BASTA Deputy Director

About BASTA  

BASTA (Building and Strengthening Tenant Action) is a project housed in Texas RioGrande Legal Aid (TRLA) dedicated to helping Austin renters work alongside their neighbors to improve conditions in their homes and communities. In response to longstanding community frustration over substandard housing and landlord impunity, BASTA engages underrepresented tenants through outreach and education into a housing justice movement that seeks to dismantle the systems that prevent tenants from living in dignified and healthy homes.  

BASTA works to build tenant power by supporting organized groups of renters -tenants associations- and by educating the larger renter community about evictions and other tenant issues. Our tenants association work supports tenants organizations at multifamily properties throughout Austin to advance campaigns to win dignity, respect, better living conditions, and community benefits. Our community education work includes interactive presentations, the development of digital and print materials, and connecting individual tenants facing eviction to resource and rights information. BASTA envisions a future where the collective action of Austin renters has brought healthy and affordable housing to all. 

Position Description

We are seeking a dynamic and experienced candidate to be our Deputy Director. This person will play a key leadership role in advancing our project’s mission. Reporting to BASTA’s Project Director, this position will be responsible for ensuring that our organizational infrastructure is designed to effectively support our current work as well as our future growth. 

Our ideal candidate is passionate about the critical role that movement-building plays in transforming our housing landscape; cares deeply about nurturing people and a team; is comfortable navigating the unknown and wrestling with uncertainty; and is a ‘systems thinker’ who understands that effective and streamlined processes are crucial to healthy organizations. We are looking for someone who has prior organizational management experience, is looking for a new challenge, and is excited to delve into who we are as a project, the work we do on a daily basis, where we want to go in the future, and what we need to get there.

This is an exciting moment of growth for BASTA as we build out our leadership team and the Deputy Director will be a key player in charting future organizational growth. 

Key Responsibilities:

• Work in close collaboration with the Project Director to provide strategic leadership and direction to the project and future organization.

  • Develop a fluent understanding of BASTA, its components, the team (currently the BASTA project is a team of fourteen, which will likely expand to eighteen by the end of year), their functions and needs, including first-hand familiarity with BASTA’s work in the field.

  • Collaborate closely with team leaders to conceptualize, develop, refine, and implement program designs tailored to the specific team’s needs, goals, and objectives.

  • Provide guidance and assistance to team leads in translating strategic objectives into actionable plans with measurable outcomes, ensuring alignment with organizational mission and goals.

  • Co-facilitate team brainstorming sessions, workshops, and discussions to ensure that team input is integrated into all strategic planning efforts and that everyone is aligned with BASTA’s strategic objectives.

• With the assistance and support of the Project Director and an external consultant, refinine operational roadmap, conduct a comprehensive assessment of organizational growth needs, and create an action plan for growth.

• Ensure that human resources needs are addressed.

  • In collaboration with the hiring supervisors and the TRLA HR team, assist in recruiting, hiring, and onboarding efforts.

  • Evaluate human resource requirements. Identify viable options and collaborate with the Project Director to ensure operational needs are met.

  • Cultivate a collaborative and inclusive team culture that fosters mutual respect, connection, caring, humor and joy, ensuring that all team members feel empowered and supported.

• Work closely with the Project Director to solidify an understanding of BASTA’s current financial status and to develop its future financial and development infrastructure.   

  • In partnership with the Project Director and TRLA’s finance department, monitor BASTA’s funding and finances.

  • Assist in developing and managing the organizational budget, grant reporting, and financial tracking efforts.

  • In coordination with the Project Director, support development efforts and build out a Development team structure.

• Assist the Project Director in supporting and planning for the team’s information technology needs and future operational needs.

• Work with team to distill and effectively communicate BASTA’s work and accomplishments to external partners through community presentations and print materials.

• In collaboration with the Project Director, ensure that BASTA’s programmatic and operational infrastructure is aligned and all components (outreach, community education, policy, legal, communication, human resources, finance, development, facilities, information technology) are integrated with each other.

• All other duties assigned.

• Commitment to social, economic, racial, and language justice.

• Passion for housing and tenant justice.

• Minimum of 4 years of experience managing multiple staff.

• Minimum of 5 years experience of progressive leadership experience in the nonprofit or government sectors.

• Experience in two or more of the following: project management, accounting, financial administration, strategic planning, grant writing, grant management, or human resources.

• Enthusiastic about optimizing systems and workflows to maximize efficiency and effectiveness, with an eye for detail and a drive for continuous improvement.

• Excellent verbal and written communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to effectively engage diverse audiences and build consensus.

• Experience in team building and fostering a culture of inclusion and collaboration.

• Proven track record of strategic planning, program development, and project management

• Experience with Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides (or Microsoft equivalents)

• Proficiency working with spreadsheets and databases.

• Ability to prioritize multiple, often competing priorities in order to meet deadlines.

• Flexibility to adjust and pivot as new needs arise.

• Ability to work independently and as part of a team.

• Proficiency in Spanish a plus.

• Ability to work flexible hours, including evenings and weekends, as needed.