WHO WE ARE
Underdog Strategies was founded in 2018 by community organizers with a mission to transform the New York City political and educational sectors. Our team has successfully led our clients to victories through large-scale mobilizations, community outreach, grassroots organizing, state and local-level lobbying, public actions and overall campaign strategy. We are proud to support programs and schools advocating for more funding and resources for NYC public charter schools, first-time candidates, campaign staff, and grassroots leaders through our work. Currently the majority of our work focuses on public charter school recruitment which is why we have work available year round.
THE OPPORTUNITY
We are looking for individuals to engage in areas of Brooklyn, the Bronx, Manhattan, Queens and Staten Island. While our highest-need areas are currently the Bronx, Staten Island, and Harlem, if this job description resonates with you, you should absolutely apply no matter where you live across the five boroughs.
This is an opportunity for outgoing and strategic communicators to impact access to quality public schools for students in underserved communities. Your role will be to speak with parents and community leaders and gain interest in enrollment to public charter schools. Each Canvasser is assigned on-site zones to focus on and can expect to work five hours per day.
We are looking for candidates who are experienced canvasser/organizers, former educators, social workers, charter school alumni, or anyone who is passionate about improving access to strong schools in underserved areas and is comfortable speaking with strangers on the field. This is a W-2 part-time position with an opportunity for year-round work based on individual performance. Additionally, there will be opportunities for promotions and organizational mobility throughout the year. While promotions depend on organizational needs, pay raises occur on a quarterly basis and are determined by performance, attendance, and professionalism metrics.
RESPONSIBILITIES
Responsibilities include but are not limited to:
- Identify locations: Find ideal places to engage with parents (parks, supermarkets, churches, schools, door knocking, etc.).
- Zone expertise: Become an expert on your assigned zone, keeping a pulse on community events and forming relationships with community leaders.
- Messaging: Communicate a compelling message that articulates information about the school, its offerings, and the application process.
- Persuasion: Persuade parents to take actions that lead to student enrollment.
- Lead generation: Collect information from potential applicants and meet daily student recruitment lead generation goals.
- Data integrity: Ensure the information you have collected is accurate and is inputted accurately.
- Compliance: Comply with school's goals, messaging, federal FERPA privacy regulations regarding student data management, and safety protocols (including the use of PPE and compliance with daily health and safety guidelines).
WHO YOU ARE
Consider applying if you are or have any of the following:
- A strong belief that all students deserve access to excellent schools, and care about fixing New York’s opportunity gap
- A natural people-person: you enjoy making conversation with strangers and aren’t afraid to initiate dialogue
- Strong communicator: you have experience speaking with people of different backgrounds and are skilled at persuasive and action-driven follow-ups
- Excellent organization skills: you color-code your schedule, file information appropriately and have never missed a deadline
- Error-proof time management and prioritizing skills
- Ability to self-direct with minimal oversight and adapt in uncertainty
- Able and willing to independently travel throughout your assigned zone
- Flexible schedule: Ability to complete at least 5 hrs/day 3-6 days/week including weekends
- Languages: Proficiency in Spanish, Mandarin, or Russian is preferred, but not required.
FIELD WORK NOTE
- Note: This work requires you to be in person and interact with people outdoors to gather parent and student information.
COMPENSATION
- Salary: $25.00 per hour
- Raises: Performance-based raises occur on a quarterly basis, evaluated against performance, attendance, and professionalism metrics.
- Stipend: $6.00 per day MetroCard stipend for commuting.
- Supplemental Pay Types:
- Overtime pay (Paid at 1.5x base hourly rate for hours worked over 40 in a single workweek per New York State labor law)
- Bonus pay
BENEFITS
- Flexible schedule.
- Paid Sick Leave: Accrued in compliance with the NYC Earned Safe and Sick Time Act (1 hour of sick leave accrued for every 30 hours worked).
SCHEDULE & HOURS
- Commitment: Continuous, year-round work is available based on organizational needs and individual performance.
- Days Per Week: Canvassers can work anywhere from 3 to 6 days a week, depending entirely on their field results and availability.
- Daily Hours: Expect to work 5 hours per day.
- Standard Shift Times:
- Monday to Friday: 1:00 PM – 6:00 PM
- Weekends: 11:00 AM – 4:00 PM
- Note: Occasional morning and evening shift assignments are available.
Pay: From $25.00 per hour
Benefits:
- Flexible schedule
- On-the-job training
- Opportunities for advancement
- Paid sick time
- Paid training
Application Question(s):
- Are you at least 18 years of age?
- What is your personal or professional connection to NYC Public Charter Schools? Please detail if you attended one as a student or worked in one as an educator.
- Why do you think giving parents access to information about different schooling options is important? In the current digital age, why do you think face-to-face interactions are crucial in student recruitment?
Work Location: On the road
