Community Outreach & Organizing Coordinator

Job Overview:

The Community Outreach and Organizing Coordinator will be responsible for leading our efforts for the statewide Equitable Building Decarbonization (EBD) program, which will help eligible residential customers electrify their homes at no cost, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and advancing energy equity. This is a highly hands-on outreach role, and this position will spend most of their time identifying and creating productive outreach opportunities and connecting directly with community members at events, workshops, and public spaces. This person will expand and strengthen relationships with racial and social justice organizations, and will support other policy initiatives as needed to most effectively achieve climate justice in our region.

Major Goals and Responsibilities (including, but not limited to):

• Community Outreach and Event Planning: Design and lead the overall outreach strategy to effectively engage communities of concern in a free home decarbonization program. This includes identifying the most impactful outreach methods, tailoring approaches to cultural and local contexts, and setting goals for engagement. You’ll also be responsible for implementing this strategy through events, digital campaigns, and partnerships with trusted institutions like schools, churches, and community groups. Activities may include tabling, workshops, presentations, and hands-on demonstrations of technologies like induction cooktops.
• Relationship-Building: Build and maintain relationships with partner organizations, community members, elected officials, and others. Expand our network to include a multifaceted range of decision-makers, allies, stakeholders, donors, members, and volunteers.
• Administration: Track and report outreach activities, including attendance numbers, leads generated, and participant handoffs on a regular basis. Participate in regular meetings with program partners to report progress, receive feedback, and ensure alignment with program guidelines.
• Community Development/Organizing: Conduct outreach and partner with community members, volunteers, and partner organizations to build community power and advance campaigns to advocate for change.
• Policy Advocacy: Prepare for government hearings, conduct climate policy research, write position letters, meet with government officials and stakeholders, develop action alerts, and attend and testify at city council and other public agency meetings.
• Issue-Based Learning: Continue to expand knowledge and constantly seek to enhance understanding of climate and decarbonization issues in the face of ever-evolving and dynamic information and conditions.
• Communications: In coordination with the Communications Manager, grow understanding of key climate issues facing the Orange County region via messaging, storytelling, traditional media (press releases, media alerts, pitching, press events), email campaigns, social media, website content, newsletters and action alerts, and infographics.
• Philanthropy: Assist the Philanthropy team with proposals, grant reporting, securing event sponsors, speaking with donors, and any other Philanthropy team needs.

Qualifications and Skills:

We recognize that skills and expertise are gained in many ways: on the job, in the community, or through lived experience. While not all qualifications are required, they reflect what we believe contributes to success in this role. If your background possesses the right ingredients for success, we encourage you to apply.

• Experience in community outreach, ideally related to climate policy. Familiarity with key climate issues, including building electrification, clean energy, adaptation and resilience, public and/or active transportation, and/or land-use planning, especially in the Orange County region.
• Strong cultural competency and lived or professional experience working with diverse communities in Southern California, particularly underserved or frontline neighborhoods.
• Experience building partnerships with diverse coalitions, community-based organizations, or networks.
  • Preferred: Existing connections with community members, groups, or elected officials in the Orange County region, specifically Buena Park, Fullerton, Santa Ana, and/or Anaheim communities.
• Proactive mindset, with a desire to continuously deepen knowledge of climate issues and create partnerships in a fast-changing landscape.
• Adaptability and comfort in dynamic environments, able to pivot quickly in response to shifting political and funding landscapes.
• Strong communication skills, including the ability to write clearly, speak persuasively, and tailor messages to different audiences. Comfortable providing public testimony and presenting to community groups.
• Self-directed and results-oriented, capable of working independently while aligning with organizational goals.
• Strong organizational skills with the ability to track multiple events, deadlines, and reporting requirements.
• Familiarity with decarbonization or energy efficiency topics is a plus, but not required. Training and materials will be provided.
• Knowledge of local government structures and functions, particularly climate-related policies or programs.
  • Preferred: Experience working directly with local government agencies.
• Commitment to CAC’s values, mission, and approach
• Fluency in written and spoken English is required. Fluency in written and spoken Spanish is highly preferred. Basic Spanish conversational skills required.

Location: We don’t currently have an office space in Orange County, so our team works remotely. However, this position will be regularly out in the community meeting with community members and groups, and therefore, must be based in Orange County with reliable access to and ability to drive a car.