The Waterfront Alliance seeks a highly motivated individual to join our team to support the development of a coalition and advocacy campaign for climate resilience in the New York-New Jersey region. Ideal candidates will be motivated, community-focused self-starters, who are excited about grassroots organizing and policy change around climate resilience. 

About the Waterfront Alliance

The Waterfront Alliance is a coalition of more than 1,100 organizations with ties to our regional waterways. Our mission is to inspire and effect resilient, revitalized, and accessible coastlines for all communities. In 2019, we launched a new five-year strategic plan that prioritizes resilience and adaptation to coastal storms and sea level rise. A resilience task force of 400+ leaders from across the region convened to build consensus around a policy platform for regional resilience and climate adaptation. In 2020, we will build a coalition and political action/communications campaign to advance that platform (“Rising to the Challenge”) at local, state, and federal levels. 

About the Rising to the Challenge platform 

Climate change is upon us and we’re already paying for it. Multiple disaster declarations have been made in every county in New York and New Jersey, have cost us tens of billions, and this is just the start. With climate change, these impacts will only worsen, and fundamental changes to our entire region and way of life are at stake. Millions of people are at risk, especially those who live in low to moderate income communities and communities of color. The greatest risk we face today is inaction. The Rising to the Challenge platform includes legislative, budgetary, and programmatic priorities needed to act on building the resilience of our region for a changing future in a way that is transparent, equitable, just, and green. 

Position Overview 

The climate resilience organizer will support the Waterfront Alliance’s director of resilience and a developing coalition to build and execute a strategy for advancing the Rising to the Challenge platform, to be launched in June 2020. The organizer will help to build and strengthen relationships with those most affected by (and least able to adapt to) climate change. Additionally, the organizer will lead the organizing of a day of community-based action planned to coincide with the launch. 

This part-time position requires an average of 20 hours per week , including some evening work. The position pays $20 per hour and includes the following benefits: paid sick time, employer 401K match, flexible spending account (FSA) for medical and transportation expenses, short-term disability, New York State Paid Family Leave, and professional development support. 

Responsibilities 

• Outreach to community stakeholders in New York and northern New Jersey via phone, email, and in person meetings
• Presentation and facilitation of community conversation at community meetings to get input into/raise awareness about the platform 
• Help summarize recommendations from meetings, through additional research and follow-up outreach 
• Lead the organization of commitments to a day of action in which members of the coalition and others will stand at the future floodplain line as a demonstration of the need for action 
• Collaborate with the communications team on design and copy for outreach materials and social media messaging 
• Contribute to op-eds, blog posts, press releases, etc. related to this project 
• Support the director or resilience with related administrative tasks like scheduling meetings, preparing meeting materials, updating tracking spreadsheets, etc. 

Skills and Qualifications 

• Demonstrated ability to organize and coalition-build to elevate community priorities into policy changes 
• Knowledge of issues related to climate resilience, environmental justice, land use, labor, housing, and environment in New York and New Jersey 
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, and presentation ability 
• Ability to interact with a diverse group of stakeholders and commitment to practice of prioritizing/elevating the voices of underrepresented communities 
• Ability to work some evenings (for community meetings) and limited travel within New Jersey and New York City  
• Existing relationships with leadership of climate resilience, environmental justice, land use, labor, housing, and environmental organizations a plus 
• Experience with graphic design, marketing, social media platforms a plus 
• Spanish language speaker a plus 

As an equal opportunity employer, Waterfront Alliance encourages applications from all individuals regardless of age, gender, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, marital status, physical ability or any other legally protected basis.

Details at a glance

• On-site Location
• Part Time Schedule

How to Apply

https://waterfrontalliance.org/

Please submit your resume, cover letter, and writing sample (less than five pages) to: careers@waterfrontalliance.org  with the subject line “Climate Resilience Organizer.” Only complete applications will be considered. Position open until filled. Only short-listed candidates will be contacted. No phone calls please. 

Location

217 Water Street, New York, NY 10038