Founded in 2001, the Street Vendor Project (SVP) is a grassroots membership-led organization working to defend the rights and achieve just working conditions of the community of workers, self-employed people and small business owners who make their living as vendors on the streets and sidewalks of New York City. Through direct leadership development, education, legal support, and strategic legislative advocacy, SVP builds power and community among vendors in the fight to legalize street vending.

About the Position

SVP is looking for a Lead Organizer to collaboratively implement strategic grassroots organizing campaigns, grow our membership, and design and implement leadership development programs for our members. We are seeking a new team member with experience working within multicultural, working class and immigrant communities. SVP currently has 4 full-time staff and anticipates growing our staff to include borough-specific organizers through the leadership of the Lead Organizer.

QUALIFICATIONS

Our ideal candidate is:

• Relentlessly dedicated to building the power of working class, immigrant communities of color to incite transformative social and economic justice movement building;
• Excited about working across multiple cultures and is flexible and patient when communicating with people who speak different languages;
• A thoughtful communicator with excellent interpersonal, written, and public speaking skills;
• A team-player eager to collaborate with diverse, intergenerational, and multicultural stakeholders to achieve systemic change;
• Experienced with outreach, base-building, member leadership development, and organizing campaigns;
• Knowledgeable of New York City and New York State organizing and political landscape, with particular attention to racial, economic, and gender equity;
• Able to read and assess the current political landscape and make strategic choices to advance SVP’s organizing agenda;
• Bilingual in either Spanish or Mandarin – enough to engage members in organizing and political conversations – written ability a plus;
• An experienced facilitator with the ability to plan and facilitate meetings with sensitivity to the needs of a diverse membership;
• Committed to and knowledgeable of SVP’s mission and movement building, and enthusiastic about nurturing leadership growth among members.

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES

Currently, the Lead Organizer will focus on:

• Fortifying and growing SVP’s grassroots membership structure of individuals interested in and excited about advancing street vendor rights;
• Facilitating legislative campaigns that engage members and leaders to win concrete improvements in the lives of vendors.
• Coordinating and implementing membership recruitment activities including direct outreach on-the-street and through partner organizations;
• Developing and supervising an organizing team composed of full time organizers, an apprentice, and interns, in collaboration with the Deputy Director and Director
• Receiving vendors who come in to the office during SVP drop-in hours;
• Developing leadership skills of potential members, and nurture the leadership of our Leadership Board members
• Planning and facilitating regular membership and committee meetings focused on skill shares, political education, connection to campaign work;
• Designing, leading, and running workshops and trainings for members;
• Maintaining database for tracking participation and development of members

Application Deadline: November 10th at 11:59 pm. Applications submitted prior to this date will be reviewed on a rolling basis.

Start Date: ASAP, or by December 2nd

To apply, please send a resume and cover letter to svp@urbanjustice.org