Organizer

Compensation: $50,000- $80,000 commensurate with skills and experience.

Start Date: ASAP

Location: New Orleans, Louisiana. Frequent travel is required.

Deadline: Applications considered on a rolling basis. Priority deadline is EOD July 3, 2026.

About PJI

Promise of Justice Initiative (PJI) is a New Orleans-based organization that stands at the forefront of the fight for the liberation, freedom, and autonomy of Black people and all those targeted and touched by the criminal legal system and mass incarceration.

PJI moves life-changing work:

Because racism and mass incarceration are entrenched and pervasive foes, PJI’s approach is multifaceted, including collective action, legislative advocacy, civil and criminal litigation, and reframing narrative discourse.

We challenge the notion that prisons keep us safe and that people with convictions should have no rights. We fight for freedom for people sentenced to die in prison. PJI blocks harmful legislation and pushes for dignity-advancing legislation. PJI partners on and co-strategizes social movement work with hundreds of currently incarcerated people. We advance the voices of survivors of violence and challenge the death penalty. Our work builds powerful authentic stories, pushes counter-narratives, and changes discourse.

The world that PJI pushes for is one where the legal system recognizes freedom and dignity as universal rights and embodies an ethos of transformation, restoration, and safety.

Summary of Position

The organizing position is housed in the Community Impact department. PJI organizers collaborate with PJI’s legal department and community stakeholders to co-develop and implement strategies to build collective power and pathways for freedom across Louisiana.

The organizing position co-develops and implements campaign strategy, identifies leaders in directly affected communities, and develops and supports those leaders in base building.

Who We Are Looking For

This work is hard on every level. PJI optimistically and strategically fights for a better future and requires staff who are committed to one another and to people who are incarcerated or otherwise harmed by the criminal legal system.

PJI is committed to hiring smart, talented, skilled people who have directly experienced the issues that we fight against. People who are formerly incarcerated, survivors of violence, working class, LGBTQ+, and people of color, particularly Black, are all strongly encouraged to apply.

Individuals who are Louisiana natives, or who are otherwise from rural communities in the South, are encouraged to apply.

You will be a great fit if you possess a deep commitment to building the collective power and leadership of directly affected communities, have direct organizing experience, and have a proven track record of building strong leadership structures.

PJI focuses on a handful of key issue areas. Among them, you should be committed to ending the death penalty and supporting and accompanying survivors of violence in building collective power against criminalization and toward true community safety, especially for poor and working-class Black Louisianans.

Responsibilities of Position

Grassroots Organizing and Leadership Development

• Identify, recruit, develop, and accompany leaders in impacted communities across Louisiana.
• Work with community leaders to build power, organize collective action, and advance local and statewide campaigns.
• Coordinate grassroots campaign activities to end capital punishment, including strategic planning, petition drives, rallies, advocacy actions, and other opportunities for leadership and skill development.
• Recruit, train, and mentor volunteers and community leaders to strengthen organizing capacity and sustain campaign efforts.
• Lead community discussions, workshops, and public presentations that dispel misconceptions about the death penalty and advance restorative justice, racial justice, and community-centered narratives.
• Collaborate with survivors of violence, community members, and partner organizations to develop and implement PJI's community violence intervention and "Not In My Name" initiatives, advancing survivor-centered alternatives to state-sanctioned violence and capital punishment.

Allies and Alliances

• Build, maintain, and deepen strategic partnerships, including coalitions, to advance death penalty abolition and PJI’s organizing campaigns.

Support Organizing Campaigns

• Organize advocacy actions, vigils, press events, and community responses related to executions, court rulings, emerging death penalty cases, clemency campaigns, and legislative efforts.
• Work with community members, leaders, allies, lawmakers, and PJI staff to develop and implement coordinated advocacy, organizing, and public pressure strategies that influence key decision-makers and advance campaign goals.
• Collaborate closely with PJI's legal, policy, and communications teams to develop messaging, shift public narratives about capital punishment, prepare testimony, mobilize constituents, and support cross-organizational campaigns.

Organizational Support and Development

• Support the Associate Director of Community Impact/Campaign Manager in the planning, implementation, and evaluation of organizing campaigns, community engagement strategies, and coalition-building efforts.
• Support the overall work of PJI outside of the Community Impact department.
• Create detailed work plans, progress reports, rigorous documentation, and tracking of organizing efforts.
• Contribute to PJI’s fundraising efforts as needed.

Supervisory Responsibilities

Assist with supervision of volunteers and interns and organizing activities by non-organizing PJI staff.

Key Qualifications

• Commitment to PJI’s organizational mission, vision, values, and political strategy
• Direct or personal experience with issues affecting the lives of Black, working-class, incarcerated, and formerly incarcerated people and communities, and survivors of violence.
• Direct community or labor organizing experience, including:
  • Successful membership recruitment/basebuilding
  • Identifying and developing leaders
  • Developing and supporting the success of strong leadership structures that can move large collective actions (like organizing committees)
  • Experience organizing with an understanding of race, class, and gender and how they impact work and communities.
• Self-motivated - able to set goals and execute plans while working well in collective settings.
• Ability and willingness to drive and have a valid driver’s license
• Must be able to work evenings and weekends.

Exceptional candidates will be:

• Excellent facilitators, with experience in popular education
• Experienced supporting winning organizing campaigns
• Trauma-informed with an intellectual and personal understanding of trauma

PJI is committed to the principle of equal employment opportunity for all employees. All employment decisions at PJI are based on business needs, job requirements and individual qualifications, without regard to race, color, religion or belief, national, social or ethnic origin, sex (including pregnancy), age, physical, mental or sensory disability, HIV Status, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, past or present military service, history of incarceration, family or parental status, or any other status protected by the laws or regulations in the locations where we operate. PJI will not tolerate discrimination or harassment based on any of these characteristics. PJI encourages applicants of all ages, and does not discriminate based against formerly incarcerated individuals.

• Flexible paid time off, most Federal holidays, Fridays in August, and winter holiday season off.
  • 24 office closure days (almost 5 work weeks)
  • 16 days of Paid Time Off initially; 25 days after 3 years
• 100% payment of health insurance (including partner and dependent insurance)
• Health and Dependent Care FSA
• 5% 401k match after 6 months of employment
• Short and long-term disability insurance
• Life insurance
• Union representation: The National Organization of Legal Services Workers (NOLSW) represents eligible employees at PJI. This role is a bargaining unit position.