Lead Community Organizer

Job Description: The Lead Organizer will build collective power for systemic change by accompanying female-identifying community leaders to create communities of belonging and work for systemic justice and the common good. This role will focus on spiritually centered, faith-based grassroots leadership development, listening campaigns, coalition building, and strategic mobilization for justice. The Lead Organizer will play a key role in developing and planning IPJC’s annual assembly and accompanying the center’s women’s leadership team and Youth Action Team Fellows by providing coaching, training, strategy development, and action planning/execution.

Key Responsibilities

Under the guidance of the Director of Community Organizing, the Lead Organizer will engage in the following areas and ways:

Leadership Development & Community Organizing

• • Recruit and engage new leaders from diverse faith communities to form a Center-wide, female-identifying, leadership team in collaboration with the Director of Community Organizing.
  • Develop and conduct leadership training on faith-based community organizing and power-building skills.
  • Train and coach the Center’s leaders in foundational faith-based organizing practices so they can build and mobilize community for action.
  • Build strong relationships of trust with community leaders to support their leadership development through regular 1-1 meetings, coaching, and on-going support.

Strategic Mobilization & Coalition Work

• • Through a year-long listening campaign, help the women’s leadership team and broader community identify three priority social justice issues for the center to work on for the next 3-5 years.
  • Develop and support the creation of an institution wide organizing framework to develop a core group of community leaders for the Center and an internal coalition structure.
  • Work collaboratively with community partners to connect the women's leadership team and Catholic High School Leaders for Social Change to larger justice movements.
  • Participate in and support coalition efforts with movement aligned partners and experts including but not limited to: Archdiocese of Seattle, Catholic Community Services of Western Washington (CCSWW), Seattle University,
  • Support grassroots leaders in engaging with elected officials and advocacy campaigns.
  • Track short-term and long-term movement outcomes and strategize with coalition leaders and members new and effective ways to achieve systemic change.

Administrative & Grant Compliance

• • Track and report on grant compliance in collaboration with the Director of Finance and Executive Director.
  • Support the development of grant proposals related to women’s leadership development and internal coalition building.
  • Manage program-related administrative responsibilities, including event planning and participant outreach.

Professional Development

• Regularly attend faith-based community organizing training and faith formation opportunities as they are made available.

Qualifications & Skills

Required:

• • Minimum BA in Theology, Political Science, Human Rights, Social Justice, Social Work, or equivalent experience.
  • Minimum five years of experience in faith-based community organizing, advocacy, or leadership development.
  • Experience working with high school aged youth and women.
  • Strong relationship-building skills with the ability to network, recruit, and mentor emerging leaders especially through utilizing 1-1 relationship meeting.
  • Commitment to racial, disability and economic justice, faith-based organizing, and women’s leadership.
  • Experience working with diverse faith traditions and interfaith networks.
  • Comfort teaching Catholic Social Teaching, synodality, liberation theology, and power-building frameworks.
  • Bilingual (Spanish/English) oral and written communication skills.
  • Strong facilitation, project management, and event coordination skills.
  • Strategic thinker with experience developing and leading advocacy campaigns.
  • Valid driver’s license and reliable transportation.

Preferred:

• • Experience managing staff or volunteers in an organizing or advocacy setting.
  • Familiarity with the Catholic Church’s social mission and structure.
  • Knowledge of CRM and digital organizing tools.

Salary and Benefits

• • Full Time – $59,100-$62,900/yr
  • Generous healthcare (after 90 days)
  • Generous vacation leave starting at 4 weeks a year.
  • Employer contributions towards pension after 12 months
  • 12 weeks full paid family leave
  • Hybrid work environment, if desired

IPJC will accept applications for this position on a rolling basis with the application closing on September 12, 2025. Please submit a cover letter and resume to the IPJC director of community organizing, Sarah Pericich-Lopez at spericichlopez@ipjc.org.