05/27/2021
DURHAM FOR ALL IS HIRING A NEW ORGANIZER!
Apply by this upcoming Monday, May 31st to be in the priority applicant review pool! We will continue to accept applications on a rolling basis until otherwise noted on our website.
Durham For All is seeking a full-time Lead Organizer to lead the development and implementation of our campaigns, leadership development, and base-building work as we grow grassroots political power in Durham, NC. We are seeking a start date of July 1st. See below for how to apply. Please share in your networks.
About Durham For All
Durham For All is a grassroots political organization in Durham, North Carolina, building a new majority across race and class led by people of color and working-class people. Through grassroots organizing, leadership development, and political education, we fight for a Durham where everyone can thrive politically, economically, and socially. We take action together at the ballot box and in the streets to win back our government and put it to work—for all of us.
Since our founding in 2016, we have played a leading role in electing a wave of progressive leaders of color into local office, including city council, district attorney, and sheriff. Durham For All is an affiliate of the Carolina Federation, a statewide organization that brings local people together across race and the rural-urban divide to build political and electoral power in their own communities and across North Carolina.
Our Challenge
In 2021, we are organizing to translate our progressive majorities in local government into concrete policy wins for community-based alternatives to policing, as we continue to build a base rooted in people-of-color and working-class communities. The challenge in front of Durham For All is how to grow and develop a multiracial, cross-class base large enough to defeat the far right at every level of government and collectively transform government so that it works for all of us.
Moving into 2022, we will work with allies across the state to challenge the far right and advance our vision of multiracial, progressive populism within and beyond the midterm elections. North Carolina continues to be a key battleground state, and our ability to demonstrate the power of transformative organizing to move a mass of people from isolation and into collective action will be put to the test.
About the Lead Organizer Position
We are looking to hire a Lead Organizer to lead the development and implementation of our campaigns, leadership development, and innovative base-building work within majority people-of-color and working-class communities. The Lead Organizer will be responsible for:
Growing our people-of-color and working-class voting base, membership, and leaders
Leading and supervising the design, implementation, and learning of our campaigns, including leading campaign teams composed of other staff and member leaders
Implementing and continuing to refine our base-building model in people-of-color and working-class communities
Supervising our staff organizers by providing clear direction, regular coaching, and deep attention to their development as movement leaders.
Leading a team to design and facilitate replicable curricula for political education, leadership development and skill-based trainings for volunteers, staff, and member leaders.
Collaborating around the design and implementation of our electoral field program
Qualities We’re Looking For
We value the recruitment of staff with strong political alignment and key leadership qualities that match both the role and the kind of work we do. This is because we believe that skills and competencies can be taught, while values, alignment and leadership qualities are more deeply ingrained. Because the work we do is political, fast-paced, deeply relational, and about power, we look for many of the following qualities:
Politically Clear: You know why building power through elections, issue campaigns, and transformative organizing is essential. You are committed to the leadership and dignity of working-class people and people of color.
A Leader Who Unleashes More Leadership: You take responsibility for motivating others, coordinating effective collective action and building powerful teams -- even in the face of obstacles. But most of all you unleash leadership in others, igniting responsibility and ownership in those you lead.
Interdependent: You build deep relationships, cultivate vulnerability and accountability, and know that we are responsible for each other’s well-being. You’re attentive to the unique qualities of individuals and invest deeply in their personal growth. You listen to multiple different perspectives, are courageous in sharing your own opinions, and are committed to working through difference, not around it.
Courageous and Daring: You draw from deep values and beliefs so you continue to take action towards goals, even in the face of change, fear, loss, conflict, and uncertainty. You challenge yourself and others to step into new roles and responsibilities. You are willing to take risks and make mistakes, and see them as opportunities for learning and growth.
Strategic: You bring creative anticipation and imagination to complex problems; you are able to sort through information to spot relevant patterns, weigh options, anticipate problems and develop alternative paths.
We believe those most impacted by systemic oppression must lead the fight for our collective liberation, and we strive to center people of color, poor and working-class people, women and gender nonconforming people, LGBTQIA+ people, immigrants, and people with disabilities. Candidates who hold one or more of these identities are strongly encouraged to apply.
Skills and Competencies
Our ideal candidate will have three or more of the following skills and competencies:
Local Campaign Development: Experience designing and implementing issue campaigns that combine short-term goals for winning specific victories with long-term goals for winning power for our people.
Base Building: Experience bringing others into community organizations and issue campaigns, including implementing a ladder-of-engagement towards an active membership base, especially in communities of color and working-class communities. Experience in designing base-building efforts is especially welcome.
Supervision: Experience advising, coaching and managing staff organizers, providing clear direction and support that enables their success and the success of their teams and organizations.
Training and Leadership Development: Experience designing and leading trainings for leadership development, political education and organizing skills, experience identifying areas for new learning and development among staff and leaders.
Spanish speaking is a plus.
Location, Travel, Work Schedule, and Supervision
Durham For All is working remotely during the COVID-19 pandemic. When office work resumes, the position requires working out of our office, which is currently located in Durham’s Lakewood neighborhood. When in-person canvassing, phone banking, and events resume, the position also requires traveling to and from these activities. The Lead Organizer must be able to provide their own transportation. This position involves working some nights and weekends.
The Lead Organizer will report directly to our Executive Director and will supervise organizers.
Compensation and Benefits
This is a full-time, salaried position at $50,000 - $60,000 annually based on equity, experience and qualifications. Benefits include employee medical and dental insurance, short- and long-term disability insurance coverage, vacation, and other paid time off.
How to Apply
Please upload a cover letter, resume, and at least three references to our online application form, using a Google email address to sign in: bit.ly/d4a-apply-lo
If you are unable to access the form, you may email your cover letter, resume, and references as PDF files to [email protected] with the subject line “LO Applicant: [your name]”. In your cover letter, please include how you heard about this position. For each reference, please include their full name, gender pronouns, relationship to you, email, and phone number.
We are accepting applications on a rolling basis until otherwise noted on our website, and we will prioritize applicants who apply by Monday, May 31st at 11:59 PM.
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