Community Organizer, Economic Justice Focus

Community Organizer Role

The Center for Coalfield Justice (CCJ) fights for coalfield communities through advocacy, education, and organizing. Our approach to working with area residents values their knowledge about the land, waterways, and communities. Our recognition of local expertise is grounded in the belief that people who are facing injustice directly are the most knowledgeable and should be leading the efforts toward justice. We blend organizing, communications, legal, and policy strategies to build power with and for residents across Washington and Greene Counties.

Our mission: to improve policy and regulations for the oversight of fossil fuels extraction and use; to educate, empower, and organize coalfield residents; and to protect public and environmental health.

Economic and environmental injustice are deeply connected in coalfield communities, and CCJ is expanding its organizing work to more directly address that intersection. This role builds on existing work CCJ has done at the intersection of economic harm and environmental impact, and will help shape and deepen our economic justice organizing for years to come.

The Economic Justice focused Community Organizer works across both Washington and Greene Counties, organizing residents around issues including harm reduction, just transition, housing, affordability, and related economic justice concerns. This role serves as a primary point of contact for community members engaged in economic justice campaigns and works closely with the full CCJ team on strategy, events, and coalition work. This position reports to the Organizing Director.

Responsibilities:

• Community Engagement
  • Build deep, trusting relationships with residents across Washington and Greene Counties through one-on-one conversations, canvassing, phone banking, texting, email, and social media
  • Serve as a consistent and reliable point of contact for community members navigating or interested in economic justice issues
  • Plan and support campaign-related events in coordination with the Events Coordinator
  • Support general outreach initiatives in coordination with the Outreach Coordinator
• Campaign & Organizing Work
  • Support organizing efforts related to harm reduction, engaging coalition partners and building community power around shared concerns
  • Organize around emerging economic justice issues including just transition, housing, affordability, and the economic impacts of fossil fuel extraction, contributing to the development of campaigns as they take shape based on community engagement
  • Develop action steps in collaboration with the team and community members, such as community meetings, petitions, public comment participation, and direct action
  • Attend community events and relevant public meetings throughout the year
• Leadership Development
  • Identify and cultivate local leaders; invest in their ability to advocate for themselves and their communities
  • Host community events, trainings, and opportunities for collective action and civic participation
• Coalition & Team Work
  • Represent CCJ in coalition spaces relevant to economic justice, harm reduction, and just transition, as appropriate
  • Collaborate with the full CCJ team across campaigns, sharing knowledge and coordinating where issues overlap
  • Provide support to other staff and volunteers as needed
• Documentation & Reporting
  • Track community contacts, member engagement, and outreach activities in CCJ's database
  • Provide regular updates to the Organizing Director on campaign progress and community needs

Qualifications:

• Required
  • Resident of Washington or Greene County (this is a firm requirement for this role)
  • Deep commitment to CCJ's mission and awareness of economic and environmental justice issues in the region
  • Comfortable initiating conversations with new people and building rapport across different backgrounds and perspectives
  • Strong verbal communication skills
  • Ability to work independently and manage your own schedule, while also collaborating closely with a team
  • Willingness to work a flexible schedule, including some evenings and weekends
  • Reliable access to a vehicle and valid driver's license
  • CCJ uses a variety of platforms to manage our work and communicate as a team. All staff are expected to develop proficiency in the following tools, and training and support will be provided: Google Workspace (Gmail, Drive, Docs, Sheets, Calendar, etc.); Slack; Airtable; EveryAction.
• Preferred
  • Experience in community organizing, advocacy, harm reduction, or social services work (paid or volunteer)
  • Familiarity with economic justice issues, just transition policy, or housing and affordability advocacy
  • Knowledge of Washington and Greene County communities, local government, or regional resources
  • Experience with member databases or CRM tools

Travel:

The Community Organizer will be based in our Washington, PA office and is eligible for hybrid work.

Due to the rural nature of CCJ's work in Washington and Greene Counties, reliable personal transportation is required. Candidates must own or have consistent access to an operating vehicle and a valid driver's license. The ability to navigate both rural communities and urban settings is essential. CCJ provides mileage reimbursement at the current federal rate and covers overnight lodging for work away from home.

Compensation:

Salary range is $50,000-60,000, commensurate with experience, within Tier 1 of CCJ's pay scale.

We offer a comprehensive benefits package that includes 100% coverage of employee health, dental, and vision premiums on a zero-deductible plan, 80% coverage for spouses and domestic partners, and a monthly stipend toward dependent coverage. Employees also receive life insurance, long-term disability, and Legal and ID Shield coverage. We offer a 401(k) with employer match, a Flexible Spending Account (FSA), and access to CCJ's internal paid family and medical leave policy. Our generous paid time off package includes vacation, personal days, all federal, state, and CCJ-recognized holidays, and paid extended office closures for the weeks of July 4th and Christmas/New Year's.

CCJ is committed to the principle of equal employment opportunity, and our commitment extends to our hiring. If you believe this is a role in which you would excel, even if you don't meet all of the requirements listed, we suggest that you apply.

Please Note: If you use AI for any part of your application, please disclose at the bottom of your cover letter which tools you used and how.