Organizing Coordinator, SEIU Local 221

Title: Organizing Coordinator

Location: San Diego, CA

The Organizing Coordinator is a staff leadership position responsible for the day-to-day operations of the Organizing Department while providing leadership, direction and development to staff and members. The position is responsible for internal organizing, bargaining, coordinating members, training, coaching, planning campaigns to execution and data tracking. The position reports directly to the Chief of Staff. As part of the leadership team, the Organizing Coordinator collaborates implementation of SEIU 221 Mission, Vision, Values and Organizational Priorities.

Required Competencies:

• Lead with vision and purpose to inspire staff and members to engage in and lead on key union priorities, including strength, leadership development, and political strength.
• Foster equity and inclusion, including cultural competence to work with diverse staff and communities, and commitment to building an anti-racist organization.
• Ignite motivation to achieve results, including coach and model, practice active listening and self-reflection, give and receive authentic feedback, and hold oneself and one’s team accountable to commitments and outcomes.
• Build and lead great teams, including managing goals, roles, processes and data, relationship building and working collaboratively across departments.
• Develop self and others using collective ownership and consistent evaluation, self-reflection, and accountability to outcomes.
• Organize their own work and the work of their team, including clear roles and responsibilities, clear communication, organize their time and support of staff to do the same and demonstrate self-motivation.
• Highly effective oral, written, and digital communication skills.
• Computer and digital literacy relevant to the position.
• Minimum of 2 years of managing organizing staff.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Develop and manage internal organizing campaigns - including membership and COPE drives, issue campaigns, and contract fights - that support the overall vision and priorities of the Local.
• Serve as Lead Negotiator and campaign strategist for multiple contracts and “meet and confer” processes, while training assigned staff to bargain and lead contract campaigns.
• Plan, lead, and support actions of all types and sizes, including leafletting, unity breaks, worksite rallies, informational pickets, and strikes at multiple worksites simultaneously while reporting numbers to the Chief of Staff.
• Supervise the work of all staff within the Organizing department to carry out programs, reach benchmarks, and achieve goals.
• Conduct consistent Organizing Team meetings, trainings, and on-on-one meetings with staff to review and plan their work assignments, in order to achieve the organizations 3 initiatives.
• Provide support when requested by the Chief of Staff in recruiting and hiring staff, conducting annual performance evaluations, and developing individualized professional development plans for assigned staff.
• Issue non-disciplinary Corrective Action when necessary to improve staff performance, as well as Disciplinary Action when Corrective Action is not successful or appropriate with the Chief of Staffs approval.
• Recommend higher levels of Disciplinary Action to the Chief of Staff and assist with the disciplinary process up to and including the termination of staff when necessary.
• Manage programs to recruit and develop job stewards, new member leaders, union leave, Stewards Council, Worksite Committees, and Contract Action Teams.
• Ensure all staff are involving rank-and-file members, job stewards and workplace leaders in development of organizing strategies and tactics, always ensuring understanding, commitment, and participation in campaigns.
• Develop strategies and tactics that promote class-consciousness and advance anti-racist, anti-sexist, and other anti-oppressive struggles of working people.
• Maintain strong working relationships with community organizations, political allies, and other unions and work collaboratively to identify “common good” bargaining demands.
• Represent SEIU Local 221 professionally in meetings with SEIU International, SEIU State Council, community organizations, elected officials, and elsewhere as deemed necessary by the Chief of Staff.
• Represent and train staff to work collectively and individually, including formal communications with employer representatives, filing charges, grievances, and other enforcement actions as needed.
• Competently perform all organizing and representational duties necessary to work a route, cover for staff absences, and trouble-shoot challenges plus train staff to do the same.

Scope and Nature of Supervision:

The Organizing Coordinator reports directly to and serves as an advisor of the Chief of Staff. They must be capable of working with or without specific direction, take initiative including identifying programmatic needs and proactively bringing proposals forward to address them. Depending on the needs of the Local, the Organizing Coordinator is responsible for leading planning and implementation collaboratively and independently with approval from the Chief of Staff. Analytical abilities, organizational commitment, and sound political judgement are necessary.

Key Qualifications:

• Five years prior experience working full-time as a union organizer and/or community organizer responsible for running campaigns and recruiting members, leading bargaining with employers and/or supervising multiple staff, assignments, and projects.
• Prior experience within a labor organization bargaining contracts and representing workers with the employer.
• Experienced in internal organizing methods and practices, including campaign planning, leadership, messaging, and actions.
• Experienced in representation methods and practices, such as drafting contract language, engaging with management, filing information requests, and filing charges.
• Working knowledge of Labor Laws, such as the Meyers-Milias Brown Act and the National Labor Relations Act, as well as the agencies that administer them, including PERB and the NLRB.
• Demonstrated commitment to economic and social justice, including class-conscious, anti-racist, and anti-sexist organizing strategies and tactics.
• Experienced in employee supervision, coaching, training in addition to motivating and inspiring a team. Knowledge of and/or ability to quickly learn principles and best practices of employee supervision, training, performance evaluation, corrective action, and discipline.
• Knowledge of and/or ability to quickly learn principles and best practices of plan development and implementation, project management, goal setting, tracking progress, and reporting.
• Proven ability to establish and maintain a rapport and credibility with diverse demographic groups and professional, technical, administrative, and service workers.

Additional Requirements:

• Extended day and occasional overnight travel.
• Willingness to work long and irregular hours, including nights and weekends.
• Must possess a valid California driver's license, auto insurance, and automobile for work use.
• Must provide and maintain a cell phone with a data plan and internet access, and a home internet connection for work use.
• Bilingual/multilingual preferred.

Conditions of Employment:

• This is an unrepresented, full-time, salaried, and at-will position. At-will employment in California means that the employer or the employee may terminate the employment relationship at any time, for any reason.
• Compensation for this position is competitive and will be based on the experience and skills of the employee. Salary range is $100,000 - $109,000.
• Excellent benefits package including an auto allowance; health, dental, prescription, and vision coverage with no employee contribution; retirement plan; paid time including vacation, paid holidays, personal days, and sick days; bilingual and cell phone premium.

Submission Instructions

Submit cover letter and resume via email to: [email protected], with subject ‘Organizing Coordinator.’

**Cover letters should describe your qualifications, experience, and career goals, as well as a brief description of why you want to work to realize SEIU Local 221’s vision for building a strong union.

SEIU Local 221 is an equal opportunity employer. People of color and women are encouraged to apply.