Mississippi Organizer

Location: Mississippi

Position: Organizer 

Department: Southern Program 

Position Type: Full-time exempt 

Reports to: Southern Program Director 

Salary Range: $60,000 - $75,000 

Deadline to apply: Until filled 

Start date: October 1, 2024 

At this critical time for lower-income, frontline communities and people of color, Jobs to Move America (JMA) is uniquely positioned to advance a transformative agenda for equitable job creation and expanded access to training for historically underrepresented groups. Here is information about this program. 

Who we are ─ About Jobs to Move America: 

JMA is a national strategic policy center that supports reinvesting taxpayer dollars to create good jobs and a fair and prosperous society. We are committed to reclaiming our government as a force for good, expanding access to clean jobs for all working people, and transforming our economy through coalition building and policy development that centers environmental sustainability, racial and gender justice. 

JMA is partnered with the AFL-CIO and six international labor unions. JMA also maintains regional coalitions of community, faith, environmental, and civil rights organizations across the U.S. We have offices in California, New York, Illinois and are quickly expanding. To learn more, visit our website: www.jobstomoveamerica.org. 

What You’ll Do ─ Essential Duties and Responsibilities: 

The Organizer builds trust and consensus with key stakeholders that will include workers at specific worksites, incarcerated laborers, grassroots community members in key geographic areas, and/or organizational and union partners that can contribute to advancing our vision of public goods for the most public good.

The Organizer will:

• Articulate JMA’s mission and values in a compelling way that motivates and mobilizes key stakeholders;
• Interview and mobilize workers, incarcerated laborers and community members to obtain information, prepare campaign tactics and materials, and build organizing lists;
• Survey workers at worksites and throughout specific companies and industries as assigned by the Southern Program Director, Southern Assistant Director for Campaigns or other senior staff;
• Work with the Southern Program Director and Southern Assistant Director for campaigns to carry out the local, community-and-worker strategy in a major campaign;
• Work with Southern Program Director and Senior Staff to plan worker, stakeholder, and community events that support the mission of the organization;
• Regularly produce organizing materials such as raps, worker lists and assessment tools;
• Regularly assess workers on our organizing lists and maintain knowledge of workplace leaders, issues and developments;
• Become familiar with the local political leaders, residents, social organizations, faith groups and churches, community meetings and meeting spaces, union locals, etc in
• your target’s geographic area by carrying out community power mapping and/or asset mapping with the goal of building grassroots power and infrastructure to win campaigns;
• Develop substantial 1:1 relationships through regular meetings and consistent follow-up with key stakeholders, especially workers;
• Contribute to JMA’s organizational development, for example by assisting with fundraising, providing peer evaluations, or planning organizational events;
• Travel to jobsite locations (Tupelo and surrounding Golden Triangle area in N Mississippi) to engage in worker organizing (No more than 60 percent of time or 3 days per work week.)

About you ─ Required Qualifications:

The ideal candidate is able to dive into our campaigns and take initiative over their work.

You should have most of the following qualifications:

• A demonstrable commitment to racial, gender, social and economic justice and experience centering such issues within an organizing context;
• At least 2-3 years of experience in labor, community and/or political campaigns, preferably in the South with working knowledge of regional political dynamics and coalitions;
• Strong verbal and written communication skills, including the ability to effectively communicate JMA’s work to the public and to a wide variety of stakeholders which may include coalition and union partners, elected officials and government employees, among others;
• Ability to build and sustain authentic and productive working relationships with colleagues across race and other group identities, including JMA employees as well as external partners;
• Ability to continually assess and deepen the commitment of key stakeholders, and workers through regular 1:1s, thoughtful asks, and securing of commitments through effective turnout;
• Maintain a high level of timely follow-up to follow through on commitments – both personal commitments made as well as commitments made by partners, allies and workers;
• Maintain flexibility: be ready to take advantage of unexpected opportunities and adapt quickly to change;
• Demonstrated self-awareness, empathy, and social skills in work and interpersonal interactions;
• Facilitation skills and ability to move coalition members to shared agreement and action;
• Ability to participate in a culture of honest and direct feedback;
• Ability to work independently and carry out assignments to completion and meet deadlines;
• Experience directly organizing and/or mobilizing workers in an industrial environment;
• Familiarity with GoogleSuite and openness to learning new administrative programs such as BambooHR, Certify and other web based platforms;
• Frequent travel to Montgomery, Ala. and the surrounding region–and reliable transportation–are required.

Other Physical Requirements:

• Ability to safely and successfully perform the essential job functions consistent with the ADA, FMLA and other federal, state and local standards, including meeting qualitative and/or quantitative productivity standards.
• Ability to maintain regular, punctual attendance consistent with the ADA, FMLA any other federal, state and local standards
• Must be able to communicate clearly on telephone with reasonable accommodations

What Else You Should Know ─ Compensation/Benefits:

• $60,000-$75,000 with annual salary increases
• 100% employer-paid medical, dental, and vision premiums for the employee and dependents.
• Generous paid time off including 12 personal days, 12 federal holidays, and 2 floating holidays each year. JMA has a paid, two week winter break at the end of each December. Staff can accrue up to 20 vacation days and 20 sick days. After 5 years of work, all staff are eligible for 3 months of sabbatical leave.
• 401(k) plan with 5% employer contribution after 6 months of employment
• Flexible spending account (FSA)
• Cell phone reimbursement
• Utility/Internet monthly stipend for those working from home
• Work from home office set up provided if needed
• Training and professional development opportunities are available upon completion of the probationary period
• A strong commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion policies and practices
• Qualifying Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) employer
• JMA is a unionized workplace. This position is included in the collective bargaining agreement.

How to Apply:

Complete the application form and upload a cover letter, resume, and three work

references. Only applications submitted via this process will be considered. No phone calls, please. As part of the candidate screening process for this role applicants will be asked to complete a writing assignment and technical skills assessment.

JMA Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Statement

We are an EEO/affirmative action employer and encourage applications from all qualified candidates regardless of race, ethnicity, age, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, religion, or disability. We work to ensure fair treatment of applicants and employees and actively enforce zero-tolerance policies against discrimination and sexual harassment. Those who identify as persons of color, women, veterans, or formerly incarcerated persons, and/or have had experience working with one or more of those groups are strongly encouraged to apply

JMA Diversity and Inclusion Statement

JMA believes that diverse, engaged, and motivated employees are essential to achieving our goals of economic, racial, and social justice. JMA believes that each employee's voice is valuable and that when all employees contribute ideas to the organization’s operation, it enhances the success of the organization overall.

In order to assist us in achieving our goals as a diverse and inclusive workforce, we ask optional self-identification questions in the job application.