Pilipino Workers Center

Build the Base Director
Workplace Justice Lab

Remote
(US-based)

 

Position: Build the Base Director
Location: Remote (US-based) | Full-Time | Competitive salary + benefits
Reports to: Executive Director, Workplace Justice Lab

About the Workplace Justice Lab
The Workplace Justice Lab (WJL) takes on economic inequality, and strengthens democracy through transforming government agencies from the inside and growing the bases of worker power organizations on the outside. We are a national network anchored by WJL @ Rutgers University in partnership with WJL @ Northwestern University and WJL @ Pilipino Worker Center.

About Build the Base / Grow the Movement:
Build the Base, Grow the Movement (BTB/GTM) is a groundbreaking training program that works with workers centers, unions, community organizations, immigrant rights groups, and worker justice networks to greatly expand their base of leadership and active members. 

Our distributed organizing approach shifts significant roles from staff to membership to leadership -- enabling organizations to absorb and maintain a dynamic connection with many more members. With volunteer leaders leading turf-based teams (workplace, building, neighborhood, district, etc.) the organization is able to scale up a base that continually grows in agency and collective power.

Build the Base trains organizations to implement a set of practices that fuel organizational growth, that are tailored to organizational needs, are designed from our 16 hours of core training curriculum, paired with intensive follow-up coaching.

Recent projects include: 

• A multi-year project partnering with a large union supporting organizers to build 22 district teams led by 100 member-leaders using distributed leadership to engage thousands of members
• Partnered with a funder to support eight worker centers in the South to design and implement distributed organizing systems to build out their membership structures through monthly day-long trainings with specific exercises and to do’s,followed by six months of coaching
• Developed webinar sharing deportation case study and key strategies to integrate distributed organizing structure into immigration raid response organizing campaigns with 250 participants

About the Role
We are looking for a Director who can help Build the Base expand at this critical juncture in our nation; someone who has deep experience in organizing, training, a track record of building worker and community power through base-building, leadership development, and campaign strategy and project management skills. This position will oversee new partner outreach, curriculum development and delivery, trainer and coach recruitment and coordination, with support from additional staff and consultants.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the strategic growth of Build the Base training and coaching program in coordination with the Executive Director
• Build and maintain organizational partnerships with key economic development groups, working with them to identify their needs and design tailored training, coaching and support programs, ranging from a one-off training to a year-long organizational engagement
• Serve as the lead trainer delivering strategic, tailored training to a growing network of unions, worker centers, community organizing groups and other economic justice organizations, in both virtual and in-person formats
• Refine & co-develop training curriculum in collaboration with other Build the Base trainers 
• Manage and support a growing pool of trainers and coaches to deliver curriculum. Lead onboarding, prep, and debriefs for training staff to ensure program quality
• Support recruitment and coordination of partner organizations into training cohorts
• Manage Build the Base training and coaching partnerships, projects and contracts including project timelines, budgets and administrative logistics in coordination with other staff
• Help strengthen and expand Build the Base fundraising by collaborating on funder meetings, communications, reports, and proposals. Support expansion of fee-for-service contracts and outreach

Qualifications

• At least 6-10+ years experience in a mix of labor/community organizing, training, and leadership development
• Experience with designing and delivering training
• Experience designing and implementing distributed organizing models. Coaching in this model is a plus
• Experience partnering with new organizations to understand their context, assess their needs, and design appropriate trainings and interventions to support their goals
• Strong project management skills and ability to juggle multiple timelines
• Experience managing/coordinating staff, trainers, consultants & teams across regions
• Excellent communication skills—especially facilitation, team-building, and relationship management
• Willingness to travel for training delivery and convenings
• Comfort working across diverse constituencies, particularly working class communities of color; fluency in Spanish preferred
• Knowledge of the labor and economic justice field

Position Details & Benefits

• This is a full-time remote position
• Starting salary range $105,000 to $120,000 based on experience 
• Benefits include generous vacation and sick leave, matched retirement plan, and health/dental insurance
• The position is for one year, with renewal anticipated, based on success of team revenue generation through foundation fundraising & fee-for-service contracts

To Apply
Submit your résumé and cover letter with the subject line “WJL Training Director position” via email to wjl-ru@smlr.rutgers.edu. 

We will be reviewing applications beginning Monday, July 25st and on a rolling basis after that until the position is filled.

WJL is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer. All qualified persons are encouraged to apply, regardless of race, color, creed, ethnicity, national origin, ancestry, age, height, weight, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, HIV status, veteran status, marital or domestic partner status, or religious affiliation 

Build the Base / Grow the Movement https://smlr.rutgers.edu/wjl-build-base