Statewide Organizer

The California Environmental Justice Alliance (CEJA) is a statewide, community-led alliance that works to achieve environmental justice by advancing policy solutions. We unite the powerful local organizing of our members in the communities most impacted by environmental hazards – low-income communities and vulnerable communities– to improve environmental health by creating comprehensive opportunities for change at a statewide level. We have seven core members and three partners across California: The Asian Pacific Environmental Network; Center for Community Action & Environmental Justice; Center on Race, Poverty, and the Environment; Central Coast Alliance United for a Sustainable Economy; Communities for a Better Environment; Environmental Health Coalition; Leadership Counsel for Justice and Accountability; People Organizing to Demand Environmental & Economic Rights; Physicians for Social Responsibility- Los Angeles; and Strategic Concepts in Organizing and Policy Education.

This newly created position will be responsible for overseeing the development, implementation and execution of CEJA’s program to organize and mobilize CEJA’s members and staff on CEJA’s core programmatic and legislative priorities, and as needed, supporting CEJA Action-related activities.

The Statewide Organizer must be a creative problem solver and enjoy working within a diverse organization that is mission-driven, results-driven, and community oriented. The ideal individual will have the ability to exercise good judgment in a variety of situations, with strong written and verbal communications, administrative and organizational skills, and the ability to maintain a realistic balance among multiple priorities. The ideal individual will steward a healthy team culture rooted in trust and collaboration, maintain high team morale, and nurture the professional growth of the director and manager level positions.

Under the supervision of the Co-Executive Director of Programs, the Statewide Organizer will closely work with CEJA’s leadership team and directors and with CEJA’s members and partner organizations to actualize CEJA’s organizational and mobilization strategies. Specifically, this position will engage other staff, members and partners in the development, support and execution of CEJA’s annual publications- Legislative Environmental Justice Scorecard& Environmental Justice Agency Assessment and will primarily focus on mobilizing CEJA’s members and partners to help increase the effectiveness of these 2 publications within all our programs and its members and partners, thereby increasing CEJA’s overall impact in CA.

This position would be responsible in overseeing all aspects of CEJA’s flagship annual events held in Sacramento- Congreso, Spring Lobby Dayto ensure there is cohesiveness and alignment with CEJA’s member/partners priorities. Lastly, this position will be assisting CEJA’s directors in the development and coordination of CEJA’s annual programmatic and legislative retreats to ensure internal alignment and clarity among our members and partners.

Job duties and responsibilities include but are not limited to:

Administrative:

• Leadership: Serve on CEJA’s Leadership Team, identifying and implementing organizational strategies and ensuring that CEJA is a well-managed organization aligned with its mission, goals, and core values; attend occasional meetings of CEJA’s Board of Directors. Provide leadership, thought partnership, and facilitation for major campaign retreats and planning meetings.
• Management: Oversee CEJA’s mobilization campaigns, serving as thought partner, mentor, and colleague to CEJA team members. Provide clear and useful feedback and strategic guidance to staff and external partners, including through performance evaluations and regular check-ins.
• Grants and Development: Support CEJA’s fundraising by contributing to mobilization and organization priorities proposals/reports and supporting the execution of grant agreements; foster, and maintain relationships with key donors and funders within the organization.
• Fiscal Stewardship: Propose and manage the Statewide Organizer Program budget, in collaboration with CEJA’s Finance Director and Co-Executive Directors. Monitor spending and compliance, ensuring that all program staff adhere to the highest possible fiscal standards.

Programmatic:

• Campaign Mobilization and Program Direction: Develop and assist with CEJA campaigns in coordination with CEJA members and coalitions, with ambitious, attainable, and actionable goals, objectives, and work plans to advance mobilization efforts of CEJA’s members and partners. Build connections across CEJA’s intersecting program areas and ensure a coordinated strategy to advance mobilization efforts in California via lobby days, in-district visits, or EJ tours, and other program areas. The ideal candidate will be able to hold state and local campaign work while being able to zoom out and ensure these campaigns will contribute to long term agenda objectives.
• Capacity building: Build and foster strong working relationships within the Alliance, with CEJA members and partners, with a focus on state policy organizing. Integrate CEJA capacity-building activities into CEJA’s core organizing programs by developing resource materials and curriculum for use with bases on issues, campaigns, and grassroots policy making skills. Create trainings for trainers as well as training for community bases according to preference and capacity of Alliance members
• Advocacy: Serve as a representative and spokesperson for CEJA as a way to advance CEJA’s program goals, including advocating before the state legislature, executive branch, and regulatory agencies; provide media interviews as assigned. Ensure that CEJA’s advocacy is done in close partnership with members and partners.
• Policy Alignment: Works collaboratively with CEJA’s core programs to ensure cohesiveness in CEJA’s programmatic and legislative priorities and support strategy development, as necessary. The ideal candidate will have experience in seeing bill development in various stages from origin to implementation and provide strategic advice on how to amplify these priorities with our membership.
• Media and Communications: Work with program staff and CEJA’s communications team to integrate strategic communications to advance program goals and help strengthen CEJA's capacity to produce timely and relevant communications materials.

The successful candidate must have the following skills and experience:

• Commitment: Deep commitment to the principles of environmental, racial, social, and economic justice and to CEJA’s mission. Commitment to providing excellent leadership and service to CEJA’s member and partner organizations.
• Supervisory Track Record: Successful track record of at least five (5) to seven (7) years as a staff supervisor, preferably in the EJ community; ability to engage, inspire, and maintain transformational partnerships around shared values, purpose, and goals. Emotional intelligence and resilience, ability to engage in courageous conversations and to thrive in a feedback environment, both giving and receiving feedback.
• Critical Thinking: Strategic planning, program evaluation, and project management skills, including the self-confidence and capacity necessary to be a lead thinker in program development. Ability to navigate an ever-changing landscape and effectively problem-solve while keeping the big picture in mind.
• Subject Matter Expertise: Significant mobilization and policy/program expertise in environmental justice issues and familiarity with California’s environmental justice policy landscape, community, and advocacy groups.
• Advocacy and Mobilization: Outstanding communications written and verbal skills with the ability to facilitate understanding across multiple audiences and to navigate and advocate before various policy-making bodies. Ability to develop and facilitate alliance-wide meetings and retreats that engage all members in campaign planning and decision-making.
• Conflict Resolution: Ability to intervene when challenging group dynamics play out, in ways that build understanding, trust, and deeper self-awareness of team members; initiate and lead conflict resolution efforts between individuals and organizations as needed; proactively problem-solve with strong decision-making capability.
• Non-Profit Operations: Non-profit financial literacy and a clear understanding of the core functions at a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, including governance, operations, development, and communications.
• Education: A Bachelor’s degree (Master’s degree preferred, but not required) in a relevant field.

Working Conditions:

• Work Environment: This position is primarily remote. This position requires the employee to maintain an appropriate home office workspace with reliable internet access. CEJA provides necessary equipment and reimburses reasonable business-related expenses, including internet usages, in accordance with California law.
• Travel Requirements: This position requires occasional travel within California for program events and/or CEJA events. There may be occasional extended hours, including evenings and/or weekend hours as needed for program/CEJA events.
• Physical Requirements: This position requires prolonged sitting at a desk and working on a computer, as well as occasional standing, walking, bending and reaching.

Application Instruction: To apply for the Statewide Organizer position, please submit your application along with your resume and cover letter to the CEJA career webpage at https://caleja.bamboohr.com/careers by the deadline on Sunday, September 21, 2025.

Research suggests that qualified women, Black, Indigenous, and Persons of Color (BIPOC) may self-select out of opportunities if they don't meet 100% of the job requirements. We encourage individuals who believe they have the skills necessary to thrive to apply for this role. We are most interested in finding the best candidate for the job, and that candidate may come from a less traditional background. CEJA may consider an equivalent combination of knowledge, skills, education, and lived experience to meet minimum qualifications.

The California Environmental Justice Alliance is an equal-opportunity employer. CEJA provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training.