Position Announcement: Organizing Director

The ACLU of Arizona works to advance equity and dismantle systemic injustice through legal action, policy advocacy, and mobilizing our communities to protect the civil rights, liberties, and dignity of all Arizonans. We are excited to announce the search for an experienced, creative Organizing Director to develop and grow ACLU of AZ’s organizing program. The Organizing Director will advance this critical strategy alongside communities directly impacted by the issues we address to move power into the hands of everyday people to hold decision makers accountable to the rights and dignity that all Arizonans should enjoy.

Position Overview

The Organizing Director ensures our policies, practices, culture, and values are aligned to set our staff up for long-term success and impact as champions of civil rights in Arizona. This position will play an essential role in supporting a healthy and thriving organizational culture and making sure that we make progress towards our goals of fighting for systemic change and racial justice, internally and externally.

The ideal candidate is a senior-level organizer who has recruited, supervised, and trained organizing staff on issue-based and people-powered electoral campaigns. The Organizing Director is a trainer of trainers with a deep understanding of how to build grassroots leadership, including using creative learning curriculum, that results in integrating grassroots leaders into campaign strategy. Because ACLU of AZ is a multi-issue, multi-tactic organization, the Organizing Director must be strategic and know how, when, and why to quickly shift or integrate new opportunities as they arise. Personal experience with the criminal justice or other unjust systems is preferred. And at the foundation of it all, they should share the values of the ACLU of AZ, support our vision, and want our committed organizers and volunteers to be as successful as they can and should be.

Location: Arizona; Phoenix preferred

Starting Salary Range: $85,000-$105,000

Deadline to Apply: November 28th, 2022

Supervision: This position reports to the Director of Program and Strategy, is a member of the Program Leadership Team and has 3-4 direct reports

Classification: Full-time, exempt

Position Responsibilities

• Recruiting, hiring, managing, training, and retaining committed, creative, and skilled organizers.
• Ensure that organizers and grassroots leaders have the tools, training, and support to develop and evaluate campaigns rooted in traditional grassroots community organizing, digital organizing and online engagement.
• Working with other department heads to ensure organizing is a core component of our integrated advocacy model that brings together organizing, policy, legal, communications and electoral strategies to affect systemic change.
• Establishing a positive, collaborative culture within the organizing team that is driven by values, accountability, teamwork, and creativity.
• Support the organizing team in coalition building efforts, including identifying and developing relationships with Arizona organizations (e.g., multi-issue organizations, faith -based coalitions, abolition groups, etc.) and leaders who can become effective partners in issue and electoral campaigns.
• Overseeing and coaching staff and volunteers to plan small and large-scale events and activities that further campaign and organizing goals.
• Developing and implementing an effective “ladder of engagement” and training plan and curriculum for volunteers that takes them from prospect to active volunteer to leader.
• Creating organizing materials such as call scripts, door-knocking raps, meeting agendas, training curriculum, and coordinating with other departments to develop organizer talking points and outreach materials.
• Developing and use tracking systems, tools, and structures that provide clarity, accountability, and structure for organizers including using VAN effectively to set, track and achieve organizing goals.
• Creating regular qualitative and quantitative reports on progress for the board of directors, staff, funders, and other stakeholders.
• Developing innovative, creative, and cultural approaches to recruit, engage and build skills and analysis with priority and underrepresented constituencies to play leadership roles within ACLU of Arizona campaigns.
• Leading by example as an effective organizer when team capacity is limited.
• Leading organizing department retreats, planning and evaluation sessions with organizers and grassroots leaders, and consistent department and team meetings.
• Collaborate with and serve as a thought-partner with colleagues on the Leadership Team and across the national ACLU network.
• Develop and monitor the organizing department budget and other administrative functions.

Qualifications

While no candidate will possess every quality, the successful candidate will possess many of the following qualifications and attributes. Even if you aren’t sure but are excited about the position, we encourage you to apply.

• Work Experience: Required – Minimum of 5 years experience working on community or labor organizing movement building efforts. 2+ years of direct supervisory experience of organizers, including staff and volunteer leadership training experience. Must also have experience in issue organizing and electoral campaigns with communities of color and/or formerly incarcerated people and working with coalition partners. Experience in campaign planning, accountability measures, tracking progress and accountability in organizing programs, and curriculum development for adult learning.
• Preferred – Previous experience working in Arizona with an understanding of the political and organization landscape.
• Skills: Required – Exceptional supervision and coaching skills, including managing organizers. Knowledge of community organizing, people-powered electoral campaigns and movement building. Strong understanding of various organizing models and philosophies and a willingness to innovate and try new tactics. Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to write and implement campaign and organizing plans. Ability to partner and collaborate with the existing ACLU of AZ team and represent ACLU of AZ to a variety of audiences and mediums. Work well in a fast-paced environment and be able to multitask without sacrificing the quality of work. Reliable, consistent, detail-oriented, and self-motivated.
• Preferred – Fluency in VAN, Office Suite. Familiarity with the IRS rules regarding 501(c)(3) and 501(c)(4) organizations. Bilingual in English and Spanish.
• Cultural Competencies: Demonstrated awareness of one’s own cultural identity, views about differences, and the ability to learn and build on varying cultural and community norms. A complex understanding of racial justice and the urgency of confronting institutional racism and inequity. Commitment to equity and inclusion as organizational practice and culture. Proven track record of successfully working across lines of race, immigration status, ethnicity, language, class, gender, and other identities and experiences.

Working Conditions: The ACLU of Arizona offices are generally open between the hours of 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. The physical demands and work environment described below represent those required and encountered by an employee to perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Inputting information into a computer for long periods of time.
• Work some evenings, weekends, and holidays.
• Periodically work long and extended hours.
• Occasionally travel locally/regionally/internationally as needed.

This job description provides a general but not comprehensive list of the essential responsibilities and qualifications required. Please note that most ACLU-AZ staff are based in Phoenix; this position requires in-person work in the Phoenix office, occasionally in the Tucson office, and does permit some remote work.

Why work for ACLU of AZ?

Time off: Staff get 15 vacation days their first three years; 20 days after four years. We offer an additional 17 days off for holidays and personal days.

Benefits package: We cover 100% of health, vision, and dental insurance for employees. We provide life and disability insurance, as well as reimbursement of some out-of-pocket healthcare related expenses. Staff are reimbursed for cell phones and home internet if working from home.

401k Plan: We want you to be prepared for retirement! We match 100% of the first 1% of your salary deferred to your 401k, plus 50% of the next 5% of your salary contribution. And then, we contribute an additional 2% of your salary contribution each pay period.

Commitment to our staff: We invest in staff growth and professional development opportunities and are committed to providing regular feedback and opportunities for advancement.

Crystal clear focus: Our team focuses on some of the most important and urgent issues of our times – from abortion rights, voting rights and democracy, LGBTQ+ rights, criminal justice reform, immigrant rights, border justice, and racial justice.

Our team is amazing: You will be working with incredibly dedicated, smart, and caring people who know how to have fun while getting a lot done in a low-ego environment. In addition to your Arizona colleagues, you will become part of a national network of ACLU staff in all 50 states plus D.C. and Puerto Rico!

How to Apply

Email your resume and cover letter to jobs(at)acluaz(dot)org. Include “Organizing Director” in the subject line and how you heard about the position. In the cover letter, please answer the following questions:

1) Why you are interested in working at the ACLU of AZ; and

2) How have you demonstrated a commitment to equity in your previous roles?

No phone calls or walk-ins, please.

The ACLU of Arizona undertakes inclusive strategies in its recruitment and employment efforts to assure that persons with disabilities have full opportunities for employment in all positions. We encourage applicants with disabilities who may need accommodations in the application process to contact jobs(at)acluaz(dot)org

Deadline: Applicants must submit their cover letter and resume by November 28th, 2022.

The ACLU of Arizona is an equal opportunity employer. We value a diverse workforce and an inclusive culture. We encourage applications from all qualified individuals without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, national origin, marital status, citizenship, disability, veteran status and record of arrest or conviction.

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: $85,000.00 - $105,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• 401(k)
• Dental insurance
• Health insurance
• Paid time off
• Vision insurance

Schedule:

• 8 hour shift

Ability to commute/relocate:

• Phoenix, AZ 85014: Reliably commute or planning to relocate before starting work (Preferred)

Application Question(s):

• Have you emailed your application to the address listed in the job description?

Experience:

• organizing traditional grass root campaigns: 1 year (Preferred)
• Developing & implementing an effective ladder of engagement: 2 years (Preferred)

Work Location: Hybrid remote in Phoenix, AZ 85014