Transportation Advocacy Manager

QUICK GLANCE 

Position: Transportation Advocacy Manager
Department: Movement Building
Supervisor: Senior Movement Building Director

Salary: $50,000 - $60,000
Benefits: Full Medical, Dental, Vision, Disability, and Life insurance covered at 100%; flexible work schedule; flexible paid time off with approval from supervisor; paid holidays; phone and travel allowance; child and pet-friendly workplace.

Position & Status: Full-Time, exempt
Anticipated Start Date: Sept 6, 2021 (negotiable)
Hours: 40 hours per week; occasional evenings and weekends

Location: Temporarily remote (based in Oregon) but eventually Portland, OR; ability to work from home up to 3 days/week once it’s safe to return to office

May work extended hours in Salem during legislative sessions.

Physical/Cognitive Details: Regularly required to use a computer and phone to perform work and communicate with others for several hours each day. Occasionally required to travel throughout Oregon. Noise level in the office is moderate.

ABOUT IMAGINE BLACK

Imagine Black (formerly known as PAALF Action Fund) helps our Black community imagine the alternatives we deserve and build our political participation and leadership to achieve those alternatives. Since our start in 2009, we have envisioned a world where people of African descent enjoy the rights, resources, and recognition to be a thriving, resilient, and connected community.

At Imagine Black, we have strengthened our commitment to a Black Queer Feminist (BQF) theory and practice. BQF provides a more holistic understanding of our conditions and connectedness as Black people. As a result, we understand that liberation for all Black people can only be realized by lifting up the voices, experiences, and prioritizing the issues of historically silenced and vulnerable groups within Black communities – specifically, queer, trans and GNC, femme, poor, disabled, working, and undocumented people (adapted from BYP100).

Imagine Black is a 501(c)(4) multi-issue grassroots organization in partnership with our sibling 501(c)(3) organization, Imagine Black Futures. We are a staff of eight with an operating budget of around $1M. This represents a 400% budget growth in the past four years. 

More information about Imagine Black can be found at imagineblack.org.

POSITION SUMMARY

Imagine Black seeks a new member of its team to lead our transportation advocacy work. The Transportation Advocacy Manager is a grant-funded role that is responsible for the implementation of multi-issue strategies and activities designed to change local and state policy. This role reports to the Sr. Movement Building Director (currently vacant) and works closely with the organizing and political staff. 

This position will help drive change at the local, regional, and state levels by identifying, collaborating with, and supporting an engaged set of key stakeholders who will promote the importance of self-determination and radical Black imagination within public policy. The primary function of this position is to be at the table with policy makers, agency staff, and community members to secure funding and steer investments for safety, accessibility, and ease in multimodal transportation.
 

Overarching goals for the position include:

• Shift public policy discourse on transportation issues faced by Black Oregonians;
• Influence policy reforms and programmatic interventions that align with The PAALF People’s Plan (2017);
• Collaborate with partners to improve connection between sidewalks, paths, bicycle routes, and public transit with homes, early care and education, schools, worksites, parks, and recreation centers;
• Collaborate with community partners  to build capacity for Black Oregonians and advocate for policy solutions;
• Develop a regional advocacy agenda that supports Imagine Black’s mission, vision, and values.

   

THE RIGHT CANDIDATE

Our ideal candidate is comfortable taking a 15-minute meeting with a state legislator, testifying before Metro Regional Government, and taking notes during PBOT budget meetings. They should understand the law enough that they can imagine changing it. They understand the similarities and differences between campaigns for office, for legislation, and for ballot measures. They also have a solid working knowledge of how public policy is made and are willing to negotiate to make progress.

RESPONSIBILITIES 

Transportation Advocacy (50%)

• Implement a comprehensive framework for local advocacy and policy change efforts for Black Oregonians
• Work with Multnomah county staff and community members to solidify commitments from Metro and Portland Bureau of Transportation to implement changes for safe and accessible places
• Identify priority areas to develop a transportation advocacy agenda; identify and complete policy research, and develop initiatives in support of this agenda
• Lead direct advocacy efforts including submitting letters, providing testimony and statements, leading grassroots lobbying efforts, participating in ballot measure campaigns, meeting with elected officials, and making comments to local and state government
• Conduct lobbying activities and maintain relationships with key elected leaders
• Ensure compliance with all state and local laws related to advocacy and/or lobbying
• Develop and lead multifaceted advocacy campaigns
• Collaborate with other organizing, advocacy, and political staff as needed

Civic Engagement (40%)

• Represent Imagine Black at advocacy coalition tables
• Build strategic partnerships with organizations to meet advocacy goals
• Develop strategic alliances with BIPOC-led community-based organizations, neighborhood leaders, community residents, and others
• Work with organizing team to send out advocacy updates and action alerts to Kinfolk members, volunteers, environmental and climate justice council, partners, and the community at large
• Coordinate advocacy efforts for community members and other interested parties on how to effectively advocate for dismantling anti-Black racism within local and state policies

Organizational Support (10%)

• Collaborate with the Development and Communications department in grant identification and editing, social media, and attending events
• Work with staff to develop and integrate the advocacy and communications strategies
• Attend internal staff and department meetings, and collaborate with other staff as needed
• Other duties as assigned

QUALIFICATIONS

• At least three years of education and/or experience in lobbying, campaign work, public policy development, community organizing, or similar experience
• A passion for the mission and vision of Imagine Black
• A passion for how self-determination and radical Black imagination can directly influence policy and advocacy
• Familiarity with the unique challenges facing Black Oregonians
• Proven skills working and communicating with communities within the African diaspora, especially with descendants of enslaved Africans, African immigrants and refugees, and Caribbean immigrants and refugees
• A commitment to applying a Black Queer Feminist lens to organizing, leadership development, civic participation, and political participation
• Ability to understand and effectively navigate the Oregon legislative process
• Ability to create work plans to support legislative and policy goals in ways that build the organization's effectiveness and influence over time
• Superb writer; skilled at making complicated ideas (complex laws, policies, and legislative initiatives) accessible to the general public through policy one-pagers, briefs, and reports
• Ability to self-motivate, self-direct, and manage multiple projects simultaneously
• Ability to communicate and work effectively within a team and in partnership with other organizations through a variety of media
• Proficient computer skills and ability to learn new systems as needed
• A drive to try innovative tactics and experiment with new forms of advocacy

PREFERRED, BUT NOT REQUIRED

• Bi- or multi-lingual
• Lived experience with Black community issues, particularly in Portland, Oregon
• Knowledge of grassroots organizing and of approaches to increase community power by strategic mobilization of issue supporters
• Experience with tools such as online policy resources, online statistical research, policy research and analysis, techniques of online advocacy, and polling
• Experience working with the press, as well as with social media and email communications
• Knowledge of political strategy and political landscape on local and state levels
• Comfortable with Google applications, MS Office, Asana, and Slack
• Supervisory experience

TO APPLY

Please submit a resume and cover letter describing your interest in this position and how well you meet the stated qualifications. Materials should be sent to hr@imagineblack.org with the subject line: Transportation Advocacy Manager 2021. No phone calls, please. 

Racial and gender equity is of utmost importance for our search. If you do not meet all of the required qualifications for this role but feel you can be a great addition to our team, please apply and let us know why we should meet you! 

Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis until the position is filled, with priority given to those received by Friday, July 30, 2021.

Imagine Black embraces diversity in a profound way.
We are committed to building a team that represents a variety of backgrounds, perspectives, and skills.
We seek to recruit, develop, and retain the most talented people from a diverse candidate pool - because we know the more inclusive we are, the better our work will be.