Job Description
The Statewide Organizing Director serves as the primary point person to support UC Student Association campaigns and agendas. The Organizing Director will coordinate long-range strategic plans for, coalition building, and the development of a statewide grassroots network. The Organizing Director will be based in Sacramento, will travel to all UCSA Board Meetings, and will spend approximately 20% of their time in the field, serving all ten UC campuses.
Campaign Development (35%) A campaign as referred to here relates to issue-based, student-led advocacy priorities.
- Coordinates development and implementation of overall goals and strategy for campaign or agenda items adopted by student leadership, in coordination with staff leads on each campaign, the Board of Directors, Campus Action Committee, coalition partners, and stakeholder groups.
- Assist the Board of Directors in backwards planning all initiatives.
- Serves as the primary staff member to the Campus Action Committee.
- With support from media staff, fellows, and interns, coordinates campaign material development and ensures distribution.
- Coordinates a cohesive advocacy approach to all initiatives with other members of staff, in order to synchronize organizing with government relations and University affairs.
- Tracks progress and success of initiatives.
- Ensures and coordinates planning and implementation of statewide, regional, or Regent Meeting actions.
Conference Planning (20%)
- Plans all logistics, programming, and content for Student Organizing Summit (SOS), UCSA’s annual summer conference, which is focused on campaigns, organizing, and forward planning. Develops training tracks for student organizers at different levels of experience.
- Plans all logistics, programming, and content for Students of Color Conference (SOCC), which is focused on leadership development and movement building for students of color.
- Assists staff members with logistics of other conferences as needed.
- Recruits coalition partners to facilitate panels and workshops on relevant issues.
- Actively evaluates the accessibility and success of these three conferences. Archives materials and instructions for use in the future.
Field Visits & Coalition Building (20%)
- Travels regularly to campuses to assist Board members and core staff with campaign and organizational development.
- Attends and provides staff support for direct actions and related events on campus.
- Responsible for keeping informed of campus-specific issues, informing other staff and board members of those issues, and responding to them as necessary.
- Develops and maintains relationships with national and statewide organizations that work with higher education and support campaign objectives.
- Regularly review campus press outlets and student government association agendas in order to keep other staff and the Board of Directors apprised of major topics of concern for students.
- Engage student communities with policy and budget positions, and actively connect students not already involved in student government spaces to opportunities for involvement in advocacy.
Digital Organizing (10%)
- Manages (or works with a contractor to manage) the organization’s website, including content updates, domain registration, and form entries, and leads the coordination of social media efforts with other staff and interns.
Training & Leadership Development (10%)
- Provides individual training for External Vice Presidents, Organizing Directors, and their staff on each campus, and hosts group training for campus activists in partnership with Organizing Directors.
- Creates relevant trainings for student advocacy and involvement.
Other Staff Duties (5% of time)
- Consult with the Policy Director and Board of Directors to ensure inclusion of issue and campaign priorities in State budget advocacy efforts
- Regularly staffs UCSA Board meetings and conferences.
- Other duties as assigned.
Recommended Qualifications, Skills, and/or Experience
- Bachelor's degree; 2+ years experience and/or training in community organizing, digital organizing, and event planning.
- Experience with student organizations or student government campaigns
- Commitment to building student power, sharing decision making, taking direction from students, and amplifying UCSA’s mission and social justice initiatives
- Ability to represent and include communities of color and other underrepresented groups
- Ability to cultivate relationships with likely and unlikely allies, including negotiation and conflict resolution skills
- Excellent written, verbal, presentation and analytical skills; internet and media research skills
- Willing to execute day-to-day tasks and work independently
- Proficient in Microsoft Office (including Word, Excel, PowerPoint) and Google Apps
- Able and willing to travel independently, work evenings, and weekends
How to Apply
Complete our application and submit a cover letter, resume, references, and one writing sample at http://www.ucsa.org/job-opportunities.
Compensation
UCSA offers a modest nonprofit salary of $68-74K for this position, which is adjusted annually to account for increases to cost of living. UCSA also offers 100% employer-paid premiums for Kaiser Platinum Healthcare, dental, and vision; sick time and PTO accrual plus four weeks paid vacation during school breaks; pre-tax SIMPLE IRA retirement plan option with matching up to 3% salary; a commuter benefit of $100/month for non-remote employees; reimbursement for TSA PRE; and student loan reimbursement up to $150 per month with proof of current debt.