Organizing Director

Washington Conservation Action (WCA) seeks a savvy, organized, collaborative Organizing Director to lead a team of talented organizers building relationships and people power across Washington state. The Organizing Director manages grassroots, field, and activist cultivation and mobilization to support the c3 advocacy and c4 political programs of WCA. They will lead a team of hard-working, skilled, and data driven organizers who are passionate community builders, enthusiastic about embedding the principles of racial equity and Tribal Sovereignty in our work and protecting people and nature as one. The ideal candidate is self-motivated, experienced at supervising and coaching staff, excited to collaborate with peers on the Senior Management Team, and has a background in in-person field campaigns and public outreach and engagement. This position is supervised by the VP of Campaigns.

Washington Conservation Action is a statewide environmental advocacy organization that advances environmental policies and pushes for actions that equitably address climate pollution, restore Puget Sound, sustain our state’s forests, and protect our democracy. For Washington to remain a national leader on environmental issues, we need environmental champions in elected office and to hold our leaders accountable. To keep our environment protected, healthy, and vibrant, we are committed to supporting Native candidates, candidates of color, and environmental leaders seeking election.

In January 2023, Washington Conservation Voters and Washington Environmental council unified under a shared brand—Washington Conservation Action. This evolution as organizations builds on our 50 years of work and history of bringing people together to solve Washington’s most critical environmental issues. We develop, advocate, and defend policies that ensure environmental progress and justice by centering and amplifying the voices of the most impacted communities. Washington Conservation Action is a 501(c4) organization. Washington Conservation Action Education Fund is our 501(c3) partner organization. Together, we advance a shared a vision for a Washington state where nature and people live in balance for the flourishing of all.

Washington Conservation Action is based in downtown Seattle with a view of Elliott Bay. Our team of nearly 45 works in a flexible hybrid model, with staff in the office two days a week for collaboration and celebration. All staff members have access to tools and systems to support hybrid work. We offer competitive salaries, excellent benefits, and the opportunity to make a difference. We are committed to a diverse, socially just, and welcoming work environment. People of color, people with varying abilities, and people of all sexual orientations and gender identities are especially encouraged to apply. We continue to advance the application of a racial equity lens to our work and are led by a CEO who is a citizen of the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs, Oregon.

Responsibilities

The Organizing Director is responsible for managing the overall grassroots, field, and activist cultivation and engagement for WCA’s programs. A key responsibility will be supervising up to four permanent staff, the field Internship program and temporary organizing staff as needed. They will play a key role in advancing racial equity, diversity, inclusion, Tribal Sovereignty, and environmental justice internally and externally. They collaborate with program directors, the Development team, and contribute to the Senior Management Team and its duties​.​

Program & Staff Supervision (75%)

• Collaborate with the VP of Campaigns to set a strategic vision for our organizing and mobilizing work that supports our programmatic needs while centering community
• Set specific goals for the Organizing Program (historically the Field Team) that grows our supporter base, followers, volunteers, and grassroots power in communities
• Manage the overall Organizing Program and up to four full-time staff, whose work integrates across Program teams and our c3, c4, and PAC activities while maximizing resources and efficiency
• Advise the VP of Campaigns on how to best use organizing for a larger power building strategy that includes communications, lobbying, electoral activities while balancing the field needs of the organization
• Identify strategic opportunities to build grassroots power for WCA and our shared coalitions. Tap into what matters to local communities and new energy from the federal landscape
• Ensure the Organizing Program supports environmental progress while actively working to lift up racial justice and Tribal Sovereignty, increases accessibility and diversity of our field events
• Delegate the Organizing Internship program management and evolution and coach Organizers on effective intern management
• Ensure there are robust data capture systems for our Organizing work, comprehensively capturing activist data and engagement history is in the appropriate databases
• Ensure legal compliance of 501(c)3, 501(c)4, and PAC organizing activities and serve as a resource to other staff on best practices
• Keep up to date on cutting-edge and emerging campaign tools and technology including voter file, modeling, and paid services (peer to peer texting, auto dialers etc.) to help meet campaign and outreach goals

Direct Organizing (5%)

• Attending and supporting field events, providing feedback to Organizers and interns, and staying up to date with tactics and attitudes of activists on the ground
• May lead field teams for the Environmental Priorities Coalition’s legislative campaigns or other coalition campaigns
• Attend and support phone-banks, doorbell days, Lobby Days, etc. as needed

Racial Equity, Cross Programmatic collaboration, and External Relations (25%)

• Works with program teams to effectively utilize grassroots supporters in our campaign, advocacy and accountability work
• Serves on the Senior Management Team, providing strategic direction to the organization
• Serves on a Racial Equity team and ensures racial equity and Tribal Sovereignty are infused in our organizing and outreach work
• Works with the Development Team to contribute to grant proposals and reports that support WCA’s grassroots program, and joins donor call time, as needed.
• Collaborates with the Communications Director on the Digital Comms and Field space, clarifying roles and aligning on strategy and tactics
• Recruit for and support fundraising events, including recruiting volunteers as needed
• Represents WCA in external coalitions and growing partnerships
• Actively participates in an internal racial equity team

Administrative

• Adhere to organizational administrative procedures such as timely submission of reimbursements, entering worked time in time-tracking software, travel planning, and submitting credit card receipts from the organization’s credit card within 48 hours of the charge

Required Skills

• Four or more years of relevant leadership experience that includes supervising local and fully remote staff plus organizing and implementing successful grassroots advocacy or electoral campaigns; campus or community organizing of any kind can meet this requirement
• Commitment to environmental protection and principles of Tribal Sovereignty and racial, social, and economic justice. Demonstrated application of racial equity frameworks and practices.
• Enthusiasm for WCA’s mission and a heartfelt connection to the natural beauty, abundance, and diversity of the Pacific Northwest: its people, cultures, and environments.
• Strong people management experience overseeing direct reports in a team setting, evaluating and supporting performance with a genuine desire to coach and mentor. Experience providing direct supervisor support to bargaining unit members will be helpful but is not required.
• A commitment to an ongoing anti-racist learning journey, both personally and professionally, and a strong desire to be a productive member of a team that is deeply engaged in the work of building power with Black, Brown, and Indigenous people.
• ​​Experience in successful program planning, implementation, and funding, including budget management and operationalizing strategies to achieve priorities and goals. ​
• Experience working collaboratively on complex initiatives and building trusting relationships effectively across different communities and with people of diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and cultures.
• Strong facilitation, public speaking, and written communication skills
• Technologically adept – comfort, familiarity and/or ability to learn and utilize a variety of computer applications (e.g., Microsoft Office, Google suite) as well as project management systems (e.g., Asana,) and customer relationship management systems (Salesforce.
• Excellent time management skills.
• Lives in Washington state or is willing to move to Washington state at their own expense.
• A valid driver’s license, or the ability to obtain one, and ability to travel to different parts of Washington as needed, up to 15% of your work time. You will be reimbursed for approved travel costs, including mileage, food and lodging if needed.

Desirable Skills

• ​​Conversational Spanish ​​ ​
• Knowledge of the Voter Activation Network (VAN) or Votebuilder or similar database platforms and field tools
• Understanding of social media tools like Facebook, Instagram, and Threads/Twitter.

Location Information

This position is hybrid (minimum of 40% in the Seattle office) but we will consider an option for being fully remote for those located within Washington State. We anticipate this job will involve occasional travel to in-person meetings and staff gatherings at the discretion of the supervisor, up to 15% of the time.

Working Conditions & Physical Demands

This job requires frequent sitting. Must be able to conduct business in English, though fluency in other languages is welcomed. For remote work, employees must maintain a workspace with an internet connection where they can reliably perform work during scheduled work hours. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with different abilities to perform functions essential to the duties of the position. This position will also require occasional evening and weekend work.

COVID-19

The organization follows all requirements of local health authorities. We are currently working in hybrid remote work model with staff working from home in addition to in-office time for collaboration and celebration. We maintain strict safety protocols while in our office. All staff who come to the office must be fully immunized against COVID-19.

To Apply

Please submit a cover letter and a resume here. No phone calls or mailed applications please. This position is open until filled.

WCAEF and WCA are equal opportunity employers committed to dismantling structural racism and creating a welcoming work environment. We do not discriminate on the basis of age, race, gender, religion, marital status, veteran’s status, national origin, disability, or sexual orientation. People of color, people with disabilities, and people of all sexual orientations and gender identities are especially encouraged to apply.