Immigrant Rights Community Organizer

Community Organizer – Immigrant Rights

• • Location: Virtual – northern Virginia
  • Minimum Experience: 1 Year
  • One-year contract position subject to renewal depending upon funding.

Contact information

• • Lenka Mendoza

About Dreamer Mothers in Action (DMIA)

Dreamer Mothers in Action (DMIA) is an immigrant rights organization based in northern Virginia that works to promote, protect and fulfill the fights of immigrant domestic and care workers, their families and communities. We are a member-based organization with an active member base who help lead the organization and guide its work. We work on immigrant rights issues at the federal, state and local levels and are members of federal and state-wide coalitions that engage in a host of immigrant advocacy campaigns. Our work includes testifying at state and local forums on policy issues impacting immigrant communities, organizing protests and vigils and providing public education and outreach efforts. DMIA has been at the forefront of some of Virginia’s most important immigrant rights struggles including the passage of the state’s first driver privilege card legislation, Virginia’s Domestic Worker Bill of Rights, and in-state tuition for all Virginia students regardless of their immigration status.

Organizer Position

DMIA seeks an immigration rights organizer to help the Executive Director develop DMIA’s advocacy work. You will lead and support various strategic campaigns via outreach, legislative and policy change, working in coalition, and building power in directly impacted communities. While the position is based in northern Virginia, you will also work in Richmond during the General Assembly and Washington D.C. for federal advocacy efforts. Other travel may be required.

Job Duties:

• • Outreach, Education, and Leadership Development: You will engage immigrant community members via outreach, active listening, education, and information-gathering on issues of importance to areas directly impacted by economic and racial injustice. You will also identify and develop community leaders and provide advocacy training and technical assistance.
  • Community Relationship Building: You will strengthen the relationship between DMIA and the community, focusing on organizations and agencies operating within our mission space. These could include, but are not limited to, service providers, immigrant rights coalitions, non-profit organizations, and informal neighborhood and community networks, identifying key partnerships that will advance positive interventions to community needs. Over time, you will leverage these relationships to support and mobilize advocacy efforts for greater community impact.
  • Mobilizing Communities: You will work alongside low-income community members and coalitions to engage in community advocacy strategies.
  • Campaign Advocacy: You will work with the Executive Director and partners to develop and implement campaigns that will build power and advance policies designed to promote and protect immigrant domestic and care workers’ rights, their families and communities.
  • Strategic Communications: You will work with the Executive Director to develop and execute communications plans in furtherance of advocacy objectives.

Required Qualifications:

• • Bilingual Spanish/English both spoken/written
  • Strong commitment to social, economic, and racial justice.
  • Minimum of 1 year of lived or working experience with community organizing, advocacy, or strategic campaigning – knowing how to identify an issue, bring a community together, and achieve lasting change.
  • Demonstrated experience working with immigrants and/or communities impacted by racial and economic injustice with an emphasis on immigration communities.
  • Ability to work with partners and own or delegate tasks.
  • Must have a driver’s license and personal vehicle/reliable transportation to travel around northern Virginia, occasionally other parts of the state and Washington, D.C.

Preferred Qualifications:

• • Lived or professional experience in communities historically marginalized due to race, immigration status, gender, etc.
  • Experience using media to amplify the needs of a community.
  • Ability to use a variety of tools to reach the community, account for accessibility needs, and keep people engaged (ex. online tools, door-knocking, social media).
  • Experience coordinating organizing strategies with legal advocacy strategies (ex. organizing a public pressure campaign alongside a lawsuit or legislation).

Location: This role will be based in northern Virginia and Organizer will initially be required to work virtually and in the community while maintaining regular meetings with ED.

Salary: This is a one-year contract position subject to renewal depending upon available funding with health benefits, paid sick leave and vacation.

Application: Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until position is filled. This position requires a cover letter, resume, and contact information for three references. Please address the cover letter to Lenka Mendoza, Executive Director. We will not contact references without advance consent from candidates.