Cuyahoga County Organizing Director

About the Working Families Party

The Working Families Party (WFP) is the progressive party for the multiracial working class, fighting for a nation that works for the many, not the few. We recruit, train, and support transformational candidates up and down the ballot — and run them to win.  

We believe that no matter where we come from or what our color, most of us want the same things. We want to earn enough to thrive, not just survive, and leave a better future for our kids. We want healthy food and clean water, safe neighborhoods and a safe world. We want to be free.

The Working Families Party is regular people coming together across our differences to make a better future for us all. We’re a multiracial party that fights for workers over bosses and people over the powerful. We want an America which realizes the promise – unrealized in our history – of freedom and equality for all.

The role of the Cuyahoga County Organizing Director is key for building a base and mobilizing our members, supporters, and community organizations around the issues at stake this November. We believe an effective grassroots voter contact operation needs to be at the core of our campaigns and strategies for building power, strengthening our brand, and advancing our mission. To achieve our mission we need to build an exceptional, self-sufficient canvass operation.

The person in this role executes mobilizing strategies to help achieve our goals this cycle:

-Hire and manage four paid canvassers

-Knock on 5,000 doors

-Recruit and train volunteers to canvass

Strong leadership and self-direction is essential. In addition to running the County’s field operation, the Cuyahoga County Organizing Director’s primary responsibility is to develop the next generation of organizers. The Organizing Director is above all else a leader and a role model for the dozens of young activists who are searching for a new political home.

• Set and enforce standards of excellence for field performance.
• Canvass in the field 2-4 days per week to test turf, set standards, and train paid canvassers.
• Provide supervision, leadership, and support for paid canvassers and volunteers.
• Develop and initiate regular training programs and original materials for both paid canvassers and volunteers.
• Prepare reports for daily, weekly and campaign ending metrics and be accountable to the campaign’s goals.
• Ensure the field staff continually meets goals and adjust training curriculum accordingly.
• Regularly evaluate all canvass staff and carry out staffing decisions such as terminations when necessary.
• Recruit all new staff needed to meet campaign needs on schedule, with an emphasis on quality of new hires. 
• Adjust the scope and capacity of the canvass to grow and/or change to meet the changing and growing demands of the organization as a whole. 
• Ensures supporters who reach out to WF are (a) responded to effectively and in a timely manner, (b) provided with concrete volunteer opportunities, and (c) organized into our ladder of engagement.
• Grow and build our membership & activist base through in person events, text/call programs, digital organizing and attending events in region
• Develop and invest in knowledge and analysis of the political and community landscape in assigned regions of the state.
• Lead and recruit in person canvasses, virtual phone and text banks events 
• Work with State Director, staff, and allies to develop field plans 
• Represent the organization to clients and campaign partners to ensure our work and the perception of our work is the best it can be. 

• At least one cycle of organizing or relevant experience working in communities of color.
• Minimum four years of in-person electoral/campaign or neighborhood-based organizing experience 
• Experience working with diverse groups of volunteers and supporters across all demographics and backgrounds--especially race, gender and class.
• Ability to work varied hours including nights, weekends and occasional holidays.
• Proven organizing ability, including effectiveness in engaging potential activists and supporters
• Excellent written and verbal communications skills
• Critical thinking and problem solving skills
• Attention to detail and the ability to manage the technical aspects of a project such as logistics, paperwork, deadlines, etc.
• Strong command of Microsoft Excel or other spreadsheet software
• Ability to communicate compellingly about WFP’s work and inspire others to action, whether one-on-one or in a large group
• A passion and commitment to social, economic, and racial justice
• Ability to work independently, including strong follow-through and self-direction on assignments

• Familiarity working with VAN or other voter file data
• Experience with organizing and tools used for phone banking including predictive dialers, broadcast SMS messaging, social media and email/action pages - particularly: Scale to Win, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Action Network. 
• Experience and comfort using Mobilize for tracking volunteer activity. 

• Compensation: This is a temporary, part-time job with an hourly range of $26.44- $31.25/ hour.
• Location: The position is in Cleveland, Ohio. This is an in-person role that will require being in the Cleveland area on a daily basis during work days.  
• Schedule: Temporary, part-time.
• Union Affiliation: WFP is a unionized workplace. This is a managerial role, not included in our bargaining unit. WFP's union employees are represented by the New York Metropolitan Area Joint Board, Workers United union.

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Working Families is an equal opportunity employer with a commitment to economic and social justice. Women, people of color, LGBTQ people, people with disabilities, and members of other historically disenfranchised populations are strongly encouraged to apply. Any applicant who requires an accommodation in order to apply for or perform the essential functions of the job should contact us at jobs@workingfamilies.org with the subject line "Application Accommodation" to request such an accommodation.