NJ Director of Democracy Organizing
Working Families Party
New Jersey, USA
Posted on Wednesday, March 27, 2024
About the Working Families Party
The Working Families Party (WFP) is the progressive party for the multiracial working class, fighting for a nation that works for the many, not the few. We recruit, train, and support transformational candidates up and down the ballot — and run them to win.
We believe that no matter where we come from or what our color, most of us want the same things. We want to earn enough to thrive, not just survive, and leave a better future for our kids. We want healthy food and clean water, safe neighborhoods and a safe world. We want to be free.
The Working Families Party is regular people coming together across our differences to make a better future for us all. We’re a multiracial party that fights for workers over bosses and people over the powerful. We want an America which realizes the promise – unrealized in our history – of freedom and equality for all.
The New Jersey Director of Democracy Organizing (DDO) role includes directly managing the WTP coalition of a dozen organizations. This will mean regular communication and coordination with all the organizations and their leadership to facilitate the successful building of a robust table and set of campaigns to involve organization membership in these activities.
In addition to the statewide table coordination, a key part of the DDO’s work is developing and implementing plans to enhance the capacity of local and municipal grassroots organizations to win victories on democracy issues designed to enable them to win on their issues and build power.
The position offers an opportunity to help lead an exciting initiative to win a new vital democracy in New Jersey, based on much greater collaboration and coordination among organizations, powerful organizing, and comprehensive public education, with an emphasis on racial and class equity in all parts of the work.
This is a great opportunity for a talented organizer to have a substantial impact on the building of a powerful movement in the state to elevate and win democracy issues and markedly improve democratic practice.
This role will contain high levels of decision making authority.
Essential Duties & Responsibilities
- Coordination and Building of We the People and Strengthening Relationships with We the People Member Organization and Leaders
- Managing and crafting every aspect of We the People (WTP) including managing the WTP subgranting budget for both table members and grassroot organizations and other budgetary responsibilities
- Create buy-in from all partners
- Being the main point of contact for all allied organizations, from large statewide organizations to small grassroots leaders
- Aligning strategy with major organizational partners and organizing around shared priorities
- Working with WTP and the State Director to coalesce around legislative priorities as well as local county and municipal governmental priorities
- Working with our media team to execute communications strategy including traditional and new media
- Supporting the development of organizing tactics that rest on and build the strength of WFP’s membership, volunteers and leaders, working in consultation with staff across the organization
- Other projects as assigned, including representing WFP on various other tables in order to build trust and relationships with allies
- Managing relationships for NJWF
- Funding is secure for the next year. Continuation of the position and building the ambitious WTP program, including substantial subgrants, will require both working to maintain funding from existing funders and identifying and securing new funders.
- Working with WFP Development staff to develop and support fundraising goals including proposals and reporting
- Directing contact with major donors and fundraising responsibilities, including project evaluation expectations
- Helping ensure compliance with funding rules and reporting to all relevant entities
- Working with our media team, including consultants, to execute communications strategy including traditional and new media
Fundraising and Development
Skills and Qualifications
- Working knowledge of New Jersey democracy issues
- The ideal candidate will have 5-7 years experience.
- Experience with coalition-building – especially aligning plans across allies into one coherent whole
- Relationships up and down the state with leaders who are already doing the work
- Overseeing vendors keeping them on task and on time
- Ability to manage multiple competing complicated projects and manage priorities
- Understanding of how to build political power to advance issues
- Creatively designing strategies and tactics to persuade/motivate legislators
- Creating and managing budgets
- Building relationships with allies and internal colleagues
- Strong communications skills, including writing, speaking, and listening
- Commitment to values of diversity, equity, and inclusion
- Sense of humor and urgency alike
- Ability to travel across the state to build and manage relationships in North, Central and South Jersey.
- Interpersonal skills in representing both the organizational interests and coalition interests forward.
What Else Should You Know
- Location: The position is full-time, temporary (ending 04/01/2025) and remotely based anywhere in the state of New Jersey.
- Salary: The salary range for this position as currently posted is $70,000 to $110,000. The final salary will be determined based on an internal equitable scale that takes into consideration years of experience, geographic location, and the final job description relative to other current WFP staff. The final job description may be revised for candidates with additional skills and experience at the discretion of the Hiring Manager. Revisions to the job description may impact the final salary offer for this role.
- We also offer a robust benefit package for full time employees including paid time off; health, dental, vision, and life insurance; flexible spending accounts; retirement plan options; professional development funding; and remote work support.
- Union Affiliation: WFP is a unionized workplace. This is a managerial ineligible to join WFP's staff bargaining unit. WFP's union employees are represented by the New York Metropolitan Area Joint Board, Workers United union.
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
Working Families is an equal opportunity employer with a commitment to economic and social justice. Women, people of color, LGBTQ people, people with disabilities, and members of other historically disenfranchised populations are strongly encouraged to apply. Any applicant who requires an accommodation in order to apply for or perform the essential functions of the job should contact us at jobs@workingfamilies.org with the subject line "Application Accommodation" to request such an accommodation.