Job Announcement

Organizer

Organizational Overview: Partnership for Safety and Justice (PSJ) is a dynamic statewide organization that advocates for a criminal justice system that is just and that more effectively creates the types of safe communities we want to live in. We work with all the people most impacted by the criminal justice system (people convicted of crime, survivors [0] of crime, and the families of both) to redirect policies away from an over-reliance on incarceration toward effective strategies that reduce crime and increase safety. We use a combination of strategies to advance our goals including coalition-building, public education, grassroots leadership development, direct advocacy with policymakers, and organizing campaigns.

In 2008, PSJ is heavily involved in fighting a ballot initiative that proposes new mandatory minimum sentences and would dramatically expand the prison system. This campaign will require the person who fills this position to engage fairly quickly in our organizing work, although much of the campaign plan and systems have already have been created.

After 2008, the organizer position will relate to all four program areas of the organization, and we encourage people who are interested to visit our website for more background. www.safetyandjustice.org [0]

Job Description & Announcement

Position Title: Organizer

Status: full-time, exempt

Salary Range: $32,000 to $35,000 per year, plus employee benefits (medical, dental)

Hours: Regular office hours, some evenings and weekends; regular in-state travel between Eugene, Salem, and Portland.

Position Responsibilities:

Coordination and Development of Action Teams: PSJ holds regular meetings of Action Teams in Eugene, Salem, Portland designed to plug our members into the organization’s work. This position will be responsible for: organizing and facilitating Action Team meetings; coordinating communication with Action Team members; evaluating and developing the structure of the Action Teams; growing and nurturing member involvement in Action Team leadership; tracking membership involvement using various administrative systems; and working with PSJ staff to connect Action Teams to various campaigns and programs.

Membership Development & Training: Responsible for (in collaboration with other staff) assessing members’ needs regarding organizing skill development and issue and political education; and creating and implementing membership training and support including curriculum development.

Mobilization & Event Organizing: Primary staff for coordinating cross-program mobilizations and events. Responsible for coordinating Lobby Days, voter registration drives, voter education campaigns, and Get Out the Vote (GOTV) work. This work can include event outreach and promotion, space location, event logistics, volunteer management, tracking participation, material development, evaluation, and more.

State Outreach: Engage in strategic public education presentations; identify and recruit organizational partners both individuals and organizational, facilitate communication with organizational partners, and prepare and distribute “action alerts”.

General Staff Duties: participate in staff meetings and retreats, share the work of filing, phones, other office tasks, and limited fundraising work.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Excellent communication skills both written and verbal
• Strong meeting facilitation skills
• Event planning experience
• Solid understanding of community organizing and legislative advocacy goals and strategies
• Understanding of leadership development goals and strategies
• Experience providing training and skill-building to grassroots constituents
• Demonstrated commitment to criminal justice reform, and racial and economic justice
• Good strategic thinking skills
• Experience working with grassroots organizations
• Must have reliable transportation
• Basic competency in Microsoft Word and Excel

Additional Desired Qualifications:

• Direct experience with the criminal justice system
• Experience advocating with policymakers and elected officials
• Experience using databases and helping to think about the best approaches and systems for capturing and organizing critical organizational information
• Experience working with ballot initiative campaigns
• Experience working with the media including newspapers, radio and television

Mail or email a resume and a 1-2 page cover letter explaining:

(1) what experience and skills qualify you for this position;

(2) why the mission and work of Partnership for Safety and Justice appeals to you; and

(3) why PSJ’s Organizer position is the right step for you in your career.

Submit resume and cover letter to: Lindy Walsh, Partnership for Safety and Justice, 825 NE 20^th Ave, Suite 250, Portland, OR 97232 or email to lindy@safetyandjustice.org. No phone calls please.

Position is open until filled, we are taking applications immediately.

People of color and women are strongly encouraged to apply.