LOCATION: JACKSONVILLE, TAMPA, ORLANDO or MIAMI, FLORIDA

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) Foundation of Florida seeks an Organizing Advisor. The Organizing Advisor works in the ACLU of Florida’s Field Department and supports the work of the ACLU’s Southern Collective. This position is located in one of the organization’s offices (Jacksonville, Tampa, Orlando or Miami), and will include travel throughout the South.

The American Civil Liberties Union Foundation of Florida is an affiliate of the national ACLU, a national public interest organization devoted to the defense of the Bill of Rights. For nearly 100 years, the ACLU has served as the nation’s primary protector of the liberties that define our democracy. The organization implements its vital civil liberties mission in all 50 states in large part through affiliate entities such as the ACLU of Florida. Operating out of six offices—Miami (main), Tampa, Pensacola, Orlando, Tallahassee and Jacksonville—the Florida affiliate has a budget of over $8 million and 45 staff members, placing it among the larger ACLU affiliates in the nation.

The ACLU of Florida, the state’s largest civil rights and civil liberties organization, employs litigation, public policy advocacy, and public education to protect and promote a broad range of constitutional values and individual rights, such as freedom of speech, racial justice, right to privacy, religious liberty, criminal justice reform, voting rights, reproductive rights, LGBT rights, disability rights, and immigrants’ rights. The ACLU of Florida litigates a broad range of complex constitutional cases in federal and state courts through direct representation, filing amicus briefs, and submitting administrative complaints to state and federal agencies.

The Southern Collective is made up of the ACLU’s 12 affiliates in the South – the ACLUs of Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia. In partnership with ACLU National, the Southern Collective was launched in 2019 to address the challenges in the South that are rooted in its unique history of racial oppression and violence and equally remarkable history of civil rights struggles and victories. The Collective’s strength lies in its power to share and collaborate for change in a region that is paving the way for racial justice nationwide.

POSITION OVERVIEW

The Organizing Advisor is a staff position in the Florida Affiliate’s Field Department. The position reports to the ACLU of Florida’s Field Director and provides support to the twelve (12) ACLU affiliates of the Southern Collective and the Southern Collective, itself. The Organizing Advisor will work alongside affiliates to develop a framework for building and developing organizing programs, advise on the best tools & systems to use in organizing and help create

long- and short-term strategies and plans. The work will focus on building power around the civil liberties and civil rights issues facing Southern affiliates, primarily in the realm of voting rights, racial justice, reproductive and LGBTQ justice, and criminal legal reform. This position is funded for 3 years and based in Jacksonville, Florida.

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES:

Advise Executive Directors and program leaders at Southern Collective affiliates on building new or developing organizing programs in ways that reflect and support the affiliate’s goals and policy priorities and the external political environment, and coalition landscape.

Advise and provide assistance to the Field/Program Director and key organizing staff in Southern Collective affiliates in developing and implementing strategies for grassroots supporters to engage policymakers, stakeholders, and opinion leaders from all ends of the political and ideological spectrum, in ways that achieve the organization’s policy and political campaign and power-building objectives.

Provide assistance to the Field Director and/or key organizing staff in developing and implementing strategies to organize affiliate supporters and constituents across the state to work toward achieving the affiliates campaign objectives and building power for the civil liberties movement, including developing field plans, and turning goals and strategies into tactics, timelines, and metrics.

Advise on the most efficient technology, tools and resources to use dependent on the affiliate needs and program; collaborate with key staff in the national office to ensure that national tools and technologies are available to affiliates; provide and supplement trainings on the use of these tools; and serve as an advocate for affiliate needs.

Working with the Program and Strategy team in the Affiliate Support and Nationwide Initiatives (ASNI) department at the national ACLU, advocate for use of best practices in building organizing programs, accounting for varying capacities in each Southern Collective affiliate.

Working with the People and Equity team in ASNI, advocate for the use of best practices in building a strong workplace culture that centers equity, diversity, inclusion and belonging and change management.

Provide regular updates to, and regularly consult with, the Southern Collective Executive Director steering committee.

Develop resources–like volunteer training curricula, template scripts, and sample recruitment materials–to support the growth and development of organizing programs and the implementation of field and organizing plans; contribute to the development of materials, tracking and reporting tools that elevate strong programs and create peer learning opportunities.

Provide feedback to the Executive Director/ Program Director in the hiring, onboarding, and direction of organizing staff as needed. Provide training to affiliate staff on organizing best practices and tactics.

Other duties as assigned

DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS

While no one person will have all the qualities enumerated below, the successful candidate will bring many of the following qualifications and attributes:

5 to 7 years of issue advocacy, political and/or electoral organizing management experience

Strong track record of developing training and curriculums, mobilizing large numbers of people into action, and building community leadership

Demonstrated ability to build advocacy programs and to meet teams and organizations where they are in terms of capacities and needs

Excellent communication skills and ability to pro-actively communicate and build trust with a variety of stakeholders; excellent follow-through

Excellent relationship building skills and experience working effectively with organizations in a contract/consulting or coaching capacity

Ability to work independently and engage a variety of stakeholders at any given time; strong drive to resolve problems when they arise and navigate within a federated organization

Strong fluency and experience with project management, as well as managing up and around

Strong, clear, and accurate writing, editing, and verbal communication.

Strong computer skills including working knowledge of campaign databases (the Voter Activation Network (VAN), the Action Network, Mobilize, Hustle), Word, Excel, G Suite and multimedia membership software.

Prior knowledge and experience working in one or more of the outlined Southern states.

Familiarity with 501(c)3 structures and 501(c)4 non-profit management

Experience in political/advocacy/campaign organizing.

Experience putting campaign strategy and tactics for volunteer engagement into practice.

A history of working collaboratively and successfully with people and organizations from diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds and a broad range of ideological positions and religious views.

Deep commitment to maintaining the confidentiality of sensitive information while exercising appropriate discretion across a range of important internal and external relationships.

Ability to exercise independent judgment and take initiative in an environment with shifting priorities.

Demonstrated ability to work on a fast-paced campaign with many moving pieces and adapt to changing circumstances preferred.

Ability to have a flexible schedule and travel.

Must have a Driver’s License.

Fluency in Spanish or Creole is a plus, but not required.

Unwavering commitment to the mission and goals of the ACLU, including a demonstrated commitment to equity and racial justice.

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS

Compensation will be commensurate with experience, within the range of $90,000 -

$110,000. The ACLU of Florida provides excellent benefits, including health and dental insurance with generous vacation, holiday and sick leave policies, as well as a Defined Contribution 401K Retirement Plan.

This position is currently funded for 3 years.

APPLICATION PROCEDURE

Please send a cover letter, resume, by email to [email protected]. All inquiries should include Southern Collective Organizing Advisor in the subject line and all attachments should be in Microsoft Word or PDF format.

Applications will be accepted until the position is filled. Please indicate where you learned of this job posting. No phone calls, please.

This job description provides a general but not comprehensive list of the essential responsibilities and qualifications required. It does not represent a contract of employment. The ACLU of Florida reserves the right to change the job description and/or posting at any time without advance notice.

The ACLU of Florida is an equal opportunity employer. We value a diverse workforce and an inclusive culture. The ACLU of Florida encourages applications from all qualified individuals without regard to race, color, religion, gender, LGBTQIA+, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, national origin, marital status, citizenship, disability, or veteran status. We encourage formerly incarcerated individuals to apply. If selected for an interview, please inquire if financial assistance is needed in order to attend.

The ACLU of Florida makes every effort to assure that its recruitment and employment efforts provide persons with disabilities with full opportunities for employment in all positions.

The ACLU of Florida undertakes affirmative action strategies in its recruitment and employment efforts to assure that persons with disabilities have full opportunities for employment in all positions.

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