Dear ROP family and supporters,
The Rural Organizing Project is in the midst of exciting times! Our network of local, autonomous groups organizing for human dignity is growing, hundreds of leaders are bringing their neighbors into the movement during this historic moment for racial justice, and ROP’s cutting edge work supporting ordinary Oregonians counter-organizing on the frontlines of the militia movement is getting national recognition. We are hiring a new organizer so we can make the most of this moment!
We are looking to increase our capacity to support rural and small town Oregonians who already are invested in the movement for justice, and to bring in all of the aspiring leaders who are waiting for the opportunity to join in. Please help us in our search by sharing this announcement!
Do any of these questions describe you or someone you know?
- Do you have a deep love for small town and rural community building?
- Are you passionate about building leadership with and among working class and working poor people in small towns and rural communities?
- Are racial justice and human dignity central to your organizing practice?
- Are you patient and persistent? Are you an excellent listener? Does your style demonstrate courage, humility, compassion, and kindness?
- Are you an enthusiastic organizer who is ready to take the next step in developing your craft?
Please review the job announcement and the application below, and consider applying! We invite you to contact us with questions by emailing our Co-Director, Jessica Campbell at jessica@rop.org.
Sound like someone you know? Please help us in our quest — forward this job description to your contacts.
Interested applicants are encouraged to submit their application, cover letter, and resume by November 30, 2016. Questions or recruitment ideas? Contact jessica@rop.org.
Rural Organizing Project
JOB ANNOUNCEMENT
Organizer
We are the Rural Organizing Project (ROP) and we are seeking a full-time statewide organizer to join our team.
What We Do
A national struggle is underway for the hearts and minds of rural and small town residents, and Oregon is on the frontlines. Massive funding cuts to community infrastructure such as emergency response, public safety, libraries, and schools coupled with a lack of economic opportunity has left communities feeling more vulnerable and insecure than ever. This has created an opening for the radical right to build alternative emergency response infrastructure as an entry point to their movement.
ROP has been on the cutting edge of the resistance to the national resurgence of the militia movement. The core of our work has always been supporting our network of autonomous, all-volunteer, community-based human dignity groups to act as moral compasses to lead their communities, rooted in the values of self-determination, human dignity, and economic, racial, and social justice. Many rural counties are finding themselves in the midst of armed standoffs, candidates running for all levels of local office who aim to advance a white nationalist agenda, and threatening all who oppose them. Our member groups are courageously countering the politics of fear, isolation, and rejection with another vision of vibrant, healthy communities where everyone can live their lives fully with dignity and safety.
ROP, our ever-evolving network of over 50 groups across the state, and thousands of leaders have hope and an unbreakable resolve that together we can build beloved community through the rural traditions of community organizing, political education, critical thinking, finding common ground, breaking bread, and celebration. And we have a strong history of results.
ROP is dedicated to creating communities accountable to a standard of human dignity: the belief in the equal worth of all people and the need for equal access to justice. ROP is a statewide organization of locally-based autonomous groups and was founded by and for small town Oregonians in 1992 and continues to be driven by the needs of those on the ground.
Who We Are Looking For
We are seeking a full-time organizer to build and strengthen the movement for justice in rural and small towns in Oregon.
We are looking for organizers that have a demonstrated ability to develop local leaders, to use grassroots organizing to build community and confront power, understand issues impacting small town communities, experience organizing with working class people, an enthusiasm for travel, and excellent communication skills.
We are looking for folks who are emotionally mature with a sense of humor and the sensitivity to work in a complex, high-stakes political context; have an ability to listen effectively, seek and accept feedback, and recognize the importance of stretching oneself, learning, and growing; and a commitment to the leadership and vision of frontline communities in our struggle for racial, economic, and social justice.
We are looking for folks that are transparent and honest, strong, and proactive communicators; organized; collectively oriented and minded; flexible; friendly; and have good time-management skills. We are also seeking people who self-initiate, and work well on their own, while also knowing how to become part of a team. Preference will be given to applicants living in and with experience working with rural communities.
The Work
Job responsibilities include:
- Relationship Building and Capacity Building: build relationships with local human dignity group leaders and offer support that grows the capacity of each group. We define capacity as the ability for a human dignity group to create impact through base-building and grassroots organizing. Key support from ROP includes assistance building and troubleshooting around the core structures needed for a strong and healthy group, including a named leadership team, a growing base of supporters, communications systems to communicate with supporters, and an action plan.
- Organizing: working closely with the entire organizing team to develop, communicate, and support local groups to identify local problems/demands, objectives, and targets; facilitate local strategy, tactics, outreach, and mobilization; participate in regional alliances and coalitions as appropriate; and facilitate logistics for meetings, actions, etc.
We are a small but mighty team of dedicated organizers working from different communities around the state. This position includes significant travel to work with local human dignity groups and to work occasionally out of ROP’s Cottage Grove or Scappoose offices. ROP operates in a virtual office environment and each organizing staff member is expected to be able to work from home when not on the road and to be on the phone and computer for extended periods of time. Excellent communication and time management skills are a must in order to maintain relationships with leaders across the state and work collaboratively with the rest of the ROP staff team over distance. Organizers must be able to drive.
Staff work as a close team and are accountable to each other, to ROP’s grassroots Board of Directors, and our member human dignity groups.
Compensation commensurate with experience, starting at $35,000-$40,000. Excellent benefits including health and dental coverage, paid sick leave, vacation, and sabbatical.
People living in rural or small town communities, people who come from poor or working class backgrounds, people of color, women, people with disabilities, immigrants, transgender and intersex people, lesbian, gay, queer, and bisexual people are strongly encouraged to apply. All applicants are encouraged to review our website at www.rop.org before applying. Questions may be directed to jessica@rop.org.
Apply
This is a rolling hire with interested applicants encouraged to submit their applications by November 30, 2016.
To apply, please email a letter of interest, resume, three references and the following information to jessica@rop.org:
- Name
- Address
- Phone Number
- Why are you interested in working with ROP and what do you feel you can learn from working with ROP?
- What community-based and rural work have you done, and/or what community-based organizations have you been involved with?
- What is a story you want to share about how you came to be in the pursuit of justice and liberation?
- What do you feel you can bring to the work in this state and why?
- Please look at the “Who We Are Looking For” section. How do you feel you meet this criteria and what specific skills and qualities can you offer?
- Please give two concrete examples of your approach/philosophy/beliefs about how to go about working with and within oppressed communities.
- If hired, would you be able to commit to working with ROP for at least two years?