Lead Organizer

ABOUT MJL: Muslim Justice League (MJL) is a 501(c)3 nonprofit that organizes, educates, and advocates for communities whose rights are threatened under national security pretexts. MJL was founded on the principles that discrimination towards any group endangers the rights of all and that Muslim advocacy is an essential force for promoting justice.

MJL’s work focuses on systemic Islamophobia, especially the counterterrorism complex and global War on Terror. Our community organizing centers Muslims and people racialized as Muslim while building cross movement solidarity with other criminalized communities. We often work in coalition with other communities and community partners. We are a local organization focused on Greater Boston and Massachusetts, with national reach.

Our organizing builds power with impacted communities to challenge systemic oppression and create institutional change while building a more just and caring world. MJL’s community driven advocacy has won policies at the local and national level. We use a base building and grassroots community organizing approach that educates, agitates, organizes, mobilizes, and centers community members to be the leaders of change. We are also responsive to emerging crises within our scope and capacity, taking on some rapid response actions and short-term effective campaigns. We use dynamic strategic planning to adjust our campaigns and fine-tune our priorities to meet the most pressing community needs.

MJL is a small organization with an outsized impact. The Senior Organizer will be one of two new hires to join our Executive Director this year. We are looking for new team members who want to grow with us – by continuing to build our organizational capacity, developing practical tools for popular/political education, and mobilizing a large local base for action.

POSITION SUMMARY

This role works collaboratively with our community members, staff, and partners to design and run campaigns for systemic change. The Lead Organizer should be firmly grounded in the social justice movement with a collaborative approach, and experience in grassroots base building and campaigns.

The ideal candidate must be excited at the prospect of growing with our organization and welcome the opportunity to be a leader, a thought partner, and team member. This position requires an individual who likes leading and working in a team, is able to manage multiple responsibilities, and can stay on top of information and tasks in a fast-paced organization.

POSITION RESPONSIBILITIES

The Lead Organizer will lead community outreach, ongoing base building, and local and regional campaigns led by MJL and partners. The Lead Organizer will report to the Executive Director.

• Develops action-oriented campaign plans, power mapping strategies, campaign activities and actions, and base building programs.
• Leads outreach strategies to build a robust and active base of community members and supporters.
• Identify and build relationships with potential partner organizations and allies.
• Leads campaign teams and/or coalitions while regularly assessing strategy.
• Works closely with the Political Education Lead to develop materials and workshops to advance base building and campaigns.
• Creates leadership development pathways for community members in our base and facilitates their involvement in campaigns, events, and actions.
• Works closely with Political Education Lead to provide and create content from campaign work for social media updates, email blasts, reports, and other communications.
• Support and co-lead workshops, events, and other projects with MJL staff, community members, and partners.
• Supports members, volunteers, interns, and/or fellows with their leadership development, advising on their projects, and assisting them as needed.
• As a small organization, all staff are expected to support administrative tasks as needed.

CANDIDATE QUALIFICATIONS AND QUALITIES

• Deep passion and commitment to advancing social justice in Muslim communities as well as other criminalized and surveilled communities. Experience working with the Muslim community and others impacted by Islamophobia is preferred.
• Minimum four years of directly related experience in community organizing.
• Experience working across teams, organizations and communities to effectively move campaigns.
• The Organizer should see themselves as a visible, vocal, leader who is fiercely dedicated to addressing systemic injustices.
• Enthusiasm for MJL’s mission, vision, and values.

KEY KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES

• Deep understanding of root causes of social inequality. Preferred experience includes organizers with understanding of/subject matter expertise in one or more of the following areas: Islamophobia, counterterrorism and national security, policing, surveillance, and/or the War on Terror.
• Minimum of four years experience in community organizing or advocacy.
• Experience with campaign strategy, action design and implementation, and base building.
• Proven ability to motivate community members to move towards action.
• Strong project and time management skills with the ability to prioritize tasks when managing multiple campaigns.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including public speaking and the ability to present complex issues clearly.
• Excellent individual and group rapport-building skills in a range of diverse relationships and environments including co-workers, community partners, community members, and other key stakeholders.
• Proficiency in using digital tools and platforms for communication, data management, and organizing (e.g. social media, Mailchimp, Canva, and Google Suite). Willingness to learn new applications and follow best practices in data security.
• Strong critical thinking and problem solving skills
• Commitment to self-reflection and accountability in a team setting with multi-directional feedback.

LOCATION & WORKING ENVIRONMENT

• Full-time, predominantly in-person at our office with hybrid schedule to be determined
• Regular local travel to meetings and organizing events in the Boston area
• The role will require flexible work hours, including some nights and weekends
• Full-time employees are issued a computer and additional equipment for work use
• MJL believes strongly in the importance of healthy work-life balance.

COMPENSATION & BENEFITS

The position of Lead Organizer is a full-time role (40 hours/week) with an annual salary of $70,000 or higher depending on years of experience.

In addition to salary, MJL offers a competitive benefit policy including the following:

• 15 days of paid vacation in Year 1 of employment
• 12 sick days
• 14 holidays and a winter office closure
• Health and dental insurance

MJL is currently looking to add a sabbatical policy to this benefit package.

MJL is an equal opportunity employer committed to nondiscrimination -- in hiring decisions and the work environment -- on the basis of race, color, religion, sect, sex (including pregnancy and gender identity), sexual orientation, national origin, disability, genetic information and all other classifications protected by law.

TO APPLY

To apply, please fill out this form and attach a resume. If you do not have a google account, you can email your answers and resume to jobs@muslimjusticeleague.org with the subject line “Lead Organizer - Name.” Applications received by May 18, 2025 will be prioritized. This position will remain open until a candidate is identified. You can check our website to see if applications are still being accepted.