Associate Program Director

Burnham Center for Community Advancement; San Diego (CA); On-site; USD 90,000 - 140,000; Full time

Job summary

The Burnham Center for Community Advancement (BCCA) in San Diego leads the OneSD initiative, a growing coalition of 100+ partners working to build a more inclusive and thriving region. The Associate Program Director will drive growth and impact for OneSD in collaboration with BCCA leadership and the broader team.

The role focuses on coalition management, communications, events, and fundraising, with a strong emphasis on stakeholder engagement across nonprofit, government, and civic sectors.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree plus eight years relevant experience in nonprofit/government/profit sectors.
• Demonstrated success managing coalitions, multi-stakeholder partnerships, or similar collaborative initiatives.
• Strong writer with ability to produce high-quality written material with minimal oversight.
• Exceptional interpersonal communication skills with diverse stakeholders.
• Strong organizational and planning skills with ability to manage multiple projects.
• Must have access to reliable transportation.
• Physical requirements: computer work; occasional lifting up to 15 pounds; occasional travel.

Responsibilities

• Manage the OneSD coalition membership (100+ partners), onboarding and communications.
• Maintain the OneSD webpage as a vibrant information hub and events promotion.
• Provide day-to-day program management for meetings, events, and working groups.
• Publicly represent OneSD at community events and with stakeholders.
• Collaborate with BCCA colleagues on OneSD communications and fundraising strategies.
• Oversee procurement, contracting, grantmaking, and other financial processes.

Skills

Coalition management

Grant writing

Stakeholder engagement

Project management

Written communication

Organizational skills

Problem solving

Travel coordination

Education

Bachelor’s degree

Job description

The Burnham Center for Community Advancement (BCCA) is an entrepreneurial, dynamic and action-oriented non-profit organization focused on generating innovative ideas, research, and practical solutions to address complex opportunities that have significant impact on the trajectory of the greater San Diego region.

To help make the San Diego region a better place to live work and play for all, the Burnham Center for Community Advancement:

1)Engages and informs the public through quality civic dialogue and a dedicated Community Advisory function;

2)Identifies opportunities to solve challenges and create a vibrant future.

3)Collaborates, organizes, and mobilizes to bring those opportunities to life.

We build community around creating our collective future. Together.

SUMMARY:

The OneSD initiative, launched by BCCA in May 2026, is a coalition of over 100 leading organizations committed to building a San Diego where all are welcome and all can thrive – a region defined not by what divides us, but by what we can build together. Learn more at the OneSD webpage. The initiative is relatively new and has rapidly grown and gained momentum. The Associate Program Director will join OneSD at a crucial time, and in collaboration with the Senior Program Director and the rest of the BCCA team, be responsible for driving its growth and maximizing its impact.

POSITION RESPONSIBILITIES

Including, but not limited to:

• Manage the membership of OneSD’s coalition of 100+ partners, including onboarding, internal communications, membership resources, fielding questions and inquires, and so on.
• Manage the OneSD webpage and ensure it is a vibrant hub for information about OneSD, promotion of OneSD events and collaborations, and for the amplification of the work of OneSD partners.
• Provide day-to-day program management and oversight for OneSD meetings, events, collaborations, working groups, and so on.
• Publicly represent OneSD in the community, including speaking opportunities, engaging with stakeholders, and attendance at community events.
• Work closely with BCCA colleagues to implement OneSD communications and fundraising strategies.
• Work closely with BCCA colleagues to manage OneSD procurement, contracting, grantmaking, and other financial processes.

ESSENTIAL QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor’s degree plus eight years relevant experience in the nonprofit, for profit, and/or government sectors.
• Demonstrated success managing coalitions, collective impact programs, multi-stakeholder partnerships, or similar collaborative initiatives. Strong ability to design joint programming, proactively manage conflicts, and foster engagement and commitment of participants.
• Strong writer with the ability to produce high-quality written material with minimal oversight.
• Exception interpersonal communication skills with the ability to work and communicate effectively with diverse stakeholders.
• Strong organizational and planning skills, with the ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously. Ability to work under conditions of ambiguity, solve problems creatively, and adapt as necessary to a fast-paced environment.
• Must have access to reliable transportation.
• Physical Requirements: Ability to work at a computer for extended periods; Occasional lifting of up to 15 pounds; Occasional travel.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Spanish language fluency.
• Strong networks across multiple sectors in San Diego.
• Experience with issues relevant to OneSD – civic engagement, hate crimes, conflict resolution and dialogue, social cohesion and trust-building, or other related programmatic areas.