Director, Organizing Strategy - Newark and Atlanta [Leadership for Educational Equity]

[Ken W]

Director, Organizing Strategy - Newark and Atlanta

Position Location: Newark, New Jersey or Atlanta, GA

https://educationalequity.csod.com/ats/careersite/JobDetails.aspx?id=291

About Leadership for Educational Equity

Leadership for Educational Equity (LEE) is a nonprofit, nonpartisan leadership development organization dedicated to developing its members’ potential to ensure every child has the opportunity to receive an outstanding education. Our kids and communities need more leaders who believe that educational inequity is a solvable problem. We believe that when our members are organized and reach positions of leadership, they’ll serve as a transformative force for students, communities and the broader movement for educational equity.  LEE is a diverse team of passionate and talented individuals committed to making a difference.  We are a high-growth, results-oriented organization that operates in an entrepreneurial environment deeply invested in continuous improvement.  If you would like to become part of our team and join the fight for educational equity, or if you would simply like to learn more about what we do, please visit educationalequity.org.

Position Summary:

The Director of Organizing Strategy will be responsible for successfully developing strategies around and execution of community organizing leadership development toward collective action for educational equity in two regions: Newark, NJ, and Atlanta, GA. Primarily, the Director of Organizing Strategy will develop strong relationships with and among LEE members in those regions and lead those members through the stages of the organizing cycle to drive meaningful impact for kids.

This work will involve identifying strong leadership and leadership potential in LEE’s regional membership and developing those members as highly skilled volunteer community organizers. The Director of Organizing Strategy will design and implement effective programs, group trainings and one-on-one coaching to support members’ development of foundational community organizing skills that build on the strong foundation of our community organizing model.

Through the successful design and execution of regional organizing events, the Director of Organizing Strategy will ensure that LEE’s work occurs in strong partnership with local communities, while bringing to this work the sense of urgency and indignation necessary to create equitable opportunities for all students.

As part of the Organizing Leadership team at LEE, the Director of Organizing Strategy will be an integral part of the training staff at National Organizing Workshops. The Director of Organizing Strategy will be responsible for accurately tracking and reporting on regional metrics and progress to goals.

The Director of Organizing Strategy will also be responsible for tracking emerging best practices, innovating new approaches to tackle challenges that are relevant across organizing contexts as well as those that are unique to our membership, and supporting efforts to scale the work of the Organizing Strategy subteam within the Organizing Leadership team.

Position Location: Newark, NJ (preferred) or Atlanta, GA 

Travel Requirements: 60%

Responsibilities:

• Develop a strong foundation for LEE’s collective action work in two regions by coaching and training members in the region through LEE’s relational organizing cycle to public action
• Serve as a strong member of the Organizing Leadership team at LEE, working to ensure we act in strong partnership with the communities most impacted by educational inequity
• Continuously track important metrics and progress to goals in two regions to ensure our data is accurate, accessible and effectively able to inform our execution of the organizing work on the ground
• Identify, support, develop and train member and community leaders in two regions to help lead the collective action work through one-one-one coaching, agitation, and group trainings
• Create and implement individualized leadership development plans based on each leader’s self-interest
• Plan and execute effective actions to achieve wins with meaningful impact for kids and to build the Regional Strategy Team’s (RST) power, setting up the RST to take on and win on progressively impactful issues
• Integrate school organizing initiative with RST organizing in the region
• Partner with the Communications team to develop a communications and media strategy to engage and communicate with constituency and build credibility/power in the region through media coverage
• Support work through lens of diversity, equity, and inclusion
• Integrate other LEE supports into individual member leadership development in the regions
• Serve as an integral member of the training staff at National Organizing Workshops, including leading large group learning and developing new lesson plans to best fit the needs of our membership
• Develop a deep partnership with the Directors of Regional Impact to ensure our members are effectively supported in this work

 

Minimum Qualifications:

• 5-7 years professional experience
• Strong preference for at least two years of experience in relational community organizing similar to LEE’s model, i.e. broad based organizing, coalition building, union based organizing and field operations that build local organizations
• Highly effective communication, facilitation, coaching and relationship building skills
• Ability to analyze a context in order to draft and execute strategic plans that drive achievement of goals
• Ability to quickly apply skills and lessons learned through prior organizing experiences to LEE’s organizing model
• Ability to accurately track metrics and progress to goals efficiently and effectively
• Excitement about working in a fast-paced, entrepreneurial environment that requires strong flexibility as LEE continuously learns how to best achieve impact for students
• Deep alignment with LEE’s mission
• Experience applying a lens of diversity, equity, and inclusion
• Up to 60% travel required and ability to work occasional evenings and weekends
• Ability to lift 20lbs (will need to carry supplies into meeting spaces and assist in setting up meeting spaces – moving chairs and tables, setting up equipment, navigating conventions spaces, etc.)
• Access to reliable transportation. Position requires travel to meetings on a daily basis. Candidates with reliable vehicles preferred.

Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree 
• Proficiency with LEE’s model of community organizing
• Experience working with LEE members
• Sophisticated knowledge of political and education landscape in Newark and Atlanta

Benefits and Salary

Salary for this position is competitive and depends on prior experience.  In addition, a comprehensive benefits package is included.  

An Equal-Opportunity Employer with a Commitment to Diversity

Leadership for Educational Equity is proud to be an equal opportunity employer, and as an organization committed to diversity and the perspective of all voices, we consider applicants equally of race, gender, color, sexual orientation, religion, marital status, disability, age, political affiliation and national origin. We reasonably accommodate staff members and/or applicants with disabilities, provided they are otherwise able to perform the essential functions of the job.

An affirmative action-equal opportunity employer.

The statements in this description represent typical elements, criteria, and general work performed. They are not intended to be construed as an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties, and skills required for the job.