Director of Organizing

About Communities United for Police Reform (CPR): Communities United for Police Reform (CPR) is an unprecedented campaign to end discriminatory policing practices in New York, and to build a lasting movement that promotes public safety and reduces reliance on policing. CPR runs coalitions of over 200 local, statewide and national organizations and has won significant organizing, policy and litigation victories since being launched in 2012.

Position Summary: The Director of Organizing is part of CPR’s senior leadership team and is responsible for directing CPR’s campaigns and programs and managing campaign staff. The person in this role is responsible for working closely with member leaders and staff to develop CPR's overarching campaign strategies, as well as ensure the implementation, evaluation and refinement of the coalition’s organizing tactics and programs. This position will also help grow the campaign’s membership and broaden CPR’s base of support amongst partners and key stakeholders, while strengthening CPR’s impact through community organizing, policy and civic engagement campaigns.

The ideal candidate is a big picture visionary who is passionate about advancing CPR’s goals to strengthen police accountability and transparency; reduce the size, scope, and budget of the NYPD; and expand support and resources for non-police public safety alternatives. They are a seasoned organizer, facilitator, and skilled manager with deep roots in racial and social justice movements. They are effective at building collective analysis, strategy skills and advancing detailed plans with multiple tactics.

RESPONSIBILITIES include:

Campaigns & Program Coordination (50%)

Oversee development, implementation, and refinement of CPR’s organizing, policy and civic engagement campaigns and programs. This includes:

• Work with CPR members to lead the design and coordination of CPR’s campaigns and coalition-building strategies to build power, secure policy change, educate communities and key stakeholders, and help advance communication strategies to shift public narrative on policing and safety.
• Oversee execution of various campaign tactics related to: community organizing, education and training, policy advocacy, litigation and legal defense, direct action, strategic communications, civic engagement, and arts/culture work.
• Coordinate legal and policy research and analysis and oversee the development/production of public education materials related to campaigns
• Work closely with campaign members, staff, and key partners to identify, execute and evaluate strategic action in moments of opportunity to advance long and short-term goals; identify and trouble-shoot obstacles and shifting conditions that impact campaign goals and priorities
• Lead CPR campaign and program staff to build broad-based coalitions and strategic alliances to advance goals; especially with key sectors outside of CPR’s voting membership

Program Infrastructure, Planning & Management (35%)

• Lead CPR program and campaign teams (members and staff) to effectively develop, monitor and adjust annual and multi-year work plans and budgets, individual campaign plans and event/action plans with coalition members and partners
• Strengthen and implement systems to engage members, partners, key sectors, and supporters in campaigns and program work to advance CPR priorities; including oversee systems to support recruitment, development, and consolidation of voting member groups and their representatives, including orienting new members, ensuring strong member engagement/leadership, and identifying relevant policing and other trends experienced across organizations and within the sector
• Identify core capacity needs and implement training, technical assistance, and CPR-wide political education to advance core priorities.
• Collaborate with other staff and members to ensure strong cross-area coordination throughout the campaign, including participation in communications strategies.
• Work with relevant staff to ensure timely and effective internal and public communications to advance CPR priorities

Other responsibilities (15%)

• Work with development staff and fundraising consultants to assist with raising resources for campaign and programmatic needs, including drafting reports and materials for fundraising proposals and appeals; participate in resource development activities (e.g. meetings with funders and donors, supporting individual donor cultivation, participate in fundraising events).
• Share infrastructure/administrative responsibilities with other staff, as needed.

QUALIFICATIONS & SKILLS OF IDEAL CANDIDATE

• Demonstrated experience and commitment to building racial/other social justice movements and commitment to the vision and values of CPR. Knowledge of key issues and demonstrated experience working with diverse low-income communities of color directly affected by abusive policing.
• Seasoned campaigner, committed to long-term movement-building. Minimum 8 years leading and managing successful multi-year organizing campaigns, including community organizing, policy advocacy and/or civic engagement campaigns with robust leadership development and effective coalition-building skills.
• Creative and bold strategist and tactician – Demonstrated experience assessing and acting creatively and swiftly to shifting conditions to advance campaigns; demonstrated experience integrating policy, legal, research, strategic communications and other tactics in organizing campaigns.
• Excellent facilitator and trainer with strong political education roots; clear and effective communicator with conflict transformation skills. Demonstrated experience understanding and effectively responding to complex group and coalition dynamics.
• Proven experience coordinating communications strategies within campaigns; strong understanding of relevant NYC and national media.
• Familiarity and track record working with a wide range of organizations across different sectors including grassroots, community-based group and legal, policy and advocacy organizations, social service providers and research organizations
• Successful track record cultivating accountable working partnerships with policymakers and elected officials preferred.
• Strong program management experience, including 8+ years in program development, implementation, evaluation, budgeting and fiscal management, and fundraising.
• At least 5 years’ experience recruiting, retaining and supervising staff and volunteers.
• Detail-oriented, results-driven, excellent time/project management and demonstrated track record managing multiple programs within deadlines and with grace and humor.
• Familiarity and expertise in police accountability, criminalization, community safety and racial/other justice movement issues and landscape strongly preferred. Proficiency and knowledge of policy, litigation and legal landscape related to policing preferred.
• Excellent communicator, with strong writing, research, facilitation and public speaking skills.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office applications, database programs, project management tools, and social media platforms.

Position Reports to: Managing Director