Title: Community Organizer II
Employment Type: Full-Time
Hours: 40 hours per week
Location: Atlanta, GA
Reports to: Lead Organizer
Compensation: $23/hour
BENEFITS: Healthcare/Dental/Vision (covered at 100% for employees), 96 hours PTO, 10 paid Sick Days, 13 paid Holidays (including Juneteenth and a floating holiday), 403(b) Plan available, professional development opportunities, and more.
LOCATION: Atlanta, GA (Will start semi-remote for now–due to COVID, but must be located in Atlanta for weekly in-office check-ins and for the transition back into the office full-time)
Application Instructions: Please submit the following to info@sparkrj.org with “Community Organizer II” in the subject line.
- Cover letter (in PDF format)
- Resume (in PDF format)
**If you require accommodations during any part of the hiring process, please email us at info@sparkrj.org with the subject line “Community Organizer Accommodations”
Application Deadline: March 31, 2023
Interview process
- You will receive a follow-up by April 14, 2023
- The first interview (over the phone) will take place by April 28, 2022
- You will receive a follow-up by May 4, 2023
- The second Interview (over zoom) will take place by May 17, 2023
- You will receive a follow-up by May 26, 202323
Start Date: Tentative May 31, 2023 (can be flexible if necessary)
About SPARK
Founded in 2007, SPARK Reproductive Justice NOW (SPARK) builds and strengthens the power of our communities and a Reproductive Justice movement that centers Black Womxn and Queer, Trans, and Gender Diverse Youth of Color in Georgia and the South. Based in Atlanta, Georgia, we have fostered a dynamic, collaborative model of advocacy, leadership development, collective action, and discourse that creates change and impact for Black women and queer people’s struggles for reproductive justice.
SPARK serves as an entry point and leadership pipeline for new social justice leaders, and a political home for Black women and young people, centering Black queer women, trans folx, and folx living outside the gender binary. We utilize arts, culture, and media to build resources for and shift narratives about our communities. SPARK engages in power building through grassroots organizing, advocacy, knowledge-building, and political development of its base and members in Georgia and across the US South.
Position Summary
The Community Organizer II is responsible for galvanizing members, organizations, and communities to lead and win community-centered campaigns to increase awareness, and build knowledge, visibility, power, and leadership for reproductive justice. This position requires the ability to respond to the immediate threats our communities are facing (direct actions and mobilizations) while building towards lasting, social change (base building, political education, health education and leadership development).
The Community Organizer II will also help broaden our positive leadership development approach to a broader social and reproductive analysis and cross-movement approach to reach and strengthen the impact of our successes in grassroots organizing and advocacy with a specific focus on Trans and gender-expansive folks. The Community Organizer II will also lead and participate in health advocacy program development, internship programs, community outreach events, tabling, conferences, research/data collection, and increasing statewide presence.
Core Competencies
- Strong grassroots community organizing skills or demonstrated success in organizing, strategizing, and following through on organizing projects.
- Ability to mentor and/or work directly with youth.
- Bring a positive presence, reliable leadership, and enthusiasm for the SPARK mission and vision to community meetings, task forces, and other strategic sites.
- Excellent individual and group communication skills (written and verbal); ability to apply these skills across various relationships and environments, including with youth and young adult program participants, co-workers, and other colleagues in the field.
- Ability to handle various projects and assignments at once with attention to detail.
- Excellent time management, project management, and delegation skills and willingness to embrace adaptability.
- Ability to apply creative and critical thinking to improve existing programming.
- Skilled in digital organizing and online mobilization
- Utilizing arts, culture, and media to build resources for and shift narratives about our communities
- Knowledgeable about Reproductive Justice and working with a Queer framework (especially Trans and gender-expansive folks)
- Strong data management skills, maintaining a database of contacts and members.
- Ability to support/assist community members with leadership development.
Who You Are
- A self-starter who is enthusiastic and creative, and a leader who works well collaboratively and independently
- A team player who communicates well with staff
- A person who believes in SPARK’s Mission and Vision and is in political alignment
- Someone who appreciates a challenge in the service of the work and the ongoing fight for liberation for our communities.
- You are able to hold multiple truths while centering the experiences of those most marginalized
- You are able to uphold the integrity of the organization. You are able to uphold SPARK and its values, and honor organizational confidentiality.
Responsibilities
- Work in collaboration with the Lead Organizer and Community Organizer I on community-building efforts
- Create programming that centers folks who exist outside the binary and folks from Trans experience
- Facilitate and implement Week-long Programming on Annual Trans holidays. (Trans Day of Visibility, Trans Day of Remembrance)
- Build relationships with Trans and Gender Expansive folks
- Lead monthly Black Sanctuary Programming
- Develop learning objectives, and Curriculum for our LITE fellows
- Our Leading Initiatives for Trans Equity Fellowship aka LITE is a 3 month paid Fellowship serves as a leadership development opportunity for Black Trans folks who are interested in organizing and advocacy work in the state of Georgia.
- Collaboratively Maintain a database to track members/participants and progress towards achieving success indicators
- Manage an ongoing outreach plan for recruiting new members, work with an outreach team (made of volunteers and interns) to canvass in the local community, and conduct outreach at events and other locations
- Utilizing arts, culture, and media to build resources for and shift narratives about our communities
- Ability to show up and show out for the community, participate in partner meetings, and bring a Black, Queer, and Trans liberation lens to the work with partner meetings, strategies, policies, and collaborations
- Keep in communications with SPARK team via Slack and email
- Conduct regular outreach to build engagement and increase member participation in programs, actions, and campaigns
- Create innovative ways of providing political education, issue-based advocacy, and grassroots-organizing efforts to our base
- Identify individuals who show potential for deep engagement and leadership and hold 1-on-1 person meetings to develop them as members
- Lead RJ, Queering RJ and other trainings
- Mobilize, galvanize, engage and build out our SPARK base
- Monitor and evaluate community organizing programs, practices, and initiatives to ensure quality and effectiveness; make recommendations for improvement.
- Manage an ongoing outreach plan for recruiting new members, work with an outreach team (made of volunteers and interns) to canvass in the local community, and conduct outreach at events and other locations
- Conduct regular phone follow-ups and coordinate group phone banking sessions for post-outreach follow-up with new contacts and event turnout with general membership
- Coordinate the organization’s outreach & recruitment system and implementing monthly meetings and other membership activities
- Update database with new contacts, member profile changes, and event attendance and track base building numbers
- Work with the Lead Organizer to plan and lead member meetings, and coordinate membership participation in gatherings, programs, and initiatives
- Identify, train, and develop community leaders in the principles and practices of community organizing to build and shift power
- Develop and manage relationships with a broad base of partners, including but not limited to (community leaders, social justice organizations, school, legislators, faith-based institutions, local government agencies, social service agencies, providers, etc.), and build their support of our efforts and actions
- Plan and coordinate large public forums, townhalls, trainings, and meetings, led by SPARK
- Lead and participate in local, state, regional, and national meetings and actions
Qualifications
- Excellent writing and communications skills
- Proficiency in Microsoft Office, Canva, Google Apps
- Proficiency in Slack, Zoom, and other team communication apps
- Proficiency with social media platforms (i.e Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, etc.)
- At least 2 years experience in organizing
- Ability to organize and prioritize work
- Ability to work independently
- Excellent interpersonal skills
- Strong commitment to an intersectional social justice movement including but not limited to Reproductive Justice, Black/Queer Liberation, and organizing in the South
