Deputy Director

North Star Civic Foundation; Portland (OR); On-site; USD 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

A local civic foundation in Portland seeks a Deputy Director to support its mission and the Bull Run Center's growth. The role demands effective communication and coordination skills, with a focus on community-led policy making and coalition strategy. The ideal candidate should be familiar with Portland's political landscape and comfortable working with diverse stakeholders. This is a collaborative role that involves engaging members and supporting various organizational priorities. Applications are due by March 9th.

Qualifications

• Experience with the policymaking process is helpful.
• Strong understanding of Portland's political landscape.
• Familiarity with engaging diverse stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Support mission and growth of the Bull Run Center.
• Engage members to strengthen relationships.
• Support communications and project coordination.
• Assist communications, project coordination, and grantmaking initiatives as needed

Skills

Effective communications

Coordination

Community-led policy making

Coalition strategy

Planning meetings and events

Job description

North Star is a private operating foundation based in Portland, Oregon. We create spaces for collaboration where civic leaders can work across differences to develop visionary solutions to complex public-interest challenges. We focus on democracy and shared prosperity — because we believe that these are the building blocks for a hopeful future.

In 2025, North Star launched Bull Run Center to serve senior-level, cross-sector leaders from government, philanthropy, business, and community in Portland. The Bull Run Center is a member-led relationship, strategy, and action group, currently serving 158 members from 136 organizations, businesses, and local governments.

Position Description: Deputy Director

We seek an outcomes-oriented and collaborative leader to support North Star Civic Foundation's mission and the next phase of growth for the Bull Run Center.

The ideal candidate will be a “civic generalist” with strengths in effective communications and coordination, community-led policy making, coalition strategy, and planning meetings and events. This role reports to the Executive Director, and works in close partnership with the Research Director and Special Projects Coordinator. It’s a small team; everyone does a little bit of everything.

The deputy director should be deeply familiar with Portland’s political and policy landscape, and comfortable navigating the ecosystem of diverse stakeholders. This is not a traditional advocacy or government relations role, but experience with the policymaking process will be helpful for this position.

The Bull Run Center’s ethos is informal, positive, and grounded in radical hospitality. The backbone of this role is engaging Bull Run Center members to strengthen relationships with each other and the communities they serve, represent, and convene. From this foundation, we invite members to refine strategies and align action for the future of Portland. The Deputy Director is essential to that strategy and action work, and supports member-led committees in values-centered and cooperative policy research, problem solving, and report writing.

In this role, your primary purpose is serving the Bull Run Center, but you will occasionally support other North Star priorities, including communications, project coordination, or report writing for state-level projects or national grantmaking priorities.

To Apply

Please learn more submit your application with a one-page letter of interest and resume by March 9th at 7 pm. We will reach out to qualified candidates on a rolling basis for first round interviews during the week of March 9th.