IVE Voter Engagement Director

IVE Voter Engagement Director About Oakland Rising Oakland Rising (OR), a fiscally sponsored project of the Center for Empowered Politics Education Fund, is a collaboration of social justice organizations that have a long-term, shared vision for winning a community-based political infrastructure and governing majority in Oakland that centers racial, economic, and environmental justice. Over the past eight years, OR's political operation has grown into one of the largest, longest-lasting, and most sophisticated programs in the area. It has built a voter base in Oakland's working-class, immigrant, and communities of color neighborhoods that make up more than 25% of the city's electorate. OR has helped to craft and win policies for racial, economic, and environmental justice while promoting a vision for transformational governance in Oakland and beyond. This position is shared with our sister entity Oakland Rising Action, a separate 501(c)4. In order to advance the work of OR and ORA, we are looking for someone who will bring to the IVE Voter Engagement Director role a personal connection to the communities in which we organize as well as a commitment to the advancement of racial, economic, and environmental justice. The successful candidate will confidently support the cultivation and building of the relationships necessary to sustain and grow the OR and ORA projects and understand the importance of aligning and building the power of movement organizations. Who We Are OR works to build the power of working-class families, immigrants, and people of color in Oakland to advance racial, economic, and environmental justice. OR plays three key roles to achieve our mission: • Builds and exercises progressive electoral power through integrated strategies, including base-building and policy advocacy. • Aligns and coordinates citywide and regional progressive forces through our collaborative model to build power & profile for the social justice movement. • Recruits, trains, advances and supports progressive leaders who lead in a collaborative, accountable and values-based way that centers social justice. Oakland Rising's partner organizations include: Asian Pacific Islanders for Environmental Justice (APEN), Causa Justa/Just Cause (CJJC), Communities United for Restorative Youth Justice (CURYJ), East Bay Alliance for a Sustainable Economy (EBASE), Ella Baker Center for Human Rights, Mujeres Unidas y Activas (MUA), Parent Voices Oakland (PVO), and St. Mary's Center. UA). Oakland Rising Action's steering committee include: community leaders, APEN Action, Dream Beyond Bars Action Fund, East Bay Action Fund, and Ella Baker Center Action. The Opportunity The Voter Engagement Director will work in partnership with the Political Director to oversee OR/A's program operations and strategy. The position requires the development of an integrated civic engagement strategy to engage working-class people of color and immigrants in Oakland and beyond to build and flex people power in civic process. The position requires the development and management of a multi-pronged organizing and political strategy that includes support and supervision across programs and navigating a wide range of key organizational relationships and coalition spaces to advance our mission and build our movement. The ideal candidate will be a self-starting, enterprising thinker with senior experience working on political campaigns, with advocacy organizations, and in complex coalition spaces. They will have deep grounding in the social justice movement; sharp racial, economic, and environmental justice analysis; and a demonstrated commitment to movement building and transformational, values-based leadership. They will bring strong supervisory and management experience; and a proven commitment to coaching and developing the leadership of others. This position is shared with our sister entity, Oakland Rising Action, a separate 501(c)4. Supervisory Responsibility The Political Director supervises the Program Team, which is made up of the IVE Manager, the IVE Coordinator, the IVE Volunteer Organizer, and other program staff as needed. This senior-level position reports to the Executive Director and is part of the Senior Leadership Team. Primary Functions and Responsibilities: Program Development and Oversight • Lead the design and direct the implementation of programmatic and campaigns with long and short term electoral strategy and field goals • Directly manage, track, and analyze voter file data to inform campaign planning and overall political strategy and post-campaign reports • Develop strategic and technical electoral organizing and campaign trainings for staff, alliance members, team leaders, paid canvassers and volunteers • Ensure the OR programmatic and campaign goals align with the collaborative's shared policy platform and goals for local, regional, and statewide organizing and civic engagement • Lead the development of OR's annual shared Vision, Issues, and Policy Platform • With the Political Director, collaborate, co-design, and implement all aspects of the Program Team work, including the Daily Team and Core Leaders Program as well as any outreach and civic engagement programs. • With the Political Director, perform quarterly program evaluations and annual individual employee performance evaluations. Data Management • Oversee data systems and management, lead/facilitate the strategic development of data collection and management projects in partnership with the Program staff • Develop the systems for translating/ converting the political strategy into data analysis in partnership with the Political Director • Oversee the voter analysis data and report creation and presentation to partner organizations, staff, and key stakeholders. • Manage and produce PDI data requests from partner organizations and organizational IVE campaigns Strategic Partnerships • Direct development and implementation of a shared work plan for the Steering Committee within OR's collaborative structure, to ensure that our shared policy platform is fulfilled through strong relationships and shared vision, including facilitating Steering Committee Meetings. • Direct the development and implementation of a shared work plan for the ORA Steering Committee to include supporting in the organization's endorsement processes and voter guide. • Build and sustain relationships with non-collaborative partners (electeds, city staff, labor, community leaders) by representing OR in key meetings when necessary and strategic including but not limited to Bay Rising Steering Committee, Justice Reinvestment Coalition, California Calls Coordinating Committee, and Oakland Progressive Alliance. • Represent OR/A at partner events, broader community events, policy meetings, City Council and County Board of Supervisors meetings, and other spaces as needed. Organizational Relationships and Movement Building • Position Oakland Rising as a leader in integrated civic engagement, collaborative formations and leadership development locally, regionally, and statewide. • Develop, nurture and manage relationships with key civic engagement stakeholders and decision makers, including local community based organizations, labor unions, and government officials. • Model and advance values-based leadership that prioritizes transformational outcomes, as well as the evolving notion of co-governance. • Serve as an organizational spokesperson and ambassador. Community Organizing • Develop and design systems to track the "ladder of engagement" to deepen civic participation of OR's electoral base during campaigns, activities, and with our partner organizations. • Maintain up-to-date knowledge and expertise on local (and as-needed regional and state) politics, electoral landscape and civic engagement and leadership development field. • Prepare political landscape analysis for various issues and geographic areas with reports and deliver presentations related to the above as needed. • Under the direction of the Political Director - design and facilitate political education, community educational presentations, panel and seminars, and manage requests for the Program Team • Implement pathways and programs for Equitable Democracy Platform with partner organizations • Implement an endorsement process and assist with content for voter guides. Organizational Leadership and Strategy • Participate in the Leadership Team to support overall organizational coordination of systems, planning, budgeting, fundraising, and organizational culture. • Partner with the Leadership Team to initiate and implement the overall strategic direction and key organizational priorities, and to support healthy growth of the organization, the collaborative and coalition partnerships, and the movement. • Support grant and reports by providing timely and accurate information and analysis about our programmatic, collaborative, and coalition work. Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties, or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time, with or without notice. Required Qualifications: • Five or more years of previous campaign, union, or community organizing experience in the social justice sector, with a focus on Black, Indigenous, People of Color, and working-class community leadership and power-building. • Prior knowledge of, participation in, and development of electoral strategies. • Senior management experience (minimum of 2 years) preferred. • Personal experience and deep roots in the Black and Brown flatlands communities of Oakland. Skills: • A critical understanding of racial, economic, and environmental justice, as well as a commitment to and practice of it. • Excellent intellectual, analytical, and strategic thinking skills. • An adaptive leadership style with the ability to problem-solve, navigate complex situations and relationships, take advantage of strategic opportunities, and handle the ups and downs of electoral organizing. • Political smarts and a sophisticated intersectional analysis, which includes a local to global perspective. • Openness to experimentation and new ways of doing things. • A high level of emotional intelligence. Capacity for self-reflection and self-improvement. • Familiarity with the political terrain and existing relationships with key stakeholders. • A track record of accountability and reliability. • Bilingual Spanish a plus Work Environment / Physical Demands This position may require sitting and operating a computer for a long time. Able to work on a computer, including sitting at a desk, for extended periods of time with or without reasonable accommodation. Manual dexterity to operate a keyboard and other technology is required. Sometimes the job may require holding small equipment such as a camera, mic or a phone. Please note this job announcement is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities and activities may change at any time with or without notice. Employment Terms Compensation: This is a regular full-time exempt salaried position. Competitive salary ranging from $90,000 - $105,000, depending on experience, and a team-oriented yet flexible working environment. Plus a competitive compensation and benefits package: Paid vacation and personal leave Paid parental leave Medical, vision, dental, acupuncture, chiropractic and life insurance Medical, Parking, and Dependent Care FSAs with employer contributions available Commuter benefits Subsidized gym membership Employee Assistance Program 401k Hours and location This position is based in Oakland, CA with an option to work remotely one day a week. There are events and activities that will be in person outside of normal Monday through Friday business hours on an as-needed basis. Expected hours of work Standard days and hours of work are Monday through Friday, 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Schedule may vary due to limited travel and evening or weekend activities. Daily schedule is flexible within the proximity of this time frame, and will be decided in consultation with the OR/A Project Advisory Committee. Travel No significant travel expected. Occasional domestic travel may be required for meetings and conferences. How to Apply Applications accepted on a rolling basis. Submit an application through this job portal and attach a PDF of your resume, cover letter, three references, and a writing sample. Applications will be reviewed as received. Open until filled. Oakland Rising contracts with Resilient Strategies LLC for backend and operational support, including hiring and employment. Resilient Strategies is an equal opportunity, affirmative action employer. Folks who are queer, trans, non-binary, Black, Indigenous, people of color, disabled, parents, are/have been system-impacted, are immigrants, and anyone who has experienced systemic oppression and/or gender-based violence are encouraged to apply. Pursuant of the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records for employment.