Full-Time Climate Justice Lead Organizer
Job Description
About People’s Action/Institute
People’s Action Institute (501c3) and its sister organization People’s Action (501c4) are national progressive organizations supporting the mobilization and leadership of the grassroots in support of an agenda that reflects people over profits. People’s Action/Institute builds the power of poor and working people in rural, suburban, and urban areas to win change through issue campaigns and elections.
With offices in Washington, DC, and Chicago, IL, and remote staff across the country, we support and advance state-based and national fights for progressive policies on the environment, decarceration, health care, economic security, housing, education, and more. Our member organizations, nearly 40 organizations across 29 states, improve lives by running local- and state-level issue and electoral campaigns, leading statewide tables, and collectively coming together to change national policy and politics.
People’s Action/ Institute has a track record of leadership in coordinating field mobilization and advocacy in advancing an array of issues at the local, state, and federal levels. Our member organizations have won important victories at the national, state, and local levels, including health insurance for millions and the reversal of health care laws that discriminate based on citizenship, stopping Wall Street banks from selling predatory payday loans to their customers, and historic legislation like the Community Reinvestment Act to victory and the creation of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.
For more information on PAI, please visit https://peoplesactioninstitute.org/.
The Opportunity
We are looking for a seasoned organizer with a track record of building a grassroots base through campaigns. The Climate Justice Lead Organizer for the People and Planet First campaign will believe in the necessity of both local and national campaigns – and the interplay between them – to win climate justice at the scale and speed that the crisis requires. Our current climate justice campaigns include challenging utility companies that are blocking clean energy and raising rates for fossil fuels, winning Inflation Reduction Act investments for working-class communities, and stopping the buildout of new fossil fuel infrastructure.
Overview of the Position
As the Climate Justice Lead Organizer, you will support and coach staff organizers and member leaders throughout our network to build base and leaders through their climate campaign work. You will build relationships, design materials (e.g. raps, flyers, curriculum, agenda, action toolkits, etc.), lead distributed organizing tactics (e.g. canvass, townhall, blitz and absorption, etc.), and run committees. You will ensure that all campaign work advances a base and power-building strategy, as that is at the center of everything that we do. You will work closely with member organizations, as well as the team’s Senior Strategist and Campaign Director, to execute razor-sharp and compelling campaigns that decarbonize society, create thousands of good clean-energy jobs, and advance racial, gender, and environmental justice.
As Climate Justice Lead Organizer, your work will include (but isn’t limited to):
- Center the work in base and power-building. Work with member organizations to ensure that all campaign work advances a base and power-building strategy. As a network, we are recommitting to the fundamentals of organizing as we come out of a period that prioritized mobilization and advocacy over organizing and leadership development, and as we come out of the isolation of COVID. Base building and leadership development are at the center of everything that we do. This position will make sure that we are focused on building people power in everything we do.
- Coordinate actions and events. The best way to build collective trust is by taking collective action. National, state-wide, or trans-local days of action help develop leaders and provide ways for newly organized community members to engage with our campaign and network members. You will regularly coordinate organizing tactics and direct actions (taking the campaign to people in power and pushing them to respond to demands), and organize cohort members and movement partners to act together.
- Integrate basebuilding with winning campaign strategy. Work with the Senior Strategist and member organization staff and leaders to ensure alignment between basebuilding goals and campaign execution. The Lead Organizer should have a deep understanding of campaign design, including identifying targets, tactics, and a clear plan to win.
- Invest in organizers and network leadership. Build deep trust among the organizers and leaders in the People and Planet First cohort. Demonstrate how a team approach – with a sharp vision and clear responsibilities – is the right way to realize our ambitious goals. Be a coach and trainer for organizers; use agitation and compassion to bring out the best in people. Assist with setting strategy and goals, be ready to review meeting agendas and plans, and give honest feedback.
- Tell the story of the work. Contribute to tracking outcomes and metrics related to this program. Regularly update the rest of the People’s Action network and climate justice team about the progress and challenges. Contribute to a plan for storytelling to the allies and general public.
- Other duties as assigned.
The ideal Climate Justice Lead Organizer should have the following experience and qualifications:
- Strong commitment to racial, gender, and economic justice and their intersections, both inside and outside the organization.
- At least three years of experience in community, labor, and/or electoral organizing, including a leadership role running issue-based campaigns.
- Strong track record of building a deep base in a local and/or state organization, including responsibility for building a base and leaders through 1-1s and committees.
- Strong interpersonal and communication skills, including a proven ability to execute and assess a strategic campaign plan.
- Understanding of and commitment to social change through building the capacity and power of working-class people and people of color to directly participate in changing their communities and public policy.
- Results-oriented, mature judgment, with strong time management skills.
- Commitment to building a multi-racial, cross-class climate movement.
- Ability to work with diverse communities and organizations.
- Ability and willingness to travel regularly.
Preferred but not required:
- Experience with corporate campaigns.
- Experience with climate and/or environmental justice organizing.
- Spanish language skills.
Compensation and Benefits:
Status: Full-time, Regular, Exempt, benefits-eligible
Union Position (Yes/No): Yes
Salary Range: Level C – $67,990 – $92-829, salary commensurate with experience
Location: Can be based in our Chicago, IL or Washington, D.C. office but remote locations may be considered anywhere within the continental United States.
Reports to: Climate Justice Campaign Director
Supervises: N/A
Travel Requirements (Yes/No): Yes, 8 – 12 times per year (roughly one time every 4-6 weeks)
Benefits include: Health Insurance, Dental Insurance, Vision Insurance, Medical, on the first day of employment, and Dependent Care Flex Spending Account after 90 days, 401(k) plan after 30 days, Long-Term Disability Insurance, Life Insurance, 4 floating holidays (Presidents Day, May Day, Indigenous People’s Day, Veterans Day, 9 paid holidays plus the last two weeks of the year that include Christmas Eve/Christmas Day as well as, New Year’s Eve, and you accrue two weeks of vacation your first year of employment.
Our Commitment to Equitable Compensation:
We believe in fair compensation for your work – no matter where you live. Our salary scale is comparable to salaries you would find in Chicago, IL, where our headquarters is based. It is based on your months/years of work experience. While we do not determine education as a factor in whether we hire someone to work for People’s Action Institute, we do factor in any relevant higher education experience that you have. To further counter pay inequities and inequality on the team, we have a non-negotiable compensation practice – this also includes vacation and benefits – and provide opportunities for advancement for full-time employees based on performance evaluation. Your starting pay reflects where you sit within our salary scale and is based on the information that you provide us on your resume. PAI continues to monitor wages through triennial compensation analysis to ensure that we continue to offer our prospective and current employees fair wages.
Hiring Process
Here at People’s Action Institute, we are committed to providing an equitable and intentional hiring process for all of our candidates. Our process consists of three rounds. The first round will be conducted by our HR staff, the second round will be conducted by a hiring committee that includes staff from different parts of the organization or volunteers that have a stake in the position and the hiring manager for the position. Before anyone moves to the final round, you will complete a project meant to evaluate your skills for the position. Anything that you submit or complete for the project will be used to evaluate you for the position you are applying to. After you complete the project, if you advance to final interviews, we will also request references from our finalists. Our final round will be conducted by the hiring manager and their supervisor.
Commitment to Disability, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion:
People’s Action/Institute is an Equal Opportunity Employer; womxn, people of color, persons with disabilities, and LGBTQI people are strongly encouraged to apply.
Union
People’s Action Institute recognizes our staff bargaining unit affiliated with Chicago Midwest Regional Join Board, Workers United (CMRJB). Any position that is indicated as included in People’s Action Institute’s bargaining unit will be covered under the terms of the collective bargaining agreement.
Close date: 8/11/24
No phone calls, please.
How to Apply
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