Organizing Director

Slingshot is searching for an Organizing Director to mentor our community organizers as they work alongside communities on the frontlines of climate and environmental injustice.
Slingshot works alongside communities most impacted by environmental threats to take aim at polluters and build community power. Our team has a combined 30 years of experience organizing against environmental health threats in the region. We bring leaders together to build powerful statewide and regional networks, strengthening the environmental movement and laying the foundation for lasting change.

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As Slingshot’s Organizing Director, you will be a part of a new and growing organization, building the go-to hub for environmental health and justice organizing in the Northeast. You will be a part of transformational work, building community power to take on some of the worst environmental health threats in the region. You will have a finger on the pulse of the environmental movement across the Northeast, and support Slingshot’s organizational development.

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What you’ll do

 

The Organizing Director will be responsible for providing mentorship and guidance to our community organizing staff, supporting organizational strategic development, as well as fundraising to enable Slingshot to carry out its mission. Given our organizational structure, which is largely non-hierarchical, this position will have different types of relationships with different colleagues: some dynamics may be more peer-to-peer, while others may be more traditionally supervisory. Slingshot makes major organizational decisions through consensus. Major elements of the position include:

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Training and supporting Slingshot community organizers: Support 1 to 3 community organizers based throughout the Northeast by providing them with the coaching, peer-to-peer support, and accountability they need to build power in communities most impacted by environmental health threats. As part of your role, you’ll travel regularly (roughly one week each month, or 25% of the time) to work alongside organizers in the field and lead quarterly virtual organizer training sessions. Travel will be throughout the Northeast (Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont).
Campaign development and strategy: Work in collaboration with organizers to determine the severity of environmental threats in a region, identify the most impacted communities, and how our team can best support these communities to take on polluters, build the community’s power, and ignite lasting change. Maintain a lay of the land of the grassroots and environmental movement across the Northeast.
Organizational strategic development: Work with staff to bring together each person’s vision, creative ideas, and passion for the organization’s future as we develop and implement strategic plans that build Slingshot and the environmental justice movement.
Direct campaign support and leadership development: In addition to supporting Slingshot’s organizers, you will also work directly with communities on the forefront of climate and environmental threats, lead workshops on community organizing skills and hold one-on-one coaching and leadership development sessions with community leaders—with a focus on building relationships in the most impacted communities.
Fundraising: Cultivate relationships with foundations and write grant applications. Identify and deepen connections with grassroots donors, and participate in other fundraising tactics such as door-to-door canvassing.
What we’re looking for in you

 

Key qualifications:

At least five years of related work experience, such as community organizing or grassroots campaign coordination, with a passion for organizing with people as means for change
At least three years of experience directly overseeing, managing, or mentoring staff, ideally organizing staff
Experience living in or working with people in frontline communities, especially people of color, Indigenous communities, immigrants, and low-income people
Strategic thinking and campaign savviness
Effective facilitation skills
Experience with leadership development, preferably training and developing leaders in a grassroots organizing setting
Experience with campaign planning and development
Experience with coalition building, media engagement, and/or grassroots fundraising
Strong verbal and written communication skills–you enjoy spending time with people and building new relationships
A passion for racial, economic, and environmental justice; a strong commitment to working for a more just world
Flexibility in working as a part of a growing organization
Must be located within (or excited to relocate to) these Northeast states: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, or Vermont
A valid driver’s license, preferably with a car you are willing and able to drive for work
Please note: We are open to hiring a candidate with fewer years of experience for this role at the Coordinator level. If you meet a number of these qualifications, but don’t have five years of work experience, we encourage you to apply and we can discuss which position may be the better fit for you.

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Preferred qualifications:

Ideally you are from or have ties to the Northeast (CT, ME, MA, NH, RI, or VT)
Experience in environmental health, justice, or climate work
Experience with grant and/or major donor fundraising
Additional language skills in addition to English, such as Spanish, is a big plus
Salary and benefits

 

Slingshot offers an extensive benefits plan and an open, inclusive, and accepting work environment where differences are highly respected. The salary for the Organizing Director position is $65,000 – $75,000, depending on experience. If hired as the Organizing Coordinator, the range is $60,000 – $67,000. We recognize the value of work-life balance and also strive to create opportunities for growth for all employees through professional development. We have a generous benefits package, including group health insurance, dental benefits, vacation and personal time, paid holidays, summer Fridays, and a 403b retirement plan.

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Structure and team at Slingshot
This position will be a part of a horizontal organizational structure, with mentorship from a Co-Executive Director as well as staff across the organization. We operate through consensus building for big picture and organizational decision-making. We are a team that shows up for each other every day. We’re close-knit, highly communicative, and understanding. We maintain meaningful connection through weekly staff calls, a lateral peer-to-peer support model, and in-person retreats. And though we are passionate, committed, and hard-working, we also want our team members to take the rest they need to thrive.

 

Other details
We are currently working remotely, but candidates should be based in (or excited to relocate to) the six Northeast states (Maine, Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire, Connecticut, or Rhode Island).

To apply
Please complete our application by submitting your resume and answering our application questions through our portal. (Note: Please do not submit a cover letter.) The application deadline is Wednesday, November 8th, but please apply as soon as possible. Slingshot is working with Sarah Bennett Consulting to coordinate this search.

 

Interview process
Our interview process includes a short phone interview, second round Zoom interview, role play scenario, and half-hour finalist interview/meet and greet with the rest of our team for candidates advancing through the process. We will also conduct reference checks for finalist candidates. We work to make our process as efficient and transparent as possible while ensuring you learn more about Slingshot and meet our team as we get to know you!

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Slingshot is an equal opportunity employer and will not discriminate against any employee or applicant on the basis of race, color, national or ethnic origin, religion, age, sex, handicap, pregnancy, sexual orientation, or veteran status. People of color, Indigenous people, immigrants, people from low-income backgrounds, LGBTQIA+, gender non-conforming folks and women are encouraged to apply.

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Slingshot considers the health and safety of its staff members and their families, our guests, our visitors, and the community at large to be a top priority. All offers to work, intern, or volunteer with Slingshot are conditioned on the candidate complying with our mandatory COVID-19 vaccination policy.
Slingshot is fiscally sponsored by Conservation Law Foundation.

For Application

 

Please answer the following questions in the application to help us understand your experience, commitment, and interest in working with Slingshot. (Please answer these questions in the application, and just skip the field in the application requesting a cover letter.)

What excites you about mentoring and supporting newer organizers in the environmental and/or social justice movement? (Please keep your answer to three sentences tops!)
What is most appealing to you about working at Slingshot? (Please keep your answer to three sentences tops!)
Where did you hear about the position? Did someone refer you to the position? If so, please list their name here.