Job Description
Lead Organizer
May 2017
Reports to: NLMH’s Executive Director
Type of position: Full time, 40 hours
Compensation: $50,000 – $65,000, based on experience and skills. Higher requests from exceptional candidates may be considered. Benefits including health insurance.
Mission & Purpose:
Based in Poughkeepsie, NY, Nobody Leaves Mid-Hudson (NLMH) is a grassroots community organization building the power of working class people and people of color to strengthen social movements, end all forms of oppression, and realize a world that puts people before profit. Formed in 2012, NLMH uses direct action, advocacy, and research/policy work to win concrete victories for its members, achieve policy change, and change systems of power.
Rather than permanently tie itself to particular issues, NLMH organizes around the issues most strategic for building power in the shifting context of the Hudson Valley. NLMH is currently fighting for educational justice in the Poughkeepsie school system, fighting for energy justice locally and statewide, and building the Hudson Valley Hate Free Zone as a network resisting post-election attacks on oppressed communities.
Position Description:
We are seeking a lead organizer who has the experience and skills to own the organization’s base-building efforts. The lead organizer must both be willing to directly base-build themselves and to manage an entry-level organizer’s work (and possibly multiple organizers’ work in the future). The lead organizer may be asked to play a lead role in hiring one or more entry-level organizers over time and to otherwise support the executive director’s work and organization’s work as a whole.
The lead organizer must have the commitment and energy to own base-building in a difficult context. NLMH is a young organization with a rapidly developing and changing organizational structure, set of campaigns, and group of members and allies. The Hudson Valley does not have as many movement organizations as major cities.
The lead organizer must be excited to take on autonomy and responsibilities for base-building work. The lead organizer will be able to use their vision, strategy, and creativity to heavily shape short- and long-term base-building and campaign strategy.
Responsibilities:
- Direct base-building and/or managing one or more entry-level organizers’ base-building work, depending on staffing levels and experience.
- Develop the skills of other staff and members through a variety of methods—including trainings and support in leading meetings, actions, and campaigns.
- Grow the base and its impact by organizing, doing outreach for, and facilitating member meetings; identifying, developing, and implementing campaigns; and planning and leading direct actions.
- Develop relationships with member-leaders and organizational allies; work closely with organizational allies to develop campaigns and members.
- Attend, participate in, and help facilitate regularly scheduled team meetings.
- Effectively supervise community organizer/s to support their growth and high performance.
- Participate in fundraising and grant preparation activities as required.
- Support the executive director and overall organizational work as needed— including through criticism, a problem-solving orientation and suggestions for changes, and collaborative work to advance the organization’s impact and mission.
- Take on additional and changing responsibilities in a shifting context.
Experiences and Skill Requirements:
- 3+ years of experience in community or labor organizing.
- 1+ years of experience managing and supervising other staff.
- Demonstrated commitment to a member-led model of grassroots organizing.
- Strong ability to both “manage up” and “manage down” and to provide support and accountability.
- Strong ability to plan and lead organizational campaigns, strategy, tactics (including direct actions), base outreach, and member and staff meetings.
- Strong ability to give and receive criticism and contribute to an anti-oppressive organizational culture.
- Strong ability to work independently and as part of a team.
- Strong verbal and written communication skills.
- Strong ability to use word processing programs and familiarity using databases.
- Bilingual in Spanish a plus.
People of color, gender oppressed people, working class people, LGBTQ people, immigrants, and all others directly impacted by oppression encouraged to apply.
The deadline for applying is June 23rd, 2017. Those interested in applying after this date should first contact the organization.
Please send a cover letter, resume, any salary requirements, and three professional references with emails and phone numbers to info@nobodyleavesmidhudson.org and put “Lead Organizer position” in the subject line.
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Job Description
Community Organizer
May 2017
Reports to: NLMH’s Executive Director / Lead Organizer
Type of position: Full time, 40 hours
Compensation: $40,000 – $45,000 and benefits including health insurance
Mission & Purpose:
Based in Poughkeepsie, NY, Nobody Leaves Mid-Hudson (NLMH) is a grassroots community organization building the power of working class people and people of color to strengthen social movements, end all forms of oppression, and realize a world that puts people before profit. Formed in 2012, NLMH uses direct action, advocacy, and research/policy work to win concrete victories for its members, achieve policy change, and change systems of power.
Rather than permanently tie itself to particular issues, NLMH organizes around the issues most strategic for building power in the shifting context of the Hudson Valley. NLMH is currently fighting for educational justice in the Poughkeepsie school system, fighting for energy justice locally and statewide, and building the Hudson Valley Hate Free Zone as a network resisting post-election attacks on oppressed communities.
Position Description:
We are seeking a community organizer who has the passion and skills to maintain and grow the organization’s base quantitatively (overall numbers) and qualitatively (organizing skills, political analysis, leadership) and to plan and execute campaigns to win material victories for that base.
The organizer will be closely supervised by a lead organizer or by the executive director.
The organizer must have the commitment and energy to advance base-building in a difficult context. NLMH is a young organization with a rapidly developing and changing organizational structure, set of campaigns, and group of members and allies. The Hudson Valley does not have as many movement organizations as major cities.
Responsibilities:
- Grow the base and develop member-leadership through a variety of methods— including door-to-door outreach; 121s; skills and political education trainings; and supporting members in leading meetings, actions, and campaigns.
- Organize, do outreach for, and facilitate member meetings.
- Develop relationships with member-leaders and organizational allies.
- Identify, develop, and implement campaigns under the direction of supervisor.
- Work closely with organizational allies to develop campaigns and members.
- Encourage the use of direct action, as appropriate, to advance campaigns.
- Attend, participate in, and help facilitate regularly scheduled team meetings.
- Meet with supervisor on a regular basis.
- Participate in fundraising and grant preparation activities as required.
- Take on additional and changing responsibilities in a shifting context.
Experiences and Skill Requirements:
- 1+ years of experience in community or labor organizing.
- Demonstrated commitment to a member-led model of grassroots organizing.
- Experience in planning and leading meetings, direct actions, and campaigns.
- Strong relational skills.
- Ability to facilitate member meetings and political education; comfort being at the front of the room and as a public speaker.
- Ability to give and receive criticism and contribute to an anti-oppressive organizational culture that aims for both support and accountability.
- Ability to meet people where they’re at— be available at the times and in the places that work for our members and our organizational allies and their members.
- Flexibility to work independently, as a part of a team, and/or with close supervision.
- Consistency in bringing a problem-solving orientation and creativity to shifting challenges and responsibilities.
- Commitment to leaning into discomfort and seeing/using challenges as opportunities for growth.
- Good verbal and written communication skills.
- Ability to use common word processing programs and familiarity using databases.
- Must be able to work evenings and weekends as needed.
- Bilingual in Spanish a plus.
People of color, gender oppressed people, working class people, LGBTQ people, immigrants, and all others directly impacted by oppression encouraged to apply.
The deadline for applying is June 23rd, 2017. Those interested in applying after this date should first contact the organization.
Please send a cover letter, resume, and three professional references with emails and phone numbers to info@nobodyleavesmidhudson.org and put “Community Organizer position” in the subject line.
