National Organizer

Physicians for a National Health Program (PNHP) advocates for a universal, comprehensive single-payer national health program (also called “improved Medicare for all”). Since 1988, we’ve advocated for this reform in the U.S. healthcare system, growing into a nationally influential voice on health care reform with chapters and activists across the country, and a strong and growing student movement.

PNHP is a member-led organization that performs groundbreaking research on the health crisis and the need for fundamental reform, and uses a combination of popular education, policy expertise and organizing to move the U.S. closer to single payer health care.

Since its founding in 2012, Students for a National Health Program (SNaHP) has been the student arm of PNHP, and serves as the medical student representative in the Medicare for All movement. It has grown to over 65 chapters in medical schools with hundreds of active students.

Position summary

PNHP seeks a National Organizer for its Chicago-based national headquarters to grow its membership and help put single-payer health reform at the top of the national and state agendas. The National Organizer will work on a 2 person organizing team and with the Executive Director to build the power of physicians to stop the corporatization of health care and win Medicare for All.

The Organizer is responsible for outreach, recruitment, and retention of individual members through ongoing one-on-one meetings with existing and new leaders and members. This includes building strong working relationships with medical students, residents and doctors.

The National Organizer will co-lead PNHP organizing campaigns and use those campaigns to engage membership, develop new leadership and build chapter capacity.

Key responsibilities

Recruiting and developing physician leaders (30%)

• Implement member-led recruitment drives to increase chapter membership and active participation
• Increase the engagement and leadership of physicians to become more active in promoting PNHP, speaking about single payer, recruiting new members, leading chapters and campaigns and mentoring medical students
• Support PNHP’s Membership Committee and their activities to recruit and engage new members
• Co-develop leadership training programs and assist with planning and executing the PNHP Annual Meeting and Leadership Development training
• Develop and implement education and advocacy programs, including speaker’s trainings, grand rounds coordination, and webinars
• Mentor doctors in developing their organizing and leadership skills

Developing and executing the organizing program for PNHP chapters (35%)

• Mobilize chapters to participate in national campaign priorities
• Identify opportunities for new chapters and work with existing chapters to have a recruitment and leadership development plan that increases the power of their chapter
• Facilitate communication between the national office and chapters
• Maintain PNHP’s chapter infrastructure with regular calls to action, regional meetings, activist calls and gathering chapter reports for the PNHP newsletter
• Mobilize chapters and the organization as a whole to take action at key moments such as House and Senate bill releases, Medicare’s Anniversary, and Congressional recess periods

Co-Lead PNHP’s national campaigns to fight healthcare profiteering and win Medicare for All (30%)

• Work with members to create and execute strategies to win campaign to counter the corporate takeover of public health care programs
• Organize PNHP activists and chapters to take action on campaigns
• Work with other PNHP staff to implement organizing and communications strategies to support the campaign
• Attend national coalition meetings on Medicare for All, and maintain an understanding of the organizing priorities and landscape of the Medicare for All movement
• Maintain relationships with allies

Other duties as assigned (5%)

Key attributes / requirements

• Belief in people and their ability to make significant change in society through organizing
• Self starter with the ability to turn goals into strategies and an action plan
• Demonstrated dedication to the implementation of a national improved Medicare for all health program
• At least 2 years of experience in political, labor, or community organizing
• Commitment to leadership development of those from traditionally marginalized groups
• Strong facilitation skills
• Must be extremely organized, self-motivated, and reliable with excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Experience managing and motivating volunteers or organizing committees
• Availability to work irregular, evening, and weekend hours
• Position requires travel several times per year
• Willingness to develop familiarity with national health policy and various health reform efforts
• Ability to manage multiple project simultaneously

Salary and benefits

Salary $50,000-$52,500  commensurate with experience.

Excellent benefits package including fully paid family comprehensive medical (platinum level HMO or PPO), dental and vision insurance; PTO.

Submission requirements

Email your resume along with a cover note expressing your specific interest in PNHP to jobs@pnhp.org with subject line “Organizer Application First Name Last Name.” No calls please.

Persons of color, women, LGBTQ-identifying persons and others from underrepresented groups are encouraged to apply.