Application Guide

How to Apply for DIRECTOR OF INTEGRATED TECHNOLOGY

at Movement For Black Lives

🏢 About Movement For Black Lives

The Movement for Black Lives (M4BL) is a unique ecosystem of over 150 organizations united by a shared vision for Black liberation, grounded in abolition, anti-capitalism, and radical Black Queer Feminisms. Working here means using technology as a tool for social justice, within a values-driven, movement-centered environment that prioritizes collective power over hierarchy.

About This Role

As Director of Integrated Technology, you will lead M4BL’s technology strategy, ensuring it aligns with the movement’s political vision and operational needs. You’ll sit at the Directors’ Table, translating tech risks and opportunities into strategic decisions, while supervising a small internal team and managing an external IT partner to keep the ecosystem secure and effective.

💡 A Day in the Life

A typical day might start with a check-in with your internal tech team (Web Manager, Data Integration Lead) to unblock their work, followed by a Directors’ Table meeting where you brief executive leadership on a new security vulnerability and proposed response. Afternoon could involve a call with the external IT partner to audit their compliance with M4BL’s data sovereignty policies, then reviewing a roadmap for migrating to a member-owned platform.

🚀 Application Tools

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Interview Prep

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🎯 Who Movement For Black Lives Is Looking For

  • Has substantial tech leadership experience specifically in movement technology, political organizing, or security-forward nonprofit spaces—not just corporate IT.
  • Deeply understands the culture, pace, and values of Black liberation movements, including the need for trauma-informed, anti-oppressive management.
  • Proven track record of managing external IT vendors or managed service providers, with a focus on accountability and alignment with movement ethics.
  • Skilled at supervising and developing early-career tech staff, using a coaching and capacity-building approach rather than top-down management.

📝 Tips for Applying to Movement For Black Lives

1

Explicitly connect your tech leadership experience to movement values—mention abolition, anti-capitalism, or Black Queer Feminisms in your cover letter.

2

Highlight any experience with security-forward practices (e.g., threat modeling, encrypted comms) as M4BL operates in a high-risk environment.

3

Show concrete examples of managing external IT vendors, including how you ensured alignment with organizational needs and values.

4

Demonstrate your coaching and capacity-building approach by describing how you’ve developed early-career staff from underrepresented backgrounds.

5

Tailor your resume to emphasize movement or nonprofit tech roles, and remove overly corporate jargon (e.g., 'synergy,' 'ROI' without context).

✉️ What to Emphasize in Your Cover Letter

['Your commitment to Black liberation and how technology can serve abolitionist, anti-capitalist, and queer feminist goals.', 'Your experience navigating the tension between security needs and accessibility in movement spaces.', 'Specific examples of how you’ve built or led tech teams with a coaching, anti-oppressive management style.', 'Your ability to translate complex tech risks into strategic decisions for non-technical leadership at a Directors’ Table.']

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🔍 Research Before Applying

To stand out, make sure you've researched:

  • → Read M4BL’s platform and policy agenda (m4bl.org/platform) to understand their political framework and how tech fits in.
  • → Study recent campaigns and tech-related challenges they’ve faced (e.g., security breaches, tool migrations) via their newsroom or movement media.
  • → Familiarize yourself with key member organizations (e.g., Black Visions, BYP100) to understand the ecosystem’s diversity and tech needs.
  • → Review M4BL’s stated values around collective leadership and anti-oppression to align your application language accordingly.
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💬 Prepare for These Interview Topics

Based on this role, you may be asked about:

1 How would you balance the need for robust security protocols with the movement’s emphasis on accessibility and open-source tools?
2 Describe a time you managed a difficult external vendor relationship—how did you ensure alignment with your organization’s values?
3 How do you approach supervising early-career staff from non-traditional tech backgrounds, especially in a high-pressure movement environment?
4 What is your understanding of abolitionist technology, and how would you apply it to M4BL’s tech strategy?
5 How would you handle a situation where a tech solution (e.g., a tool or vendor) conflicts with M4BL’s anti-capitalist principles?
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⚠️ Common Mistakes to Avoid

  • Don’t emphasize profit-driven or corporate efficiency metrics; M4BL is anti-capitalist and values community over cost-cutting.
  • Avoid using jargon like 'best practices' without acknowledging that movement contexts require adapted, equity-centered approaches.
  • Don’t overlook the security-forward requirement—glossing over threat modeling or encrypted tools will signal ignorance of the risks Black organizers face.

📅 Application Timeline

This position is open until filled. However, we recommend applying as soon as possible as roles at mission-driven organizations tend to fill quickly.

Typical hiring timeline:

1

Application Review

1-2 weeks

2

Initial Screening

Phone call or written assessment

3

Interviews

1-2 rounds, usually virtual

✓

Offer

Congratulations!

Ready to Apply?

Good luck with your application to Movement For Black Lives!

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