams.

• Identify internal barriers and offer creative solutions to maximize impact, clarity, and alignment.

Community Partnerships & Member Engagement (5%)

• Provide light-touch support to directors on high-level partnership and coalition work.
• Oversee the internal planning and execution of community-facing events, ensuring operational excellence and policy alignment. 

Other Duties as Assigned (10%)
 

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS 

• Bachelor’s degree required in public administration, nonprofit management, political science, business, or a related field. Equivalent experience may be considered.
• Minimum of 5 years professional project management experience, including oversight of major organizational or campaign initiatives.
• Minimum of 5  years managing large, multi-layered teams, including coaching managers and developing staff pipelines.
• Demonstrated success leading organizational operations, team coordination, and cross-functional execution.
• Exceptional organizational skills and extreme attention to detail, with the ability to build and manage systems that ensure accountability.
• Strong budget management and planning experience.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS 

• Master’s degree in a related field is a plus.
• Familiarity with justice reform, second-chance employment, or reentry ecosystems.
• Experience facilitating staff development, goal setting, and strategic planning.
• Comfort with project and operations tools (e.g., Airtable, Asana, Smartsheet, CRMs, Slack).
• Lived experience with or deep ties to communities impacted by incarceration or supervision.
• Fluency in Spanish or other languages spoken within REFORM's constituencies is highly valued.
• Commitment to values of equity, transparency, collaboration, and inclusion.
• Passion for REFORM’s mission to build pathways to work and well-being through systemic change.
• Clear passion for and commitment to REFORM’s mission.
• 10+ years professional project management experience, including oversight of major organizational or campaign initiatives.

Please know that no one ever meets 100% of the preferred qualifications. If much of this describes you, we encourage you to apply.

WORK DEMANDS

• Work Location: This position is based in New York City, with an in-office presence required five days per week.
• Travel: 10–25% national travel for strategy meetings, events, and convenings across priority states.
• Non-Traditional Hours: Some evening or weekend work may be required during peak campaigns or rapid response moments.
• Physical Requirements: May occasionally be responsible for transporting light materials (under 20 lbs) for team meetings or public events.

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS

• Authorized to work in the U.S.
• REFORM doesn’t offer employment visa sponsorship
• Live within commuting distance of New York City (midtown) and ability to work in-person five (5) days per week

APPLICATION & INTERVIEW PROCESS
While the interview process may vary slightly, the general process will be:

• Phone Screen with Talent Acquisition Team Member
• Virtual Interview with Hiring Manager
• In-Person Interview with Panel
• Virtual Finalist Interview with CEO

​​​​​​​COMPENSATION & BENEFITS
The salary for this position, which depends on prior work experience and our assessment of your demonstrated fit for the role, will likely be ~$210,000 annually. REFORM offers competitive base salaries based on the 75th percentile of the market among not-for-profit organizations of similar size, with opportunities for salary growth over time. We believe in compensating staff members fairly in relation to each other, their qualifications, and their impact on behalf of the organization, and take internal and external equity seriously.

Our current benefits include:

• Competitive salaries in the market of similar non-profit organizations
• Comprehensive benefits, including medical, dental, vision, life, disability, and other ancillary options.
• 20 days of Paid Time Off (PTO) during the first year of employment in addition to org-wide holidays (11), and winter shutdown during the last week of December
• 4% 401(k) match after 30 days of employment 
• Coverage of 100% of health insurance premiums for employees (health, vision & dental)
• $75.00 monthly cell phone reimbursement

*Please note that the organization reserves the right to change benefits at any time. 

At REFORM Alliance, we strive to move hearts and minds to create a more humane criminal justice system. This requires a company culture that values employee individuality and community development. We are committed to fostering an environment that is inclusive, empowering, and globally minded. We firmly believe that diversity in gender, race, ethnicity, sexual identity, cultural background, religion, disability, and age produces ideas and perspectives that make our efforts stronger for people unjustly in the system and make our communities safer.