Grassroots Advocacy Organizer- for Reuse program

Our Story

The Story of Stuff Project is transforming the way we make, use, and throw away Stuff to be more sustainable, healthy and fair. Over the past fifteen years, our trademark animated videos and field-leading social media content have engaged tens of millions of viewers in a solutions-oriented exploration of the take-make-waste economy and its impacts on people and the planet. Today, we encourage the civic engagement of our global, online Community by enlisting their participation in campaigns for environmental and economic justice and by supporting their leadership with everything from small grants to training and strategic advice.

As a storytelling-first organization, we know that ‘winning the story wars’ is an essential ingredient in all successful movements for change. While our content runs the gamut from documentaries to shorts on TikTok, our commitment to meaningful and impactful storytelling shines through in everything we create. We aim to break down complicated environmental, economic and social issues, center compelling and inspiring civic activists and organizations and spotlight the solutions these leaders are fielding in their own communities.

The Reuse Program

Over the next 3 years, the Story of Stuff Project aims to dramatically decrease single-use plastic packaging by holding beverage companies and food service operators accountable for transitioning to returnable, reusable packaging. We plan to enact policies and support the launch of reuse systems in at least 30 local jurisdictions and, at the state level, enact 3-5 state reusable beverage policies and 2-3 reusable foodware policies. To win, we need to dramatically increase grassroots support and activism for reuse policies and programs both within our own online Community and across plastic pollution and climate organizations throughout the U.S.

Position Summary

The Grassroots  Advocacy Organizer will play a key role in the Story of Stuff’s efforts to strengthen and strategically deploy grassroots advocacy to enact policies that bring reuse into the beverage and food service industries in North America at the local and state level. Over the next few years, as Story of Stuff launches policy campaigns to return refill to the beverage industry and bring reuse to onsite dining and takeout, this person will work with local reuse and plastic pollution coalitions to support their engagement and activation. From helping to launch and continually implement a reuse advocacy training program (Reuse Boot Camp), to further developing advocacy leadership skills of local activists, to helping grassroots coalitions engage in reuse policy campaigns, the person who fills this role will spend much of their time supporting grassroots activists’ engagement in policy advocacy and campaign implementation. 

This position requires a strong background in community organizing and grassroots engagement. This person will be comfortable interacting with community members in a range of mediums and will be comfortable in a fast-paced environment which may require responding to campaign needs promptly. We seek a highly motivated candidate with experience in social change organizing, campaigning and/or policy advocacy. The ideal candidate has experience working on policy campaigns at the local and/ or state level.  The candidate would also have experience coalition-building and supporting a diversity of local teams or advocacy groups.

Job Duties & Responsibilities

• Accelerate The Story of Stuff Project’s grassroots organizing capacity across the country and support individuals and community-based organizations in increasing their impact and leadership capacity.
• Help launch Story of Stuff Project’s Reuse Organizer Boot Camp and provide other forms of training and presentations for reuse activists.
• Facilitate the transition of newly trained activists to existing coalitions and support the formation of new local coalitions.
• Provide strategic support for new and existing reuse coalitions and help them win reuse policy campaigns and develop reuse services.
• Advise reuse coalitions on innovative organizing strategies and tactics and intersectional approaches to community organizing. 
• Proactively recruit new allies to the fight, including local plastic pollution groups, climate advocates, zero waste advocates, environmental justice groups, canners and other informal economy workers, church groups and others. 
• Connect more meaningfully with organizations representing fenceline communities about solutions like reuse. 
• Conduct research and maintain databases that track local community-based organizations, reuse service providers, and reuse policies.
• Conduct research and writing to develop resources for the campaigns we offer to grassroots advocates.
• Assist in the ideation and development of new organizing projects, local campaigns, programs, and initiatives.
• Collaborate with the organization’s campaigns and marketing teams and support the needs of media content development and our digital advocacy and social media strategy leads to launch engagement tools for reuse advocates.

Qualifications: 

• Demonstrated minimum three to five years experience in political, policy or community organizing, and grassroots engagement in a professional setting. 
• Demonstrated experience engaging and supporting a diverse group of people to reach their goals, including increasing depths of participation.
• Experience facilitating interactive training for leadership development, grassroots organizing, and civic engagement. 
• Demonstrated ability to build collaborations and coalitions.
• A proven track record of engaging diverse communities and constituencies in a common cause.
• Demonstrated experience recruiting new members using a mix of digital and in-person community-based tactics.
• Comfort with modern (Slack, social media options) as well as traditional organizing tools (e.g. in person, on the phone) 
• Experience in waste prevention, plastics reduction, toxics reduction, or climate change advocacy is a plus.
• Experience passing laws at the city or state level is a plus
• Great people skills: good at listening, maintaining relationships, and following up.
• Demonstrates a strong commitment to social justice and actively works to dismantle systems of oppression, including racism, sexism, misogyny, classism, ableism, homophobia, xenophobia, and other forms of discrimination. Commitment to working with people from a variety of ethnic, racial, and socioeconomic backgrounds, as well as varying religious, educational, generational, and gender identity backgrounds.
• Strong project management and organizational skills, coupled with sharp attention to detail, solution orientation, and a demonstrated ability to manage competing and changing priorities effectively.
• Openness to ongoing learning and coaching from colleagues at every level.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills that inspire action. 
• The ability to work nimbly and respond quickly to emerging opportunities.
• Desire and ability to work well in a collaborative, team environment. 

Competitive and comprehensive benefits include 100% employer provided health, dental, and vision coverage for employees and dependents; a 401(k) plan; generous PTO policy; flexible work culture; and more.

To submit your application for this position, please visit www.storyofstuff.org/jobs.

Your application should include a resume and a cover letter that addresses your background, experience, and qualifications for this position.