The American Civil Liberties Union of Pennsylvania (ACLU-PA) seeks applications for a full-time field manager position to coordinate public engagement and outreach efforts throughout the state and to build community and coalition support for the ACLU of Pennsylvania’s policy agenda.

The ACLU-PA is a nonprofit, nonpartisan public interest organization, dedicated to defending and enhancing personal freedoms protected by the Constitution and the Bill of Rights through litigation, legislative advocacy, and community education. It is a fast-paced environment that addresses headline-making issues with powerful personal stories and dynamic, precedent-setting solutions. The ACLU-PA has ten volunteer chapters, approximately 52,000 members and donors, and 23 full-time employees, and a $3.8 million operating budget.

The field manager will help to establish a sustainable advocacy network by utilizing the strength of the ACLU’s growing network of members, supporters, and volunteer activists to enhance the organization’s political capacity and effectiveness. As part of the advocacy and policy team, the field manager will educate, motivate, and develop leaders in local communities to advocate on ACLU policies and proposals while simultaneously working with coalition partners, public officials, and community members to galvanize support for ACLU initiatives.

This position requires a demonstrated commitment to civil liberties and at least five years’ experience developing and coordinating successful political, legislative, or grassroots advocacy campaigns. The field manager works under the supervision of the advocacy and policy director and in close collaboration with other staff, particularly the legislative director, to advance the organization’s policy goals. The position can be based in Allentown or State College, with frequent travel within the state. This is a new, two-year position with a possibility of renewal, depending on circumstances and funding.

Job Responsibilities

• Develop and implement strategies to build and utilize a base of ACLU members, volunteers, and community members as advocates for civil liberties in support of the ACLU-PA policy agenda, particularly in key legislative districts.
• Recruit, train, assist, and manage an active advocate volunteer base to participate in local events and support education and advocacy activities.
• Coordinate constituent and coalition partner visits with legislators.
• Organize and lead lobbying trainings for constituents.
• Help build broad-based coalitions by fostering, strengthening, and nurturing alliances with traditional and new allied organizations and community groups, assuming a leadership role on issue campaigns.
• Organize both small and large-scale public events statewide to educate and mobilize ACLU supporters and the broader public for specific advocacy priorities. Events may include community forums, presentations, trainings, small group meetings, panel discussions, tabling events, press conferences, and rallies.
• Identify and recruit potential witnesses for public hearings and speakers for press conferences on ACLU issues.
• Represent the ACLU-PA in public speaking engagements and in local media interviews, either as a speaker or facilitator.
• Plan, coordinate, and facilitate “Know Your Rights” trainings in communities.
• Develop, strengthen and nurture alliances with communities of color, immigrant and refugee communities, service providers, and other key allies.
• Assist communications staff with digital advocacy tools, including social media and electronic action alerts.
• Assist with production of outreach materials such as fliers, brochures, and information packets.
• Maintain records and prepare regular reports on program needs, developments, and accomplishments.

Qualifications

• At least five years’ experience developing and coordinating successful political, legislative, or activist campaigns, preferably in the context of a nonprofit or community-based issue.
• Extensive knowledge of grassroots organizing strategies and techniques, including online organizing.
• Excellent analytic and communication skills, both written and oral. Ability to analyze and articulate complex issues and to communicate them to a variety of audiences; must be a “quick study” on a wide array of civil liberties issues.
• Strong group facilitation, coalition building, and leadership skills. Experience working in coalition as well as supervising, training, and motivating volunteers.
• Ability to work independently and to keep organized in a fast-paced environment, manage several projects simultaneously, and adjust to frequently changing demands. A team-oriented personality and sense of humor are essential.
• Proven record of teamwork and collaborative engagement with colleagues across departments and functions; experience in integrated advocacy strongly preferred.
• A commitment to diversity; a personal approach that values the individual and respects differences of race, ethnicity, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression religion, ability and socio-economic circumstance.
• A valid driver’s license and willingness to travel extensively around the state.
• Ability to work irregular hours and to attend evening and weekend meetings.
• Spanish language skills are a plus.
• Strong commitment to advancing the ACLU’s values, mission, and goals.

Compensation and Benefits

Salary is commensurate with experience and within the parameters of the ACLU-PA compensation scale.  Excellent benefits include generous vacation and sick leave; individual/family employer-provided health insurance; life insurance and long-term disability; defined contribution plan with employer match; and 10 paid holidays. This position is full-time, salaried, and non-exempt under the Fair Labor Standards Act.

Application Procedure

To apply, send a letter of application (cover letter), resume, and a writing sample related to your past advocacy work (no longer than five pages) to advosearch@aclupa.org.  Please include your last name and “Field Manager” in the subject line of the email.  In your letter, please indicate where you learned of the posting.

Deadline

Applications will be accepted until the position is filled, at which time the job announcement will be removed from our website, www.aclupa.org/jobs.

The ACLU is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer and encourages women, people of color, persons with disabilities, people with records of arrest or conviction, and lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender individuals to apply.

The ACLU-PA comprises two separate corporate entities, the American Civil Liberties Union (the “Union”) of Pennsylvania and the ACLU Foundation (the “Foundation”) of Pennsylvania.  The Union is a 501(c)(4) nonprofit corporation, and ACLU membership dues fund its lobbying work. Donations to the Union are not tax-deductible. The ACLU Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation. Foundation funds support litigation and public education efforts. Donations to the Foundation are tax-deductible. The field manager is an employee of the ACLU of Pennsylvania.

Both the ACLU of Pennsylvania and the ACLU Foundation of Pennsylvania have the same overall mission, and share office space, employees, and the same board of directors. The two entities are jointly known by the term “ACLU of Pennsylvania.”

ACLU-PA’s hiring process will comply with Philadelphia’s Fair Criminal Records Screening Standards (“Ban the Box”) ordinance.