Memphis Community Organizer, Youth Justice

Stand for Children Leadership Center•Memphis, TN

4d•$50,727 - $63,409•Onsite

About The Position

The Community Organizer is a member of Stand for Children’s Tennessee team and works at the intersection of community organizing and youth justice reform. The role engages justice-involved youth, opportunity youth, emerging adults, and community advocates in creating opportunities for community engagement and systems change through a team-organizing leadership model. It centers people with lived experience in the youth justice system and supports young people and emerging adults in shaping, leading, and implementing organizing and advocacy efforts. The Organizer identifies, coaches, and trains individuals; builds engaged teams; develops members’ leadership skills; and initiates and leads campaigns for more just outcomes for young people. The position also develops community partnerships and coalitions, supports civic and voter engagement, and participates in election, issue, endorsement, and legislative-session campaigns. The role is based in the Memphis area and involves travel within the Memphis metro area, flexible hours, and occasional evening and weekend work.

Requirements

Passionate commitment and alignment with Stand for Children’s mission.
One paid campaign cycle or comparable paid organizing experience.
Experience developing leaders, building teams, and managing organizing or advocacy campaigns.
Experience facilitating meetings, trainings, or coalition processes and supporting partners toward shared goals.
Experience using technology tools such as Microsoft Office Suite and comfort learning new platforms.
Experience with social media platforms for digital communications.
Strong interpersonal, communication, leadership-development, and team-building skills.
Ability to be flexible and steadfast in ambiguity; self-motivated problem-solving and critical-thinking skills.
Willingness to work flexible hours, including up to three evenings per week and occasional weekends, especially during election cycles and legislative session.
Valid driver’s license, acceptable driving record, full-time access to reliable transportation, and ability to travel within the Memphis metro area.
Ability to be in multiple locations during a given day, transport items, set up and take down meeting equipment such as chairs, tables, projectors, and screens, and potentially climb stairs.

Nice To Haves

Experience organizing with young people, emerging adults, people with lived experience, or communities directly impacted by public systems.
Experience working with diverse and bilingual communities.

Responsibilities

Build a diverse and skilled base of engaged organizers and activists.
Organize and manage teams, leaders, and fellows with clear roles and ownership, focusing on justice-involved youth, opportunity youth, emerging adults, and community advocates.
Develop and manage a group of speakers and storytellers prepared to testify, give interviews, share lived experiences, and inspire action.
Create and facilitate trainings, workshops, and webinars that build organizing, advocacy, leadership, and campaign skills.
Manage volunteer-led events and create pathways for leaders and members to take on increasing responsibility.
Create and use advocacy opportunities in support of Stand Tennessee youth justice priorities and issue and electoral campaigns.
Activate leaders and members to grow teams and win campaigns.
Support the initiation and leadership of youth justice campaigns, including developing goals, strategies, timelines, tactics, and leadership roles.
Coach leaders to identify and recruit potential leaders and support members in taking regular action across campaigns.
Build leadership structures that foster authentic youth-adult partnership and center directly impacted young people in campaign decisions.
Support, coach, and, when assigned, supervise fellows, youth leaders, interns, temporary staff, and volunteers.
Track organizing, base-building, campaign, and policy goals and use results to strengthen strategy and execution.
Develop and maintain relationships with community leaders, stakeholders, youth-serving organizations, and local and statewide groups to build coalitions.
Co-convene and facilitate youth justice coalitions and workgroups, including developing agendas, coordinating participation, and supporting follow-through on shared priorities.
Help partners identify, advance, and track shared policy and campaign goals while expanding meaningful participation by young people, emerging adults, and people with lived experience.
Participate fully in election, issue, and endorsement campaigns.
Support voter engagement, civic education, and leadership development with youth, emerging adults, and impacted communities.
Connect electoral, policy, and organizing strategies that advance Stand Tennessee’s youth justice priorities.
Perform other duties as required to support the affiliate’s work.