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Nonprofit
Organizing Director
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Description
Location: Portland, OR
Position Type: Full-time exempt at 32 hours
Salary: $95,000
Benefits: $500 monthly healthcare stipend, generous PTO, flexible schedule, hybrid work options, professional development
About Portland: Neighbors Welcome
Portland: Neighbors Welcome (P:NW) is a volunteer-driven organization that is dedicated to ensuring that every present and future Portlander can find and keep a safe, stable home they can afford. We believe that every neighborhood in our city should be open and available to people with diverse backgrounds and incomes, and that every person who wants to sleep indoors at night should be able to. We support policies that can deliver an abundant supply of homes that are affordable to rent or buy at every income level and every household size, and ensure that all tenants can live without fear of eviction or displacement. We advocate for those land use, housing, and transportation policies that will make Portland a fairer and more sustainable city. You can read about some of our campaigns here.
About the Position
Reporting to the Executive Director, this is a new role and the second staff position in our small but mighty organization. The Organizing Director must thrive in a self-starting environment where expectations are not always clearly defined. This grant-funded role is guaranteed for one year, with the intention to extend contingent on additional funding and organizational needs.
The Organizing Director will lead strategies to mobilize the P:NW community for pro-housing advocacy, focusing on grassroots recruitment, volunteer leadership development, strong systems, and effective campaign coordination to achieve local and state policy wins. This role will carry the current Inner Eastside for All campaign to completion, identify future aligned campaigns, and contribute to strategic planning to ensure organizing efforts, systems, and partnerships align with broader organizational goals. The position is hands-on and best suited for a facilitator and organizer-of-organizers rather than a top-down manager.
Key Responsibilities
Strategy & Planning
- Develop overarching organizing plans, campaign strategies, and tactics to win pro-housing reforms
- Contribute to organizational strategy and long-term movement-building goals
- Ensure campaigns align with organizational priorities and capacity
Volunteer Leadership & Team Development
- Recruit, train, supervise, and support volunteer leaders and member organizers
- Coach members in relational organizing, facilitation, and leadership skills
- Build leadership pathways that support a strong, democratic organization
Grassroots Mobilization
- Direct member recruitment, onboarding, and engagement efforts
- Support outreach, trainings, meetings, and coordinated actions
- Help members translate community energy into sustained participation and power
Campaign & Project Management
- Identify and oversee evolving campaigns at the municipal level
- Lead and develop full 2027 Oregon legislative session agenda and engagement
- Set metrics, track progress, and adjust tactics based on data and member feedback
- Build and strengthen internal systems to support long-term sustainability and impact
Coalition & Movement Building
- Foster partnerships with local, regional, and national allies
- Glean and share knowledge and learnings with national partners through the Welcome Neighbors Network (WNN)
- Support and join members in representing the organization in coalitions and advocacy spaces
Core Skills & Qualifications
- Leadership experience in grassroots, nonprofit, or member-led organizing (3–5+ years preferred)
- Strong strategic thinking and planning skills
- Experience building and managing organizing systems and projects
- Proven ability to energize, recruit, support, and develop volunteer leaders
- Equity-centered, relational organizing approach
- Exceptional written and verbal communication skills
- Strong community and coalition-building skills
- Ability to work evenings and weekends
- Commitment to housing abundance and pro-housing solutions
- Familiarity with tools like Slack, Google Workspace, and CRMs
Nice to Have
- Experience with housing, land use, or urban policy advocacy
- Familiarity with Oregon legislative and Portland city-level organizing
- Experience working in volunteer-led decentralized organizations
- Comfort using data, metrics, and tracking tools to guide strategy
Benefits
32-hour work week, $500 monthly healthcare stipend, generous PTO, flexible schedule, hybrid work options, professional development
Location
Associated Location
How to Apply
Please submit your information and materials (cover letter, resume, and references) via application link. This position will remain open until filled, with a priority application deadline of Wednesday, April 1st at 9am.
We are committed to building a diverse, inclusive, people-powered housing movement and strongly encourage applications from those most impacted by the housing crisis, including renters, low-income people, people of color, immigrants, LGBTQ+ people, and people with disabilities. We believe our work is strongest when these voices are part of our team, and we encourage applicants to apply even if they believe they do not meet all requirements.
