Position Opening: Jews of Color Organizing Fellowship Director and Trainer
Classification: Full-Time, Exempt
Location: Work from Home with occasional travel
Posted: September 2021
JOIN for Justice is building a powerful field of Jewish leaders capable of effectively organizing for justice, both inside and outside Jewish communities in the US. We organize because, in the words of Emma Lazarus, “Until we are all free, we are none of us free”—our destinies are bound up as one. We train and mentor rabbis, community leaders and community organizers through a variety of intensive organizing training programs, in person and online.
Jews of Color Organizing Fellowship Program (JOCOF):
We are preparing to launch a national cohort-based leadership development program for Jews of Color – one that provides training, mentorship and community support to help participants grow as powerful community organizers and social movement leaders. The pilot program will train 18 Jewish Leaders of Color across four cities, which may include Chicago, the Bay Area, Atlanta, Baltimore, and NYC. The Director will be a guide and mentor to the program participants and support a quickly growing field of BIPOC Jewish organizers who are stepping into their power, taking on tough campaigns, and challenging and transforming both our justice movements and our Jewish communities.
Position Overview:
The program director will play a central role in guiding and shaping this new program including: completing the curriculum design; establishing selection criteria and selecting program participants; guiding program participant matches with organizing placements; leading the training and building 1:1 relationships with the program participants; recruiting and managing a team of supporting trainers and coaches; and, building and sustaining relationships with partner organizations and a team of program advisors.
The ideal candidate has a solid background in community organizing for social change – meaningful professional and/or volunteer experience directly organizing in the field, doing work such as running campaigns, helping build coalitions, developing leaders – and is looking for a leadership position responsible for designing and launching programs and supporting other people’s development. This person will be part of a team of Program Directors at JOIN who each run a program, share resources and knowledge, and occasionally collaborate on special projects. This person will report directly to the Director of Programs and work closely with a JOCOF Advisory Committee, and will have access to professional development funds to support their leadership.
Responsibilities:
- Represent JOIN and establish JOIN’s presence in four cities, including meaningful relationships with local social justice leaders, Jewish community organizations, funders, and potential partner organizations.
- Tapping into JOIN’s extensive library of training modules, curriculum plans, and networks, develop and manage the program’s curriculum: design learning goals, develop a series of trainings to move people towards those goals, and recruit outside trainers & educators as part of the training team. Training settings include virtual trainings, in-person meet-ups, and retreats.
- Utilize advanced facilitation skills & understanding of group dynamics for running retreats, and facilitating training events.
- Be a strong 1:1 mentor, able to support participants across lines of difference (including race, gender, ability status, and class) but also able to challenge and push them to grow.
- In coordination with our recruitment and communications staffer, oversee outreach and recruitment for fellows as well as recruiting organizations to employ one of our fellows in each of four locales. Work to match fellows with placement organizations. Provide support over the course of the fellowship to both fellow & employer.
- Work with an external evaluator. Undertake periodic internal evaluations to improve the program over time. Analyze results and make recommendations for future changes.
- Effectively manage the program budget.
- Recruit and engage the JOCOF Advisory Committee to guide the program’s strategic choices and provide ongoing accountability to the larger JOC community and other important stakeholders groups.
- In coordination with development staff and Executive Director, report out to key stakeholders and strategize about approaches to gain resources for the organization’s work.
- Help design and implement trainings for other audiences and paid clients, as part of JOIN’s trainer team.
Qualifications and Desired Experience:
- Experience launching new programs, ideally national in scope.
- Strong experience in anti-oppression training and facilitating diverse groups with a range of experiences in a participatory manner.
- Deep familiarity and nuanced understanding of the experience and needs of Jews of Color and the impact of racism, and more specifically anti-Black racism, on Jews of color.
- Significant personal experience (professional and/or volunteer) with community organizing — bringing people together to act collectively toward a common vision.
- Experience as a trainer.
- Experience with program design, project management, and evaluation.
- Ability to develop the leadership of organizers and guide them in the design and implementation of an organizing strategy.
- Ability to work in a team environment, to delegate, and to support colleagues at all levels of the organization.
- Versed in Microsoft Office (or Google Docs), GMail, and Zoom.
- Some familiarity with Jewish community/culture/religion.
- Budget management experience preferred.
- Experience developing partnerships with other justice organizations.
Travel Requirements:
The program includes three retreats a year, approximately 4 days each. The director will also travel for local site visits to the four program cities (expected once or twice a year per city) and one JOIN staff retreat a year. The program director has some flexibility in scheduling these travel events.
Compensation and Benefits
- Salary Range: $60,000 to $79,000 depending upon experience.
- Benefits: 80% employer paid health and dental insurance, 5% 401k match after one year. Other benefits include life insurance, disability insurance, health & dependent care FSA accounts.
- Vacation time: 12 days in first year, 15 days in second year.
- Holidays: Generous holiday schedule, plus Jewish holidays.
- WFH Office: A company computer will be provided, plus $50 a month to cover home office expenses. Employee must be residing in the United States.
- Union membership: This position is represented by the JOIN Workers Union, a member of NPEU/Local 70, IFPTE.
More about JOIN for Justice
Our current programs include our 18-month Clergy Fellowship, wherein we are training and supporting teams of rabbis in Miami and St. Louis to engage their congregations to build power and get involved in local multi-faith, multi-racial organizing. We also run a new seven-month long national organizing training program for disabled Jewish organizers in their 20s and 30s called Access to Power. Participants get intensive training and individualized coaching as they learn about disability organizing history, the nuts and bolts of running campaigns and how to organize to fight ableism, racism and other forms of oppression. JOIN for Justice also sponsors the Jewish Organizing Fellowship, a year-long organizing fellowship for young Jewish adults in Boston, as well as training in Jewish seminaries across the country and online courses and trainings.
At JOIN for Justice, we believe social justice requires the voices of those most directly impacted by injustice. JOIN is dedicated to building a culturally diverse and pluralistic staff team — via internal training, structured reflection exercises and an ongoing investment in the leadership development of staff. JOIN strongly encourages people of color, indigenous people, disabled people, LGBTQ+ people, and immigrants to apply. You do not need to be Jewish.
To apply: Please send a cover letter and resume, as two separate documents in a single email, to JOCOFDirector@joinforjustice.org.
JOIN for Justice is an equal opportunity employer. We carefully consider applicants for all positions without regard to race, color, religion, creed, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, marital or veteran status, or any other legally protected status.
