Community Organizer

JOB ANNOUNCEMENT

Sacred Heart Community Service, located in San Jose, CA, is looking for a Community Organizer to develop the leadership capacity and grassroots activism of low-income communities and build a diverse base of allies.

We believe that for too long economic, political and cultural systems have served to empower some while oppressing many. We seek a world in which all people have power of self-determination. To achieve this long-term goal we believe there are two essential steps. First, we must tap into the values people use to make decisions. Second, we must change who is involved in decision making.

Our work is anchored in relationships, bound together through our common values of a community united, social justice learning, and leadership development.

For 60 years, SHCS has been one of the leading institutions addressing poverty in Santa Clara County through a strategy that combines meeting basic needs and offering tools for self-sufficiency while building power together to push for systemic change. In the 15 years that SHCS has been organizing, our committees have won local campaigns almost every year, including stopping a new Santa Clara County jail from being built, strengthening protections for renters from further displacement, and making our immigration protections among the strongest in the country. The Organizer will maintain that tradition, playing a key role in planning and implementing policy campaigns and developing a sustained and democratic organizing committee.

Position Summary

The Community Organizer supports SHCS’ efforts to change people and policies and fulfill our vision of a community united to ensure that every child and adult is free from poverty. A member of SHCS’ Power and Organizing team, this position is responsible for growing, implementing, and tracking SHCS’ efforts to develop the skills, consciousness, and involvement of grassroots neighborhood leaders; develop the political consciousness of potential allies; and create a culture of organizing and transformation across our programs. The Organizer plays a key role in planning and implementing policy campaigns to exercise grassroots power, and developing a sustained and democratic organization. The position serves as a liaison between internal programs, neighborhood leadership, and community partners.

Description of Duties

Recruitment and Base building (15-20%)

●        Recruits leaders to membership through door-to-door canvassing, personal visits, social service agency outreach, house meetings, and phoning.

●        Plans and coordinates outreach and organizing meetings in order to build an effective, ongoing organization and to promote participation and leadership of grassroots members and allies.

●        Develops and maintains outreach and organizing plans, work plans, campaign plans, leadership development plans, communications systems and databases to track leadership development.

●        Works with teammates, managers and leaders to meet PAO standards for leadership development, base building, one-on-one conversations, and campaign development.

Grassroots Organizing (60-70%)

Leadership Training

●        Collaborates with teammates and leaders to plan and execute an ongoing curriculum joining hard organizing skills with advanced political analysis and an anti-racism and anti-oppression worldview.

●        Trains leaders on a variety of core organizing skills including: member recruitment, facilitation and public speaking, planning, issue analysis, campaign strategy and tactics, advocacy, and organizational development.

●        Develops and implements leadership training on social change theory, power analysis, worldview analysis and ideology to help leaders develop their ability to win campaigns.

●        Develops a series of training sessions focused on housing issues and the role of Community Development Corporations (CDCs) to help leaders understand alternative solutions for housing preservation

Policy Campaigns

●        Works with community members to cut policy issues that serve as a basis for meaningful personal and systemic change.

●        Trains and positions leaders to run policy campaigns that recognize intersectional issues and incorporate an anti-racism and anti-oppression worldview.

●        Assists in issue research and analysis.

●      Trains and mentors leaders to represent the organization in meetings with policy makers and campaign targets, and to develop press stories/materials and media relationships in collaboration with SHCS communications staff.

●        Coordinates activities and actions, including the development and implementation of mobilization strategies for public participation in public policy hearings, actions, and discussions, with the goal of turning out hundreds of people at the peak of a campaign.

●        Supports leaders to create organizing materials including talking points, marketing collaterals, flyers, fact sheets, etc.

●        Supports agency-wide advocacy efforts that align with the mission and vision of Sacred Heart, result in meaningful change in people’s lives, and have the support of PAO members

Mutual Support and Community Building

●        Work with organizers and staff in other program areas to create a culture of organizing and transformation with a broader definition of what it means to build power, including mutual support.

●        Participate in training agency staff and leaders/members of program areas to develop organizing skills, political analysis and an anti-racist, anti-oppression worldview and practice.

●        Develop joint work plans on specific projects that promote leadership development, base-building, mutual support and meaningful policy change tied to PAO's core issues.

●        Work with staff across programs to identify and respond to organizing opportunities external to Sacred Heart's programs and existing membership.

Collaboration and Partnership (5-10%)

●        Work with the executive director and other senior staff to set appropriate roles and participation with regional partners.

●        Serve as liaison with local and regional anti-poverty advocacy collaborations and SHCS Power and Organizing Team.

●        Identify and build collaborations with key community partners.

General (10-20%)

●        Supports the planning and implementation of SHCS programs, events, training, and outreach efforts.

●        Performs other duties as assigned.

●        Participates in various trainings to enhance and train other leaders in housing issues

Required Qualifications and Experience

●        Strong commitment to our vision of uniting community to ensure every child and adult is free from poverty;

●        Ability to work with diverse people, communities, and cultures, with understanding of culturally competent practices;

●        1-2 years experience working in community organizing and/or public affairs, or similar grassroots leadership experience;

●        Ability to motivate and inspire members to take action;

●        2-3 years of community outreach and recruitment experience (i.e., door-to-door canvassing, personal visits, social service agency outreach, house meetings, phoning);

●        Bilingual in Spanish and English;

●        Demonstrated experience in grassroots leadership development programs, including curriculum development, training, and tracking systems;

●        Excellent meeting planning and facilitation skills;

●        Superior verbal, written, and presentation skills;

●        Detail oriented, self-motivated, ability to multitask, provide quick responses and highly organized;

●        Impeccable work ethic with flexibility for occasional long hours during peak campaign periods, and some evenings and weekends;

●        Computer literacy with proficiency in database systems (i.e., Salesforce or similar relationship management software), web-based communications, and Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides.

Preferred

●        Demonstrated knowledge of and success in public policy advocacy and coalition building

●        Basic graphic design software proficiency

●        Basic knowledge of alternative housing preservation such as CDCs, land trusts and coops

This is an exempt, salaried position ranging from $68,640 - $71,000 commensurate with experience. Excellent benefits include fully paid medical insurance for employees and majority paid medical insurance for qualified dependents, dental insurance, vision insurance, 12 paid holidays, 10 paid sick days per year, paid vacation starting at 10 days per year, additional wellness benefits, basic life and long-term disability insurance, 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.

This position is represented by Service Employees International Union (SEIU), Local 521.

Visit us at http://www.sacredheartcs.org for more information about our organization. Position is open until fill