Job Description:
Forward Montana (FMT) and Forward Montana Foundation (FMF) are dedicated to engaging and mobilizing young Montanans to help shape their democracy and to improve their lives and the lives of fellow Montanans. We put young people on the front lines of civic engagement statewide, basing our efforts out of our three offices in Missoula, Bozeman, and Billings.
FMT is seeking a Lead Organizer in Missoula, MT. The Lead Organizer will be responsible for leading a team of interns and volunteers in collecting voter registration, conducting issue advocacy, developing and facilitating community partnerships, and implementing our voter engagement programs in the greater Missoula area.
The Lead Organizer will work closely under the supervision of the Missoula Field Manager to set and track goals in their community in accordance with Forward Montana’s statewide strategy. This position is currently remote due to public health guidelines in regards to COVID-19, but applicants must be based out of Missoula in the instance in-person work resumes.
Applicants should take initiative, be self-reliant, and have a passion for making real, tangible change in their communities. The Lead Organizer will split time between both political and civic projects that fit within the statewide strategy of FMT.
Responsibilities:
- Program Implementation: Responsible for meeting program goals for voter registration, voter education, and issue advocacy set in coordination with the Field Manager through digital outreach over social media, phone, and text. Responsible for canvassing, street teaming, tabling, and class raps on local campuses and in their community, when/if in person contact resumes. Will implement the field program including but not limited to recruiting, training, and managing interns and volunteers, teaching and coordinating weekly intern classes on community organizing, and keeping organized field schedules of interns and volunteers.
Should be metric driven and comfortable conducting field shifts (when/if they are resumed) for 6 to 8 hours at a time. Identify creative locations (digital and physical) to gather and promote voter registration and issue advocacy that reaches our target constituency – Montanans ages 18-34.
- Relationship Building: Must be invested in building the power and capacity of both young Montanans and FMT; Responsible for developing and/or deepening relationships with campus administrators, educators, student leaders, as well as a variety of community leaders and members; Responsible for representing FMT’s brand to long time supporters and increasing visibility of the organization to bring new folks into the work; should be comfortable talking to a variety of stakeholders and planning and hosting small civic engagement events (in person and digitally) such as election watch parties and progressive happy hours.
- Admin & Management: Responsible for organizing, conducting quality control, and turning in all voter registration forms to the appropriate county offices; Must be organized and trustworthy.
Qualifications:
Gotta-Have Skill Sets: Must be present for a candidate to move forward in the hiring process.
- Passion for grassroots organizing and building youth power, both online and in the field
- Ability to independently manage and complete multiple tasks and projects accurately and by the deadline
- Ability to communicate effectively with a variety of stakeholders, including peers, community partners, volunteers, donors, and elected officials; Must be able to effectively communicate and work with a remote supervisor while work-from-home policy is in place
- Demonstrated perseverance and creativity to hit metric goals
Nice-to-Have Skill Sets: Not required, but having these skills would make a candidate’s transition into the job more seamless for the individual and the organization.
- Experience, either professional or voluntary, with field work
- Experience in planning successful events and meetings
- Demonstrated ability for proactive thinking and a comfort with frequent change and urgency
- Familiarity with your community’s campus & relationships with student groups and organizations as well as community organizations
- Comfortable public speaking
Strong Applicants will be:
- Enthusiastic
- A Team Player
- Badass
- Self Motivated
- Funny (broadly defined)
- Quirky
- Cool (broadly defined)
- Focused
- Flexible
Working Conditions:
- Working from home and shared office with the regional field team when/if applicable
- Comfortable conducting field work, including voter registration, canvassing, and street teaming, for up to 6 hours at a time, often in a stationary position, in all weather conditions pending safety.
- Will have to work some nights and weekends
- Some travel within Missoula County may be required
Logistics:
- Compensation: This is a full-time position (40 hours / week) at $15-17 / hr. This position is eligible for overtime.
- Benefits: FMT offers a competitive benefits package including health insurance, IRA match, and generous paid time off, including paid family and medical leave
- Contract length: July 20th – November 10th
- Location: Missoula
Women, people of color, individuals with disabilities, and LGBTQ individuals are strongly encouraged to apply.
To apply: please submit a resume and cover letter to: Erin Miller, Missoula Field Manager: erin@forwardmontana.org