National Field Organizer Job Description

Location: Flexible
 
Goal: MoveOn National Field Organizers build and develop the massive grassroots network we need to win progressive change. By combining traditional person-to-person organizing, scalable online organizing, and intensive leadership development, we're creating a new model of grassroots mobilization. It's volunteer-driven, staff-lean and exceptionally powerful.  Our small team of staff organizers is at the center of creating and driving our organizing program that has a major impact on key progressive issues.
 
Background: With nearly 5 million members, MoveOn is uniquely situated to organize for real progressive change. In 2010, MoveOn members played a key role in the historic victory winning health care reform, and we launched a major campaign to take our democracy back from the corporate influence. Now, we’re getting ready to launch a major campaigns in 2011 to fight for the American Dream.
 
The backbone of the field effort is the MoveOn Councils—a national network of committed, trained volunteer leaders and teams. Nationally, there are 16,000 active leaders organized into nearly 200 city-wide Councils. Over the next year, MoveOn Council volunteers will organize rallies, vigils, protests, petitions, district meetings, and other creative tactics, and build local member leadership on a scale we’ve never built it before.
 
As a National Field Organizer with MoveOn, no two days will be the same. You’re responsible for harnessing and expanding the power of the MoveOn Council volunteer network. That means on any given day you might be working one-on-one with one of the most dedicated MoveOn leaders in the country; organizing events in multiple states as part of a national day of action to support progressive change; or training a new progressive leader about how to organize their own community.
 
Responsibilities:

• Expanding and strengthening our Council network. You'll work with the Councils that already exist in your region and then work on building more in the places where MoveOn members aren’t currently organized.

• Developing new leaders. Our model only works if we have great leaders. You’ll be part of building our leadership development model and bringing new members into our organizing.

• Trainings. To increase our volunteers' skills level, you'll be running trainings over the phone and in person.  You’ll also help create new trainings focused on the needs of volunteers in your region.

• Rapid response. When news breaks, our network needs to respond immediately. Whether it's rallies or house parties, you'll make sure your region responds forcefully when we need to spring into action.

Skills and experience:

• At least 2–3 years of grassroots organizing experience (or related experience).

• Excellent leadership development skills. You should be ready to do what it takes to turn someone into a great leader.

• A strong self-starter, entrepreneurial. You don’t need someone to tell you what to do, and you have new ideas on how to make things work even better. 

• A good manager.  You’ll be managing a team of volunteer organizers and will need to be ready to support their work and solve problems creatively.

• Hard worker. You can work flexible hours and manage your time independently. You know that saving the world doesn’t just happen between 9 and 5.

• Comfortable with a virtual office. You are fine working at a distance with dozens of colleagues scattered around the country.

• Willing to do what it takes to make a project come off--low ego, high focus on getting stuff done.

• Comfortable with technology, spending lots of time on the phone and working virtually.

Salary: Salary is highly competitive and includes health & dental insurance, generous vacation, and other benefits.
 
To Apply: Email a cover letter, application and resume to organizerapply@moveon.org. Application process is rolling.
 
MoveOn.org Political Action is an equal opportunity employer.  All qualified applicants, including women, people of color, LGBT people and others are strongly encouraged to apply.
 
 

Application Questions
 

Name
 
Contact info:
 
Describe your previous organizing experience, whether paid or unpaid:
 
 
Tell us your organizing philosophy in one sentence or less:
 
 
 
Why do you want to be a field organizer with MoveOn?
 
 
 
Which of the following have you organized in the past?
 
__ Rallies
 
__Press conferences
 
__Run trainings/ conferences
 
__Congressional meetings
 
__Other political actions
 
 
How do you develop leaders?
 
 
 
How do you win grassroots campaigns?