Director of Organizing and Leadership Development

ORGANIZATIONAL OVERVIEW

Tenants & Neighbors is a member-led organization with a mission to build and strategically wield collective tenant power to preserve affordable housing, and to defend and strengthen tenants’ rights.

POSITION OVERVIEW

Tenants & Neighbors is seeking a highly experience looking for a Director of Organizing & Leadership Development. The position will provide leadership and oversight of Tenants & Neighbors’ tenant organizing, leadership development, and campaign work. We are looking for someone who will be both a senior strategist in the organization as well as work intensively with our organizing team to help them reach their fullest potential in base-building, leadership development, and winning strategic campaigns at the local, state and federal levels.

Applicants must be committed to an ideology of building community power, share our commitment to grassroots membership decision-making, progressive politics, and our theory of social change that is tied to metrics and measurable campaign wins that deliver concrete improvements to T&N members and communities.

Responsibilities include:

• Own the development of strong, longer-term strategic plans for our on-the-ground building organizing, education and leadership development for members/leaders.
• Plan and facilitate monthly member meetings to set, plan, and evaluate campaigns goals and strategies.
• Provides direct supervision to a diverse team of organizers, via regular supervision support with work planning, feedback on organizing strategies, holding organizers accountable to meeting goals, and providing professional development opportunities and training as needed.
• Help build and manage our organizational relationships by sitting and leading collaborative efforts with working groups, coalitions, and campaigns.
• Track and analyze policy and legislative developments, particularly affecting affordable housing tenants, and educate members and stakeholders to make informed recommendations on Tenants & Neighbors legislative and policy priorities.
• Undertake activities to recruit, retain, and increase membership.
• Prepare written reports, and meeting summaries and communicate the impact of the organization’s various programs to key stakeholders as needed.

Qualifications:

• Possess an understanding of core tenets of movement building and political campaigns, with a strong track record of winning concrete campaign victories, mobilizing people into action, power analysis, campaign development, and building community leadership.
• Minimum 5 years of strategic experience in tenant, union organizing, political organizing, and/ or legislative issue advocacy.
• Demonstrated experience managing a team of organizers with a wide range of experience and skill sets.
• Ability to facilitate, train, and develop members.
• Strong writing and verbal skills. The ability to communicate information clearly is fundamental to this role, especially via reports, campaign plans, and other strategy-related documents.
• Knowledge of New York City, State, and Federal affordable housing policy.
• Knowledge of the political landscape in New York State politics is a plus but not required.
• Excellent interpersonal skills. You are confident in interacting with other staff and have the ability to build strong working relationships with members and external partners, organizations, and consultants.
• Top-notch organization skills. Managing multiple priorities, timeliness, and attention to detail is key.
• Bilingual in Spanish preferred.