Help Wanted - Anchorage

Field Organizer for local Working Families Win Project

Americans for Democratic Action (ADA) is the nation’s most experienced independent advocacy organization whose lobbying philosophy is based on democratic action - motivating our grassroots members to lobby their Senators and Representatives as constituent-advocates.

Working Families Win is ADA’s community-based organizing project. The program is based on the belief that for working families across the country, the economy is not working. Good jobs continue to leave our communities and are replaced by lower wage jobs, often without benefits. Daily living costs are skyrocketing, yet wages for most workers are stagnant at best. Many of the workers who are suffering the most from the current economy are not meaningfully engaged in the political process.

Americans for Democratic Action believes that when working people are organized to support real alternatives to today's economic policies, demand that candidates support these alternatives too, and persuade their neighbors that we have a clear choice, real change will occur.

POSITION: WFW is looking for energetic self-starters to do local issue organizing. Candidates should have previous organizing experience in issue and/or candidate campaigns and a desire to help support progressive issues. Local ties a plus. This is a unique opportunity to play an integral role in a dynamic project.

The position reports directly to the WFW project director and/or the national field coordinator.

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES • Implement WFW field and outreach strategies in target communities, including grassroots lobbying actions, voter education campaigns, candidate “bird-dogging,” voter id, and GOTV. • Build coalitions among allies and nontraditional constituencies to grow broad community support for the WFW agenda. • Build, engage, and mobilize a network of activists to advance WFW’s national advocacy campaigns through local organizing efforts. • Generate local media coverage on behalf of WFW. • Coordinate local and regional activist skills trainings • Help develop and execute direct actions in target areas• Track and report campaign deliverables.
PROFESSIONAL REQUIREMENTS • Previous organizing experience in electoral, issue and/or legislative campaigns.• Experience engaging and motivating large numbers of volunteers. • Experience working collaboratively with other organizations. • Enjoy working under pressure and can think quickly on your feet. • Work well independently, as part of a geographically dispersed team. • Familiarity with and understanding of health care and economic issues • Excellent organizational, verbal, written, and interpersonal skills • Willingness and ability, including own transportation, to travel throughout the assigned project region

SALARY and BENEFITS
Competitive salary plus health care.

Available immediately through 11/30/08.

Interested parties should submit a cover letter, resume, and references to Don Kusler at wfwjobs@adaction.org.