Organization Description:

Community Voices Heard (CVH) is a member-led multi-racial organization, principally women of color and low-income families in New York State that builds power to secure social, economic and racial justice for all. Founded in 1994 by welfare recipients in New York City working to fight unjust welfare policies, we have since expanded our organization to include working on multiple issues in three additional counties in the Hudson Valley. Our long-term vision is to build statewide power to win important political and policy objectives at the state level. Our core organizing buckets include fighting for: a just social safety net; good jobs and access to them; truly affordable housing, including public housing; sustainable & resilient communities; and a participatory democracy. We have a strong political program that is run by our affiliated 501c4 organization, CVH Power. CVH is building out based on a comprehensive strategic plan that our leadership developed and that points to strengthening our commitment to building a large base of low-income members and leaders working together to win concrete campaign victories at the local, state and federal level.

Job Description:

Community Voices Heard (CVH) is seeking a mid-level, preferably bi-lingual (Spanish/ English) organizer to build relationships with low-income New Yorkers as part of our NYC Chapter for the purpose of engaging them in organizing to build collective power to address their issues. The NYC Chapter currently works on welfare & workforce development reform, job creation & access to employment, public housing preservation & improvement, affordable housing & supportive zoning, climate justice, and participatory budgeting.

This position focuses on utilizing one-to-one relational meetings and house meetings, to build towards larger gatherings (i.e. meetings and Assemblies) to demonstrate power and advance issues. The goal is to build a base of leaders to take action to advance potential policy solutions that they identify by crafting and advancing strategic campaigns.

The ideal candidate will have experience in the following areas:

• Managing a team of leaders working across a variety of communities and issues;
• Developing leaders and working with them to engage large numbers of members in actions; and
• Scheduling and conducting meaningful one-to-one, face-to-face encounters with talented members and allies as a central part of the organizing work.

This NYC Chapter Organizer will initially focus on organizing with public housing residents in the communities of The Rockaways and Coney Island, affected both by the disinvestment in public housing and the intersection of this with climate vulnerability (post-Hurricane Sandy and beyond). The group is interested in organizing around a variety of issue buckets that include quality of life, job creation and access, and climate change.

The organizer would be responsible for:

• building a base of low-income residents that want to make change in particular hubs around the City (through public housing door-knocking, outreach at social services centers, etc.);
• conducting 10-25 one-to-one relational meetings per week;
• recruiting dues-paying members;
• staffing one or more Leadership Committees;
• developing and moving forward campaign work; and
• encourage the use of direct-action, as necessary and appropriate, to advance campaigns;
• working in coalition with partners, as appropriate.

This is a full-time position to be filled and start as soon as possible. The Community Organizer will be supervised by CVH’s Director of Organizing and work collaboratively with the NYC Chapter Director of Organizing and other NYC Chapter Organizers. The position will be based out of CVH’s main office in East Harlem, but will have the primary locus of operation be The Rockaways and Coney Island.

Qualifications:

• Applicants must be committed to our theory of social change that is tied to measurable campaign wins that deliver concrete improvements to CVH members and communities where they live.
• At least two years (preferably more!) community organizing, union organizing, political organizing, and/ or legislative issue advocacy experience required.
• Track record of winning concrete campaign victories, mobilizing/ turning out people into action, and building community leadership.
• Experience with relational meetings, door knocking, leadership development, and mobilization/ turnout.
• Experience with power analysis/ power mapping, strategy and campaign development.
• Ability to work independently and collectively, according to goals of the organization.
• Experience managing committees of leaders working on separate projects.
• Function well as part of a team that shares strengths and maintains consistent standards.
• Ability to juggle multiple tasks & responsibilities, while remaining focused on overarching goals.
• Familiarity with use of databases to enhance organizing.
• Spanish language skills are preferred and will be prioritized, but are not required.
• Knowledge of the political landscape in New York City and New York State politics is a plus, but not required.

Please send resume and cover letter to, Stephen Roberson, Director of Organizing, Community Voices Heard, 115 East 106th Street, 3rd Floor, NY, NY 10029 or email them to cvh@cvhaction.org. If emailing, make sure to put “Community Organizer, NYC Chapter” in the subject line.

CVH is an equal opportunity employer. People of color, women, LGBTQ individuals, people with disabilities, and people with experience receiving public assistance or living in public housing are strongly encouraged to apply.

Resumes and cover letters should be submitted as soon as possible. We are aiming to make a decision over the summer, and have someone start as early as August.

For more information about the organization, please check out our web page at: www.CVHaction.org.

Application deadline July 15, 2016