JOB ANNOUNCEMENT
Sacred Heart Community Service, located in San Jose, CA is looking for an experienced organizer to lead, develop, innovate and integrate our efforts to build a base of grassroots leaders and allies, and spearhead campaigns to address the root causes of poverty and inequality. This individual must be highly organized, possess an ability to work flexibly and creatively, and demonstrate superior organizing, training, and communication skills. The ideal candidate must be equally committed to our vision of a community united to ensure every child and adult is free from poverty, an approach to driving policy change through transformational leadership development, and developing programs through an anti-racism and anti-oppression worldview. For 58 years, SHCS has been one of the leading institutions addressing poverty in Santa Clara County through a strategy that combines addressing the consequences of poverty through impactful programs while building power with people to push for systemic change.
Position Summary
The Organizing Director guides SHCS’ efforts to effectuate change and fulfill our vision of a community united to ensure that every child and adult is free from poverty. The leader of SHCS’ Organizing team, the position is responsible for leading efforts to develop the skills, consciousness, and involvement of low-income communities and their allies while spearheading policy campaigns to exercise grassroots power. The position supports the training of staff and membership to understand the root causes of poverty and systems of oppression while developing staff capacity to organize and mobilize the membership to participate in committees and policy campaigns.
The Director supports the development and implementation of a policy advocacy agenda by working with and increasing the capacity of grassroots leadership, organizational stakeholders (staff, volunteers, board members, and donors), and community allies.
Description of Duties
Community Org__anizing
- Directs the development and implementation of outreach and organizing plans, including training, communications systems, databases, and strategic and tactical plans.
- Develops and leads efforts to recruit leaders through door-to-door canvassing, 1:1 meetings, social service program outreach, and house meetings.
- Leads planning and coordination of action committees in order to build an effective, ongoing organization and to maintain the involvement of grassroots leaders.
- Directly organizes federated committee structure, with a focus on developing advanced leadership to set campaign priorities, coordinate training efforts, and hire and evaluate staff.
- Designs and oversees training on a variety of leadership/organizing topics including member recruitment, facilitation, and public speaking, issue development and analysis, media relations, campaign planning, issue advocacy, organizational development, social change theory, power analysis, worldview analysis, and ideology.
- Oversees participatory action research and analysis efforts with leaders.
- Oversees and facilitates the development of grassroots action campaigns, including developing effective campaign plans, coordination of campaign activities and actions, and recruiting coalition allies.
- Facilitates the training, support, and professional development of organizers and program staff to engage in community organizing and mobilization.
Policy Advocacy
- Supports the development and implementation of the SHCS policy advocacy strategy, working with the Policy Director and the Director of Strategic Partnerships to ensure coordination with organizational stakeholders in planning, campaign development, partner cultivation, and web-based advocacy efforts.
- Supports the identification of policy advocacy opportunities in alignment with the vision, mission, and core values of SHCS.
- Collaborates on efforts to engage and build the capacity of organizational stakeholders and community allies to engage in policy advocacy campaigns.
- Management Infrastructure
- Oversees the development, tracking, and reporting of advocacy and organizing program goals, outcomes, and performance metrics.
- Leads the development, implementation, and continuous improvement of advocacy and organizing policies and procedures.
- Oversees the recruitment and management of organizing volunteers and interns.
- Manages the organizing staff by providing program structure, direction, training, support, and feedback.
- Oversees the recruitment and hiring of organizing staff.
- Supports media relations efforts, including press cultivation, coordination of media events, and securing media coverage.
- Facilitates and supports resource development efforts for organizing program, including preparing proposals, funder presentations, direct solicitation, and reporting.
Collaborations
- Identifies and builds coalitions with key community partners.
- Serves as liaison with local and regional organizing collaborations, community allies, policymakers, and organizational stakeholders.
- Supports the implementation of training and support systems for coalition partners.
Leaders__hip
- Supports the planning and implementation of SHCS programs, events, training, and outreach efforts.
- Serves as a member of the Senior Management Team and serves as on-site manager as needed.
- Attends Board of Directors meetings and Board committee meetings as assigned.
- Performs other duties as assigned.
Required Qualifications and Experience
- Strong commitment to our vision of uniting the community to ensure every child and adult is free from poverty.
- 5-7 years experience working in community/labor organizing.
- Demonstrated experience in grassroots leadership development programs, including curricula development, training, and tracking systems.
- Demonstrated experience in campaign planning and public policy advocacy.
- Ability to motivate members to take action.
- Superior facilitation, verbal, written, and presentation skills.
- Detail-oriented, self-motivated, ability to multi-task, provide quick responses, and highly organized.
- Willing to work long hours, evenings, and some weekends.
- Ability to work with diverse people, communities, and cultures, with an understanding of culturally competent practices.
- Minimum of 3 years of management experience.
- Four-year degree or equivalent years of work experience.
- Proficiency in database systems (such as Salesforce), web-based communications, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
- Bilingual in Spanish/English.
- The position is exempt, full-time, and reports to the Executive Director
Compens****ation
The salary for this position is commensurate with experience. Salary range is $95,000-$105,000 per year.
Benefits include: medical, dental, paid holidays, sick time, professional development, and more.
Sacred Heart Community Service is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Workplace and an Affirmative Action Employer.
SHCS is committed to building a team of people of diverse ethnic, cultural, and experiential backgrounds. We especially encourage members of historically underrepresented and marginalized communities, people of color, women, people living with disabilities, veterans, and LGBTQ+ people to apply. It is the policy of Sacred Heart Community Service to prohibit discrimination and harassment of any type and to afford equal employment opportunities to employees and applicants, without regard to race, color, ethnicity, ancestry, religion, age, sex, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, pregnancy, medical condition or genetic information, veteran status, national origin, disability, marital or other protected status. SHCS will conform to the spirit, as well as the letter of all applicable laws and regulations.