Organizing Lead

Pesticide Action & Agroecology Network (PAN) is seeking an experienced organizer and movement builder to lead our organizing work. The Organizing Lead is a pivotal role that sustains and builds PAN’s capacity to partner with farmers, farmworkers, environmental interest groups, and those most harmed by pesticides (including rural communities and children), and advances our collective work to advocate for policies and practices that strengthen a just food and farming system. This role is designed to deepen relationships and ensure PAN remains grounded in meaningful partnerships that respond to and empower the work of core constituencies. The Organizing Lead will work in coalitions in the state where they are located, as well as take leadership across the PAN Program Team in coordinating team-wide support to priority collaborations where we work across the US.

This remote position can be located anywhere outside of California, with special encouragement to candidates in the Midwest (although strong candidates anywhere should apply). The Organizing Lead is committed to racial, economic, and climate justice. They are a movement strategist, who will help staff articulate and move forward the work we are doing with partners, centering those most affected. They will also lead team coordination so that PAN can be as helpful to partners as possible. Candidates should have at least three years of experience in advocacy and organizing, and ideally background and interest in food and farming.

The Organization

PAN works to create a just, thriving food system, working with those on the frontlines — farmers, farmworkers, families with young children, Native people and rural communities — to tackle the health, economic and environmental problems created by our industrialized system of food and farming. We are part of a global network that works to reclaim the future of food and farming from corporate interests. Learn more about PAN’s mission here.

Overview

The Organizing Lead facilitates collaborative processes across a diverse set of organizations, staff and people working together toward building a just, resilient food system, through organizing support to core constituency movements and their allies. The Organizing Lead is committed to sustaining and building PAN’s capacity to partner with and support communities harmed by pesticides in industrial agriculture and advocating for policies and practices that strengthen a just food and farming system. They are committed to racial, economic and climate justice, and to confronting all forms of injustice within the food system and within our movements. PAN is seeking a movement strategist, who will come to deeply understand the work we are doing with partners, and will identify and lead opportunities for coordinating our work so that PAN can be as helpful to partners as possible.

Position Details

• Up to full time: Minimum 75%, up to full time equivalent (1 FTE = 36 hours per week), based on candidate preference.
• Location: This position is fully remote. Candidates may live in any location in the US outside of California, with encouragement to candidates based in the Midwest.
• Salary: $75,000 at 1 FTE, exempt
• Benefits: This position includes PAN’s extensive benefit package which includes health, dental, and vision insurance, a 403(b) retirement plan, generous vacation and sick leave, and flexible scheduling.
• Travel: Occasional travel for team-based meetings required.

Specific Responsibilities

40% Regionally-based Organizing and Advocacy

• Build relationships with local organizations and networks in the state and region where the candidate is hired to support movement-building and advance shared advocacy goals on important issues of focus for PAN.
• This local organizing work may include: identifying joint advocacy priorities, developing strategic campaigns towards a shared goal, offering scientific and communication resources rooted in PAN’s expertise, managing a consultant or lobbyist for a coalition, contributing to public awareness, and/or educating and pressuring decision makers to shift public policy and implementation.
• Build and maintain accountable relationships with organizations or networks representing those most impacted by agrochemicals, including rural communities and children, farmworkers, Native and tribal organizations, farmers of color, family farmers, young farmers, and urban farmers, among others.
• Identify local and regional issues that build engagement and power in the sustainable food and agriculture movement space.

40% Coordinate Team-wide Collaboration on Organizing

• Facilitate program team decision-making on where and when to collaborate as a team on a select set of local or regional movement building initiatives where individual PAN staff are involved, and where greater coordination would be most beneficial.
• For priority team-based work, lead the coordination across PAN’s science, communications, policy and organizing staff to support team planning, including developing timelines, clarifying roles and responsibilities, and tracking ongoing work, holding teams accountable to our values and movement partners.
• Identify opportunities, insights, and solicit feedback from on-the-ground partner organizations and communities to shape PAN’s work.

10% Support PAN’s Organizing Resources and Learning

• Help develop and routinely update PAN’s resources and educational materials useful to organizing in collaboration with Communications, Policy, and Grassroots Science staff.
• Identify opportunities for exchange on lessons learned between groups in different states, or from PAN’s global network with US-based groups.

5% Cross-organizational Work

• Support PAN’s articulation of our approach to movement building to funders and peer organizations.
• Work with PAN fundraising staff on grant reports, funder presentations and proposals to ensure program organizing priorities are faithfully articulated.
• Support budgeting processes, from contributing to grant proposal budgets, to tracking and reporting upon project and individual work expenditures.
• Represent PAN in conferences and select regional or national-level coalition spaces

Other duties may be assigned from time to time as the needs of the organization change.

Supervision and Organizational Relationships

• This position reports to the Executive Director, yet exists within team-based leadership and accountability structures.
• This position is based in the wider Program team, and will have strong onboarding relationships with program staff, especially over the first six months.
• This position does not currently manage other positions, but may manage consultant contracts and joint projects with outside organizations.

Experience and Skills

• At least three years of experience in organizing or advocacy work.
• Experience or strong interest in environmental justice, agricultural policy, and reducing the harm of agrichemicals.
• At least three years of experience in team-based settings and work where relationship building is key, including holding organizational- or project-based leadership roles.
• Strong interpersonal skills, a highly developed skillset in listening to people from diverse experiences and backgrounds, and a proactive approach to conflict resolution.

Schedule

The Organizing Lead will work with their supervisor to prioritize their work plan and time, which may be flexible as long as essential program delivery and outcomes are achieved. Some travel, as well as night and weekend work may on be needed on rare occasions to meet goals, but all staff are encouraged to take corresponding time off to maintain a healthy work-life balance when working outside the bound of their normal schedule.

Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Statement

PAN is an equal opportunity employer with a strong commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion. We strongly encourage applicants from all backgrounds and walks of life. We believe that diversity and inclusion is critical to our success. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, ethnicity, national origin, pregnancy status, gender, disability, age, biological sex, sexual orientation or gender identity.

Application Instructions

Please send a cover letter and resume outlining your interest and qualifications for the position to jobpost@panna.org with the subject “Organizing Lead” on or before November 4, 2024. Your cover letter should (1) describe how your skills and experience align with the position and (2) your passion for PAN’s mission, vision, and values. Applications will be screened on a rolling basis so it is in candidate interest to apply as soon as possible.