Organizing Director

Primary Duties and Responsibilities:

Strategy & Evaluation

- Provide overall leadership, management, and support for base building program activities and grow base of supporters

- Plan, develop and implement campaign tactics that will expand participation of the organization’s volunteer base focusing on diverse communities and impacted community members using a regional organizing approach that moves volunteer leaders through a ladder of engagement

- In coordination with the CPSO and other SDIC staff and partners, develop and lead implementation of an organizational electoral strategy, including working with community partners and volunteers to support ballot initiative and legislative campaigns

- Excellent problem-solving skills and solution-oriented approach, and highly adaptable to a shifting landscape and the need to change course or shift approach quickly.
Department Management & Strategic Leadership

- Ability to build a culture of growth and learning among staff and motivate team members to continue to learn and grow in their roles;

- Guide and advise organizing staff in the conception and implementation of mobilization goals, tactics, indicators of success and development of assessment tools

- Demonstrated initiative, responsibility, flexibility, and good and independent judgment, and ability to maintain confidentiality around strategy, personnel issues, and other intellectual property and legal issues;

- Ability to set clear goals for a department/team and hold team members accountable to achieving those goals;
Facility with planning and implementing field and organizing strategies for successful legislative, policy advocacy, and/or ballot initiative campaigns at the local and/or state level;

- Knowledge of California and/or San Diego and Imperial Counties’ political landscape and major organizational players and legislative and direct democracy processes.

- Work with the CPSO and Policy Director to develop and support grassroots and grass-tops elected accountability campaigns
In collaboration with External Affairs team, identify and develop storytelling opportunities with key partners and impacted community members

- Ensure collaboration and communication with allies and community partners.

Supervision & Collaboration

- Supervise and coach affiliate organizing team members to develop new organizing, base building and political power building campaign models, strategies and tactics. Ensure that each member of the organizing team has clear workplans, goals and knows what success looks like for their role.

- Champion implementation and expansion of the organization’s leadership engagement ladder through periodic evaluation and ensure development and/or implementation of data management systems, voter file, volunteer engagement and mobilization tools

- As a member of the Senior Leadership Team collaborate with other program directors and ACLU of California entities (ACLU Cal Action, ACLU Nor Cal and ACLU So Cal) as well as our National ACLU office to advance the affiliate’s strategic plan, department and team workplans

Administrative

- Manage the organizing department including hiring, supervision, creation and oversight of budget, and professional development for the department.

- Manage consultants and contractors as needed.

- Other duties as assigned

Our Must Haves:

- Familiarity with and proven commitment to a broad range of civil liberties issues, such as, immigrants’ rights and other border issues, education equity, racial and economic justice, discrimination, policing, housing, privacy and technology, gender and reproductive rights, and voting rights

- At least seven (7) years of experience in organizing, civic engagement, ballot initiative campaigns, volunteer leadership development, and/or grassroots advocacy;

- 5+ years management experience, including supervising managers and professional organizers.

- Strong candidates will have demonstrated experience using advocacy and community engagement as part of a creative response to civil rights violations in affected communities;

- Experience managing or leading coalitions;

- Strong organizational skills and ability to handle multiple projects and deadlines simultaneously

-Experience using constituent management database tools and voter file programs preferred but not required;

- Fluency in Spanish or other non-English language widely spoken in CA preferred but not required

- Work evenings and weekends when necessary.

Our Nice to Haves:

- Must understand the difference between a 501(c)(3) and a 501(c)(4).