Senior Organizer for North/East Africa - Organizing

Location: North/East Africa

(The position may be located in either Morocco or Kenya, pending Solidarity Center needs and opportunities)

Summary:

Solidarity Center seeks a Senior Organizer for Africa/MENA to coordinate the organizing work in the assigned region and manage relationships with appropriate stakeholders. This individual is responsible for coordinating and supporting organizing programs, including multinational campaigns, with national partner-union activists, staff, and leadership, working in concert with the Country Program Directors (CPDs), regional departments, and other relevant departments at the Solidarity Center. The Senior Organizer coordinates with the AFL-CIO, US unions, and the Global Union Federations (GUFs) on developing and implementing organizing programs.

This individual must have significant union organizing experience and be thoroughly conversant with all aspects of organizing and bargaining, as well as events relevant to the political, economic, social, and trade union developments in the assigned region. The Senior Organizer must have sound judgment and political sense that facilitate decision-making, particularly when managing relationships with stakeholders. This individual needs to have or develop a working knowledge of US Government regulations and procedures related to grant funding and management.

The Senior Organizer designs and implements organizing and bargaining programs, and monitors them to measure and evaluate progress and ensure budgetary compliance. This individual must inform the CPDs about significant organizing developments in the country or region through meetings, reports, and other communication.

The Senior Organizer coordinates with field office staff to provide logistical support for relevant visitors from the Solidarity Center, AFL-CIO, US unions, GUFs, the donor agency, and/or other organizations. This individual represents accurately and effectively the organizing and bargaining programs of the Solidarity Center and the AFL-CIO in meetings with partners, donors, and other organizations, in coordination with the CPDs. The Senior Organizer will be required to travel extensively within the assigned region and may be reassigned to another country in the region as the need for organizing expertise shifts.

Qualifications:

• First-hand knowledge of and significant experience in union organizing
• Knowledge of international relations and trade union, socio-economic and political developments in the U.S. and the assigned region
• Ability to work independently and with limited supervision
• Ability to manage multiple assignments simultaneously
• Ability to make decisions that have major effects on costs and completion of projects
• Bachelor’s degree in political science, international relations, labor relations, or related fields (or five years equivalent work experience)
• Good communication and writing skills
• Good interpersonal skills
• Computer literacy for word processing and simple spreadsheets

Fluency in a foreign language is a plus.

Specific Duties:

• Maintain relationships with sector representatives.
• Assess bargaining needs in the region.
• Train local partners how to map out a sector in a region and analyze it so they can learn by doing.
• Train partner-union activists, staff, and leadership in trade union research, comprehensive campaigning, collective bargaining, and other trade union technical areas.
• Serve as a hub for country-specific information on organizing and bargaining.
• Serve as a resource on organizing and bargaining for CPD and other offices.
• Serve as contact for organizing representatives who travel to the region.
• Build capacity to conduct organizing and bargaining activities.
• Work with local partners to build coalitions.
• Share best practices with counterparts in each region.
• Work with partners to develop strategy.
• Communicate with CPDs and copy them on correspondence related to their country.
• Provide specified field programs with the technical assistance to develop and implement trade union strengthening programs, in coordination with the responsible Regional Program Directors and responsible Country Program Directors and Organizing Director.
• In coordination with the responsible Regional Program Director and responsible Country Program Director, develop in-country coalition-building contacts with local labor, and nongovernmental organizations.
• Assist SC/Washington to arrange in-country visits for organizing and bargaining related S. trade union visitors in coordination with the responsible Regional Program Director and responsible Country Program Directors.
• Provide guidance on organizing activities/programs to field offices, partners, AFL-CIO, and US unions.
• Facilitate partnerships between AFL-CIO and US unions with national trade union partners and/or relevant trade union organizations as related to organizing and bargaining.
• Periodically report activities to the relevant Regional Program Director and the Organizing Director.
• Manage program funds, maintain and submit expense records with appropriate documentation, monitor budgets, and undertake other financial responsibilities.
• Ensure compliance with Solidarity Center and AFL-CIO policies and procedures, applicable donor and federal government regulations, and host-country law.
• Contribute to design and development of organizing and bargaining programs that respond to the strategies, goals, and objectives of the donors, the AFL-CIO, and the Solidarity Center’s partners in the field.
• Prepare timely, well-written reports in accordance with the deadline schedule.
• Monitor organizing and bargaining program performance and evaluate progress toward results; discuss substantive changes required with Organizing Director and/or Program Officer/Regional Program Director.
• Manage the logistics for organizing and bargaining field trips by Solidarity Center, AFL-CIO and US union personnel as requested.
• Provide assistance and support for program evaluations or audits of field projects/offices.
• Travel to conduct and/or oversee program development and implementation in other countries in the region.
• In collaboration with the CPD, develop coalition-building contacts with national and international labor, and non-governmental organizations in the country or region.

In compliance with federal law, all persons hired will be required to verify identity and eligibility to work in the United States and to complete the required employment eligibility verification document form upon hire.

The Sr. Organizing Specialist is a collective bargaining unit position, generously compensated with a gross annual salary starting at approximately $108,651 USD. A robust benefits package includes fully paid health insurance, a retirement plan and pension, life insurance, and ample paid time off for holidays, vacation, and medical leave. Relocation allowances, such as housing, dependent education, and annual home leave are provided to employees assigned outside their home country of residence.

The Solidarity Center cultivates the values of diversity, equality, and inclusion among its staff and partners. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national or ethnic origin, age, marital status, disability, veteran status, or any other status protected under applicable law. Candidates from traditionally underrepresented groups are strongly encouraged to apply. If you are a candidate with a disability and require reasonable accommodations to apply for this position, please contact us at information@solidaritycenter.org.

For Candidates Applying from the AFL-CIO: Solidarity Center works in partnership with the AFL-CIO on recruiting and filling positions. Our policy is to notify the AFL-CIO prior to interviewing any of its current employees.