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Community Organizer

The Center on Race, Poverty & the Environment (CRPE) seeks applicants for Community Organizer in our Delano, California office. The position is a full-time, non-exempt position.

CRPE is a 34-year-old non-profit environmental justice organization based in Delano (in Kern County), California. Our mission is to achieve environmental justice and healthy sustainable communities through collective action and the law. We provide legal and technical assistance to the grassroots movement for environmental justice. We combine community organizing, legal representation, policy advocacy and coalition building to build community health, community power, and community resistance in low income communities and communities of color. CRPE strongly believes in the maxim that communities should speak for themselves, and that advocates for environmental justice should be on tap, not on top. Our staff shares a deep commitment to social and racial justice.

The Community Organizer will be part of a team of organizers dedicated to building power around environmental health and justice issues in low-income communities and communities of color in the Central Valley of California specifically in the counties of Tulare, Kings and Kern. Community Organizers are responsible for developing, planning, implementing, and coordinating campaigns and programs. By working in communities and increasing their leadership to engage in campaigns and programs, Community Organizers help identify environmental impacts, build the organization’s base and the visibility of issues and support community’s action around the issues.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

In addition to the listed duties and responsibilities, others may be assigned.

• Mission Leadership
  • Ensure CRPE carries out its mission, vision, goals and core values
  • Participate in the development of CRPE’s Strategic Plan
  • Represent CRPE and its mission externally to funders, donors, community leaders, partnering organizations, affiliated boards and committees and at conferences and convenings
  • Develop and maintain positive and dependable relationships with:
    • Environmental and social justice organizations
    • Individuals including labor officials, politicians, religious leaders, community leaders, and individuals associated with CRPE’s work
    • Media
    • Communities CRPE’s organizing work is focused on
    • Residents and community groups who are interested in EJ but not part of community committees.
• Programmatic Leadership and Coordination
  • Implement CRPE’s work plans in collaboration with other staff.
  • Develop and implement campaigns and programs in communities
    • Build CRPEs base of community leaders
      • Identify, develop and train community leaders
    • Host and facilitate regular meetings with community members and leaders to increase their capacity to take action on issues impacting their communities
    • Identify and leverage community environmental justice issues
    • Develop and implement workplans with community leaders
    • Assist in the formation of community-run projects
    • Conduct personal visits and employ organizing tactics
    • Identify potential allies
    • Collaborate with community residents, allies and agencies
  • Work with and participate in coalitions advancing similar goals
• Program Leadership
  • Lead campaigns for progressive environmental justice and health policy issues and system change at local, regional and state
  • Provide policy analysis
  • Generate educational and training materials
  • Provide testimony at regulatory and policy hearings related to environmental health and justice.
• Events
  • Attend and represent the organization at all special and fundraising events
• Communications and Media
  • Contribute content such as pictures for social media
  • When needed, participate in newspaper, television, or radio interviews

Requirements

The Community Organizer must be able to perform each of the duties satisfactorily in order to be
successful within this position. The requirements listed below are representative of the
knowledge, skill and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable
individuals with disabilities to perform the essential duties and responsibilities.

• Education
  • BA or equivalent life experience
• Experience
  • 3-5 years of community organizing experience
  • Experience working with coalitions
  • Planning experience preferred
• Technology Skills
  • Moderate computer skills required
  • Microsoft Office 365 software familiarity
• Language Skills
  • Fluent in Spanish and English, speaking, reading and writing required
• Certificates, Licenses, Registrations
  • Valid Driver’s License required

Work Environment

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee
encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations
may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential duties and
responsibilities.

• Moderate to extensive travel within the San Joaquin Valley
• Noise level in the workplace is usually quiet
• Ability and willingness to work irregular hours

Salary Range

$58,000+ depending on experience, plus generous benefits

Please submit a cover letter, resume, and a brief writing sample to Gustavo Aguirre, Director of
Organizing, at gaguirre@crpe-ej.org.

Thank you for your interest. There are no openings at The Center on Race, Poverty & the Environment (CRPE) at this time.