Everytown for Gun Safety’s grassroots movement is led by over 6,000 Moms Demand Action, Students Demand Action, and Everytown Survivor Network volunteer leaders in every state and Washington DC - people who commit to leading the work to save lives and prevent gun violence in their communities. Working with staff from across the organization, these volunteer leaders mobilize tens of thousands of activists in their communities to take regular action on electoral, local, state, and federal legislative, public education, and cultural and behavioral change campaigns and initiatives. Volunteers build and maintain relationships with hundreds of partner organizations at the local and state level to ensure that gun safety is being advanced in every community across the country. We’re continuing to build our organizing team to help expand and support this grassroots movement and we’re looking for someone to join us who likes a fight, has the experience to build real power, and the strategy expertise to focus resources and win.
The Associate Organizing Director is an experienced senior strategist who creates and oversees field and volunteer organizing campaigns. They’re responsible for overseeing our field program in one of four geographic regions of the country. This includes: managing organizing staff, building short and long term campaign strategies, overseeing and evolving organizing practices, building structures and resources for volunteer chapters, and coordinating cross departmentally to ensure we advance gun safety across the region. While managing a team of organizing managers and regional staff, this position is keeping their eye on the long game, assessing opportunities and challenges to advance gun violence prevention.
The Associate Organizing Director will report to the Managing Director, National Field. They will manage a team of 5-6 Organizing Managers depending on regional size.
The Associate Organizing Director will receive training and resources upon starting, including background on the gun violence prevention movement, Everytown’s policy positions, managing for equity and inclusion, and systems and tools used by the organizing team.
Note: We will be accepting applications until July 7, 2024.
** Please note: we verify information provided in the application process, including education.
When completing the application below, in place of a cover letter, please submit a written document addressing the following questions.
- Why organizing, and what values do you bring to organizing work?
- Briefly summarize your experience working with communities impacted disproportionately by systems of oppression
While remote candidates will be considered, there is a preference for candidates who can be based in DC or NY.
Organizing strategy and campaign development
- Work closely with the National Organizing Director team, the Director of Volunteer Engagement, and the Director of Field Operations and Learning & Development to develop and implement national, state, and local strategies to build the gun violence prevention movement;
- Build relationships and work closely with staff members from other departments to develop and implement national, state, and local strategies in their assigned regions to implement legislative, cultural and electoral campaigns;
- Collaboratively set long and short-term priorities with chapters and organizing staff to diversify our movement and to build an equitable and inclusive grassroots organization;
- Develop a strong understand of National organizing priorities and manage to key Organizing metrics across assigned regions;
- Ensure campaign plans are in touch with realities on the ground; act as a bridge between volunteers/organizing staff and other stakeholders to make sure the organization’s plans are realistic and set up to succeed;
Staff management, development, and accountability
- Mentor, train and manage organizing staff so that they can best support and grow volunteer chapters; regularly assess development needs of organizing staff;
- Manage administrative staff for the region to ensure best data practices, budget tracking and administrative processes for volunteer chapters are up to date and well implemented;
- Equip and develop staff's ability to build diverse volunteer teams, particularly in Black, Latinx, and Native communities and train staff and volunteers on management skills for equity and inclusion;
- Value different perspectives and proactively engage people with a variety of backgrounds and experiences in order to build a strong movement, while teaching staff and volunteers to do the same;
- Manage and resolve conflict between Organizing Managers, volunteers, and with peers from other departments while maintaining integrity, respect and professionalism;
- Share direct feedback with others and listen to and implement feedback given
Other duties
- Develop knowledge on gun violence prevention policy, local and regional politics and relevant policy issues - particularly as it impacts groups disproportionately impacted by gun violence;
- Manage budgets and approve budget requests;
- Serve as a liaison between the Organizing Team and other departments;
- Manage an element of Gun Sense University, our annual conference
- Some travel will be required
- Other duties as assigned
Qualifications
- 5+ years of experience running grassroots organizing campaigns, including any of the following: managing volunteer programs, running issue based campaigns, electoral campaigns, community organizing, and managing organizers. Ability to write strategic plans, teach others to write strategic plans, and get others bought into a strategic approach.
- 3+ years of staff management experience, leading to strong volunteer and/or staff management skills, including experience working with communities disproportionately impacted by gun violence.
- An experienced manager with the ability to develop people's skill through coaching, training, and feedback. You are able to build trusting relationships, to incorporate practices for equity and inclusion into your management, and to use both data and qualitative information into your management approach.
- Understand how stereotypes, bias, and forms of racism in America (including structural racism, implicit bias, gender bias, religious bias, ageism, and bias based on gender identity or sexual orientation) impact our society, with an expectation that you will develop an ability to articulate the connection between these large societal issues and the disproportionate impact of gun violence on specific demographic groups in America.
- Understand how dynamics of power, voice, and privilege impact one-on-one and group interactions, and a commitment to using power, voice, and privilege to make our movement more equitable, and more representative of communities experiencing disproportionately high rates of gun violence, such as Black, Latinx, and Native communities.
- Passionate about what we do and the function of this role. Specifically, you want to work to end gun violence in our country, believe organizing is critical to doing that, and are passionate about managing people and the power to grow a movement through delegation and management.
- A proactive problem-solver who likes finding new ways to overcome obstacles
- Good at working with other people and providing lateral management. You work positively and proactively to understand the motivations of people approaching the work from different experiences (for example, members of the communications team or people with different life experience than you). You can communicate your work, goals, and thought process clearly and in a compelling way.
- Able to make thoughtful plans for your work and your team's work but also be flexible under pressure and when things change. You are excellent at managing your own time.
- Ability to use data to inform and guide management decisions, and to incorporate data into staff management
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:
- Fluency in Spanish
- We have a preference for hiring people who are survivors of gun violence, have lived experience with gun violence, or are from a community disproportionately impacted by gun violence.
- Proficiency with the tools we commonly use, including G-Suite, VAN, Slack, Microsoft Office and/or Classy
The salary range for this position is $95,000 - $105,000 a year depending on experience. We offer benefits including health insurance, vision, and dental, paid time off, tuition reimbursement program and 401K program.
About Everytown for Gun Safety
Everytown is the largest gun violence prevention organization in the nation with nearly ten million supporters, including parents, students, survivors, educators, gun owners, and Americans fighting for common sense gun safety. Through victories in Congress, statehouses, corporate America, the courts, and town halls across the country, Everytown is helping change how Americans think about this public health threat. At the core of Everytown is Moms Demand Action, a grassroots movement of American mothers founded the day after the Sandy Hook tragedy, and Students Demand Action. Learn more at everytown.org and follow us @Everytown.
Everytown for Gun Safety provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, marital status, amnesty, or status as a covered veteran in accordance with applicable federal, state and local laws.
Candidates who identify as members of historically underrepresented groups are highly encouraged to apply. A diverse workforce and open culture are at the heart of our organization and vital to our success.
We invite you to learn more about our approach to equity and inclusion by reading our department's Equity Rationale.
You can learn about the framework that guides our work by viewing Everytown's Organizations Values
