Lead Community Organizer [at large]

About the Black Organizing Project (BOP) 

The Black Organizing Project is a Black member-led community organization working for racial, social, and economic justice through grassroots organizing and community-building in Oakland, California and across the Bay Area.  In addition to caring for our community, BOP has adopted a more sustainable philosophy for our staff.  BOP takes pride in caring for its staff by providing competitive salaries, 4-day work weeks, 3 paid company-wide seasonal rest periods each year, as well as other perks that promote a healthy work-life balance. 

Our vision is to build a strong bottom up organization of Black people that will:

• Craft alternative models and institutions that will advance our vision of racial and economic justice
• Rebuild the spirit and foundation of our community
• Exercise political and economic power
• Act to win real systematic change
• Transform the lives of Black people
• Embody the spirit that has sustained the Black community

Lead Community Organizer Overview

 The Lead Community Organizer is responsible for working in the field, developing organizers and building a powerful base of elders, youth and adults that are actively engaged in our organization, program work and strategic coalitions.  The will advance the work of membership development and retention through arts, culture and political education. The Lead Community Organizer will also work with organizers and develop them to build meaningful relationships with current and potential members. They will work at specific school sites developing and conducting workshops, trainings, meetings and strategy sessions that engage members as critical thinkers and leaders working toward our common goals.

The ideal candidate is detail-oriented, exceptionally organized, thorough, an experienced strategist and a community organizer.  We are looking for someone who is passionate about BOP’s mission and committed to developing leaders and organizers.  This is a full-time position that will continue to build a powerful, member-led Black organizing institution.

Base Building:

• Develop and implement community outreach and engagement strategies 
• Develop and recruit community members for the membership committee 
• Work with core leaders on program work, campaign strategy, implementation, negotiations and actions
• Represent  BOP with media as needed 
• Represent BOP in coalition and community spaces  
• A minimum of 50% of time to be spent in the field engaging community 

Leadership Development:

• Recruit new members, develop and facilitate relationships with members to have shared ownership of the work 
• Work with Political Education Organizer to develop organizing teams organizers political understanding and landscape analysis 
• Work in collaboration  with membership team to identify and recruit emerging core leaders among membership to participate in committees to help move the work forward 
• Work in collaboration with membership team to develop members and organizers to participate in and/or lead committees, campaigns, coalitions and movement building activities

Provide Coaching and Supervision:

• Build positive relationships and team comradery
• Support the ongoing development of members and organizers through coaching, reflection and capacity building
• Develop and cultivate work plans, evaluations and assessments 
• Conduct weekly check-ins w/ organizers and support them in the field

Documentation and Reporting:

• Document qualitative and quantitative data related to programs and report to Organizing Director 
• Maintain systems of tracking outreach, oversee database of contacts, weekly reports 
• Other duties as assigned

Qualifications:

• A minimum of 2-3 years of experience in community, labor or other relevant grassroots organizing 
• Demonstrated success in growing and developing an organized base of members, constituents or community members
• Team player attitude
• Excellent verbal and written skills
• Excellent time management skills
• Proficiency in Microsoft Word, Excel, Powerbase, Google Docs and Powerpoint are a plus
• Flexibility to work on weekends and evenings, as necessary

• Ability to multi task and generate solution based ideas

• Willingness to travel, as necessary
• Valid driver’s license and reliable transportation highly preferred
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Conditions

Full-time, exempt at-will position, 90-day probationary period.  Background check and fingerprinting are required upon job offer.

Salary:  $70K-$75,000, plus benefits including seasonal work breaks, a 32 hour FTE work week, incredible co-workers, inspiring work and more. 

BOP offers a generous benefits package to all regular full-time employees that includes:

• 100% organization paid medical, dental, vision coverage for the employee and family
• 401K organization matching
• Accrue 14 vacation days in the first year with incremental increases thereafter, 7 sick days annually, 14 paid holidays, 2 unrestricted floating holidays
• 3 paid seasonal closures; 1-week long break in spring, 1-week long break in summer and 1 in winter between Christmas and New Year’s Day 
• Fully paid 4-week sabbatical program after 5 years with the organization
• Professional development funds