About PA Stands Up

PA Stands Up is an independent, multiracial political organization by and for the many, with thousands of dues-paying members dedicated to winning a Pennsylvania that works for all of us. We are working people living across Pennsylvania’s cities, towns and rural areas. Our 5 chapters in 9 counties build grassroots leadership, fight for policies that work for working people, and elect candidates who represent our values. Together, we are building a governing majority capable of enacting bold, redistributive measures for the common good.

Job Description

This full-time salaried position is responsible for the development of a volunteer membership base and the campaign work for a local chapter of Pennsylvania Stands Up. This is a political leadership position, responsible for helping to develop the overarching strategy for the chapter together with the local leadership team and statewide staff, growing the base of dues-paying members, running issue campaigns and doing electoral work on the local and statewide level.

The position will be based in one of our regions in Central or Eastern PA. This position will work closely with other members of the organizing team, Movement Politics team, and with other members of the statewide staff.

Reports to: Regional Organizing Manager

PA Stands Up is a union shop, this position is within the union’s bargaining unit.

Primary Responsibilities:

• Build a base of member-leaders. The local organizer is responsible for building a base of member leaders. They use strategies including canvassing, petitions, town halls, tabling and participation in rallies and protests to grow the organization’s contact list. They conduct one-on-one meetings, recruit new leaders, and invite people into core leadership roles, including building a local leadership team that takes a leadership role in designing local issue campaigns. They design and conduct training on key skills to develop the leadership of members together with other staff and leaders at PA Stands Up.
• Design winning issue campaigns at the local and state level. Together with the local leadership team, the local organizer helps design and run issue campaigns at the local level. This includes selecting issues that will grow the organization’s base, conducting a power analysis of the terrain, making a clear issue cut, and designing a series of tactical interventions needed to win, including events, power meetings, communications, coalitional activities and more. In addition to local campaigns, local organizers will also collaborate with other organizers to design and run campaigns at the statewide level.
• Support local electoral work. Local organizers work with the Movement Politics team and their leadership team to support local electoral work in their chapters, nonpartisan civic engagement campaigns, field plans, and canvassing efforts to elect candidates at the local, state and federal level of government.
• Advance local communications and narrative efforts. The local organizer is responsible for recruiting leaders to the local Communications Team and working with those leaders and the statewide Communications Team to build the public presence of the local chapter in the media, online, and at in-person events.
• Expand the dues-paying membership. Dues-paying members are the lifeblood of the work Pennsylvania Stands Up is doing to build a multi-racial working class force for change across the state. The local organizer works with their supervisor to design a plan to recruit new dues-paying members, renew lapsed members, and solicit additional donations from existing members.

Qualities of a Successful Candidate:

• A minimum of one to two years of relevant experience in grassroots organizing, labor, and/or politics, preferably with experience in building grassroots political power with a culture of democracy and debate
• A demonstrated commitment to equity, justice and liberation for all people and to racial, economic, environmental and gender justice 
• A team player who shines as an individual leader while taking a collaborative approach to working with others to achieve shared objectives
• Demonstrated leadership ability and experience working in working class and poor communities, rural areas and/or communities of color 
• Strong commitment to bold, independent, innovative political action by and for working people 
• Acute political savvy and excellent analytical skills 
• Strong written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills 
• Ability to use or learn to use digital tools like: EveryAction, Spoke, ThruTalk, and more
• Bi-lingual Spanish/English preferred 

SALARY AND BENEFITS

Salary for this position is $56,240 with employer paid medical, dental, and vision insurance; access to a 401(K); and generous paid time off.

How to Apply: 

Please submit a resume and a cover letter that describes your interest, experience, commitment, and any relevant personal background to jobs@pastandsup.org. Put “Local Organizer – Lehigh Valley” or “Local Organizer – Lancaster” in the subject line.

A NOTE TO THE NEW AMERICAN MAJORITY Studies have shown that women, nonbinary folks, and people of color are less likely to apply for jobs unless they believe they meet every single one of the qualifications as described in a job description. We are committed to building a diverse and inclusive organization and we are most interested in finding the best candidate for the job. That candidate may be one who comes from a background less traditional to our field of work, and that’s okay. We strongly encourage you to apply, even if you don’t believe you meet every one of the qualifications described. **Preference given to candidates from historically marginalized and underrepresented communities.**

PASU is an equal opportunity employer and encourages people of color, people with disabilities, and LGBTQ+ individuals to apply. PASU does not discriminate against or tolerate harassment of any employee because of race, color, religion, creed, sex, age, national origin, ancestry, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital status, physical or mental disability, any other basis prohibited by law, or protected activity under the anti-discrimination statutes.