Organizing DirectorABOUT CAUSE:
CAUSE is a base-building organization committed to social, economic, and environmental justice for working-class and immigrant communities in California’s Central Coast. We build grassroots power through community organizing, leadership development, coalition building, civic engagement, policy research, and advocacy. CAUSE envisions a thriving Central Coast that provides a sustainable and just economy created by and for workers, immigrants, and communities of color.
POSITION OVERVIEW:
CAUSE is currently seeking an Organizing Director to lead a dynamic regional team of organizers to continue to grow a powerful grassroots base of working-class immigrant families across the Central Coast and execute strategic campaigns on tenants’ rights, environmental justice, and immigrant worker power. The Organizing Director will report to one of CAUSE’s Co-Executive Directors and directly supervise two Associate Organizing Directors as well as our Civic Engagement Manager. They will work to set the vision, training, culture, and practices of our Organizing Team, which includes seven Community Organizers across five city-based chapters. The Organizing Director will be part of CAUSE’s Leadership Team, setting strategic direction for the organization alongside the Co-Executive Directors, Policy Director, and Operations Director. This position is regional and can be based in one of CAUSE’s offices in Oxnard, Ventura, Santa Paula, or Santa Barbara.
The Organizing Director’s responsibilities include but are not limited to:
- Spearhead base-building goals and strategy as well as training and popular education to develop grassroots leaders
- Oversee the development of our organizing team, including training organizers to use the CAUSE organizing model to recruit and retain adult, young adult and youth leaders
- Directly supervise 2 Associate Organizing Directors and the Civic Engagement Manager, providing coaching, feedback and accountability to supervisees
- Facilitate weekly organizing team meetings and annual retreats to create space for strategizing and coordination between the regional team of organizers
- Provide guidance on campaign strategy in issue-based local organizing campaigns across the region
- Facilitate grassroots organizational governance and decision-making practices with our steering committee of delegates from each CAUSE chapter and lead our annual regional power assembly of our grassroots base
- Create and implement systems for tracking and measuring results, coordinating and communicating within the organizing team
- Act as the City Team Lead for one of CAUSE’s five city-based chapters, coordinating the team’s strategic vision, facilitating weekly city team meetings, serving as the senior staff member in the office, and maintaining CAUSE’s relationships and visibility within the community of that city
- Help facilitate CAUSE’s Senior Staff Team to set organizational direction and policies and collaborate with other departments including Policy/Communications Team and Operations Team
- Managing hiring, orientation, and training of supervisees and other human resources duties such as approving timesheets and paid time off
- Represent the organization in regional and/or statewide organizing circles and coalitions
- Participating in some grassroots fundraising, grant writing and reporting
- Conduct regular employee and program evaluations
JOB REQUIREMENTS/QUALIFICATIONS
- Bilingual in English and Spanish required
- Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent required
- 3+ years of supervision experience
- 6+ years of experience in community, tenant, youth, and/or labor organizing
- Experience with and desire to work with diverse cultures and the ability to engage people from a variety of backgrounds
- Ability to interact professionally with elected officials, donors, board members, leaders of ally organizations, and news reporters
- Strategic and analytical approach to political issues
- Able to work independently and as part of a team
- Able to set own work priorities, manage responsibilities and time
- Flexibility and willingness to sometimes work evening hours and weekends, and be able to travel throughout region, state and nation.
PHYSICAL DEMANDS
The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
OTHER REQUIREMENTS
Valid drivers’ license and dependable access to a car to drive for work required.
WORK SCHEDULE
This position has flexible hours and may sometimes include evening and weekend work. CAUSE provides flexible paid time off and holidays.
COMPENSATION
Starting pay for this salaried position is $95,680 per year. Benefits include 100% paid medical and dental coverage including dependents, paid sick and mental health days, holidays and flexible paid vacation days, paid family leave, paid sabbatical after 5 years of employment, monthly stipend for use of cellphone and travel, and annual professional development budget. CAUSE also typically provides two weeks of paid annual holiday shutdown and an annual retirement contribution.
To ensure pay equity across our team, salaries at CAUSE follow a formula based on position and tenure and are non-negotiable for individual candidates. However, we have a fixed salary scale providing additional pay for candidates with years of relevant job experience significantly beyond the minimum qualifications listed in this job description.
APPLYING
CAUSE will be accepting applications through Monday, September 30th. Please e-mail resumes with cover letter to Hazel Davalos at hazel@causenow.org.
CAUSE IS AN AFFIRMATIVE ACTION EMPLOYER. WOMEN AND PEOPLE OF COLOR ARE ENCOURAGED TO APPLY.
