Grassroots Leadership seeks an Organizer for our Texas Advocates for Justice program, based in our Austin office (located at 2301 E. Cesar Chavez).   Texas Advocates for Justice is a community organizing and base-building program composed of individuals and families who are directly impacted by mass incarceration in Texas. The Organizer will be responsible for coordinating meetings of existing Texas Advocates for Justice groups in Houston and other key Texas cities; providing support to existing TAJ members and increasing TAJ membership; collaboratively and strategically developing and implementing local campaigns; delivering political education and community organizing trainings; sustaining the project through grant and report-writing; maintaining TAJ communications; planning logistics of events, gatherings, and meetings of TAJ; and any other tasks assigned by the Executive Director.

Qualifications

• Demonstrated knowledge of the criminal justice system and related injustices
• Demonstrated knowledge of disproportionate impact of mass incarceration on communities of color
• Ability to skillfully talk about and educate a wide range of audiences and partners on race and racial injustice, as related to criminal justice and mass incarceration
• Demonstrated commitment to ending mass incarceration
• Demonstrated commitment to centering leadership of individuals and communities most affected by mass incarceration
• Demonstrated commitment to community organizing and harnessing power of individuals and communities most affected by mass incarceration
• Experience as a trainer or educator or community organizer
• Strong facilitation skills
• Strong administration skills
• Experience presenting to diverse audiences
• Experience working with members of organizations
• Ability to collaboratively and strategically develop work plans, projects and campaigns
• Demonstrated ability to think strategically and act decisively
• Excellent interpersonal skills
• Experience and comfort working with diverse communities with range of political views, including communities of color and those impacted by the criminal justice system
• Strong background as a successful community organizer and campaigner
• Experience and comfort with advanced technology including Google applications (docs, spreadsheets, forms), database management, web development platforms, as well as social networking skills
• Team Player; ability to work effectively with diverse grassroots constituencies and policy-makers
• Ability to adapt to rapidly changing situations in politically challenging environment
• Ability to work in close proximity to others
• Ability to manage multiple tasks simultaneously
• Strong work ethic and willingness to go the extra mile
• Extremely well organized
• Excellent writing and editing skills
• Sense of humility and humor

Strong applicants may also have:

• Personal experience with incarceration, or the incarceration of a loved one
• Experience working with non-profit organizations
• Experience in program and staff management
• Bi-lingual proficiency in written and spoken English & Spanish

Duties

• Direct Texas Advocates for Justice program, with support of Grassroots Leadership staff
• Maintain active network of members in Houston, run monthly cohort meetings
• Develop and maintain active networks of new members in key Texas cities
• Deliver political education trainings to communities affected by incarceration in key locations in Texas
• Organize with communities affected by incarceration and allies to challenge racialized mass incarceration in Texas
• Carry-out Texas Advocates for Justice Mission
• Represent TAJ at local, state and national gatherings, to key allies, funders, and elected officials
• Develop key strategic partnerships
• Carry-out TAJ communications tasks including maintaining and building social media presence, website, and publications on accomplishments
• Fundraise for project, in collaboration with Grassroots Leadership Executive Director and staff
• Other duties as laid out by Grassroots Leadership’s Executive Director

More about the job

This full-time salaried position will be located in our Austin, TX office. Regular travel within Texas and occasional travel outside of the state will be required. Depending on qualifications, the salary ranges between $36,000-42,000 per year with excellent benefits.

It is the policy of Grassroots Leadership not to discriminate in the employment of staff, or in the selection of volunteers, on the basis of race, creed, religion, color, national origin, citizenship, sex, age, disability, marital status, sexual orientation, veteran status, financial status or HIV status. Grassroots Leadership works affirmatively to build a staff and board that includes people of many different races, classes, genders, physical and mental abilities, ages and sexual orientations, including people who have been previously incarcerated and family members of those who are and have been in prison or immigrant detention.

Grassroots Leadership is committed to investing in the leadership of people of color and formerly incarcerated people. People of color, formerly incarcerated people, people who have family in prisons or detention centers, women, queer, and trans people are encouraged to apply. We do not discourage or discriminate against people with convictions, and you will not be asked if you have ever been convicted of a crime on the application or interview. Please feel free to mention your experience with the criminal justice or immigration system as those experiences will be considered as an asset in this job.

Please send letter of introduction, resume/vitae and three employment-related references to HR@grassrootsleadership.org with “TAJ Organizer” in the subject line. Please tell us why this position is of interest to you. Questions about the position should be directed to the same email address.