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Vice President of Programs

Millions are being harmed by serious social media-related dangers. The statistics, particularly regarding our children, are concerning:

  • Cyberbullying:  About 34% of students report experiencing cyberbullying.
  • Suicide: Teens using social media more than 5 hours daily are about 70% more likely to have suicidal thoughts or actions than those who reported one hour of daily use. 
  • Sexual Harassment: About 53% of young women ages 18 to 29 say that someone has sent them explicit images they did not ask for.
  • Animal Abuse: Last year, the Social Media Animal Cruelty Coalition documented 5,480 links to videos containing animal cruelty content on YouTube, Facebook, and TikTok.
  • Hate speech: About 64% of U.S. teens have encountered hate speech on social media.
  • Substance Abuse: Teens that use social media regularly are five times as likely to smoke cigarettes, three times as likely to abuse alcohol, and twice as likely to use marijuana.
  • Predation: Many child sex crimes originate from social media sites where predators gain knowledge of their victims’ likes and habits.

The Organization for Social Media Safety (socialmediasafety.org) is the first and leading consumer protection organization focused exclusively on social media.  Through education, advocacy, and technology development, we protect the public against current and emerging social media-related dangers including cyberbullying, human trafficking, suicide, eating disorders, substance abuse, and misinformation.  We teach essential social media skills to students, parents, and educators at K-12 schools across the United States, currently reaching up to 1.2 million students a year through our existing partnerships.  We develop and help pass innovative legislation at all levels of government, including laws we have passed to combat social media-related sexual exploitation, democracy interference, and social media-motivated violence.  We are at the forefront in helping develop and raise awareness of cutting-edge safety technology.  And we conduct groundbreaking social media safety research with major international partners like UCLA.  Help lead a rapidly growing nonprofit and help protect millions of families across the world from the many dangers of social media.

The Organization for Social Media Safety was recognized as a California Nonprofit of the Year in 2022 by the California Association of Nonprofits.

Vice President of Programs Role

Reporting to the CEO, the Vice President of Programs (VP) will have overall strategic and operational responsibility for most programmatic work, including the education and technology programmatic departments. (The strategic and operational responsibility for the advocacy programmatic department will be shared with the CEO.)  This position will be a part of the Executive Leadership Team that represents the Organization for Social Media Safety (OFSMS) on a national and international basis and drives the overall strategy to ensure mission alignment, sustainability, and maximum social media safety impact.

SALARY: At OFSMS, we believe in salary transparency. The salary range for this position is $170,000-$200,000, based on years of experience.

LOCATION: OFSMS is based in Los Angeles, CA, and uses a virtual office.  This position will work remotely from anywhere in the continental United States. Infrequent travel, domestic and international, may be required each year.

EMPLOYMENT TYPE: Full-time, exempt.

Responsibilities:

With the assistance of OFSMS staff and resources, the VP will initially develop/refine world-class-level subject matter knowledge in social media safety.

Program Design

  • Develop, in collaboration with the Executive Leadership Team, OFSMS’ overall programmatic strategy strictly ensuring mission alignment, maximum impact, and sustainability.
  • Conduct ongoing, evidenced-based program design and refinement, including for OFSMS’:
    • social media safety curriculum for K-12
    • school reviews and consumer education on social media platforms and safety software
    • social media safety research
    • foster youth social media safety program
    • social media safety consulting services for schools and families
  • Refine and develop new program evaluation strategies and processes to ensure maximum impact.
  • Ensure the incorporation of diversity, equity, and inclusion principles and best practices into all OFSMS programming

Program Execution/Management:

  • Oversee all current social media safety programming ensuring ongoing excellence of execution.
  • Launch and oversee new programs in accordance with OFSMS’ programmatic strategy.
  • Oversee program evaluation and provide regular reporting on programmatic impact, and related metrics, to the Executive Leadership Team.

Budgeting:

  • Develop, in collaboration with the CEO, an annual budget for the Programs Division.
  • Prepare regular budget reports to CEO related to the Program Division’s activities, including expenditures and revenue generation.
  • Monitor, analyze, and recommend budgetary changes as necessary.

Management:

  • Recruit, hire, train, and manage programmatic paid and volunteer staff in accordance with the budget and staffing needs.
  • Ensure and contribute to a positive, collegial, inclusive work environment for all OFSMS staff.

External Relationships:

  • Manage relationships with partner organizations, including research and educational partnerships with UCLA and D.A.R.E.: International.
  • Cultivate and develop, in collaboration with the Executive Leadership Team, new external partnerships in accordance with OFSMS’ programmatic strategy.

Knowledge Management:

  • Develop and refine existing processes and tools to support the collection, organizing, and sharing of social media safety knowledge that is generated by OFSMS programs.
  • Leverage key learnings and outcomes, including positive policy, advocacy, and legislative results, for maximum programmatic impact.
  • Work collaboratively with the Executive Leadership Team to integrate cross-program activities and functions.

Communications/Marketing:

  • Attend and participate in local, regional, and international conferences concerning social media safety issues.
  • Help prepare the CEO for press interviews and conduct press interviews when the CEO is unavailable.
  • Contribute content for social media safety public awareness campaigns, including regular social media posts and email newsletters.
  • Refine and oversee the marketing of all social media safety services, including OFSMS’ K-12 school-based services.

Qualifications

The VP of Programs will be passionate about OFSMS’ mission of making social media safe for everyone.

Experience:

  • Advanced degree in education or psychology
  • Experience in any of the above types of duties:
    • Number of years of direct experience is not as important as a demonstrated record of extraordinary achievement, including a record of effectively having developed and operationalized strategies that have taken a program or organization to the next stage of growth and/or impact.
    • As this position requires a variety of skills, the successful candidate does not need any specific type of work history. For example, the successful candidate could have past experience as a school principal, superintendent, educator, psychologist, therapist, technologist, nonprofit executive, etc.
  • Knowledge of or experience in curriculum design is preferred but not required.
  • Knowledge of or experience in the social media or technology industry is a plus but not required.
  • Knowledge of or experience in programmatic design and evaluation is a plus but not required.
  • Experience as a key spokesperson a plus but not required.

Skills/Qualities:

  • Highly creative and entrepreneurial individual who is a strategic thinker and able to apply evidence-based business principles to OFSMS programming ensuring maximum impact and financial sustainability.
  • Exceptional written and verbal communication skills with the ability to engage and inspire.
  • Solid judgment and strong leadership skills
  • Flexible and willing to take on different roles and tasks to grow the organization and undertake the mission.
  • Highest standards of professional and ethical conduct, integrity, and accountability.
  • Kind.

Why Apply?

Contribute to groundbreaking work on one of the defining issues of our times with the potential to impact billions of lives. Have the ability, as OFSMS’ first VP of Programs, to devise foundational strategy and processes, help foster a positive organizational culture, and create programs that will potentially impact billions. Work in a highly supportive, collegial workplace that values your contribution and understands the importance of work/life balance. We are proud to offer a comprehensive benefits package including paid time off, medical, dental, vision, life insurance, disability insurance, and a 401(k) plan.

OFSMS is committed to fostering a fair, diverse, inclusive, and equal work environment. We believe that justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion (JEDI) are essential to accomplishing our mission and maximizing our impact. OFSMS is an equal-opportunity employer.

To Apply

All applications are held in strict confidence. Please submit a resume to: jobs@ofsms.org. (During the hiring process, we may also ask for a letter of interest, writing sample, and references.) Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. Earlier applicants may receive priority consideration. We will not be able to respond to inquiries concerning this position.