Deputy Organizing Director

ABOUT THE JOB

The ACLU seeks a full-time position of Deputy Organizing Director in the Organizing Division of the National Political Advocacy Department of the ACLU’s National office in New York, NY or Washington, DC. This is a hybrid role that has in-office requirements of two (2) days per week or eight (8) days per month. 

The National Political Advocacy Department (NPAD) works to strengthen the efforts of the ACLU at the federal, state, and local levels of government. The department harnesses the political power that comes from our more than eight million members and supporters, as well as affiliates in every state. Through grassroots organizing, lobbying/policy work and issue campaigns, the ACLU seeks to achieve change as profound in the legislative, administrative and electoral arenas as it has accomplished through the courts.

YOUR DAY TO DAY

• Plan and assist in planning organizing-based actions (both traditional field organizing actions and distributed/digital actions) for nationwide campaigns and major state and local campaigns and events
• Manage staff, including remote staff and consultants, for program success and professional growth
• Conceive, revise and share stories of organizing work, successes and lessons learned, within the ACLU and with current and prospective volunteers and volunteer leaders
• Collaborate with colleagues in the ACLU’s national departments and ACLU state affiliates, as well as national coalitions, academics/researchers, consultants and other allies as necessary
• Collaborate with national and affiliate communications staff to contribute to earned media coverage of grassroots organizing projects and events
• Assist with national coalition engagement, planning and organizing program execution
• Advise state affiliates on state-based coalition engagement, when requested
• Closely track political developments, and identify strategic organizing and advocacy opportunities for the ACLU, including opportunities for multi-state or nationwide program or technology solutions
• Identify and execute grassroots engagement experimentation, data collection, analysis and results-based recommendations
• Help shape ACLU’s grassroots engagement on key political issues and pending legislation
• Work across a multi-issue spectrum of issues that concern the ACLU
• Engage in special projects and other duties as assigned

FUTURE ACLU'ERS WILL 

• Be committed to advancing the mission of the ACLU
• Center and embed the principles of equity, inclusion and belonging in their work by demonstrating commitment to diversity with an approach that respects and values multiple perspectives
• Be committed to work collaboratively and respectfully toward resolving obstacles and conflicts

WHAT YOU'LL BRING

• Significant experience in political, advocacy and/or issue campaigns
• Understanding of fundamental organizing approaches and skills, and the ability to inspire and teach others about organizing
• Strong communications skills in order to convey complex concepts, research and analysis in a clear and concise manner
• Must be self-motivated and possess the ability to work independently as well as within a team
• Ability to work and communicate quickly and accurately, handle multiple projects and devote time and energy to the most important responsibilities, and to lead others in doing so
• Experience managing candidate or issue campaign teams
• Experience developing, executing and/or evaluating data-driven organizing programs, experiments/tests and/or pilot projects
• Experience using VAN or similar database for voter and volunteer engagement
• Understanding of multiple approaches to organizing including distributed and digital
• Ability to work and thrive in matrixed and federated environment

COMPENSATION

WHY THE ACLU

For over 100 years, the ACLU has worked to defend and preserve the individual rights and liberties guaranteed by the Constitution and laws of the United States. Whether it’s ending mass incarceration, achieving full equality for the LGBTQ+ community, establishing new privacy protections for our digital age, or preserving the right to vote or the right to have an abortion, the ACLU takes up the toughest civil liberties cases and issues to defend all people.

We know that great people make a great organization. We value our people and know that what we offer is essential not just their work, but to their overall well-being. 

At the ACLU, we offer a broad range of benefits, which include:

• Time away to focus on the things that matter with a generous paid-time off policy
• Focus on your well-being with comprehensive healthcare benefits (including medical, dental and vision coverage, parental leave, gender affirming care & fertility treatment)
• Plan for your retirement with 401k plan and employer match
• We support employee growth and development through annual professional development funds, internal professional development programs and workshops

OUR COMMITMENT TO ACCESSIBILITY, EQUITY, DIVERSITY & INCLUSION

Accessibility, equity, diversity and inclusion are core values of the ACLU and central to our work to advance liberty, equality, and justice for all. For us diversity, equity, accessibility, and inclusion are not just check-the-box activities, but a chance for us to make long-term meaningful change.  We are a community committed to learning and growth, humility and grace, transparency and accountability. We believe in a collective responsibility to create a culture of belonging for all people within our organization – one that respects and embraces difference; treats everyone equitably; and empowers our colleagues to do the best work possible. We are as committed to anti-oppression, anti-ableism, and anti-racism internally as we are externally. Because whether we’re in the courts or in the office, we believe ‘We the People’ means all of us.

With this commitment in mind, we strongly encourage applications from all qualified individuals without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, national origin, marital status, citizenship, disability, veteran status and record of arrest or conviction, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.    

The ACLU is committed to providing reasonable accommodation to individuals with disabilities. If you are a qualified individual with a disability and need assistance applying online, please email [email protected]. If you are selected for an interview, you will receive additional information regarding how to request an accommodation for the interview process.

The Department of Education has determined that employment in this position at the ACLU does not qualify for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program.