Strategic Campaigns Director

WHO WE ARE:

The Strategic Organizing Center (SOC) engages in paradigm-shifting campaigns that confront corporate misconduct, racism and sexism, and challenges existing anti-worker policy and corporate-friendly law in order to grow union membership throughout the US economy. We do this work in partnership with our affiliated unions and with the broader progressive community in the US and globally. Since our establishment in 2005, we have been mission focused on helping workers and unions organize for power at work. Today, our work is focused on such companies as Amazon, Google, McDonald’s, Uber, and campaigns including the Fight for $15 and Code CWA.

The Strategic Organizing Center is a democratic union federation whose three affiliated unions – the Service Employees International Union, the Communications Workers of America, and the United Farmworkers – represent some 3 million workers. These unions have been leaders of the American labor movement’s efforts to help workers form unions to secure fair pay, benefits, and justice on the job.

WHAT WE DO:

Through cutting-edge research and innovative campaigns, the SOC advocates for workers, consumers and other constituencies harmed by concentrated corporate power across a wide range of industries, including food service, transportation and logistics, communications, healthcare and more.

THE OPPORTUNITY:

The Strategic Organizing Center is seeking a is seeking a seasoned organizing professional to lead comprehensive campaigns that challenge America’s largest corporations to take responsibility for how their business practices impact working families and their communities. This role will be an integral member of SOC’s broader Strategic Research and Campaigns (SRC) team, a growing and diverse multi-disciplinary group that develops and executes comprehensive corporate reform campaigns in partnership with SOC affiliate unions.

THE WORK:

• Lead the research, development, and execution of strategy for corporate reform campaigns.
• Lead strategic research and campaign development processes.
• Design campaign plans and supervise the execution of campaign tactics by a team of corporate campaigners, attorneys and communicators in close collaboration with affiliate campaign leadership.
• Build relationships with external partners and specialists that enable effective multi-disciplinary and cross-organizational campaigning.
• Mentor junior campaigners on strategy and execution and oversee their work product and development of their professional skills.
• Assist the Director of the Strategic Research and Campaigns Department with overall management responsibilities.
• Contribute to and/or lead other department specific or cross-functional initiatives.
• Perform other duties as required to support the SOC SRC Team.

An individual should demonstrate the following competencies to perform the essential functions of this position successfully:

• Communications: Creates an atmosphere in which timely and high-quality information flows smoothly to colleagues at all levels, within or external of the organization; encourages open expression of ideas and opinions. Effectively transfers thoughts and expresses ideas verbally or written in individual or group situations. Ability to communicate with team members regarding questions or concerns that may arise. Ability to convey messages that have the desired effect via the appropriate media in a thoughtful and professional manner.
• Attention to Detail and Accuracy: Thoroughness in accomplishing a task through concern for all the areas involved, no matter how small. Monitors and checks work or information and plans and organizes time and resources efficiently.
• Organization/Project Management: Able to manage multiple projects; able to determine project urgency in a practical way; able to drive projects forward with appropriate momentum towards completion; uses goals to guide actions; creates detailed action plans; organizes and schedules people and tasks effectively, able to effectively manage up and across key stakeholders. Ability to effectively manage a workload with competing priorities and meet deadlines in a timely and efficient manner.
• Adaptability: Changes style or method of approach when necessary to achieve a goal; adjusts style as appropriate to the needs of the situation. Responds to change with a positive attitude and a willingness to learn new ways to accomplish work activities and objectives. Ability to navigate ever evolving regulatory requirements and standards and keep up to date with the latest developments.
• Collaborative: Works harmoniously with others to get a job done; able to work well with staff, co-workers, peers and managers; shares critical information with everyone involved in a project in a timely manner; works effectively on projects that cross functional lines; helps to set a tone of cooperation within the work group and across groups; seeks opinions; values working relationships; when appropriate facilitates discussion before decision making process is complete.

WHO WE ARE LOOKING FOR:

The Strategic Organizing Center (SOC) is seeking candidates who are passionate about our mission and are highly proactive. Candidates for employment at SOC, regardless of position, will consistently demonstrate the following:

• Strong commitment to social justice and workers’ rights
• Commitment to excellence and high standards -- for self and colleagues
• Continuous learning by engaging in reflection, self-assessment, and individual professional development.
• Use of deep research and investigation to inform decisions and drive continuous improvement.
• Ability to thrive as a member of a collaborative team.
• Self-motivation and initiative with solutions-oriented disposition
• Excellent oral and written communication skills
• Ability to effectively handle challenging situations.
• Comfort with Microsoft Office applications and a curiosity and propensity to push own adoption of new technology and approaches.

QUALIFICATIONS:

While no one candidate will embody all the qualifications below, our ideal candidate would bring:

• Strong passion for progressive social change, including exposing class-, racial- and gender-based workplace abuses.
• Excellent research, writing and communication skills including the ability to manage and execute substantial public-facing campaigns.
• Track record of driving ideas, managing multiple initiatives, and seeing projects through completion.
• Experience conducting effective meetings with internal and external personnel, organizations, and public officials.
• Ability to think critically and analytically and use sound judgment.
• Strong relationship-building and interpersonal skills.
• Knowledge and experience working with or in the labor movement.

Minimum Required Education and Experience:

• 7+ years of strong campaign experience in union, political or community organizing.
• 2+ years of experience as a campaign supervisor at a labor union or other progressive advocacy organization.
• Spanish and/or other non-English language skills a plus.

Physical Demands & Working Environment

• Ability to work from the SOC’s DC or NYC office.
• Under current policy, SOC employees spend two days per week in-office and may work remotely otherwise.
• Must be willing to work long and irregular hours, including work on weekends as necessary, based on campaign needs.
• Some travel required.

WHAT WE OFFER:

COMPENSATION & BENEFITS

Compensation:

Salary is calculated based on years of experience, with annual increases according to an established salary scale. The salary range for this position is $86,423 – 119,823. This is a full-time (35-hour work week) exempt position.

Benefits: The SOC offers:

• 100% employer-paid comprehensive health insurance benefits (medical, dental, vision and prescription benefits) for employees, their spouses or domestic partners, and children.
• 12% of salary contribution paid by the SOC to a 401K retirement plan after six months of employment.
• 100% employer paid premiums for life insurance, short- and long-term disability.
• Other benefits include cell phone provision, Commuter Benefits, and Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA),
• 13 days of accrued sick leave, 14 paid holidays, 10 days of paid vacation (vacation time increases with seniority to up to 25 days per year), 2 personal days and 4 days of compensatory time.
• 8 weeks of paid parental leave.
• A commitment to employee growth and advancement, with a $1,000 professional development budget each year for each staff member.

Please Note: SOC staff enjoy a hybrid telework (three days) /in-person (two days) schedule. There are offices in Washington, DC, and New York City. We have a mandatory vaccine policy and safety protocols in our facilities. The SOC is not currently requiring proof of vaccination however, staff are required to fill out the health screening survey in a timely fashion and accurately when they are on site. The only exemptions to this policy provided by the SOC are for medical and religious reasons. All candidates applying for this role will be expected to adhere to these policies.

Application Requirements:

A resume is required for all applications and a cover letter is highly suggested. Your cover letter should explain your reason for wanting to work for us, an example of how you demonstrated success in a similar position, and a description of how this position fits into your long-term career plan.

Women and people of color are strongly urged to apply. The Strategic Organizing Center does not discriminate in any of its programs, procedures, or practices on the basis of race, color, religion, caste, creed, sex, age, marital status, national origin, mental or physical disability, political belief or affiliation, pregnancy and pregnancy related condition(s), veteran status, sexual orienta­tion, gender identity and expression, genetic information, natural and protective hairstyle and any other class of individuals protected from discrimination under state or federal law in employment and application for employment.