Community Organizer

THE ORGANIZATION: The New Justice Project MN is a Black-led organization dedicated to creating equitable job opportunities, advocating for housing justice, reimagining community safety, and building power amongst Black Minnesotans.

Our mission is to empower those directly affected by systemic racism and drive collective liberation. We build multi-racial, multi-generational, and multi-faith coalitions, collaborating with Brown, Indigenous, and immigrant organizations to achieve meaningful and transformative change.

POSITION SUMMARY

This organizer will work to engage communities in targeted neighborhoods within the Twin Cities and across Minnesota. This organizer will develop an active member team who will develop their leadership, get trained in the skills of relational organizing and campaigning, and who will fight and win on issues facing our communities.

PRIMARY FUNCTIONS

Essential duties and responsibilities may include, but are not limited to the following:

• Use organizing tools (canvassing, textbanking, phonebanking, one-to-one’s, powerful asks, etc.) to lead excellent outreach to identify, recruit, train, and move the people most impacted by racial capitalism (young people, BIPOC people, renters, parents/caregivers, queer people, artists) into self-interested roles that equip people for leadership, strategic decision-making and responsibility in regular outreach, member and base-building, campaigning, and action
• Be rigorously focused on leadership development of members and member leaders
• Plan and lead effective organizing meetings, member meetings, and trainings to build community, develop leadership, and move work forward
• Identify needs for political education and skills trainings and collaborate to get the training need for their base and connect these trainings to overall training needs for the organization
• Learn to lead issue-cutting and decision-making processes to build strategy, infrastructure, narrative, and materials for local issue campaigns led by their base.
• In collaboration with the Organizing Team, develop a plan for building membership

QUALIFICATIONS:

Behaviors:

• Detail Oriented – Holds the highest standards of accuracy and precision, is highly organized, meets deadlines and manages multiple tasks in a fast-paced work environment, is articulate with excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Stakeholder Focus - Is dedicated to meeting the expectations of internal and external stakeholders, gets first-hand stakeholder information and uses it for improvements in services, acts with stakeholders in mind, establishes and maintains effective relationships with stakeholders and gains their trust and respect.
• Interpersonal Savvy - Relates well to all kinds of people, up, down and sideways, inside and outside the organization, builds appropriate rapport, builds constructive and effective relationships, uses diplomacy and tact, can diffuse even high-tension situations comfortably, proven ability to be assertive yet approachable.
• Learning Agility – Learns quickly when facing new problems, a relentless and versatile learner, and open to change; analyzes both successes and failures for clues to improvement, experiments and will try anything to find solutions, enjoys the challenge of unfamiliar tasks, quickly grasps the essence and the underlying structure of anything.
• Dealing with Ambiguity – Can effectively cope with change, can shift gears comfortably, can decide and act without having the total picture, isn’t upset when things are up in the air, doesn’t have to finish things before moving on, can comfortably handle risk and uncertainty.
  • Focused on Inclusivity – Has a strong commitment to gender, racial and economic justice and progressive political change, displays cultural sensitivity, competency, and professionalism in the workplace.

Knowledge and Experience:

• A natural sense of curiosity about people and the ability to build rapport with diverse groups of people. Ability to both be a good listener and be bold in conversations with strangers and volunteers.
• A demonstrated commitment to racial, housing, economic, and gender justice and commitment to progressive political change.
• Willingness to speak up, suggest new ideas, receive feedback, adjust plans to ensure successful completion of goals, and be part of the solution.
• Ability to practice showing up for leaders and co-workers with consistent follow-through and good communication.
• Unafraid of being challenged and challenging coworkers in order to reflect on and grow in leadership development.

OTHER EXPECTATIONS:

• A strong commitment to social, racial, and economic justice and progressive political change.
• Enthusiastically promote New Justice Project Minnesota’s goals and priorities in compliance with all policies and procedures and have a deep investment in our shared agenda for change.
• Complete and coordinate special projects as needed.
• Other duties or tasks may be assigned on an as-needed basis.
• Flexibility to periodically work outside normal business hours that include evenings and weekends, and periodically work extended hours to accomplish requirements of the position.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS AND WORKING ENVIRONMENT

Work is performed in the field and in a standard office environment which requires occasionally lifting such articles as file boxes or heavier materials with help from others and/or lifting and carrying light objects frequently. A job in this category may require walking or standing to a significant degree or may involve sitting most of the time with long periods of computer work and heavy phone usage.

SALARY/BENEFITS/OTHER INFORMATION

• Salary is commensurate with experience and starts at $55,000
• Full time employment defined at thirty-two (32) hours a week.
• Full health and dental benefits through HealthPartners. New Justice Project Minnesota pays 95% of monthly insurance premiums for the employee and their family.
• Long Term Disability, AD&D and life insurance provided at no cost to employee.
• 401(k) and Roth 401(K) Retirement plans with up to 3% employer match.
• 3 weeks of vacation in the first year, 2 weeks of sick and safe leave upon hire with another 2 weeks in the first year, 8 paid holidays, and an office closure the last week of the year.
• 12 weeks paid parental leave, as well as other health related extended paid leave options.
• Annual 4% guaranteed pay increase; Monthly reimbursements including cell phone and home internet use; annual wellness and professional development stipends
• This position is NOT a member of the Minnesota Newspaper and Communications Guild.

REPORTS TO & LOCATION

• This position reports directly to the Lead Organizer
• This position is located in our St. Paul office, but may be required to occasionally travel. In response to COVID-19, all employees are resourced to work from home or under a hybrid model as needed.

HOW TO APPLY

Upload a cover letter, resume and three references. This position will be open until filled with application review beginning Friday, February 14th.

NO PHONE CALLS OR EMAIL INQUIRIES WILL BE ACCEPTED.

TakeAction Minnesota is an equal opportunity employer and encourages applications from people of color, persons with disabilities, LGBT individuals, and women.