Job Description

POSITION TITLE: Tech Program Manager (Full-time Exempt) 

DEPARTMENT: Impact – Tech

REPORTS TO: Tech Program Director

PAY RANGE: $55,700 – $69,000  

DATE: May 2022 

LOCATION: Based in the U.S., working remotely with ability to travel (pending COVID safety) 

Our Mission and Model 

We make stories to change the world. We believe that stories are the most powerful catalyst to  build empathy, shape culture, foster social justice, and shift unjust systems. From inception to  impact, we develop stories to address big societal challenges, and to help move us towards  lasting collective solutions. 

We envision a world that is fair, just, and equitable for all people and the planet. A world that is  sustainable and regenerative, where people recognize that science and truth can prevent  unnecessary pain and suffering, where we recognize the complexities, nuances, and differences  that unify us, and where we work together to build a better future for all.  

We operate uniquely as a hybrid impact studio and film production company based in Boulder, Colorado, with team members nationwide. Since 2012, we’ve been using our films on climate change – the Oscar-shortlisted and Emmy-winning Chasing Ice and Chasing Coral – as tools to advance the climate movement. We’ve challenged skeptical  politicians, advanced clean energy legislation, and helped to shift the global narrative on climate  change. With our latest Emmy-winning film, The Social Dilemma, we shed light on the business  models driving our toxic information ecosystem, which has hindered humanity’s ability to address climate change and many other issues.  

2021 was a year of immense growth, learning and impact for Exposure Labs. We executed the first year of The Social Dilemma’s impact campaign, added capacity to the tech and climate movements through deepening our support of external storytellers, grew our team, kicked off development on new film projects, and laid an equitable and inclusive foundation for our company. We invite you to take a closer look at our impact in our latest report here.

Our Values & Culture 

We believe equity is fundamental for achieving sustainability and reflect these values in all  aspects of our work and lives to create a lasting world for all people and the planet. In ensuring  we do the work to continually combat systemic oppression, we also take time to care for the  well-being of ourselves, each other, and our partners. 

We work to foster a safe, trusting space for transparent communication and practice both giving  and receiving direct, honest, and constructive feedback—especially when it might be difficult to  share. We prioritize accountability to ourselves, our team, partners, and those with the highest  stake in our work.  

We are team players who navigate our work with empathy, humility, and kindness. We seek to  understand diverse perspectives and embrace the ways we process and collaborate. We  nurture trust in each other to bring our shared vision to life and practice the platinum rule: treat  others how they want to be treated. 

We are curious, and always aspire to learn and grow, and treat mistakes as opportunities to  deepen our understanding and self-awareness. When faced with a problem, we take the time to  find tangible solutions and a path forward, knowing we may not have all the answers, and seek  guidance from colleagues when necessary. 

People come first. Period. We support each other and take care of ourselves. When trying to  change the world, there will always be more to do and it’s easy to lose track of all the progress  along the way. We remember to step back, celebrate our victories, and enjoy the journey  together. 

We are a small team with members in California, Colorado, Hawaii, Illinois, Michigan, and  Washington DC. Our world is fast-paced and at times demanding, yet we look out for each  other’s well-being and know when to slow down; we work flexible hours with the energy of a  start-up. As a close-knit and collaborative team, we prioritize working with passionate people  who have a positive attitude and are down to earth.  

Position Summary

Exposure Labs (ELABS) seeks a Program Manager to join our Tech Reform arm of the organization to add capacity to our small team, and bring creativity and field building expertise to storytelling approaches as we help grow a movement for technology that prioritizes people over profits. 

Today’s social media and search platforms are powered by algorithms that prioritize outrage, hate, and misinformation, eroding our ability to find the common ground needed to tackle society’s greatest challenges from climate change to social injustice. Since its release in September 2020, The Social Dilemma has given the public a shared understanding and new vocabulary for these threats, and our subsequent impact campaign has worked alongside policymakers and young people to sustain public pressure to reform Big Social’s business model. At the same time, the film just scratched the surface and despite tech pioneers sounding the alarm as early as the 1980s, the humane tech movement is still young. 

Our organizing partners tell us that they need more stories to expand on different facets of the issue and connect the dots from exploitative algorithms to real-world harms. Organizers are also looking for tools for how to use storytelling in their work and resources to continue educating students, policymakers and the general public. Our partners have done essential work uniting the disparate groups working on this issue into powerful coalitions that are getting results, but there is more work to be done. We help serve as connectors and conveners uniting advocates, the public, and policymakers around problem framing and cohesive calls to action, because we’re more powerful together.

In 2022 we are excited to build beyond The Social Dilemma, producing new short-form content and investing in other creators working in a variety of formats (e.g. short films, podcasts, art, spoken and written word, digital campaigns, etc.), to create a shared cohesive narrative around the issue and expand the breadth of intersectional tech stories in this space. We believe storytelling is one of the most powerful ways to create cultural change and shift systems and by reaching a variety of audiences across a range of platforms, we can build bridges and capacity to continue propelling the movement forward. 

In collaboration with the Program Director, the Program Manager will develop, launch, and manage a new capacity building grant program, enabling creators closest to the problem access to the critical initial funding, resources, and connections they need to tell their stories. The Program Manager will also be responsible for managing and evaluating pre-existing grant opportunities, in addition to collaborating with team members on other aspects of our work such as building out a program advisory board and contributing to program communications as needed.

An ideal candidate has knowledge of grassroots organizing and movement building, and experience in programmatic grants management with fundamental adherence to the principles, ethics, and best practices of capacity building programs. We are seeking a candidate who is passionate about mentorship and cultivating a diverse community of tech storytellers toward collective solutions. While there will be opportunities for production-related collaboration, an ideal candidate’s long-term, primary interest should not be in filmmaking but in leveraging art and storytelling for activism and being in community with other creators and movement leaders. Existing knowledge and/or expertise of the tech reform space is preferred, but not required – provided there is a strong interest and desire to learn about the issue and the needs of communities who are most impacted by extractive tech.

If you’re a candidate who is a strategic thinker and planner, an activist and changemaker, highly self-motivated, meticulous about details, can manage multiple priorities and relationships, has excellent writing and communication skills, can lead the work through an equity lens, has a great sense of humor, and can be an effective and empathetic member of the entire ELABS team, then you’d be a great fit for our organization.  

Key Responsibilities

• In collaboration with the Program Director and partners, provide leadership and direction with the design and successful implementation of a new creator grant. 
• Ensure the program development and operations align with, and advance ELABS’ mission, vision, and values and our program’s theory of change, as well as uphold the commitment to center those most impacted in our work
• Conduct a landscape analysis to further our research in identifying complementary capacity building grants and programs, as well as potential partners for collaboration in co-created grants
• Alongside the Tech Reform program team, establish an advisory board whose diverse areas of expertise and experience can be leveraged across the program, particularly as it relates to development around short-form content and the creator grant
• Develop internal and external framing and language for all relevant program materials, including correspondence to potential partners and grantees, RFPs and/or pitch decks, partnership MOUs, program landing pages, grant applications, program templates, grantee onboarding materials, tech storytelling resources, etc. 
• Create process workflows that prioritize our JEDI (Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion) values and streamline efficiency, including developing criteria for the grantee selection process, establishing a review committee and facilitating a discussion as it pertains to the selection of grantees, and actively building systems that allow for regular reflection and feedback collection to prompt improvements for future projects and programs
• Establish and maintain authentic, reciprocal relationships with current and potential grantees, providing regular updates and ongoing support and mentorship, and serving as the lead liaison for any grantee field inquiries
• Establish a grantee network for meaningful connections with each other, partners, and other movement leaders, through the coordination of regular cohort meetings, mentorship and ongoing check-ins, knowledge sharing through resources and other movement-related networking opportunities
• Amplify grantees’ work by contributing to development communications + materials, which may include newsletters, press releases, quarterly reports, etc.
• Oversee and support grantee programmatic impact goals, ensuring grant requirements are achieved, and produce regular reporting updates for the ELABS team, partners, and funders
• Manage the overall capacity building grant program budget and all grantee budgets and reporting requirements
• Contribute strategically to the building out of a free and accessible resource hub for storytellers, partners, and organizers; providing tools for how to create stories for impact and how to leverage storytelling in movements
• As needed, serve in a public-facing role for the organization, including speaking at events geared towards the creator grant and regularly attending movement-related networking events

Required Experience

Three or more years of professional experience at a non-profit or advocacy organization, preferably in arts & media, with working knowledge of giving programs and communication strategies. Ability to cultivate relationships and work effectively, collaboratively, and respectfully with a variety of people and in a team environment with staff, as well as independently with little supervision. Exercises good judgment and decision making. Communicates effectively, interpersonally and in group settings, with strong verbal, non-verbal, and written communication skills that support a variety of audiences. Excellent listening and troubleshooting skills, with a capacity for empathy as well as self-reflection. Proficiency in G-Suite and Microsoft Office software including Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. Additional experience with other platforms like Zoom, Airtable, WordPress, Zapier, Streak and Dropbox is a plus, while the ability and openness to adapt to new technologies is a must.

Required Competencies

Uphold JEDI (Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion) values in the work, organization and relationships with partners, donors, and key stakeholders; outstanding written and oral communication skills; exceptional reasoning and problem-solving abilities; a commitment to learning and openness to feedback; adaptability and flexibility with ability to thrive in a results-oriented culture; ability to foster collaboration and contribute to a strong sense of community among staff; a good sense of humor is a huge plus!  

Work Environment 

ELABS maintains a virtual office and supports flexible workdays. Occasionally, team members  may be expected to be available during off-hours and/or travel to attend events (e.g. conferences, staff retreats) on nights or weekends. 

Benefits 

ELABS provides a generous benefits package consisting of 100% employer paid medical and  dental coverage; vision insurance coverage is available at 100% employee paid; health spending accounts (HSA) for health; unlimited paid-time off plan which includes vacation,  personal, birthday and sick leave (we encourage employees to take a minimum of 10 days off  per year in addition to Company Holidays); reimbursement stipend for WIFI/cell/laptop; and an annual learning fund stipend.  

ELABS is proud to be an Equal Employment Opportunity company. We do not discriminate  based on race, religion, color, national origin, gender (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related  medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, status as a  protected veteran, status as an individual with a disability, or other characteristics. To build the  strongest possible team, ELABS actively seeks applicants of varying life experiences, cultures,  identities, geographic and racial/ethnic backgrounds.  

How to Apply

• PDF or Word Cover Letter that: 1) includes how you heard about this position; (2)  speaks to how your experience and skill set meet the qualifications for this role; and (3)  speaks to how you approach your work through an equity lens, as it relates to diversity  and inclusion, and the importance of these values in storytelling.  
• PDF or Word Resume  
• PDF of 2-3 examples of external facing communications you've played a role in developing. These examples can be verbal, non-verbal, and/or written.
• PDF or Word Reference List of three (3) professional references with contact and  relationship information (title, where/when you worked together, and LinkedIn profile, if  available) 

Job Categories: Equal Opportunities. Job Types: Full-Time. Job Tags: film, grant, impact, program, social impact, and Tech. Salaries: Not Disclosed.

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