Field Organizer

Job Title: SW Washington Field Organizer

Department: Washington State Chapter

Location: Home office in Clark, Lewis, Pacific, Cowlitz or Skamania counties.

This position requires the ability to travel.

Reports To: Chapter Director

Context: At the Sierra Club, we believe in the power of interdependence. Together, we remain committed to the fight for a healthy climate built on a foundation of environmental, racial, economic, and gender justice – a future where all people benefit from a healthy, thriving planet and a direct connection to nature. As the climate crisis and deeply entrenched systemic racism all fuel injustice, we will continue to fight for a bold, transformational agenda that recognizes the interconnectedness between our planet, our humanity, and our future. By recognizing that our destinies are tied, we continue to name that all things are fundamentally connected, and the overlap between ecology, race, gender, and representative government will move to either advance our collective humanity or to oppress it. Sierra Club has close to 800 staff across the country and a network of 64 local chapters that are led and fueled by thousands of volunteers. We are also proud to be a unionized employer, with three labor unions representing more than half of our employees.

Sierra Club’s Washington State Chapter consists of more than 70,000 members and supporters statewide who have been working together to explore, enjoy, and protect the planet since the 1920s. With a team of four full-time staff and more than 100 volunteers in leadership roles, our chapter has both the close-knit feel of a small grassroots local organization and the power of being connected to and supported by Sierra Club staff, volunteers, and resources from every region of the country. Our volunteer-driven campaigns focus on forests, water, and public lands protection, support of the Columbia/Snake River salmon recovery priorities, clean transportation for all, and moving Washington toward a just transition to 100% renewable energy.

This position works in close collaboration with our partner organization, Save Our Wild Salmon (SOS). SOS is a coalition of over 50 Northwest and national conservation organizations, recreational and commercial fishing associations, businesses, clean energy, orca and river advocates. Its mission is to protect and restore abundant, self-sustaining populations of salmon and steelhead to the Columbia-Snake River Basin for the benefit of freshwater and marine ecosystems, and Northwest communities and ways of life. SOS achieves its mission by advocating for the needs of native fish and their waters, and by educating, inspiring, and mobilizing our supporters and the public to act on behalf of salmon and their rivers. 

Scope: The SW Washington Field Organizer is responsible for building the grassroots power in southwest Washington to accomplish Sierra Club and SOS priorities. This position will focus primarily on advocacy and organizing to protect and restore abundant, self-sustaining populations of salmon and steelhead to the Columbia-Snake River Basin as well as broader protection for public lands in southwest Washington. The Field Organizer will play a critical role building, educating, and working with powerful teams of volunteers in Clark, Lewis, Pacific, Cowlitz and Skamania counties that can influence strategic decisions at the local, state and federal level. Partnership with Sierra Club’s local group in the region, the Loo Wit Group, is an essential part of this role.

• Organizing Implementation: Develops and carries out individual organizing plans in order to build power that lead to systemic change. This includes organizing tactics, developing engagement strategies, facilitating organizing meetings, volunteer integration, and developing and leveraging partnerships. Evaluates progress and measures of effectiveness through data collection and collectively-established metrics. Builds organizing power that is capable of influencing key decision makers. 
• Collaboration. Builds mutually supportive and accountable relationships with staff and volunteers to carry out Sierra Club and SOS priorities. Builds tight connections with key allies. Communicates clear expectations and capacity. Prioritizes relationships with volunteer leaders and collaborates with other entities and allies.
• Volunteer Development and Management. Creates a comprehensive volunteer development plan to support volunteers from onboarding to leadership through training, coaching, and mentorship. Coordinates with Chapter and SOS staff and key allies to support volunteer leadership development and organizing metrics using VAN, Salesforce, and Salsa. Identifies and develops new and existing volunteers as they assume new leadership roles and build grassroots power and outreach into communities. Supports and trains volunteers on organizing skills and developing issue expertise. Supports volunteers in preparing for engaging with key partners, coalitions, and elected and appointed decision makers.
• Strategic Local Representation. In coordination with Sierra Club and SOS staff, volunteers and key allied organizations, creates strategic communication and grassroots engagement strategies and metrics. Represents Sierra Club and SOS priorities to public officials, partner organizations, and to the media. Maintains positive relationships with strategic partners, coalitions, members of the media, grassroots leaders, elected officials, and government officials when strategic. As needed, serves as Sierra Club’s or SOS’s spokesperson to media outlets and promotes volunteer and partner organization media exposure. 
• Mobilization and Event Planning. Coordinates with coalition partners and outside interest groups to plan volunteer activities supporting key priorities. Leads the development, scheduling, and implementation of community presentations, volunteer leader trainings, and workshops in Southwest Washington. Attends relevant Sierra Club and SOS internal and external meetings to plan and coordinate events for members and supporters to take action on priority campaigns as well as outings to explore public lands and win hearts and minds towards our conservation goals.
• Engages with allied organizations to create coordinated work on key issues and cross-cutting teams.

• Seasonal Activities: Heavier seasonal workloads may occur as a result of project deadlines, staff absences and vacancies, and during peak activity periods. Frequent weekend and/or evening work required.

• Organizing Experience: Experience as a field organizer and/or leading community organizing campaigns. Prior experience and/or demonstrated ability in training, motivating, and coaching volunteers. Experience designing and implementing tactics as part of a larger organizing strategy.
• Political Savvy: Understands the relationship between organizing power and the ability to influence decision makers. 
• Effective Communication: Highly developed verbal, written and digital communication skills, with a focus on communicating effectively across different groups, internally and externally. Reliable communicator that regularly follows up with volunteer leaders. Ability to convey priorities while speaking to groups of volunteers, partners, public officials, and the media.
• Data Practices: Experience using quantitative data (for example, numbers of people engaged) and qualitative data (for instance, stories about people taking action) to inform and evaluate organizing work.
• Team Building: Demonstrated leadership experience working within a team structure. Ability to build vision, trust, and mutual accountability with team members. Experience working closely with volunteers as colleagues.
• Committed to Prioritization & Meeting Deadlines. You are committed to creating workplans that tie tasks to outcomes. You have a track record of adhering to deadlines and staying accountable to long-term plans.
• Uplifting and additive. You see mistakes as opportunities for growth; problems as catalysts for solutions, and inspire others along the journey. You carry a constructive approach, can-do attitude, a sense of humor, and authentic kindness wherever you go.
• Tech Tools: Experience using a variety of online/virtual tools such as Zoom, G-Suite, peer-to-peer texting, and email marketing as well as ability to learn new technology tools to support organizing and campaign goals.

• Knowledge of Washington environmental issues and the related political, policy, and regulatory landscape, and either expertise or an ability to develop expertise in public lands and salmon recovery.
• Project management and facilitation skills.
• The ability to create rapport and inspire trust. Open to feedback and the ability to learn new skills.

To Apply

The Sierra Club provides equal employment and advancement opportunities to all staff members. Employment decisions are based on merit, qualifications, lived experience and skills. The Sierra Club does not discriminate in employment opportunities or practices on the basis of race, color, creed, religion, national origin, immigration status, socioeconomic status, ancestry, age, size, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, familial status, veteran status, disability, AIDS/HIV status, medical condition, prior conviction, arrest history, traits historically associated with race, including, but not limited to, hair texture and protective hairstyles, or any other characteristic protected by law.

The Sierra Club values applicants who are people that identify as Black, Indigenous, and other minority groups; women; queer, transgender, gender non-conforming, and gender fluid people.

Explore, enjoy and protect the planet.