Grassroots Advocacy Manager (Organizing)

The Opportunity: Responsible for overall design, management, and evaluation of the organizing and mobilization components of ACLU-NC’s state and federal legislative advocacy campaigns, supervision and development of three Organizers, and support for overall Organizing Department management and program development. Work with legislative, legal, and policy staff at the ACLU to identify opportunities to build or mobilize the ACLU base through issue-based work. Work with staff at other California affiliates and National to synchronize community engagement programs to maximize statewide capacity and efficacy. Maintain overall knowledge of ACLU work and organizing best practices to ensure effective organizing tactics are implemented across the organization. Work as an individual contributor to implement the in-district legislative advocacy programs and the annual Lobby Day in Sacramento.

The Approach: 

In partnership with the Leadership Development Manager, develop, manage, and participate in programs and events for ACLU volunteers and other activists to develop their legislative advocacy and organizing skills. This includes but is not limited to creating and delivering content at in-person trainings and via webinar, leading the Assembly Ambassadors legislative advocacy and relationship-building program, and planning and implementing Lobby Day.

Supervise and provide ongoing professional development for three organizers, and foster an inclusive and equitable environment for staff and volunteers.

Build collaborative relationships with ACLU legal, policy, and legislative staff, and provide strategic guidance on how to best integrate organizing into campaigns and other work. Occasionally plan and implement rapid response mobilizations and other organizing tactics as an individual contributor. Participate in strategic planning processes.

Design tracking and evaluation systems for the in-district legislative advocacy program and for organizing and policy advocacy campaigns. Ensure that the ACLU-NC maintains strong relationships with district-based legislative staff (state and federal) throughout Northern and Central California

Support department management including staff engagement, culture development, writing reports and proposals, and managing aspects of the budget, and other duties as assigned by Organizing Director

About the Organization: The ACLU-NC is an affiliate of a nationwide, non-profit, non-partisan organization dedicated to the defense and expansion of civil liberties and civil rights. For most of the last century, it has been at the heart of many of the most major – and sometimes controversial – struggles for civil liberties and civil rights in our state. Our mission is to ensure that Constitutional rights don’t just exist on paper, but are protected in practice. As we move into a new era and face dangerous policies that threaten our civil rights and civil liberties, we remain dedicated to confronting these issues and defending the progress we have made. We must use our decades of experience in impact litigation, legislative advocacy, and fearless organizing to fight these un-American policies and protect our most cherished rights and freedoms. We are the resistance. Join us. 

Qualifications:

Education / Experience:

• 3-5 years experience managing volunteers or activists and designing and implementing volunteer or public programs
• 1-3 years of management experience, including supervision of full-time staff
• 5-7 years of experience in organizing, advocacy, or ballot measure campaigns, with specific awareness of tactics used to develop, engage, and mobilize volunteers

Required Skills / Competencies:

• Past success implementing organizing campaigns to advance state and/or federal legislation and local policy change;
• Familiarity with and comfort talking about a wide range of civil liberties and civil rights issues;
• Understanding of different organizing models, differences between organizing and mobilization, and the ability to adapt standard organizing and mobilization approaches to the unique needs of the ACLU,
• Ability to manage multiple projects at once that involve a variety of people, stakeholders, and goals;
• Experience developing and utilizing evaluation metrics and protocols for a wide set of programs or events;
• Strong attention to staff development;
• Extremely strong project and time management skills, including developing and adhering to a timeline and goalposts, problem-solving, and capacity to manage and prioritize competing projects to complete assignments under deadline;
• High-adaptability to shifting factors and the need to change course or develop new ideas or solutions quickly;
• Excellent interpersonal skills and ability to develop strong partnerships with a variety of organizational stakeholders and when working with people with different backgrounds and life experiences;
• Strong verbal and written communication skills applicable to both individual and mass communications;
• Enthusiasm for collaboration and the ability to negotiate effective partnerships to accomplish ACLU goals;
• Extremely strong problem-solving skills with a consistent, solution-oriented approach;
• Excellent judgment and ability to maintain a high level of confidentiality about campaign strategy, personnel issues, and other intellectual property and legal matters;
• Demonstrates initiative while juggling many priorities all with readiness, optimism, and calm under pressure;
• Strong public speaking and facilitation skills, especially when working with people from mixed backgrounds or knowledge bases;
• Demonstrates comfort in implementing standard equity and inclusion practices, group facilitation and use of language;
• Strong writing and analysis skills;

Preferred Skills / Competencies:

• Written and verbal language skills relevant to the demographics of the region
• Existing relationships with state and federal legislative staff throughout northern and central CA
• Understanding of California geography and differences among the regions (demographic, political, economic, etc.)
• 7-10 years of experience in organizing, advocacy, or ballot measure campaigns, with specific awareness of tactics used to develop, engage, and mobilize volunteers

Compensation

Competitive salary is commensurate with experience. Excellent benefits include four weeks paid vacation in addition to 14 office holidays; medical, vision and dental insurance for staff members, their dependents and spouse or domestic partner; life and long-term disability insurance; and, 401(k) plan with employer match. Starting salary range: $90,000-$109,000.

To Apply

Applications must include (1) a cover letter, (2) resume, and (3) a list of three references. Applicants concurrently applying to any other position with the ACLU should state which other position(s) they are applying for in the cover letter.

Please submit your application in PDF format  to the attention of Grassroots Advocacy Manager search: https://boards.greenhouse.io/aclunc/jobs/4233501002

The ACLU of Northern California advances equity and inclusion in the workplace by providing equal employment opportunity to support a work environment free from discrimination on the basis of race, religious creed, color, national origin, ancestry, physical disability, mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, marital status, sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression, age (over 40), sexual orientation, military and veteran status, and any other basis prohibited by law.  The organization also provides reasonable accommodations for qualified applicants and employees with disabilities. This equal employment opportunity policy applies to all aspects of employment, including recruitment, selection, advancement, training, problem resolution, and separation from employment. Through this policy, the ACLU-NC strives to establish and maintain an equitable and accessible work environment that is free from discrimination and supportive of a workforce that reflects the rich diversity of our communities and the people we serve.