Community Organizer

POSITION DESCRIPTION

The Community Organizer will use relational organizing to build powerful teams of local leaders across regional jurisdictions in Maryland in support of Maryland Just Power Alliance institutions and campaigns. They will identify, recruit, and train volunteers inside of community institutions—including religious congregations, schools, and tenant communities—to organize campaigns improving housing, health, education, climate equity outcomes locally and statewide.

WHY WORK FOR THE MARYLAND JUST POWER ALLIANCE

The Maryland Just Power Alliance (MJPA) is a community power organization dedicated to making our state a place where everyone can thrive. MJPA works locally and statewide to build the people power to act and win on the most important issues of our time, including housing, education, and climate change. We are rooted in local congregations, schools, tenant associations, and unions.

We believe that people—tenants, school parents, frontline workers, and community members—must be at the table to solve the most challenging problems. As an organizer, your job is to build relationships with community members face-to-face, listen to understand the issues that are of concern, and build powerful, diverse teams of leaders to seek justice and social change in their communities through holding elected and corporate officials accountable.

Big Impact: We have a track record of winning real results that deliver specific improvements in people’s daily lives, including:

Over $1.5 Billion for affordable housing, including thousands of units in specific communities.
Hundreds of green jobs for young adults and health care jobs for people who needed a second chance at employment.
Creating the largest afterschool program in Maryland that serves thousands of students in high-poverty schools every day.
Winning $73M for clean, electric, lower cost appliances for low and moderate income households in Maryland.
Played a key role in winning the DREAM Act in Maryland.

…plus many other local and statewide victories.

Great People: Work alongside talented, visionary, inspiring, dedicated, and diverse team of volunteer leaders and staff colleagues. We take our drive to build power for the people seriously and we work hard, while trying not to take ourselves too seriously. We balance our work with joy and a sense of humor.

Opportunity to grow: We strive for a work culture of learning, growth and development. Our goal is that everyone has an opportunity to work on projects that stretch them and are deeply meaningful. At the same time, we sometimes all roll up our sleeves with tasks that need to get done. You'll be a part of a team who are deeply committed to their own growth and each other's growth. MJPA is connected to a regional and national network of other like-minded organizations including the Washington Interfaith Network, Greater Cleveland Congregations, Greater Boston Interfaith Organization, and Common Ground in Milwaukee.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Organizing is different from mobilization or activism. We do the slow, steady work of meeting with people, getting to know them, and identifying and building teams of leaders who want to commit to multi-year campaigns that deliver benefits in people’s day-to-day lives. The Organizer will work with institutions, including religious congregations, schools, and neighborhoods to:

Hold 15-20 one-to-one relational meetings each week with community members and potential leaders in the congregations, schools and communities to which you are assigned.
Through relational meetings and small group listening sessions, identify new leaders and community issues.
Engage leaders in research meetings and power mapping to define campaign strategy.
Lead meetings with community leaders, elected officials, and business leaders, including doing background research, preparing agendas and strategy with MJPA's leaders.
Lead campaigns around housing, climate equity, health and other issues while building teams of leaders who are directly impacted by the issues, and other community members who have common concerns.
Support actions at the county and state level to move targets, including elected officials, corporations and landlords, to act on the issues identified by the community.
Engage in professional development (training, workshops, reflections).

WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR

Initiative taker / highly driven—excited by the opportunity to help build something; self-starter who will go knock on doors, try something, or bring a new idea to the table without being asked;
Relational and curious about others—driven by the slow, deep, and impactful process of building power through relationships across lines of difference; appreciates the importance of developing leaders in order to build our collective power;
Righteous anger—a deep and personal conviction to build power and make change; good “social anger” about injustice; understands that pain often stems from power; asks "who is benefiting?”;
“Us”/“we” mentality, not “I”/“me”—sees the bigger project of building shared collective power; excited to see member leaders on TV rather than self;
Unafraid of tension and courage to take on those with more power—doesn’t back down from a righteous fight; scrappy and gritty; comfortable holding onto/living with tension; ready to make good trouble when appropriate and necessary;
Imagination/vision—constantly imagines and strategizes for the world as it should/could be, not just living in the world as it is presently;
Invested in growth—eager to learn, receive feedback, and grow individually and collectively with a team;
Reflective—slows down and carves out space to think strategically rather than react; We have a culture of evaluation—including each relational meeting, political meeting, and large action with up to 1,000 people. This work requires thoughtful praise and critique of yourself, leaders and your colleagues, and an ability to receive feedback yourself.
Strategic thinker—sees the forest not the trees; balances many different people, needs, opportunities, and interests; asks “how will this build our power?”
Able to lead publicly—can separate “public” from “personal” relationships; can represent the broader organization’s interests; not intimidated by being a public actor in front of power brokers, funders, or news cameras.

Bilingual in Spanish (or other languages) is a strong plus.

WORKING CONDITIONS

This position is primarily in person, meeting people near where they work, worship, live, or go to school in Montgomery, Howard and/or Anne Arundel Counties. Some work from home and/or in the Takoma Park office.
40 to 50 hour work weeks including some evening and weekend commitments.
Have access to a car and can drive to multiple meetings on a daily basis throughout Maryland. We reimburse for mileage beyond to and from the office.
Must be able to independently enter and exit an operational vehicle and navigate accessible buildings.
Ability to talk on the phone or in person for long lengths of time.

COMPENSATION & BENEFITS

Salary is based on experience, and we are hiring for roles based on experience.

Role	Starting Salary	Salary Range
Organizing Fellow	$60,000	$60-65,000
Associate Organizer	$65,000	$65-$75,000
Organizer	$75,000	$75-$80,000
Staff Organizer / Regional Organizer	$80,000	$80-$88,000

All roles are eligible for performance-based salary increases at 90 days, 6 months, and 12 months, with a standard cost of living adjustment and contract renegotiation at one year.
3 weeks of paid time off; 9 paid holidays; 2 floating holidays, as well as compensatory time off options available
Generous retirement contributions with no match requirements after 12 months of employment
Healthcare benefits
Monthly stipend towards internet, phone, and meals as well as gas mileage reimbursement

How to Apply:

To apply, please send your resume and cover letter (both in PDF format) via the Movement Talent Opportunity Board application portal by clicking the "Apply To This Job" button:

https://recruitcrm.io/apply/17908771228560064057vpi

In your cover letter, please include a story where you were the principal player in making change, where you were the principal player in making change, or organized people to act; please include what motivated you to act and one key lesson you learned from the experience

This position is open until filled; however, the posting/acceptance of applications may close at any time. Job descriptions do not cover or contain a comprehensive listing of every activity or responsibility that is required

Maryland Just Power Alliance is committed to equal opportunity, and encourages applicants of all ages, races, sexual orientations, genders, national origins, ethnicities, religions, and veteran status. We encourage people from diverse backgrounds and experiences related to our core organizational values and objectives to apply