SW Washington Organizer

Please note: This is a joint position between Save Our wild Salmon (SOS) and Sierra Club, and while the organizer will coordinate closely with both organizations, legally they will be considered an employee of Sierra Club.

SW Washington Field Organizer

Location: Home office in Clark, Lewis, Pacific, Cowlitz or Skamania counties. This position requires the ability to travel.

Are you an experienced community organizer who cares about protecting and restoring abundant, self-sustaining populations of salmon and steelhead to the Columbia-Snake River Basin – as well as broader protection for public lands & climate in Southwest Washington State?

Sierra Club and Save Our wild Salmon Coalition (SOS) are hiring a full-time community organizer to help us educate and build powerful teams to advocate for these issues in Clark, Lewis, Pacific, Cowlitz, and Skamania counties. We’re looking for someone to work on behalf of both organizations who likes building volunteer teams, enjoys speaking with diverse communities (particularly in rural areas of the region), and is passionate about growing advocacy power.

Job activities include but are not limited to:

• Organizing Implementation: Develops and carries out individual organizing plans in order to build power that lead to systemic change. This includes organizing tactics, developing engagement strategies, facilitating organizing meetings, volunteer integration, and developing and leveraging partnerships. Evaluates progress and measures of effectiveness through data collection and collectively-established metrics. Builds organizing power that is capable of influencing key decisionmakers.
• Collaboration: Builds mutually supportive and accountable relationships with staff and volunteers to carry out Sierra Club and SOS priorities. Builds tight connections with key allies. Communicates clear expectations and capacity. Prioritizes relationships with volunteer leaders and collaborates with other entities and allies.
• Volunteer Development and Management: Creates a comprehensive volunteer development plan to support volunteers from onboarding to leadership through training, coaching, and mentorship. Coordinates with Chapter and SOS staff and key allies to support volunteer leadership development and organizing metrics using VAN, Salesforce, and Salsa. Identifies and develops new and existing volunteers as they assume new leadership roles and build grassroots power and outreach into communities. Supports and trains volunteers on organizing skills and developing issue expertise. Supports volunteers in preparing for engaging with key partners, coalitions, and elected and appointed decision makers.
• Strategic Local Representation: In coordination with Sierra Club and SOS staff, volunteers and key allied organizations, creates strategic communication and grassroots engagement strategies and metrics. Represents Sierra Club and SOS priorities to public officials, partner organizations, and to the media. Maintains positive relationships with strategic partners, coalitions, members of the media, grassroots leaders, elected officials, and government officials when strategic. As needed, serves as Sierra Club’s or SOS’s spokesperson to media outlets and promotes volunteer and partner organization media exposure.
• Mobilization and Event Planning: Coordinates with coalition partners and outside interest groups to plan activities supporting key priorities. Leads the development, scheduling, and implementation of community presentations, volunteer leader trainings, and workshops in Southwest Washington. Attends relevant Sierra Club and SOS internal and external meetings to plan and coordinate events for members and supporters to take action on priority campaigns as well as outings to explore public lands and win hearts and minds towards our conservation goals.
• Engages with allied organizations to create coordinated work on key issues and cross-cutting teams.

Seasonal Activities: Heavier seasonal workloads may occur as a result of project deadlines, staff absences and vacancies, and during peak activity periods. Frequent weekend and/or evening work required.

The successful candidate must demonstrate the following skills, experience and competencies or a combination of related, transferable skills:

• Organizing Experience: Experience as a field organizer and/or leading community organizing campaigns. Prior experience and/or demonstrated ability in training, motivating, and coaching volunteers. Experience designing and implementing tactics as part of a larger organizing strategy.
• Political Savvy: Understands the relationship between organizing power and the ability to influence decisionmakers.
• Effective Communication: Highly developed verbal, written and digital communication skills, with a focus on communicating effectively across different groups, internally and externally. Reliable communicator that regularly follows up with volunteer leaders. Ability to convey priorities while speaking to groups of volunteers, partners, public officials, and the media.
• Data Practices: Experience using quantitative data (for example, numbers of people engaged) and qualitative data (for instance, stories about people taking action) to inform and evaluate organizing work.
• Team Building: Demonstrated leadership experience working within a team structure. Ability to build vision, trust, and mutual accountability with team members. Experience working closely with volunteers as colleagues.
• Committed to Prioritization & Meeting Deadlines: You are committed to creating workplans that tie tasks to outcomes. You have a track record of adhering to deadlines and staying accountable to long-term plans.
• Uplifting and additive: You see mistakes as opportunities for growth; problems as catalysts for solutions, and inspire others along the journey. You carry a constructive approach, can-do attitude, a sense of humor, and authentic kindness wherever you go.
• Tech Tools: Experience using a variety of online/virtual tools such as Zoom, G-Suite, peer-to-peer texting, and email marketing as well as ability to learn new technology tools to support organizing and campaign goals.

The strongest candidates will also demonstrate the following skills, experience and competencies:

• Knowledge of Washington environmental issues and the related political, policy, and regulatory landscape, and either expertise or an ability to develop expertise in public lands and salmon recovery.
• Project management and facilitation skills.
• The ability to create rapport and inspire trust. Open to feedback and the ability to learn new skills.

Compensation and Benefits:

The starting salary for this position is $75,000 - $80,000.

This position is represented by a collective bargaining unit and is subject to the terms and conditions of the contract between Sierra Club and Progressive Workers Union.

The position includes a competitive salary package commensurate with skills and experience plus excellent benefits that include medical, dental, and vision coverage, and a retirement savings 401(k) plan.

This is a category 4, exempt, represented position.