Community Engagement Strategist

The Opportunity

The American Civil Liberties Union of Tennessee (ACLU-TN) seeks a creative, collaborative, mission-driven community organizer to become our next community engagement strategist. The community engagement strategist will support the community engagement department’s main priorities:

• Mobilizing volunteers and supporters to act in rapid response moments that threaten civil liberties and freedom in Tennessee
• Executing issue-based campaigns to change public opinion on civil liberties throughout the state, such as immigration, free speech, and abuse of power
• Recruiting, retaining, and developing a base of Tennesseans to plan and execute advocacy tactics at the local, state, and federal levels

Under the supervision of the community engagement director, the community engagement strategist will:

• Facilitate highly engaging, participatory programming, training, and events for volunteers, turning ACLU-TN supporters into high-capacity volunteer leaders
• Engage local and statewide communities and voters in ACLU-TN’s work, and
• Strategize and execute campaign tactics to advance goals, mobilize constituents, and win on key issues

Community Engagement at ACLU-TN

Community engagement at ACLU-TN is oriented towards systemic change — moving people to take strategic actions that expand the civil liberties movement's size, reach, and impact and leading those who hold power to make decisions that advance specific, intentional campaign objectives. These strategic actions can occur in electoral, legislative, legal, and community organizing contexts. Community engagement at ACLU-TN is also designed to build long-term political and community power for the civil liberties movement to protect and strengthen our state's civil liberties and civil rights.

Position Responsibilities

Volunteer Engagement

• Expand and retain ACLU-TN’s campaign & active volunteer corps through outreach, recruitment, relationship-building, recognition, and ongoing engagement.
• Maintain volunteer support rhythms, including hosting volunteer leader calls and communication threads, and ensure volunteers have strong coordination and accountability systems.
• Maintain volunteer management systems and digital outreach tools to track new volunteers and maintain recruitment, participation, and retention statistics.
• Plan, coordinate, staff and work with volunteers at ACLU-TN’s advocacy and community events (virtual and in-person) statewide.
• Develop volunteer capacity in executing advocacy and mobilization tactics by creating and leading trainings, templates, guidance documents, supervision, and providing one-on-one and group feedback
• Cultivate opportunities for volunteers to advance their advocacy skill sets and move supporters at all levels up ACLU-TN’s ladder of engagement.
• Be a liaison between volunteers and staff, assessing civil liberties concerns raised by volunteers and strategizing responses with relevant staff members

Voter Engagement

• Assist efforts to implement non-partisan, non-endorsing strategies to educate the public about ballot access, GOTV, and candidate positions on civil liberties issues.
• Work with advocacy technology and digital outreach tools, including text messaging & phone-banking software, to increase civic engagement.

Support and execute advocacy campaigns

• Implement and assist with strategies to achieve ACLU-TN’s campaign objectives, including developing and executing campaign plans, tactics and timelines and assisting with campaign management as needed.
• Help track campaign progress, produce reports and highlights, and analyze campaign results and impact.

Additional duties

• Support staff public-speaking program, including serving as an ACLU-TN spokesperson for events, as needed.
• Assist with drafting copy for emails, texts, newsletters, and other assets quickly with attention to detail.
• Participate in and represent ACLU-TN at coalition meetings.
• Supervise interns and volunteers as needed.
• Perform other related duties as assigned by the community engagement director.

Qualifications

• At least three (3) years of experience in community, issue-based, faith, labor or political organizing, and/or legislative campaigns, with an emphasis on implementing effective field organizing strategies.
• Knowledge of and familiarity with organizing and advocacy software and tools, especially EveryAction and VAN.
• Expertise with issue-campaigning and planning advocacy tactics including: emailing, petitions, planning rallies, public testimony, etc.
• A history of working collaboratively and successfully with people and organizations from diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds and a broad range of ideological positions and religious views.
• Ability to travel across Tennessee, as necessary, and participate in regular evening and weekend meetings. A valid automobile driver’s license is required as this position requires travel throughout the state. Proof of valid driver’s license is required.
• A commitment to centering organizing work around the experiences of directly-impacted people.
• Unwavering commitment to the mission and goals of the ACLU, including a demonstrated commitment to equity and racial justice.
• Excitement and experience working with new/learning organizers/volunteers.
• Strong communications and interpersonal skills.
• Strong organizational skills; the ability to manage competing priorities and timelines.
• Creative, results-oriented, self-starting, and willing to learn.
• Strong task and time management skills.
• Knowledge of current political and movement landscape in Tennessee is preferred.

Hybrid Work Environment

ACLU-TN is headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee—a rapidly growing city with a deep history of social justice and a vibrant music, arts, culture, and food scene.

ACLU-TN currently operates in a hybrid work environment. Staff are expected to work in the Nashville office eight (8) days per month, including all-staff in-office days on the Monday and Tuesday of the first and third full weeks of each month.

Candidates residing outside of Tennessee will be considered for this position, with the understanding that relocation to Tennessee is required.

This position also requires travel throughout the state of Tennessee.

This is a full-time, exempt position with a starting salary range of $65,000 – $70,000. Staff members receive a generous benefits package, including a minimum of 15 vacation days, 12 sick days, and 2 personal days, along with at least 13 recognized holidays; 100% employer-covered health insurance (medical, dental, and vision); a flexible-spending account; a 401(k)-matched retirement contribution; 12 weeks of parental leave; long- and short-term disability; life insurance; an annual professional development stipend; and snacks in the office.