Chispa AZ Organizing Director

Title: Chispa AZ Organizing Director

Department: State Capacity Building

Status: Exempt

Reports to: Chispa AZ Deputy Director

Positions Reporting to this Position: Chispa AZ Community Organizers and Digital Organizer

Location: Phoenix, AZ

Travel Requirements: Up to 15%

Union Position: No

Job Classification Level: M-I

Salary Range (depending on experience): $84,728-$108,000

General Description:

LCV believes our earth is worth fighting for because everyone has a right to clean air, water, and a safe, healthy community. To ensure those rights are protected, we help people use their power to shape policy, hold politicians and polluters accountable, and influence elections.

LCV launched Chispa in 2014, a grassroots community organizing program to ensure the voice and power of Latinx communities influence the environmental policies and decisions that impact our health and environment. Currently, Chispa has programs in Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Maryland, Nevada, and Texas.

Chispa Arizona is a leader in advocating for clean energy and clean air, climate justice, public lands and parks, and fighting for a reflective democracy in the federal, state, and municipal governments. Our fight for climate justice is at the Arizona Legislature, the Arizona Corporation Commission, and the municipalities.

LCV is hiring an Organizing Director for the Chispa AZ program whose main objective will be to support building a strong, data-driven, issue-based organizing program focused on developing leaders, coordinating training to professionalize leaders and staff, building and growing our membership base, and building power in the Latinx community. This position builds the capacity and influence of our community on policymakers to protect our rights to a clean and healthy environment. 

Responsibilities:

• Develop, implement and support, data-driven campaign plans with measurable benchmarks and goals for Chispa Arizona that build a strong base of members/volunteers, result in local policy victories, and develop new grassroots leaders.
• Leverage EveryAction effectively to set, track, and achieve organizational goals, engage community leaders (members) in campaign progress, move them up the ladder of engagement, & build committees (comites).
• Follow and support systems, tools, and structures that provide strong clarity, accountability, and organization for organizers, members, comites, and campaign implementation.
• Provide coaching and management, develop individualized and detailed goals and work plans, and support organizers via mentorship and weekly check-ins on progress to meeting goals.
• Ensure that organizers’ contacts are regularly and accurately captured in EveryAction and that reports are produced by organizers for planning weekly follow-ups and other activities.
• Provide timely reports to the Chispa AZ Deputy Director, Chispa AZ Executive Director, and National Chispa staff about campaigns, organizing progress, and grants.
• Work with the Chispa AZ advocacy team to communicate member priorities and campaign progress, and identify opportunities for members to promote good policy and defend against attacks.
• Work with the Chispa AZ Civic Engagement Director to identify opportunities for members to participate in voter registration activities and to integrate civic participation education into the members’ training, development, and leadership roles.
• Work with the Chispa AZ digital team to develop online campaign tools and increase online engagement of Latinx and other communities of color with local and national campaigns and programs.
• Organize in-person, virtual, and hybrid online events, meetings, retreats, and other opportunities that engage volunteer leaders in strategic thinking and decision-making related to campaigns and the movement.
• Create opportunities to develop and expand the organizing team’s and members’ cultural competencies and ability to work across lines of race, class, gender, and sexual identity.
• Ensure that art and culture are integral parts of the organizing process and campaign activities. 
• Identify the need for effective training, develop curriculum, and execute sessions for staff and leaders that relate to organizing skills, leadership skills and practices, understanding of strategy and issues, and motivation and commitment to environmental justice. 
• Travel up to 15% for meetings with organizers, volunteers, coalition partners, staff retreats, training, and conferences, as needed.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Qualifications:

• Work Experience: Required – Minimum of 5 years of experience leading voter registration, electoral, community organizing, issue advocacy, or labor organizing campaigns, including successful experience managing campaigns rooted in social, racial, and economic justice. Prior experience managing and supervising staff, membership, and/or volunteers. Demonstrated experience with and commitment to a data-driven approach to developing goals, tracking progress, and executing metrics-driven campaigns. Working knowledge of online databases and field reporting systems, like EveryAction (EA), or the ability to learn them. Preferred – Experience working in Arizona. 

• Skills: Required – Enthusiastic and self-motivated leadership skills. Exceptional supervision and coaching skills including managing staff. Excellent communication and interpersonal skills. Detail-oriented approach to campaign planning, accountability, tracking progress and metrics, and understanding of successful organizing models. Flexibility, self-awareness, emotional intelligence, cultural competence, and ability to bring creative ideas and fresh perspectives to an evolving organizing program. Ability to juggle multiple tasks, solve problems and set priorities in a fast-paced, high-performance environment. Ability to partner and collaborate with the existing Chispa AZ team and represent Chispa AZ and LCV to a variety of audiences and through various mediums. Ability to write and implement comprehensive organizing and issue advocacy campaign plans. Reliable, consistent, detail-oriented, and self-motivated. Must be bilingual in English and Spanish. Excellent writing and verbal communication skills. Preferred – Working knowledge of compliance issues and regulations related to 501(c)(3) and 501(c)(4) organizations.

• Cultural Competence: Demonstrated awareness of one’s cultural identity, views about differences, and the ability to learn and build on varying cultural and community norms. A complex understanding of racial justice and the urgency of confronting institutional racism and inequity. Commitment to equity and inclusion as organizational practice and culture. Proven track record of successfully working across lines of race, immigration status, ethnicity, language, class, gender, and other identities and experiences. Familiarity with the complexity of issues and obstacles facing communities of color engagement in the environmental movement. Familiarity with Arizona and in-state community preferred.
• Working Conditions: This job operates both in a professional office environment and in outdoor and indoor public spaces, and the person will be exposed to outdoor elements such as precipitation, wind, and high/low temperatures. This position is occasionally sedentary; however, attending meetings and canvassing out in the communities is also frequently required. The person in the position will occasionally be expected to move items that weigh 15-20 pounds for events, actions, and organizing activities. The position includes moving between sites to accomplish tasks. This position routinely uses standard office equipment such as computers, phones, photocopiers, and audiovisual systems. The person in this position frequently communicates with community members and must be able to exchange accurate information. 

This position will often require non-traditional hours and will involve work on the weekends. Applicants need to be legally authorized to work in the United States. LCV requires all employees working from our offices or participating in in-person meetings or events to be fully up-to-date on their COVID-19 vaccinations, subject to reasonable accommodation as required by law.

LCV offers a comprehensive and competitive benefits package that includes vacation, sick and parental leave, personal days, paid holidays, health insurance (two plan options for staff to choose from), dental and vision insurance, life and disability insurance (short- and long-term), Flexible Spending Account, 401(k) retirement plan with company matching contribution, commuter benefits program, sabbatical, and student loan assistance.

To Apply: Send a cover letter and resume to hr@lcv.org with “Chispa AZ Organizing Director ” in the subject line by March 23, 2023. No phone calls, please.

LCV is an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to a racially just, equitable, and inclusive workplace. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, disability, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran status, genetic information, or any other protected status. LCV is committed to providing access, equal opportunity, and reasonable accommodation for individuals with disabilities in employment, its services, programs, and activities. If you require reasonable accommodation in completing this application, interviewing, completing any pre-employment testing, or otherwise participating in the employee selection process, please contact hr@lcv.org.