Organizing Director - Iowa

The Outreach Team•Des Moines, IA

7d•$75,000 - $82,200•Onsite

About The Position

The Outreach Team is a premier national field firm partnering with organizations to solve major societal problems. They are currently working on a campaign to engage community members in advocating for accountability from corporate polluters, big industry, and enabling politicians. This role involves managing a team of organizers to engage constituents on democracy reform and action opportunities. The Organizing Project Director is responsible for the development, implementation, evaluation, and overall success of campaigns, including client relationships, staff management, campaign timelines, administrative systems, and motivating staff and communities. The ideal candidate has experience managing diverse teams, driving goals, and working within coalitions. Candidates must be based in Iowa or willing to relocate/travel extensively to Iowa. Knowledge of the Iowa political landscape and experience in diverse communities are strongly preferred. The position requires working 40-60 hours per week, with potential for extension beyond December 2026. Travel for site visits is required.

Requirements

Experience managing a diverse team of organizers in a fast-paced or goals-based environment, especially in paid field campaigns, canvass operations, or field organizing
Experience being a fundamental decision maker on a large or fast-paced organizing project where you were responsible for tracking results and hitting goals to meet benchmarks
Previous participation or work within coalitions, alongside partner organizations or stakeholders
A track record of results in organizing contexts; hitting goals, meeting benchmarks, and developing volunteer leaders
Experience driving recruitment efforts, building volunteer pipelines, and developing leaders within organizing programs
Experience tracking progress to goals, analyzing performance, and ability to tell a narrative around an organizing project. OR. Experience writing grants, proposals, or progress reports.
Experience navigating the legal and HR requirements and obligations of a manager and addressing issues quickly and effectively
Baseline competency and familiarity with tech and computers, including G-Suite or Microsoft Office. Intermediate to advanced skills in Excel/Sheets.
A willingness to perpetually expand your knowledge of equity and justice and apply it to your work

Nice To Haves

Candidates must be based in Iowa or willing to relocate or travel extensively to Iowa for the duration of the campaign.
Strong preference for candidates with knowledge of the Iowa political landscape
Strong preference for candidates with experience working in diverse communities, including communities of color, immigrant communities, and communities historically underrepresented in the political process.
Experience reviewing payroll and ensuring organizers are paid on time is a plus
Bilingual in Spanish-English a plus
Previous experience with The Outreach Team a plus
Experience with relevant organizing tools and technologies: Action Network, ThruText, MailChimp, eCRMs like EveryAction, VoteBuilder (VAN), or social media tools (Twitter, Facebook, Instagram) is a plus

Responsibilities

Serve as the fundamental decision maker and bottom line for success on assigned organizing projects
Work as a strategic partner with clients in developing and executing field plans and organizing strategy
Keep close attention to project deliverables and proactively identify problems in the program and propose proactive solutions
Develop, review, and adjust campaign metrics often using mathematics and company planning tools for driving the campaign trajectory and achieving goals
Coordinate office and project launch and shutdown logistics, including but not limited to: identifying and renting office space, coordinating staff relocation, securing the purchase and return of office materials and furniture, etc.
Hire and manage a team of full-time organizers, who will in turn recruit, train, and supervise dozens of teams of volunteers, volunteer leaders, and interns or fellows to hit campaign goals
Drive goals on the team to ensure that deliverables are met and exceeded, including recruitment targets, volunteer engagement, and campaign actions
Build and maintain a team culture that centers on diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice. Treat organizers with empathy and respect, and ensure the staff you supervise do the same
Maintain high-performance standards and provide ongoing feedback and evaluations
Hold staff accountable and have tough conversations when necessary; coach the managers you supervise to do the same with their staff
Develop and facilitate organizing and leadership training for your team
Get on the ground, completing site visits and leading by example to drive goals when necessary
Drive recruitment efforts to identify, recruit, and train volunteer canvassers and key volunteer leaders for daily and ongoing campaign shifts; oversee weekly volunteer campaign meetings to build a community of leaders and drive campaign deliverables
Approach all work with the priority of “wow-ing” our client through professionalism, integrity, and achieving goals
Interface regularly with clients who work on voter registration, voter contact, issue campaigns, and/or signature gathering
Write and edit daily and weekly project reports to clients
Prepare and run calls including but not limited to: client onboarding calls, weekly check-in calls, debriefing calls
Manage and track project budget and submit accurate expense reports and updates
Ensure payroll is accurate for your team by managing the hours reporting process and reviewing payroll
Nail 100% of all administrative and legal requirements and ensure that organizers do the same
Manage the development of improved systems for tracking organizing work, volunteer engagement, and campaign data, which may include identifying and managing a vendor, testing new features, and providing feedback
Manage and track teams and projects using platforms including, but not limited to: G-Suite, NPG VAN, Action Network, Slack, MiniVan, ADP, ThruText, EveryAction, and more