The Riders Alliance is a membership organization of subway and bus riders working toward a more just and inclusive New York City by fighting for reliable, affordable public transit for all New Yorkers. We organize subway and bus riders to build grassroots power across racial, economic and geographic lines: holding our elected officials accountable, engaging the public, and taking direct action to guarantee that riders have a powerful voice in the decisions that affect us.

The Community Organizer will be in charge of creating, developing and managing community organizing campaigns for better transit service. The Community Organizer reports to the Deputy Director and is responsible for:

• Identifying promising transit campaigns in targeted communities;
• Working with community members and leaders to determine goals and strategy;
• Building membership and grass-roots community leadership for the organization;
• Developing leaders among community members through one-on-ones, coaching, and training;
• Working with media outlets and reporters in order to earn coverage of campaign events;
• Building and maintaining relationships with elected officials, city and state agency staff, and other constituencies to win improvements in service; and
• Supervising interns and volunteers as required.

Required Qualifications:

• Strong understanding of community organizing, including managing campaigns, developing leadership, and recruiting members.
• Ability to lead locally-relevant issue-based campaigns in low-income communities, communities of color, immigrant communities, and middle-class communities.
• Excellent people skills: ability to quickly build relationships, to listen to and persuade people, and to engage people effectively around a common goal.
• Strong communication skills, including public speaking and writing.
• One year of experience in a community organizing or a political/governmental role, or equivalent educational experience.
• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent work experience.
• Self-motivated individual able to work independently under strategic supervision from the Deputy Director and Campaign Manager.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Ability to fluently speak language(s) other than English.
• Familiarity with communities throughout New York City, especially in the Bronx.

The Riders Alliance is an equal opportunity employer, and we strongly encourage candidates from diverse backgrounds to apply for the position.

Job features:

• Full-time position. The position will require some evening meetings.
• Competitive salary, commensurate with experience.
• Full benefits: excellent health, dental, 401(k) match, paid time off.

How to apply:

• Send resume and cover letter detailing your experience in local politics and community campaigns to Riders Alliance Deputy Director Nick Sifuentes at nick@ridersny.org.
• Applications are considered on a rolling basis; early applications are encouraged.