Director of Field Organizing

Position Location: No specification. Candidates must be available to travel 3-4 times per month.

About CPD + CPDA

The Center for Popular Democracy/CPD Action (CPD/CPDA)  promotes equity, opportunity, and a dynamic democracy in partnership with innovative base-building organizations, organizing networks and alliances, and progressive unions across the country. We currently work with more than 53 affiliates and partners across 131 cities in 34 states, Puerto Rico, and Washington, DC. and build the strength and capacity of democratic organizations to envision and advance a pro-worker, pro-immigrant, racial and economic justice agenda. CPD is a rapidly-expanding, changing organization that partners with organizations across the country to build political power and win tangible victories that improve the lives of low-wage workers, immigrants, and communities of color.

About the Position:

The Center for Popular Democracy/CPD Action (CPD/CPDA) is seeking an experienced organizer to lead and supervise a seasoned team in increasing our network’s capacity in the field by helping our affiliates build strong organizing programs and practices, and robust dues-paying canvasses.

The Director of Field Organizing will work as part of our Base-building Team, and report to that team’s Director and staff, to support our Network’s overall capacity-building and growth objectives, and working intensively with a subset of our affiliates to strengthen their committee organizing structures, leadership development methodology, and organizer training, accountability and supervision practices.  Additionally, the position will support and supervise the Sustainability Program at CPD, which currently works alongside seven of our affiliates to build standing outreach canvasses to build their dues-paying membership, and seeks to grow that number as well as to develop centralized canvassing capacity to support our network’s work overall. The Director of Field Organizing will also work with staff across CPD and with affiliates across our network to fulfill a key objective of our five-year strategic vision: engaging 1 million new active members of our base.

Primary Responsibilities

The Director of Field Organizing will:

• Supervise and support our Director of Organizing and our Director of Sustainability, as well as the five staff members who report to them.

• Ensure the growth, stability, and quality of our Field Organizing programs, including ensuring adequate funding for these programs.

• Overseeing fundraising, financial modeling and budgeting for the Sustainability program to ensure it becomes financially sustainable over time, as well as negotiating and carrying out joint fundraising for these programs with our affiliates.

• Co-lead the documentation, evaluation, and dissemination of information about these programs and their centrality to building sustainable and authentic people’s organizations, in collaboration with the Director of Base-building, the Director of Organizing, and the Director of Sustainability, to build field understanding of this work and support it’s widespread dissemination.

• Convene and help to lead conversations across CPD staff and affiliates about best practices in organizing, base-building and dues-paying membership growth.

Job Qualifications

Applicants should possess:

• Commitment to social and racial justice issues, building the power of communities and understanding of challenges facing immigrant communities, communities of color, and low-and moderate income families;

• Demonstrated commitment to organizing as a strategy for change;

• Significant organizing, fundraising, negotiation, and leadership experience;

• Facility with budgeting and basic financial modeling;

• Familiarity with legal frameworks for 501c3 and 501c4 eligible activities

• Excellent relationship-building skills with significant experience building and sustaining working relationships across geography and with community leaders and organizers of color;

• Experience with front of the room participatory meeting and training facilitation

• Significant project management experience and the ability to juggle multiple projects at a time and work in a fast-paced work environment;  

• Independent self-starter and go-getter who can drive projects and teams internally and externally;

• Excellent writing and communication skills.

Salary and Benefits

The salary range for this senior-level position is competitive and commensurate with experience. We have a generous benefits package.

CPD/A is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer and actively recruits people of color, women, individuals with disabilities and members of the LGBTQ community.