NCLR is seeking a Health Field and Campaign Organizer for its Health Policy Project to advance its health policy priorities. With a heavy focus on the emerging health care reform debate, this individual will work jointly with the Health Policy Project and National Campaigns teams to mobilize NCLR Affiliates and community partners in support of federal policy priorities. The Field and Campaign Organizer will also implement a strategy to raise the overall visibility of the health policy and programmatic work undertaken by Affiliates, which will incorporate press events, town halls, workshops, and practitioner roundtables. The individual will work closely with a team of analysts to promote NCLR’s policy and research activities to external stakeholders and create user-friendly materials and tools for organizations wishing to advocate on behalf of the Latino community. The Field and Campaign Organizer will also be expected to represent NCLR in its commitments to health reform campaigns as s/he conducts advocacy, media outreach, and field organizing.

The National Council of La Raza (NCLR)—the largest national Hispanic civil rights and advocacy organization in the United States—works to improve opportunities for Hispanic Americans. Through its network of nearly 300 affiliated community-based organizations (CBOs), NCLR reaches millions of Hispanics each year in 41 states, Puerto Rico, and the District of Columbia. To achieve its mission, NCLR conducts applied research, policy analysis, and advocacy, providing a Latino perspective in five key areas—assets/investments, civil rights/immigration, education, employment and economic status, and health. In addition, it provides capacity-building assistance to its Affiliates who work at the state and local level to advance opportunities for individuals and families.

Founded in 1968, NCLR is a private, nonprofit, nonpartisan, tax-exempt organization headquartered in Washington, DC. NCLR serves all Hispanic subgroups in all regions of the country and has operations in Atlanta, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, Phoenix, Sacramento, San Antonio, and San Juan, Puerto Rico. For more information, please visit www.nclr.org.

This position is housed in the Office of Research, Advocacy, and Legislation (ORAL). The Field and Campaign Organizer will principally report to the Associate Director of the Health Policy Project but will also dedicate half of his/her time to advancing NCLR’s National Campaigns projects. Secondary supervision will be carried out by senior staff and the Director of National Campaigns. The Field and Campaign Organizer will also be expected to work collaboratively across components, particularly with NCLR’s Institute for Hispanic Health.

Salary: Commensurate with experience

Location: Washington, DC

Duties and Responsibilities

• Implement health field strategy throughout the country to enhance the position of NCLR’s policy priorities in health.
• In collaboration with National Campaigns staff, survey the national landscape and keep informed about when and where to influence policy. Elements include mapping field capacity and allies, developing legislative targeting, and monitoring the issue environment.
• In collaboration with National Campaigns staff, provide technical assistance (in local organizing, coalition-building, advocacy, civic engagement, and media outreach) and resources to Affiliates and other community-based organizations to conduct advocacy activities in their communities.
• Support collaborative projects between the Health Policy Project and NCLR subsidiary Democracia USA, providing substantive input on field activities and campaign development.
• Work with Health Policy Project staff to plan and organize meetings, trainings, special events, and mailings.
• Develop materials (tool kits, fact sheets, position statements, etc.) in support of field and campaign efforts.
• Serve as the administrative point of contact for the health policy team and external networks; coordinate dissemination of information to appropriate groups through various means, including email, action alerts, listservs, databases, fax, and telephone.
• Raise the profile of community-based policy solutions by conducting events and activities that elevate the work of Affiliates in their communities.
• Develop systems to facilitate effective, ongoing, and repeated contact with members of the NCLR Affiliate Network concerning advocacy activities.
• Help maintain and update advocacy web pages.
• Perform other support duties as appropriate.

Qualifications

Only candidates whose résumé and cover letter demonstrate the following qualifications will be considered for an interview:

• Bachelor’s degree and one to two years of work experience in advocacy or outreach activities, or with community-based/grassroots organizations
• Experience in community organizing strongly preferred
• Working knowledge of health issues affecting Latinos and immigrants
• Strong organizational and administrative skills, including the ability to establish and maintain databases, files, systems, and procedures
• Strong public speaking skills
• Flexible with regard to schedule, working hours, travel, and work assignments, including ability to work overtime or on weekends when necessary
• Reliable job attendance essential
• Ability to develop work plans, set deadlines, work well with minimal supervision, and have the ability to manage multiple tasks and prioritize among assignments
• Experience in event planning, a plus.
• Familiarity with federal legislative process, a plus
• In-depth understanding of online technology and other computer applications such as Word, Excel, and other Microsoft Office programs
• Excellent writing skills and ability to synthesize information from different sources and present it in a variety of written formats and styles for various audiences (e.g., activity and progress reports, manuals, articles, data analyses, and fact sheets)
• Demonstrated commitment to and involvement with the Latino community
• Bilingual in English and Spanish strongly preferred

Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration without regard to race, color, national origin, marital status, religion, gender, age, disability, sexual orientation, personal appearance, family responsibilities, political affiliation, or enrollment in a college, university, technical school, or adult education.