School Site Organizer

The Black Organizing Project is reviving the spirit of Oakland’s Black community through relationship building, leadership development, political education, and policy-change.

About the Black Organizing Project

The Black Organizing Project (BOP) is a Black member-led community organization working for racial, social, and economic justice through grassroots organizing and community-building in Oakland, California and across the Bay Area. In addition to caring for our community, BOP has adopted a more sustainable philosophy for our staff. BOP takes pride in caring for its staff by providing competitive salaries, 4-day work weeks, three paid company-wide seasonal rest periods each year, as well as other perks that promote a healthy work-life balance. While BOP currently observes a hybrid work model, we require all program staff to live within a one-hour driving distance from Oakland, CA.

Our vision is to build a strong bottom-up organization of Black people that will:

• Craft alternative models and institutions that will advance our vision of racial and economic justice

• Rebuild the spirit and foundation of our community

• Exercise political and economic power

• Act to win real systematic change

• Transform the lives of Black people

• Embody the spirit that has sustained the Black community

Organizational Culture

BOP is building toward a free and just world for Black people. Some of the expectations for staff conduct include active participation in building and sustaining a culture of radical care, equity for all members of the BOP team, joyful connection to Black Liberation, and thoughtful understanding of our political and historical experiences.

In service of this goal, staff are expected to: 

• Participate in an organizational culture of resolving conflict through transformative justice strategies, as appropriate.

• Engage in generative and compassionate communication.

• Demonstrate a commitment to maintaining a joyful, healthy, and positive work environment.

About Our Ideal Candidate

Our ideal candidate is detail-oriented, organized, and thorough. They are an experienced strategist and community organizer. Our ideal candidate is passionate about BOP’s mission, committed to developing youth leaders and organizers, and believes in Black Sanctuary for OUSD families.

Position Description and Functions

BOP’s School Site Organizer is responsible for working in the field, developing organizers, and building a powerful base of OUSD youth and parents, OUSD personnel which includes teachers, support aides, administrative staff and so on that support the work of BOP. They will advance the work of membership development and retention through arts, culture, and political education. They will spend a minimum of 75% of their time on outreach and base building strategies working on school sites developing and conducting workshops, training, meetings, and strategy sessions that engage members as critical thinkers and leaders working toward our common goals. The School Site Organizer reports to the Black Sanctuary Co-Manager.

Base Building:

• Conduct regular base building activities focused on parents, caregivers, and educators in elementary, middle, and high school sites in collaboration with school site staff, Black Sanctuary co-managers, and youth organizing team

• Support leadership development of OUSD youth and families 

• Support BOP base building, organizing and campaign strategy 

• Support base building strategies

• Develop and maintain systems of tracking youth membership numbers and youth goals

• Work closely with the Black Sanctuary Co-Managers and Youth Organizing Manager

• Other duties assigned 

Leadership Development:

• Recruit new members, develop, and facilitate relationships with members 

• Work collectively to develop member organizers political understanding and landscape analysis 

• Identify and recruit emerging core leaders within OUSD educational spaces 

• Support members and organizers to participate in and/or lead committees, campaigns, coalitions, and movement building activities

Coaching & Support:

• Build positive relationships and team comradery

• Develop and cultivate work plans, evaluations, and assessments 

• Conduct weekly check-ins with school site organizers and support them in the field

Documentation & Reporting:

• Document qualitative and quantitative data related to programs and report to Organizing Director 

• Maintain systems of tracking outreach, oversee database of contacts, and generate weekly reports 

• Other duties as assigned

Preferred Skills and Qualifications

• A minimum of 2-3 years experience in community, school sites, labor, or other relevant grassroots organizing 

• Experience working to organize a base of members, constituents, or community members

• Experience organizing parents and caregivers is a plus

• Team player attitude and ability to build strong interpersonal skills with youth 

• Excellent verbal, written, and time management skills

• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite, Google Workspace, and PowerBase are a plus

• Flexibility to work flexible hours, weekends, and evenings as necessary

• Ability to energize, inspire, and move young people, parents, and school personnel to action

• Excellent organizational skills and problem solving

• Ability to prioritize and balance multiple task and projects

• Willingness to travel as necessary

• Having deep roots in Oakland, graduating from an Oakland Unified School District, or having a child enrolled in Oakland Unified Schools District is a PLUS

• Valid driver's license, insurance, and reliable transportation required

• All positions at BOP are expected to contribute to our campaign work as needed and as directed by staff supervisors and/or Executive Director 

Conditions and Compensation

This is a full-time, hourly, non-exempt, at-will position with a 90-day probationary period. Background check is required for all positions at BOP. For positions working directly with children fingerprinting will be required as well upon job offer.

Compensation:  $32-$37/hr. (depending on experience), plus a 32 hour FTE work week, incredible co-workers, inspiring work, and more.

BOP offers a generous benefits package to all regular full-time employees that includes:

• 100% organization paid medical, dental, vision coverage for the employee and family

• 401(k) with employer matching

• Accrue 14 vacation days in the first year with incremental increases thereafter, 7 sick days annually, 16 paid holidays, 2 unrestricted floating holidays

• 3 paid seasonal closures: 1 week long break in spring, 1 week long break in summer, and 1 in winter between Christmas and New Year’s Day 

• Eligibility for fully paid 3-week sabbatical program after five years of full time service with the organization

• Professional development funds

Salary : $32 - $37