Merrimack Valley Project (MVP): Community Organizer

Job description

Merrimack Valley Project (MVP): Community Organizer

Location: Lawrence, MA, 1841

Salary: $55,000-$60,000 (Yearly)

Healthcare: Employer-sponsored health insurance offered

Company: Merrimack Valley Project (MVP)

Department: Organizing

Employment Type: Non-Profit

Contact:

Application Instructions: Please submit your resume and a cover letter outlining your interest in community organizing and why you'd be a great fit for the Merrimack Valley Project. If you encounter any technical difficulties with the submission form, please notify us or send your materials to

Job Description:

Organizational Overview:

Founded in 1989, Merrimack Valley Project is a multi-faith, multi-racial community organization focused on organizing leaders and campaigns for racial, social and economic justice in the Merrimack Valley and beyond. Most recently, these have included preventing the closure of Holy Family Hospitals in Haverhill and Methuen while protecting over 1,600+ jobs, and playing a critical role in successful statewide campaigns to increase the state minimum wage, protecting rideshare drivers, and winning passage of a Domestic Workers Bill of Rights.

Today, MVP has grown to over 35+ member groups across the region. MVP places a strong emphasis on developing the capacity of faith communities to act on their commitments to social justice, and is part of a growing faith-and-values-based organizing movement in America. We are affiliated statewide and nationally with Massachusetts Communities Action Network (MCAN) and Faith in Action.

About the Role:

Merrimack Valley Project is looking to hire a Community Organizer who is ready to build lasting people power and the movement. Working with new and existing organizing teams, the Community Organizer will develop community members to become extraordinary agents of change in their community, identifying grassroots members with an appetite for leadership. We are looking for someone who is not satisfied with the status quo, who is ready to develop Merrimack Valley leaders to vision and build the world as it should be and will strive continuously to learn more, to be in deeper relationships to move us toward social, racial and economic justice.

Job Responsibilities:

Congregational and Community Leadership Development –

Build 3-4 strong organizing teams, one being an organizational core strategy team, with 8 to 15 leaders on each team

Build relationships with new and existing community leaders through intentional 1:1's (12-15+ per week) and short check-ins on a weekly basis

Organize for and prepare agendas, materials and relevant research for organizing committee meetings, actions and 1:1s

Organize at least 1-3 actions per year with their committees

Have a leadership development plan for your leaders and organizing committees

Support organizing and the preparation for organization-wide priority actions, fundraisers and events

Support and build out coalition work that is in alignment with MVP's vision

Structural Development –

Lead organization wide trainings and create training materials

Attend and actively participate in weekly Staff-Meetings/Staff Development, strategic planning meetings, facilitating meeting where needed

Attend and actively participate in our state, Massachusetts Communities Action Network (MCAN), and national, Faith in Action (FIA), organizations including attending staff meetings, trainings, retreats or events when appropriate

Fundraising, Data and Administrative –

Support the research and grant writing process (1-2 grants/per month)

Invite leaders and community members to become donors and/or monthly sustainers

Build relationships with and set meetings with funders

Provide written content for quarterly newsletter as needed; coordinating with and collecting written material from leaders organizing committees

Create, prepare and print materials for training sessions, printing handouts, technology and room set-up, prep flipcharts, etc.

Help maintain outreach, event and leadership development data lists up to date working with Office Manager using internal systems and database

Other –

Meet weekly with the Executive Director for one-on-one coaching, development, supervision, and project support

Prepare a weekly staff report and quarterly work plan

Respond daily to emails, phone calls or text messages

Hold and document a knowledge of the issues, challenges, history and political environment of Merrimack Valley communities

Develop and document a power analysis of the political, economic and religious leaders and structures of Merrimack Valley communities

Attend city, community and coalition meetings when relevant to the work

Support recruitment of institutional members to join MVP

Qualifications:

Commitment to social justice and the mission

High level of consciousness and/or a willingness to learn and engage in conversations around race, class, gender, and faith/spirituality

At least three to four years of experience as a community organizer, with an openness to being coached and developed further

Experience as a trainer preferred

Strong communication skills

Self-motivation, detail-oriented, able to take initiative and ownership of projects, and able to provide creative and strategic feedback in the planning process

Relational working style - ability to listen well, collaborate, coach effectively and be open to coaching for further development

Frequent evening (minimum 2 nights per week) and occasional weekend work required, especially during peak organizing periods

Must have reliable transportation to travel to 1:1s, events, trainings, and other events as necessary

Computer skills (Microsoft Office, Google Drive, etc.)

Spanish proficiency preferred

Must be able to thrive within a work environment that changes regularly according to community needs.

Salary & Benefits: $55,000-$60,000, commensurate with experience. We offer competitive benefits including generous health, dental, and vision insurance, 4 weeks PTO, 12 sick days, paid holidays, and extended office closures (including Christmas–New Year's). Additional benefits include personal/wellness leave, a work cell phone, professional development assistance, travel reimbursement, and opportunities for advancement.

MVP is also exploring adding a 401(k) retirement and sabbatical policy.

Worksite address

lawrence, MA, 01842, US

Who can apply

Review the original listing for work authorization, qualifications and employer requirements.