The Opportunity

Down Home North Carolina (DHNC) seeks a full-time Regional Organizer based in Watauga County to build power through community outreach, relationship building, and leadership development. The Regional Organizer will be responsible for recruiting, developing, training, and supporting members to take leadership and to build a county-wide, member-led chapter of Down Home North Carolina.

The ideal candidate is a people person who is highly motivated to win changes for working-class people. They have the ability to draw on significant past experience as either a professional organizer or a dedicated grassroots leader. They are goal-oriented with a high degree of personal organization, and enjoy making and executing detailed plans. They have an organizer mindset, a willingness to learn, strong interpersonal skills, are a team player, are able to work independently, and are mission aligned.

About Down Home North Carolina

Down Home North Carolina is a growing statewide organization of rural and small town communities that advocate for economic, gender, and racial justice. We move North Carolina toward the values of dignity, safety, and inclusion through leadership development, strategic campaigning, multiracial movement building, and civic engagement that advances positive, life-changing reforms for rural communities.

Founded in 2017, Down Home has built a strong organizational track record, including:

• Helping to elect the first Latinx state legislator in NC history
• Winning local campaigns to raise the minimum wage for city workers (Waynesville) and oppose the expansion of local jails
• Growing a statewide membership base that includes all 100 counties of North Carolina
• Establishing member-led chapters across 8 counties, stretching from mountains to sea
• Anchoring the first southern, rural deep canvass and race-class narrative tests
• Driving statewide coalitions to fight for a just COVID-19 recovery and for Medicaid expansion

The Role

There are three levels of assignments within the Regional Organizer role, each with an increased level of responsibility and compensation (Organizer in Training, Organizer I and Organizer II).  Depending on their proficiency level, organizers may be hired and/or promoted into different assignments. People hired into the Organizing in Training assignment have 1  year to reach Organizer I proficiency and 2 years to grow from Organizer 1 to Organizer II proficiency. At the Organizer II level, organizers are expected to provide regional support to multiple chapters in their region.

Buckets of responsibility: 

1. Build a rural, multiracial, working-class base of members and supporters.

   • Build trusting relationships and conduct one-to-ones with community members and leaders 

   • Recruit a diverse team of new members and volunteers into Down Home North Carolina, employing various outreach tactics, including door to door, site and phone canvassing

   • Successfully invite and support members into organizing activities like meeting facilitation, door knocking, and member recruitment

   • Apply the principles of leadership development to grow member ownership, responsibility, and confidence over time

   • Prepare and lead trainings (alone or with members) that draws out wisdom of membership and applies it to deepen learning

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2. Develop and support Down Home’s member working groups and campaigns.

   • Lead local programing in alignment with statewide goals; adjusting programs as needed on the local level 

   • Ensure that key basebuilding metrics for outreach, recruitment, and leadership development are met.

   • Maintain essential databases and other tracking systems

   • Recruit, train, and support a team of local community members to identify, develop, and execute strategic issue campaign strategy

3. Represent and embody Down Home’s mission and values.

• • Represent Down Home with coalition partners as a media spokesperson and with other key stakeholders 

  • Play a part in our diverse, dynamic, and inclusive team of organizers and fellow Down Home staff; contribute positively to the culture of the organization

  • Be dedicated to building power with the multiracial working class of rural North Carolina

  • Model Racial, Equity, and Inclusion (REI) competencies; bring equity and inclusion lenses to all aspects of work

Personal or professional experience living in rural communities, living in the South, rural organizing, and/or organizing in the South are a plus but not required. Familiarity and local experience with assigned county(es) and surrounding areas is preferred but not required.

Some irregular hours are required, including nights and weekends. Work location is Watauga County, but may expand to other areas in the region over time. Please note that the majority of work will be in person. Applicants must be able and willing to travel regularly for work.

Compensation

Compensation for this full-time staff position is determined by the candidate’s level proficiency and  responsibility and ranges between $59,785 to $70,655 annually, includes best-in-class health and we also offer a relocation stipend. This job is union eligible. 

How to Apply

Down Home NC is committed to creating a dynamic, multicultural, diverse working environment. Candidates of color and diverse backgrounds are encouraged to apply. Down Home NC is an equal opportunity employer

Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis. If this job description is posted on Down Home’s website (www.downhomenc.org), we are still accepting applications.

Please send a resume and a short cover letter that includes your experience to: [email protected]