Community Organizer

Community Organizer Job Description

Join us to make an impact alongside inspiring leaders. PATH works locally to build the people power to act and win on some of the most important issues of our time, including climate change. Our vision of a better world is one where all people have a seat at the table when decisions are made in our democracy. We believe that people—tenants, school parents, frontline workers, people impacted by the criminal justice system, and community members—have the best ideas about how to solve the most challenging problems. We have a track record of organizing so that the ideas and voices of community leaders shape laws and policies in the areas of housing, good jobs, criminal justice reform, voting, immigrant rights, education, consumer protection, community development and more.

WHY WORK FOR PATH

PATH is a people’s power organization, rooted in local congregations and schools. PATH trains and develops community leaders to act to bring about more economic justice and racial equity, to hold elected and corporate officials accountable, and to make concrete impact on issues. We organize people and money to act together to win.

Big Impact:

We have impacted tens of thousands of people through organizing power with people to shape education, housing, jobs, youth, racial equity, and economic justice. PATH is a vehicle for community leaders to act together for a seat at the table to shape the state of Maryland and the country.

Great People : Work alongside and in the service of a talented, visionary, inspiring, dedicated and diverse team of leaders. We take our drive to build power for the people seriously and we work hard. We take the work seriously but try to not not to take ourselves too seriously. We also strive to do so with joy, a sense of humor and balance.

Opportunity to grow: We strive for a work culture of learning, growth and development. We strive to make sure that everyone has an opportunity to work on projects that stretch them and are deeply meaningful. While we also all roll up our sleeves to pull our weight with some more mundane tasks that need to get done too. Be a part of a team made up of interesting, smart, driven, and diverse colleagues and leaders who are deeply committed to their own growth and the growth of each other. PATH is connected to a statewide, regional and national network of other like-minded organizations including the Washington Interfaith Network, Greater Cleveland Congregations, Greater Boston Interfaith Organization, and Common Ground in Milwaukee. You will be working with a larger team of organizers from AIM and ACT in Maryland.

PATH is an equal opportunity employer. Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) are strongly encouraged to apply.

POSITION DESCRIPTION:

The Organizer will use relational organizing to identify, recruit and train volunteer leaders across race and faith to build more people power to address issues of systemic inequity. You will work with community leaders to organize campaigns to improve health, housing, education and environmental outcomes for Howard County and across Maryland.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

Organize leaders and potential leaders in congregations, schools, and neighborhoods to:

• participate in listening sessions,
• engage in community power mapping exercises,
• lead political meetings,
• lead campaigns around climate justice, health and other issues important to them;

Organize residents in rental housing for better living conditions; Organize members of religious congregations to build multi-racial coalitions working together on climate justice; Support county-wide action team meetings and large actions at both the county and state level to run actions on elected officials and businesses; Engage in and lead professional development (trainings, workshops, reflections).

QUALITIES OF A SUCCESSFUL ORGANIZER:

• COMMITTED TO BUILDING PEOPLE POWER and developing leaders.
• PEOPLE PERSON- you are curious about people, hearing their stories, and teaching them organizing skills. You are eager to connect and work with people of different identities—bridging racial, cultural and socioeconomic groups with care and intention.
• POLITICAL AND STRATEGIC THINKING
• HIGHLY INDEPENDENT
• CAN DRIVE TO MEETINGS AT DIFFERENT LOCATIONS THROUGHOUT Howard County.

INTERESTED?

Share your resume and share a story where you were the principal player in making change; please include what motivated you to act and one key lesson you learned from the experience.