Research and Policy Organizer
Job Description
Job Description: Organizer
About EmpowerED Families
The mission of EmpowerED Families (EF) is to build family power through relationships while rallying behind the strengths of parents to weave together the home, school, and community to fight for high-quality education. EmpowerED Families connects with Indianapolis parents, families, community and school leaders to help build parent power and activate change.
We do this work by listening, educating, organizing, and leading:
- Listen: We believe in the value of conversation and provide a safe space for parents and educators to share their needs and concerns. We host one-on-one meetings and small group conversations that we call House Meetings.
- Educate: We also teach parents ways to effectively advocate for high-quality education within the schools that their children attend. We host events and trainings to enable parents, educators and families to learn and grow together.
- Organize: We help parents and families realize the power of their own voice to activate change. We help parents organize locally within schools to create urgency around the issues that are most important to them.
- Lead: Our movement is led by families for families. We activate parents to step into leadership within schools and communities.
Position Overview
The Organizer position at EmpowerED Families, reporting to the Lead Organizer, is primarily responsible for identifying, training, and developing families and parents to be leaders in their communities. The ideal candidate will be a community organizer with a passion for educational equity and a knack for developing people as leaders in their communities. The Organizer will coach, mentor, and develop leaders in Indianapolis and support the execution of local campaigns aligned with the organizational mission of EmpowerED Families.
Responsibilities:
Organizing
- Hit weekly targets for conducting 1:1 relational meetings with parents, caregivers and other community members.
- Reflect on trends that emerge in 1:1 conversations on what community members care most about and the challenges they are facing.
- Identify parents and community members with leadership interest and potential; support their training and development in the principles and practices of community organizing, mobilizing and advocacy to build powerful family-driven teams.
- Organize digitally, leveraging social and online-meeting platforms.
Execute Campaigns
- Support the Lead Organizer and Core Leaders to design and execute campaigns reflective of their community and issues.
- Remain informed of local issues and organizing opportunities to inform their campaign design.
- Mobilize parents and families to lead and/or attend large public forums, rallies, events and actions demonstrating the power of families.
- Execute and manage advocacy campaigns that include families at all levels.
- Demonstrate a proficiency in education issues, learning best practices in school development, education policy, and the elements of excellent public schools.
- Articulate specific, developmentally appropriate and differentiated strategies to engage families in campaigns.
Other
- Manage and maintain a timely and comprehensive database of current and potential EmpowerED Families members.
- Analyze data about family/parent needs and interests to support EmpowerED Families’ decision making.
- Attend other EmpowerED Families events as needed.
Required Capabilities
- Demonstrated track record of exemplary community organizing and leadership development experience.
- Strong interpersonal, written and oral communication skills.
- Ability to build relationships quickly with diverse stakeholders.
- Experience managing projects and planning strategically.
- Ability to take initiative and high levels of ownership for outcomes, and exercise sound judgment in day-to-day decision-making.
- Understand and appreciate the use of outcomes-based data and information to help drive performance.
- Passion for and demonstrated commitment to social and educational justice.
- Willingness to work flexible hours including weeknights and weekends; ability to travel and work remotely; driver’s license and access to a vehicle.
- Comfort with multiple modes of effective communication, including social and on-line media tools; strong technology skills with ability to work and execute on remote platforms.
- Bachelor’s degree preferred.
Preferred Capabilities
- 2-3 years of professional work experience
- Spanish fluency highly preferred
- Campaigning, advocacy, public policy, training, or relevant experience
- Deep knowledge of and/or personal experience in Indianapolis education system and advocacy landscape
Salary Range: commensurate with experience.
