The Opportunity

Essie Justice Group (Essie) is building grassroots power to dismantle the US incarceration system, the most egregious creator of racial and gender injustice of our time. We are a loving and powerful community of women with incarcerated loved ones and include cisgender women, transgender women, formerly incarcerated women, gender expansive people, elders, and young people.

Building a sustainable grassroots institution that can be leveraged in the fight for a Black Feminist future is a priority at Essie. Through thoughtful organizing models, a vibrant organizational culture, and scalable structure, we aim to break the isolation of the 1 in 4 women who have loved ones behind bars and sustain bold decarceration advocacy through their leadership.

Essie Justice Group has deep roots in Altadena, where our community has been directly impacted by the Eaton Fire. In 2024, we knocked on over 8,000 doors in Altadena and talked with our neighbors about the upcoming election. A few months later, Altadena was devastated by the Eaton Canyon fire – many of the doors we knocked on burned down. Tragically, the LA county fire response left the historically Black and working class community without sufficient evacuation warnings or first responders, leading to the deaths of 27 people and loss of more than 9,000 structures. Moreover, Altadena is now at risk of becoming ground zero for disaster capitalism. Investors and developers are buying up lots. Legislators are introducing law enforcement backed anti-looting bills that increase criminalization not economic security for fire survivors. The need for strong organizing is urgent.

In the days following the Eaton Fire, we mobilized immediate relief, hosted healing circles, conducted over 500 wellness checks to connect neighbors with post-fire resources. We lobbied against bad bills at the state capitol and convened groups of fire survivors to coordinate a response. A month after the fire, in partnership with the CA Black Power Network and Altadena Rising we launched a campaign to push for accountability and systemic change. Altadena residents hoping to rebuild and/or return deserve to know that the next time a fire breaks out in the community the response will look different.

The Altadena Organizing Lead is a passionate emerging advocate who believes in the power of people to change oppressive systems and is eager to grow their skills in community organizing, research, and advocacy. We are hiring for this role as a continuation of Essie’s deep-rooted commitment to Altadena, ensuring that our post-fire relief, advocacy, and community building efforts grow into sustained organizing and accountability work alongside residents.This role will serve as the primary representative in coalitions advancing a call for accountability and will connect directly with the community of Altadena impacted by the 2025 wildfires to source and advocate for additional demands.

The Altadena Organizing Lead will be managed by the Manager of Policy and Campaigns at Essie, and will work closely with the Executive Director (who is a lifelong Altadena resident who lost her home in the Eaton Canyon fire). The Altadena Organizing Lead will contribute to efforts focused on supporting and advocating alongside those impacted by the climate, race, and social injustices of the Altadena wildfires; holding local authorities accountable; and convening community spaces. This role is ideal for someone who is excited to dig into meaningful research, learn how campaigns are built and executed, and grow as a trusted voice in local advocacy and community building.

Core Responsibilities

Campaign Strategy & Support

• Project manage an accountability campaign with multiple sub-strategies, including litigation and efforts to compel outside investigation.
• Support the development of new ideas, tactics, and approaches to advance campaign goals.
  Provide logistical and coordination support to keep campaign activities on track.
• Track advocacy opportunities, emerging narratives, and partnership possibilities, and recommend appropriate engagement.
• Monitor county and state legislation related to wildfire response and criminalization, keeping coalition partners informed.
• Attend community and government meetings, represent campaign priorities, and report back to broader stakeholders.
• Monitor county and state legislation related to wildfire response and criminalization, keeping coalition partners informed.

Coalition Building & Partnership Development

• Stewards coalition partners relationships well inside of high stakes campaign moments; resolves conflict with facility;
• Assist with outreach and recruitment of new partners to strengthen the campaign.
• Holds productive conversations that include political disagreement.
• Attends and reports back to broader stakeholders from meetings held by community and government meetings
• Coordinate weekly meetings for coalition partners.

Community Engagement & Education

• Connect regularly with Altadena residents to ensure the campaign is rooted in community leadership and needs.
• Conducts trainings for staff, Essie members, coalition partners, and Altadena community members relevant to the campaign (for example, the Black history of Altadena, the structure of emergency response in the county, etc.)
• Help convene and support community spaces that center healing, learning, and collective action

Volunteer & Logistical Support

• Coordinate, & support volunteers engaged in campaign activities
• Ensure volunteers and community members have the resources and information they need to contribute effectively.

Qualifications

• Demonstrated connection to Altadena
• Some experience (volunteer, internship, or paid) participating in grassroots advocacy, community organizing, or issue-based campaigns, especially those focused on racial justice, environmental justice, or decarceration.
• Willingness to learn and engage deeply with complex policy topics, including disaster accountability, housing justice, public health, and carceral systems.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with an ability to adapt messaging for different audiences (e.g., elected officials, community members, coalition partners).
• Able to stay organized and meet deadlines, even while managing multiple projects or responding to evolving circumstances.
• Comfortable using basic digital tools like Google Workspace (Docs, Sheets, Slides) and open to learning others as needed.
• Brings a strong values alignment with Essie’s mission and a demonstrated belief in gender and racial justice, abolition, and the leadership of women with incarcerated loved ones.
• Strong interpersonal skills, ability to build relationships of depth to support the work, and coordinate diverse stakeholders.
• Demonstrated ability to manage and resolve response and be calm under pressure.

Qualities

• Values people, process, and results. You are an exceptionally hard worker. You thrive in inspiring environments in which stuff gets done with speed, great impact, and focus. You are the kind of leader that rolls up your sleeves and gets in the work with your team as a way to both model the leadership you seek to build and learn from your people as you engage in strategic action together.
• Discernment and honesty we can trust. You are a thoughtful team member who acts in alignment with your integrity and are unfailingly trustworthy. You earn rather than demand the trust of people by listening and making decisions thoughtfully.
• Uplifting and additive. You see mistakes as opportunities for growth; problems as catalysts for solutions, and you inspire others along the journey. You carry a positive approach, a can-do attitude, a sense of humor, and authentic kindness wherever you go.
• Strong community connector. You are skilled at building bridges across difference and cultivating relationships of depth and trust. You thrive in bringing people together, weaving connections, and ensuring that community voices are centered and heard in the work.

The Position

This is a full-time, temporary, hourly position for 12 months. This position is supervised by the Manager of Policy and Campaigns. The salary for this position is between $69,000- 71,000 FTE; depending on experience, with full medical, dental, and vision benefits, 401(k) with up to 3% match, a substantial vacation package, and a monthly personal wellness stipend. The position is based in one of Essie’s offices in Los Angeles, California.

Essie Justice Group provides equal employment and advancement opportunities to all staff members. Employment decisions are based on merit, qualifications, and skills. Essie does not discriminate in employment opportunities or practices on the basis of race, color, creed, religion, national origin, immigration status, socioeconomic status, ancestry, age, size, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, familial status, veteran status, disability, AIDS/HIV status, medical condition, prior conviction, arrest history, traits historically associated with race, including, but not limited to, hair texture and protective hairstyles, or any other characteristic protected by law.

Essie values and specifically seeks applicants who are people with incarcerated loved ones; formerly incarcerated people; people of color; women; queer, transgender, gender non-conforming (gnc), and gender fluid people.

This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, performance assessment, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training.

About Essie Justice Group

Essie Justice Group is a nonprofit organization of women with incarcerated loved ones taking on the rampant injustices created by mass incarceration. Our award-winning Healing to Advocacy Model brings women together to heal, build collective power, and drive social change. Essie is
Great Place to Work-Certified™ by Great Place to Work.

Learn more at www.essiejusticegroup.org.