Program Specialist - Leadership Development

NATIVE GOVERNANCE CENTER POSITION DESCRIPTION

JOB TITLE: Program Specialist 

POSITION SUMMARY: The Program Specialist plays a vital role in supporting our leadership development and tribal governance support programs. The Program Specialist is responsible for the day-to-day execution, administration, and continuous improvement of program delivery. This role combines advanced project coordination, and stakeholder engagement to ensure all initiatives align with organizational goals. The Specialist serves as a primary operational point of contact for our core programs and initiatives, and manages complex event logistics (both virtual and in-person). Must be able to travel up to 30% of the time and have access to high-speed internet.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES: None

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS:

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals to perform the essential functions. The following list is not designed to comprise a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that may be required for this job. Duties, responsibilities and activities may change at any time with or without notice.

• Main support is of the Native Nation Rebuilder program and also provides support to other programming initiatives as needed.


• Leads program delivery by drafting and compiling essential materials, tracking timelines, and maintaining clear communication channels between all program initiative stakeholders.


• In partnership with the Program Manager, leads content delivery and provides support during program events, including providing technical support, public speaking, and group facilitation. 


• Participates in setting and meeting individual, team, and organizational goals.


• Assist in the development of high-impact, accessible resources that promote Tribal sovereignty, being a good relative to Indian Country,  and nation rebuilding.


• Leads the coordination for both virtual and in-person events. This includes managing venue and vendor relationships, handling registration, arranging travel, managing tech setups, and procuring supplies.


• Provides program administration, including database updates and document management.


• Other duties as assigned or required to meet program and organizational needs.
  

QUALIFICATIONS:

Skills and Abilities:

• Excitement for the mission of NGC and desire to work according to its stated values of honoring sovereignty, practicing humility, being a good relative, centering Indigeneity, and embracing fun.


• Strong background in public speaking and group facilitation across multiple sectors. 

• Ability, initiative, and motivation to work productively in a home office and communicate clearly and often with remote team members through email, phone, and video calls. Access to high-speed internet is required.


• Ability to organize workflow by priorities and quickly adjust workflow for change, delays, or unexpected events.


• A proactive approach to problem-solving with strong critical thinking skills.


• Excellent time management, prioritization, and organizational skills.


• Ability to coordinate events, both in-person and virtual, involving multiple logistical components.


• Excellent written and verbal communication skills with an ability to interact with diverse groups of people.


• Assist in implementation of program evaluation tools to ensure continuous quality improvement of programming.
  

Education, training, and experience:

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent combination of education, training, and experience.


• Demonstrable experience in a support position or ability to show transferable skills.


• Advanced Google Suite skills, with an ability to become familiar with organization-specific programs and software.


• Experience working in or in relationship with Indigenous communities

Preferred:

• Experience working in or in relationship with Indigenous communities from the 27 Native nations that share geography with Mni Sota Makoce (Minnesota), North Dakota, South Dakota, and Nebraska.


• Experience working with elected leaders, governments, and documents


• Resides within our service region - Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Nebraska


• Event logistics experience


• Experience working with CRM (custom relation management) platforms.


• Experience working with a project management platform such as Monday


• 5 + years of public speaking and/or facilitation experience

Typical physical requirements:

Essential tasks for this position are typically performed on a computer, with some travel and transporting of supplies.

• Repetitive motion of hands, fingers, wrists for 4 to 8 hours per day.


• Computer screen use for up to 8 hours per day.


• Communicating with others to exchange information.


• Travel up to 30% of the time.


• Lift up to 25 lbs when transporting supplies to/from events or shipping materials.
  

CLASSIFICATION: Exempt