Brittany Robinson
This position is a partnership between the National Domestic Workers Alliance - Pennsylvania and the Media Inequality Change (MIC) Center, housed at the University of Pennsylvania. The Organizer will support the NDWA-PA Director to organize domestic workers to access the country's first-ever portable benefits system for gig workers and build domestic worker power across the region.
University Overview
The University of Pennsylvania, the largest private employer in Philadelphia, is a world-renowned leader in education, research, and innovation. This historic, Ivy League school consistently ranks among the top 10 universities in the annual U.S. News & World Report survey. Penn has 12 highly-regarded schools that provide opportunities for undergraduate, graduate and continuing education, all influenced by Penn’s distinctive interdisciplinary approach to scholarship and learning.
Penn offers a unique working environment within the city of Philadelphia. The University is situated on a beautiful urban campus, with easy access to a range of educational, cultural, and recreational activities. With its historical significance and landmarks, lively cultural offerings, and wide variety of atmospheres, Philadelphia is the perfect place to call home for work and play.
The University offers a competitive benefits package that includes excellent healthcare and tuition benefits for employees and their families, generous retirement benefits, a wide variety of professional development opportunities, supportive work and family benefits, a wealth of health and wellness programs and resources, and much more.
Job Description Summary
The Gig Economy Tech Organizer will work collaboratively with the MIC Center, the National Domestic Workers Alliance Pennsylvania Chapter, and NDWA Labs to strategize, implement, and enforce portable benefits with a focus on utilizing this law to build worker organizing.
Job Description
The Media, Inequality & Change Center (MIC) is a collaboration between Penn's Annenberg School and Rutgers University’s School of Communication and Information. The Center explores the intersections between media, democracy, technology, policy, and social justice. MIC produces engaged research and analysis while collaborating with community leaders to help support activist initiatives and policy interventions. MIC strives to create more democratic media systems that serve community needs.
Millions of gig workers across the country aren’t able to access benefits because they work for many different hiring entities. To ensure that all workers can access these basic rights, we want to design, implement, and enforce innovative policies that harness technology while organizing workers in the gig economy. Led by the National Domestic Workers Alliance (NDWA) - PA, the Philadelphia Domestic Workers Bill of Rights has created the country’s first-ever portable benefits system through which domestic workers can access paid time off. To ensure that this groundbreaking law is successful and can be a model for gig workers of all kinds across the country, the Gig Economy Tech Organizer will work collaboratively with the MIC Center, the NDWA Pennsylvania Chapter, and NDWA Labs to strategize, implement, and enforce portable benefits with a focus on utilizing this law to build worker organizing.
The Gig Economy Tech Organizer should have interest or experience in organizing to support the development of worker organization and improve the lives of workers in the gig economy (with a focus on domestic workers). The successful applicant will work closely with MIC co-directors, NDWA staff and affiliates, and will be responsible for helping to determine how technology has been harnessed to organize platform workers, and to develop organizing strategies in order to pioneer and pilot with Philadelphia-based platform worker organizations.
Applicants should have the ability to start in January 2020. This is a one-year term limit position with the possibility of renewal, dependent upon funding.
Qualifications:
- Master’s degree and 3 to 5 years of relevant experience, or an equivalent combination of education and experience such as minimum 3 years of experience as a union and/or community organizer with a strong background in base building.
- Demonstrated, measurable experience organizing individuals to advance the welfare of multiracial, working-class people.
- Strong written and verbal communication skills in English and Spanish
- Motivated self-starter with the ability to work independently and as part of a team; able to take and give direction.
- Motivation, discipline, flexibility, discretion, attention to detail, ability to work on multiple projects with independence.
- Experience building and maintaining coalitions of diverse stakeholders
- Ability to work long and irregular hours, including some weekends, with possibility of travel.
- Tech policy experience and the ability to engage with external stakeholders and policymakers.
- Intermediate computer skills in MS Word, Excel, Google Doc, and Google Sheets.
- Driver’s license and reliable car helpful but not required.
- Proficiency in front-end design and web languages including HTML, Javascript, and CSS.
- Web application development/ UX experience preferred
- Proficiency or familiarity in front-end design and web languages including HTML, Javascript, and CSS a plus.
Job Location - City, State
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Department / School
Annenberg School for Communication
Affirmative Action Statement
Penn adheres to a policy that prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, creed, national or ethnic origin, citizenship status, age, disability, veteran status, or any other legally protected class.
Special Requirements
Background check required after a conditional job offer is made. Consideration of the background check will be tailored to the requirements of the job.
Women, People of Color, People with Disabilities and LGBTQ people, and people with direct personal experience to domestic work are strongly urged to apply. Applications will only be accepted via the Careers@Penn platform, please submit all application materials here.