Santa Barbara Organizer

Position Description 

CAUSE is a base-building organization committed to social, economic, and environmental justice for working-class and immigrant communities in California’s Central Coast.  We build grassroots power through community organizing, leadership development, coalition building, civic engagement, policy research, and advocacy.  CAUSE envisions a thriving Central Coast that provides a sustainable and just economy created by and for workers, immigrants, and communities of color.

CAUSE is currently seeking a Santa Barbara Community Organizer responsible for developing grassroots community leaders and coordinating their leadership in organizing city-based social, economic, and environmental justice issue campaigns. The position will be supervised by an Associate Organizing Director and will work directly with a team of six other organizers.  The position will be based in our office in Santa Barbara working primarily with Spanish-speaking adult immigrants and young adults of color with a focus on tenant rights and affordable housing.

The Santa Barbara Community Organizer’s responsibilities include but are not limited to:

• Building a base of CAUSE grassroots leaders among working-class immigrant families in Santa Barbara, by:
• Recruiting community members through tabling, door to door canvassing, and presentations. 
• Building strong organizing relationships through one-on-one personal visits with grassroots community leaders
• Conducting house-meeting campaigns including personal visits to recruit immigrant adult Spanish-speakers in Santa Barbara to become grassroots community leaders involved with CAUSE
• Recruiting local young adults through class presentations at Santa Barbara City College to become grassroots community leaders involved with CAUSE
• Developing and growing two committees, with a goal of 30 Santa Barbara residents and a core of 15 leaders in each, one composed primarily of Spanish-speaking immigrant adults and the other composed primarily of young adults of color.
• Facilitating biweekly meetings with the grassroots committee to develop and coordinate community organizing and advocacy campaigns around issues in Santa Barbara
• Promoting information to the community through WhatsApp, Facebook live videos, and Spanish-language radio
• Working with grassroots leaders to develop their political education, leadership skills such as speaking to news reporters and elected officials, facilitating meetings to coordinate strategic campaigns, and doing outreach and organizing to mobilize their communities
• Working in support of other CAUSE campaigns as part of Organizing Team
• Recruiting and training grassroots leaders to volunteer on get-out-the-vote efforts including door-to-door canvassing and phonebanking during elections
• Translating documents between English and Spanish and providing interpretation during meetings and community events
• Interacting with donors and involving grassroots leaders in fundraising
• Linking neighborhood-based issues with regional, state and national issues

JOB REQUIREMENTS/QUALIFICATIONS

• Bilingual (English and Spanish) and bicultural competency required
• Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent preferred
• Prior employment and/or intern experience with transferable skills to that of a Community Organizer preferred
• Prior employment and/or intern experience within Latinx immigrant communities preferred
• Demonstrated commitment and passion for social, economic and/or environmental justice
• Experience with and desire to work with diverse cultures and the ability to engage people from a variety of backgrounds on a one-on-one basis or group format
• Ability to interact professionally with elected officials, donors, board members, leaders of ally organizations, and news reporters
• Strategic and analytical approach to political issues
• Prior volunteer, employment and/or intern experience with electoral work preferred
• Strong written and verbal skills including large group presentations and public speaking
• Experience with using common office computer programs (Microsoft Word, Publisher and Excel) as well as web-based Google applications (Gmail, Google Docs, Google Hangout)
• Able to work independently and as part of a team
• Able to set own work priorities, manage responsibilities and time
• Flexibility and willingness to work long hours and weekends, and be able to travel throughout region, state and nation

PHYSICAL DEMANDS 

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

OTHER REQUIREMENTS

Valid drivers’ license and dependable access to a car to drive for work required. 

WORK SCHEDULE

This is an hourly position with a typical 40-hour work week.  This position has flexible hours and may often include evening and weekend work in order to engage community members.  CAUSE has a hybrid remote/office work arrangement (3 days in office, 2 from home).

COMPENSATION

Starting pay for this full-time hourly position is $27/hour (estimated $56,160 annual). Benefits include 100% paid medical and dental coverage including dependents, paid sick and mental health days, holidays and flexible paid vacation days, paid family leave, paid sabbatical after 5 years of employment, monthly stipend for use of cellphone and travel, and annual professional development budget. CAUSE also typically provides two weeks of paid annual holiday shutdown and an annual retirement contribution.  This position is represented by a staff union under a collective bargaining contract with IAM Local 947.

To ensure pay equity across our team, salaries at CAUSE follow a formula based on position and tenure and are non-negotiable for individual candidates.  However, we have a fixed salary scale providing additional pay for candidates with years of relevant job experience significantly beyond the minimum qualifications listed in this job description.
 

APPLYING

The deadline to apply for this position is Sunday, June 30.  Interview process will include a formal interview with senior staff and an interview with CAUSE grassroots leaders.  Please e-mail resumes with cover letter to Zulema Aleman at zulema@causenow.org. 

CAUSE IS AN AFFIRMATIVE ACTION EMPLOYER. WOMEN AND PEOPLE OF COLOR ARE ENCOURAGED TO APPLY