Guilford County Lead Organizer
GUILFORD LEAD ORGANIZER
About the Carolina Federation
The Carolina Federation is a statewide organization that brings people together across race to build a new political majority in North Carolina – one rooted in a culture of belonging and strong enough to win elections and wield governing power in our state. Our work combines the best of Southern freedom traditions: deep base-building, transformative cultural work, power-building issue campaigns, and large-scale voter organizing.
In just four years our chapter-based membership organization has grown to become the second largest voter engagement operation in our state. But we are equally proud to be known for the depth of our leadership development, our democratic endorsement processes, and the governance of the organization by elected member leaders.
As we prepare for a major political battle in 2024, we’re looking for a full-time Lead Organizer who will use their passion for organizing and gift for developing organizers to build the strength of our chapter in Greensboro and Guilford County.
About the Role
Our power as an organization is rooted in our ability to build strong county-based chapters that develop leaders, win on issues, and influence elections. The Lead Organizer will help us build this capacity in the Triad. By providing coaching, training, supervision, and leadership to canvassers and organizers, the Lead Organizer will help us strengthen and expand our team of staff and member organizers.
Another key role of the Lead Organizer is helping to build a rich and healthy culture of solidarity and satisfaction. In a moment when our movements are searching for new ways of laboring from a place of love and rigor we are developing a staff culture that can hold contradictions creatively: excellence and sustainability, authority and collaboration. We are looking for someone who is passionate about this kind of culture and who wants to grow a staff known as exemplary, not only in the mastery of their craft and victory of their work, but also in their resilience, fulfillment, compassion, courage, and commitment.
The Lead Organizer will be the beating heart of our statewide base-building efforts, responsible for leading the implementation and expansion of our county-level work, while supporting and developing county-level organizers and member leaders.
What We’re Looking For and Key Responsibilities
These are the skills and competencies that we are looking for in our Lead Organizer.
Supervision: We are looking for someone with experience advising, coaching and managing staff organizers, providing clear direction and support that enables their success and the success of their teams and organizations. The Lead Organizer will be responsible for the supervision of canvassers and organizers, including through daily check-ins, shadowing and modeling organizing conversations, regular coaching and deep attention to their development as movement leaders.
Base Building and Chapter Building: We are looking for someone with experience bringing others into community organizations and issue campaigns including growing participation and membership, especially in communities of color and working class communities. Experience in designing base-building efforts is especially welcome. The Lead Organizer will be responsible for the facilitation, coordination and development of member leadership teams, and implementing our chapter-building model.
Issue Campaigns: We are looking for someone with experience designing and implementing issue campaigns that combine short-term goals for winning specific victories with long-term goals for building power for our people. The Lead Organizer will provide support for member-led issue and electoral campaigns at the county and statewide levels.
The character qualities that are the foundations for success in this role include:
Commitment to Building Organization: You have a track record of longevity with a project / place / group and can speak to the value of building unity for the long-haul.
Politically Clear: You know why building power through elections, issue campaigns, and transformative organizing is essential. You are convinced that racial, economic, gender, and environmental justice are what we need and you lift up the leadership and dignity of working-class people and people of color.
A Leader Who Unleashes More Leadership: You take responsibility for motivating others, coordinating effective collective action and building powerful teams—even in the face of obstacles. But most of all you unleash leadership in others, igniting responsibility and ownership in those you lead.
Interdependent: You bring your best, rely on the strengths of others and know that we are responsible for each other’s well-being.
Courageous and Determined: You draw from deep values and beliefs so you continue to take action towards goals, even in the face of change, fear, loss, conflict, and uncertainty.
Innovative and Relentless: You believe that you and others are capable of excellence. You believe not only that we can win but that we have a duty to win. When things get difficult you get creative and keep trying and learning until we succeed.
Benefits and Compensation
This is a permanent, full-time, exempt position. The salary range is $61,836 to $75,575 annualized, based on equity, experience and qualifications.
Benefits include healthcare (medical, dental, and vision; employer pays 100% of the premium for employee and dependents), life insurance, generous holidays as well as flexible paid time off, a $700 technology allowance for new employees, and paid parental leave benefits.
Additional Information
Irregular Hours – Depending on the needs of the work, you will be expected to work long and irregular hours, including on nights, weekends, and holidays. We seek to provide rest periods following these “surge” periods, and we’re committed to the sustainability of this role.
Car, Insurance and Phone – You must have daily use of a working car, current car insurance, and a functioning cell phone.
Supervision – The Lead Organizer will report to Brandon Wrencher, one of our Organizing Directors, and will supervise 2 to 4 canvassers and chapter organizers.
Location and Travel – Candidates for this position not currently living in Guilford County must be willing to relocate to prior to starting the job. This position will also require semi-regular travel to Winston-Salem and Durham.
How to Apply
The priority deadline to apply for this position is September 15. Interviews will take place on a rolling basis and the ideal start date is Dec. 11th. However, the position will remain open until filled and we are open to an earlier start date if that makes sense for our ideal candidate.
The Carolina Federation is an equal opportunity employer. We welcome applications from all, and strongly encourage women, people of color, immigrants, and members of the LGBTQ community to apply. We do not require formal education. We encourage you to submit your application if this job excites you!
Please upload a cover letter or 3-minute video explaining what sparks your interest in the position, resume, and at least three references to brandon@carolinafederation.org.