Asian American Field Coordinator

July 2022 through July 2023, with the possibility of extension based on performance and resources

Who we are: The Asian Pacific Islander Political Alliance's (API PA) mission is to build long-term power for APIs in Pennsylvania, by coordinating political, electoral, and legislative work to hold our elected officials accountable, engaging in culturally competent and linguistically accessible direct voter contact with our communities, and building solidarity with other aligned communities of color across the state.

We operate primarily in South Asian, Korean, Chinese, and Vietnamese communities, and are the first and only political organization directly advocating for the needs of Asian and Pacific Islanders in Pennsylvania. We won't stop until our people have political power and our communities have everything we need to be safe, healthy, and strong - and we’re excited to work with you to make that happen.

Primary Responsibilities:

As the first and only statewide Asian Pacific Islander political organization in Pennsylvania, API PA will spend 2022 building and running the voter contact program necessary to fulfill the same role it accomplished in 2020 - delivering unprecedented Asian American voter turnout, electing candidates who will stand with and fight for our communities, building long-term power for our people, and doing it all in line with our communities’ values. Our Field Team will be crucial to this effort, knocking on doors and making calls to engage our people in voting by mail, persuading them to support candidates who will listen to our communities, and mobilizing them to vote in the 2022 midterm elections. 

The Field Coordinator will be managing a field team of paid canvassers for 60% of their time and doing long term base building for 40% of their time.

The Field Coordinator oversees the day-to-day of API PA’s paid canvass (door knocking) program in Central PA, which will launch in Summer 2022 and run until November 2022 at minimum, with an emphasis on outreach to Asian Pacific Islander voters.

The Field Coordinator will also implement API PA’s long-term basebuilding and electoral strategies to build power in and for Asian communities in Central PA, with an emphasis on the Harrisburg area and surrounding suburbs. The person in this role is responsible for building relationships with Asian community leaders, recruiting and managing volunteers, managing paid and volunteer direct voter contact activities, coordinating issue organizing around community priorities, and anything else needed to advance the cause of building Asian power in Pennsylvania. 

The Field Coordinator’s responsibilities will include but are not limited to:

• Building relationships with Asian community leaders
• Managing all paid and volunteer canvassing and voter contact work for Asian voters in Central PA
• Recruiting and managing volunteers
• Recruiting, training, and managing a team of paid canvassers, including tracking their hours, supporting their growth, and holding them accountable to goals
• Ensuring quality and timely data entry and reporting about these voter contact efforts, including maintaining activist database (NGP VAN) to track supporters, volunteers, and events
• Other duties as necessary

Qualifications/Requirements:

• There is no formal education requirement for this position. Ideal candidates will have at least one to two years of experience in a related role.
• Experience operating in and/or organizing Asian communities
• Commitment to the mission and values of API PA
• Demonstrated ability to think on your feet and grow quickly in your role, including the ability to adapt to new technology and platforms 
• Ability to juggle multiple priorities and prioritize work to meet demands of fast-changing environments.
• Access to a cell phone, a laptop or tablet, and a consistent internet connection required
• Strong organizational, interpersonal, and prioritization skills required; must be able to hold others accountable to assigned tasks
• Travel will be required. A driver’s license and access to a car is required. Personal protective equipment will be provided by API PA. We will follow CDC guidelines to ensure employee safety. Meetings and one on one work will be done virtually when possible, but in-person work will be required.

Preferred, not required:

• Experience managing paid canvassers, preferred, experience with volunteer phone-banks or canvasses (or equivalent non-political experience) required
• Ability to work well with a team and maintain flexibility in a fast-paced organizing environment. 
• Familiarity with Asian communities in the Harrisburg area
• Electoral experience, as staff or a volunteer