Civic Engagement Organizer

Civic Engagement Organizer

Job Type: Full time

Reports to: Co-Field Director

Location: Philadelphia/Upper Darby

Salary: $50,000 base with differentials during outlined electoral seasons

The Asian Pacific Islander Political Alliance's (API PA) mission is to build long-term power for Asians and Pacific Islanders in Pennsylvania by coordinating political, electoral, and legislative work to hold our elected officials accountable, engaging in culturally competent and linguistically accessible direct voter contact with our communities, and building solidarity with other aligned communities of color across the state.

Primary Responsibilities:

The Civic Engagement Organizer is a frontline contact with the community. The person in this role is responsible for identifying, recruiting, and developing the leadership of grassroots Asian community members through practices of deep listening and agitational conversations. Field organizers are also responsible for direct voter contact during the primary and general elections at the local, state, and federal levels, as determined by member endorsement processes.

• Conduct outreach in specific geographic and/or language-specific turf via door-to-door canvassing of homes and small businesses, petition gathering, community events, and other tactics
• Build relationships with the goal of identifying and recruiting member leaders into the organization
• Track emergent issues and identify community needs for information and resources (language access, legal, social service)
• Work with API PA's internal organizing team
• Conduct civic engagement and direct voter contact activities leading up to and during the primary and general elections. As needed, register, identify, educate, persuade, and mobilize Asian voters in PA about supported candidates and issue priorities
• Serve as an organizational spokesperson as necessary to the media, to the community, and on social media as needed
• As needed, recruit for, plan, and participate in a range of additional 501(c)(4) grassroots advocacy activities across PA
• During clearly defined electoral seasons, recruit, train, and manage a door knocking campaign of door to door canvassers within assigned geographies, adhering to organizational standards and meeting or exceeding set goals.

Requirements + Preferences:

• Proficiency in English and one of the following languages: Chinese (Mandarin, Cantonese, or Fujianese), Hindi, Urdu, Bengali, Punjabi, Gujarati, Malayalam, Vietnamese, Khmer
• At least 1 year of experience working within Asian community spaces
• Personal or professional experience operating in and/or organizing Asian communities
• A deep commitment to progressive causes and improving the lives of working class immigrant communities.
• Experience with organizational technology and voter contact technology, including VAN, MiniVAN, Google Suite, peer-to-peer SMS, and predictive dialer platforms.
• Experience managing teams consisting of up to 20 employees.
• Demonstrated ability to build consensus, negotiate, and strategically disagree within a highly collaborative work environment, preferably with at least two years of experience working in a coalition, including experience facilitating and working within broad and diverse coalitions.
• Ability to build trust and strong relationships with partners and allies across different spaces quickly, and to cultivate those relationships over the long term.
• Demonstrated ability to think on your feet and grow quickly in your role, including the ability to adapt to new technology and platforms
• Open to a flexible schedule that does include evening or weekend hours
• Access to a cell phone, a laptop or tablet, and a consistent internet connection required
• While aspects of this work can and will be conducted remotely, in-person activity will be required and is an expectation for the role
• Access to a reliable vehicle
• Willingness to travel far distances for work with the potential for overnight travel and stays

Preferred, not required:

• Knowledge of and experience with AAPI communities and the progressive AAPI ecosystem in PA.
• Knowledge of and experience with Pennsylvania's political landscape.

Salary and Benefits: $50,000 annually, with a comprehensive benefits package

The position will be open until filled. Applicants will be reviewed on a rolling basis. API PA is an equal-opportunity employer and does not discriminate against an employee or applicant for employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.