Food & Water Watch is looking for an Albany-based Organizer to join our New York Organizing team to advocate for the protection of our food, water, and climate. The Albany Organizer will work closely with partnering organizations and coalitions, volunteers, policymakers, and other staff at Food & Water Watch. This position must be based in Albany or in close proximity to Albany.
About Food & Water Watch:
Food & Water Watch is working to create a healthy future for all people and generations to come—a world where everyone has food they can trust, clean drinking water and a livable climate. Making this happen requires involving people in the pressing issues of our time at the local, state, and federal level, building on one win after another, as we develop a larger movement that has the political power to make our democratic process work.
About the position:
The Albany Organizer will primarily work on campaigns to stop the massive boom of polluting data center proposals in New York, to fight fracked gas pipelines and power plants, and will support state legislative campaigns to move New York off fossil fuels. In the near-term, the Albany Organizer will work to stop the Kenwood data center proposal in Albany and the Constitution fracked gas pipeline that terminates in Schoharie County.
The Albany Organizer will represent FWW in coalition spaces with partnered organizations, and help lead the political strategies for our campaigns. The Albany Organizer will also build an activist base of Food & Water Watch volunteers in the Albany area, recruiting new people to get involved, and developing and training volunteers to take on leadership roles. The Albany Organizer will report to the New York State Director and will work with other staff on the NY Organizing team to support Food & Water Watch’s work.
Salary: $55,300-$64,500 annually, dependent upon experience and location.
Location: Albany, New York (hybrid: Work-from-home combined with field work)
Responsibilities:
- Represent Food & Water Watch in coalitions and in public: Participate in coalition meetings and help create joint campaigns or tactics. Speak at public events and in press interviews on behalf of the organization.
- Recruit and train volunteers to build capacity: Build a strong base of volunteers in support of our local, state, and national campaigns. Develop volunteers’ skills and leadership by offering volunteer meetings, trainings, and one on one support.
- Advocate for Legislation: Interface with local and state legislators to impact policy outcomes.
- Develop campaign plans. Work with other staff to establish long and short term goals, strategies, and tactics to win our campaigns.
- Organize campaign tactics. Plan and execute strategic tactics to meet the needs of our campaigns, including educational events, base-building drives via petitioning or canvassing, and actions directed at elected officials or earning press attention.
- Write to inspire action. Develop educational materials such as factsheets, action alerts, web site content and newsletter articles on campaign issues.
- Use digital tools. Become proficient in tools such as ThruText, Hubdialer, and Mobilize.
- Know our issues. Maintain familiarity with Food & Water Watch’s priority issue campaigns and policy positions, and respond to information and support requests from activists, coalition members, and the media.
- Build Food & Water Watch for the long haul. Participate in member recruitment and fundraising activities for Food & Water Watch.
- Carry out other projects as assigned.
Required Qualifications:
- At least 3 years of full-time organizing experience, or an equivalent combination of full-time and volunteer experience.
- Demonstrated ability to develop effective organizing strategies.
- Familiarity with New York politics and Capitol Region communities.
- Commitment to Food & Water Watch’s core values of justice, human dignity, fair treatment, and equity.
- Ability to work effectively with people of diverse racial, ethnic, class, age, gender, and sexual orientation backgrounds.
- Excellent writing and verbal communication skills.
- Excellent time management & organizational skills and ability to balance multiple projects.
- Ability to work remotely using basic online programs, including email, Slack, and Google docs.
Desired but not required skills and experience:
- Experience with coalition work
- Experience canvassing or phonebanking
- Experience working with or training volunteers
- Familiarity with Albany politics and state legislative norms and processes
- Familiarity with environmental or climate issues
Compensation: $55,300-$64,500 annually, dependent upon experience and location.
Food & Water Watch provides an excellent benefits package for full-time employees. This includes 100% employer-paid health, dental and vision plans for staff; 403b retirement plans with employer contribution once eligible; 12 weeks paid parental leave once eligible; 3 weeks vacation for new employees; 12 sick days and 5 personal days; paid federal holidays and winter break (December 24 – January 1).
This position is a bargaining unit position covered under a contract between Food & Water Watch and the Nonprofit Professional Employees Union (NPEU).
Please include as one combined document your resume, cover letter, and three professional references to be considered. If you have a writing sample, please share it- though this is optional. Position open until filled. Incomplete applications will not be considered. Applicants must be currently authorized to work in the United States. We are unable to sponsor or take over sponsorship of employment visas.
We will review your application and if we feel that your knowledge, skills and abilities are potentially a good match for our organization, we will be in contact with you.
Food & Water Watch is an equal opportunity employer who encourages applications from women, people of color, LGBTQ individuals, individuals with disabilities, and other members of underrepresented groups. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of this role.
Food & Water Watch (FWW) is committed to the health and safety of its staff members. Moreover, FWW, as an organization, promotes science-based policy. Science clearly shows that unvaccinated populations drive the spread of the coronavirus and the emergence of new variants, and that unvaccinated people are more likely to contract COVID and experience severe symptoms. FWW requires new staff to provide proof of COVID-19 vaccination, subject to availability, unless they receive an approved religious or medical accommodation and will be required to provide proof of vaccination.
