Western New York Community Organizer

About the organization 

Citizen Action is a statewide grassroots movement organization that fights for political, social, racial, economic and environmental justice. We work at the grassroots to give people a sense of their own power. We collaborate with organizations and coalitions in communities throughout New York to address critical issues at the local, state and federal levels. 

About the position 

Citizen Action is looking to add a Western New York Community Organizer to our team. The community organizer is key to the success of our regional chapter. The Western New York organizer will engage with several issues, including a primary focus on education justice in Buffalo City schools with an eye towards building local issue campaigns, electoral campaigns, and large mobilizations to the State Capitol that amplify the urgent education needs of parents, youth, and children in the region. This organizer will work directly with leaders and members to create basebuilding outreach strategies that build people power and the chapter’s political strength locally and statewide. 

What you’ll do and the impact you'll make

• Chapter Building – Recruit dues-paying members and create/maintain chapter governance through a Regional Council. Use issues and electoral campaigns to grow the chapter through outreach strategies that grow the dedicated base of volunteers. Develops and employs strategic campaigns at the local level that connect to the statewide priorities of the organization.
• Outreach and Recruitment - Create an outreach and recruitment plan to grow our membership base alongside leader builds for chapter meetings, committee meetings, mobilization efforts, and campaign tactics. Use organizing tactics such as phone banking, text banking, and canvassing in order to grow chapter members. Lead weekly outreach events with members.  Focus will be on outreach to directly impacted individuals who can share the stories that amplify the need for change in our issue campaigns.
• Leadership Development:  Train volunteers and members in strategic education and hard skills such as strategy, one to ones, organizer’s math, etc. Ensures that leaders in the community have a role and develop their skills in organizing for social change. 
• Administrative - Manage the chapter’s VAN requirements, such as entering data into VAN such as 1:1’s, volunteer activities and turnout, and volunteer profile. Work with the Data Director to create recruitment phone banks and canvass lists. Work with the Mobilization Director to create outreach and recruitment scripts. 
• Legislative – Work with staff and members to create outreach strategies based on legislative campaigns during the planning phase and support committee management during legislative sessions.
• Campaigns - Work with staff and members to identify, plan, and execute local campaigns that connect to the statewide education justice work. 
• Electoral: Recruit members and leaders to be a part of the endorsement committee and help identify members to run for political office.
• Communications –Creates content for weekly emails, social media.  Works with Communications staff to get community members to write letters to the editor, op-eds, and finds ways to amplify the voice of the community 
• Additional responsibilities may be assigned by supervisor

Skills/Qualifications

• Alignment with the organization's vision of a world where every person’s basic needs are met. It’s a world filled with love and respect for its people and the planet. It’s a world where democracy reigns, and each person is able to reach their fullest potential. It is a world where equity is the norm and oppression, in all forms, is eradicated. It is a world without war and violence. The world we want is possible, but it will only exist if we work together.
• A minimum of 3 years experience in a voluntary or paid role working on an issue campaign and/or electoral campaign.
• Demonstrated success and skills in recruiting and leadership development with volunteers/member leaders. Includes, directly anchoring and training volunteers to do phone banks, canvassing, planning events, lobbying, facilitating workshops and meetings.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills - a strong communicator, in person, virtual, or hybrid.
• Demonstrates creative approaches to problem-solving and takes initiative, including strong analytic, strategic, and planning skills geared to meeting the organization's goals.
• Willingness to learn and effectively use the organization’s training methodology - demonstrating the skill, doing shoulder-to-shoulder work with member leaders, tracking/analyzing results, and providing effective feedback. 
• Weekly commitment to meet the rigor of ongoing basebuilding and outreach goals/expectations such as phone banking, 1:1s, door and street canvassing, and tracking data etc., are the core tactics used to build strong regional chapters here at Citizen Action of New York.
• Familiar with Google Drive and Zoom. Preferred experience with VAN, Scale to Win, Mobilize, and Action Network, and a willingness to learn outreach tools. 
• Ability to think critically and remain effective under pressure; collaborative team player as well as a self-motivated independent agent.  
• Displays cultural competency and has a proven ability to connect and relate to people from a wide variety of diverse backgrounds. 
• Experience leading or managing volunteers or large groups of unpaid staff.
• Willingness to collaborate with team, staff, leaders, and cross-departments on chapter goals and plans. Being able to be flexible with time and shifting priorities.  
• Ability to work evenings and weekends to meet with member leaders when they are available.
• Strong basic planning skills, both personally and professionally
• Excellent ability to foster and maintain strong relationships through trust and regular follow up with member leaders, community partners, and fellow staff members
• Open-mindedness, ability to reflect and analyze one's work and take direction. 
• Motivation and commitment to work with a multi-racial organization that engages in statewide progressive policy change and the electoral landscape.
• Ability to travel, including having a reliable car and valid driver’s license.

Preferred Attributes

• Able to speak Spanish fluently. 
• An ideal candidate will be from Buffalo/surrounding areas or have worked in Buffalo with a strong sense of the community and the local political landscape. 
• A passion for fighting for education justice.

Location

This position is based in Western New York (Buffalo and surrounding areas), therefore the candidate will have to live in Buffalo or the surrounding area. Relocation stipend may be available. In-person participation in meetings and events may be required at different locations. Periodic travel across New York State is required. Travel may be required outside of New York State. Travel may include multiple day trips and over weekends.

Our Benefits

• Working collaboratively in an organization at the forefront of building power across NYS 
• Competitive salary
• 100% paid employee monthly medical and vision premiums
• Access to mental health and dental plans
• 401(k) retirement plan
• Monthly cell phone stipend
• Generous paid holidays, vacation time, and paid sick leave
• Organization shutdown weeks in July and December, and Summer Fridays

Please note, all benefits are subject to change.

Salary: $60,405.80

Union Affiliation

Citizen Action is proud to be a unionized workplace in partnership with Worker Action. This position is a bargaining unit position.

Equal Opportunity Employer

Citizen Action of NY and The Public Policy and Education Fund are equal opportunity employers. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, protected veteran status, or any other basis protected by applicable law, and will not be discriminated against on the basis of disability. We are looking for the most passionate people who want to join our team. People of color are strongly encouraged to apply. 

Applicants may be entitled to reasonable accommodations under the terms of the ADA and state/local laws. Please let us know if you need assistance participating in the interview process.

Salary : $60,406