Lehigh Valley Organizer

Food & Water Watch is looking for an organizer to join our Pennsylvania team and help support our organizing efforts in the area to protect our food, water, and climate. The organizer will work closely with volunteers in the Lehigh Valley and other staff at Food & Water Watch. This position is based in or near Allentown, Pennsylvania. The employee may be required to occasionally travel throughout the region for organizing efforts and occasionally travel throughout the state and very occasionally travel out of state for internal meetings or trainings and/or coalition or campaign events at the employer’s discretion.

About Food & Water Watch:

Food & Water Watch is working to create a healthy future for all people and generations to come - a world where everyone has food they can trust, clean drinking water and a livable climate. Making this happen requires involving people in the pressing issues of our time at the local, state, and federal level, building on one win after another, as we develop a larger movement that has the political power to make our democratic process work.

About the position:

The organizer will report to the Northern Region Director and will work closely with other staff on the Pennsylvania organizing team and also work with other teams including digital, communications, and philanthropy to support Food & Water Watch’s work. The organizer will lead our volunteer development work throughout the Lehigh Valley with a focus on developing a robust team of volunteers including developing volunteer leaders. The organizer will primarily work on campaigns to stop the buildout of fracking and fossil fuel infrastructure, with a particular focus on stopping the rapid expansion of data centers in the Lehigh Valley and Pennsylvania more broadly fueled by the AI boom. This is a full-time temporary grant-funded position for one year, with the possibility to extend.

Salary: $49,300-$56,900 / Annually dependent upon experience and location.

Location: Allentown, PA

Responsibilities:

1. Recruit volunteers and allies. Build a strong base of volunteers and organizations in support of our local, state, and national campaigns in the Lehigh Valley
2. Develop campaign plans. Work with other staff to establish long and short-term goals, strategies, and tactics to win our campaigns.
3. Organize campaign tactics. Plan and execute strategic tactics to meet the needs of our campaigns, including educational events, base-building drives, and actions directed at elected officials.
4. Build capacity. Develop the leadership of volunteers and grassroots organizations by offering training and organizing support.
5. Represent Food & Water Watch. Speak at public events and in press interviews on behalf of the organization. Participate in coalitions and joint campaigns or tactics.
6. Write to inspire action. Develop educational materials such as factsheets, action alerts, website content and newsletter articles on campaign issues.
7. Use digital tools. Become proficient in tools such as ThruText, Scale to Win, Asana, VAN, and Mobilize.
8. Know our issues. Maintain familiarity with Food & Water Watch’s priority issue campaigns and policy positions, and respond to information and support requests from activists, coalition members, and the media.
9. Build Food & Water Watch for the long haul. Participate in member recruitment and fundraising activities for Food & Water Watch.
10. Carry out other projects as assigned.

Required Qualifications:

• At least 1 year of full-time organizing experience, or an equivalent combination of full-time and volunteer experience.
• Demonstrated ability to develop effective organizing strategies.
• Familiarity with Pennsylvania politics and Lehigh Valley communities.
• Commitment to Food & Water Watch’s core values of justice, human dignity, fair treatment, and equity.
• Ability to work effectively with people of diverse racial, ethnic, class, age, gender, and sexual orientation backgrounds.
• Excellent writing and verbal communication skills.
• Excellent time management & organizational skills and ability to balance multiple projects.
• Ability to work remotely using basic online programs, including email, Slack, and Google docs.

Desired but not required skills and experience:

• Experience using digital organizing tools
• Campaign planning experience.

Compensation: $49,300-$56,900 / Annually dependent upon experience and location.

Food & Water Watch provides an excellent benefits package for full-time employees. This includes 100% employer-paid health, dental and vision plans for staff; 403b retirement plans with employer contribution once eligible; 12 weeks paid parental leave once eligible; 3 weeks vacation for new employees; 12 sick days and 5 personal days; paid federal holidays and winter break (December 24 – January 1).

This position is a bargaining unit position covered under a contract between Food & Water Watch and the Nonprofit Professional Employees Union (NPEU). FLSA Status dependent upon salary and location.

Click here to apply. Please include your resume, cover letter, and three professional references to be considered. Position open until filled. Incomplete applications will not be considered.

We will review your application and if we feel that your knowledge, skills and abilities are potentially a good match for our organization, we will be in contact with you.

Food & Water Watch is an equal opportunity employer who encourages applications from women, people of color, LGBTQ individuals, individuals with disabilities, and other members of underrepresented groups. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of this role.

Food & Water Watch (FWW) is committed to the health and safety of its staff members. Moreover, FWW, as an organization, promotes science-based policy. Science clearly shows that unvaccinated populations drive the spread of the coronavirus and the emergence of new variants, and that unvaccinated people are more likely to contract COVID and experience severe symptoms. Effective immediately, it is strongly recommended that prospective new staff members provide proof of vaccination.

Food & Water Watch provides an excellent benefits package for full-time employees. This includes 100% employer-paid health, dental and vision plans for staff; 403b retirement plans with employer contribution once eligible; 12 weeks paid parental leave once eligible; 3 weeks vacation for new employees; 12 sick days and 5 personal days; paid federal holidays and winter break (December 24 – January 1).