Temporary Rapid Response Organizer

Position Title: Temporary Rapid Response Organizer

Tier / Category: Tier 3 / Organizer III

Reports to: Strategic Campaigns Coordinator, Emma Keeshin

Supervised by: Co-Director of National Organizing Department, Z! Haukeness

Employment Status: Full time, Temporary: 9/1/2024 to 1/31/2025

FLSA:  Exempt

Location: Remote

Union: Bargaining Unit Member

Showing Up for Racial Justice (SURJ) is a national organization that brings white people into fights for racial and economic justice. We work to undermine the power of the Far Right and build the white flank of multiracial majorities fighting for the things all communities need. We organize white people by engaging their shared interest-- what they stand to gain by joining alongside people of color. We do this through 150+ local chapters across the US and Canada, a National Membership base, and local base-building projects in the South.

Summary of Position:

SURJ is seeking a Temporary Rapid Response Organizer in our National Organizing Department (NOD) to support SURJ’s responses to events that might happen during the 2024 election cycle through inauguration. We cannot fully anticipate what events might occur that could trigger the organization to move into rapid response mode, but heightened political violence and the nature of Trump’s discourse make us think there could be moments in which our base will need to defend democratic principles in various ways. This position would work with members of the NOD, chapter and member leaders, and across other departments at the organization to support an organizational response. This position will be responsible for training a team of people, and training chapters and members to take action. The Senior Leadership Team and NOD leadership will be decision makers on when rapid response actions are needed.

A successful person in this role, as well as every organizer within NOD, is expected to carry out recruitment, leadership development of members, and design and execute organizing programs aligned with SURJ’s national strategy and campaigns. The amount of time focused on each of these will vary based on the needs of the moment. NOD organizers are responsible for executing their unique realm of work while also participating in department-wide initiatives and team-wide pushes at key moments. In other words, NOD organizers are all expected to act as both specialists and generalists.

This position will report to their Peer Leader, the Strategic Campaigns Coordinator, and is supervised by the Co-Director of NOD. This position is included in a union-represented collective bargaining unit, and specific terms and conditions of employment are subject to the Collective Bargaining Agreement.

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES — Essential duties and responsibilities of this position may include, but are not limited to the following:

Priority 1: Execute Short Term Interventions (40%)

• Lead rapid response action planning in key locations under the direction of the Senior Leadership Team and NOD Co-directors
• In coordination with other SURJ staff, contact chapters, members and partners in key areas where there is an opportunity for rapid response actions
• Visit key locations to develop action teams and execute actions
• Make suggestions of key moments we may want to respond to as an organization and what our response could be
• Co-plan national days of action with chapter network and distributed staff
• Plan for actions that can be anticipated for key moments were we will want to be taking action (i.e. what’s the plan if Trump is convicted) 
• Pull lists, send emails, texts, and set up phone banks as needed to contact members and chapters to move into action. 
• Host online meetings as needed to move people into action in key moments. 

Priority 2: Build base and chapter preparedness and capacity for rapid response needs (20%)

• Build relationships with chapters and members to gain an understanding of local conditions that impact what type of response is needed. 
• Assess current capacity and plans to be able to rapidly respond to political or social crises, and develop and implement trainings, sometimes with partners to prepare leaders to respond.
• Train members, chapters and pods as needed in order to be prepared for mobilization. 
• Prioritize building relationships and networks of members within swing states. 

Priority 3: Develop team of member leaders for rapid response needs (20%)

• Support the maintenance and development of mobilization and base building infrastructures such as chapters and pods. 
• Develop action coaches to support actions where needed
• Support with getting chapters and members trained in election defense in collaboration with Mass Meeting teams and frontline programming. 
• Direct the activities of the members and volunteers to train and coach other members and chapters on taking action. 
• Assign work effectively to members and volunteers
• Support, mentor and cultivate the leadership of members and volunteers
• Provide members and volunteers with feedback and support their development
• Build deep trust with members and volunteers through respectful communication, supportive feedback and clear job expectations
• After each rapid response action, evaluate and adjust future actions based on debrief

Priority 4: Coordination and administration (20%)

• Attend weekly meetings for NOD, NOD sub-teams, all-SURJ staff, and as relevant, with other departments.
• Maintain daily coordination with colleagues (including across departments) via our shared remote workplace communication platforms: Slack, Google Workspace, email, etc. 
• Coordinate with Senior Leadership Team and NOD co-directors on when and how rapid response moments should be executed
• Coordinate with Communications team on messaging, media and spokespeople
• Coordinate with the Recruitment Team on our recruitment timelines, and capacities involved in activating our recruitment phones or texts systems. 
• Coordinate with the Action Hour team for the Action Hours to be used for rapid response. 
• Coordinate with the Data department on sending information to key members in key areas.
• Report to, and ask guidance from Managing Director and CFHRO to ensure legal support for high risk actions, and security for all actions.
• Build relationships with organizational allies to implement trainings and coordinate responses
• Develop an understanding of what organizations we are in partnership with, who holds these relationships and what considerations need to be made with each when taking action, work with others who hold these relationships to be in communication with them where needed. 
• Complete timesheets, reimbursement requests, and credit card expense submissions in accordance with compliance based policies
• Complete requests to supervisor for time off (vacation, health & wellness leave, etc.) via BambooHR in accordance with policies

QUALIFICATIONS:

• 3 years experience with campaign organizing, managing teams, and developing internal systems
• 3 years experience with volunteer recruitment, training and management

KNOWLEDGE:

• Experience designing and leading teams through processes of campaign or action planning, execution, and evaluation
• Experience designing and facilitating meetings, trainings, and/or group gatherings that move people into action
• Experience with individual member and chapter based organizing and mobilization that builds toward base-building campaigns
• Familiarity with customer relationship management systems such as EveryAction and Mobilize
• Experience working with a variety of digital tools to engage a diverse base 
• Experience with organizing and political education curriculum development 
• Deep understanding of SURJ’s work and theory of change
• Understanding and commitment to SURJ’s work of organizing majority white communities for racial and economic justice 
• An understanding of the strategic importance of the South and power dynamics between the South and the rest of the U.S. that can influence organizing efforts there 
• Ability to work in a cross-class environment while also holding a strong class politics that centers poor and working people

SKILLS:

• Excellent written, verbal and relational communication skills
• Excellent time management skills
• Excellent attention to detail
• Strong analytical, planning, and organizational skills 
• Strong written communication including internal and external facing communications
• Experience leading peer teams required. Supervisory experience preferred including ability to delegate.
• Experience doing public speaking, conducting trainings, providing technical assistance, and facilitation of large and small groups 
• Willingness to speak up, suggest new ideas, receive feedback, reflect, and adjust plans to ensure successful completion of goals, and be part of the solution

ABILITIES:

• Ability and willingness to travel to support local chapters and members 
• Ability to work evenings and weekend hours 
• Demonstrated ability to develop volunteer member leaders into taking on significant responsibility and create systems for them to do so
• Ability to prioritize their personal work and the work of a team they manage
• Ability to direct the work of volunteers and members
• Ability to manage multiple projects
• Flexible - open to new ways of doing things and experimentation
• Reliable - follows through on what they said they are going to do
• Demonstrated ability to work both independently and as part of a team
• Ability to give and receive direct constructive feedback
• Ability to work in fast paced environment at times of rapid response