NCLR is seeking a Field Coordinator, National Campaigns in its Washington, DC office. This position will reside in the Office of Research, Advocacy, and Legislation (ORAL) and will implement the organization’s national advocacy efforts. The National Campaigns team works to expand opportunities for Latino engagement in civic life and public policy debates. To that end, the team works to build and expand a network of individuals who can weigh in on issues of interest to Latinos and sister communities, creating tools and opportunities to disseminate information, mobilize, and effect change.

Background

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.

Description

The National Campaigns team leverages existing ORAL expertise in education, health, criminal justice, economic/budget/tax issues, and the intersection of these issues with civil rights and immigration policy to establish and carry out advocacy campaigns.

NCLR offers a collaborative, team-based environment that fosters a culture of ideas and debate. We approach our work from multiple perspectives and methods, understanding both the specific issues and the larger interrelated systems. The National Campaigns Field Coordinator will work closely with other members of the policy team and colleagues with extensive expertise in communications, editing/production, media, fundraising, special events, and marketing.

Salary: Commensurate with experience

Location: Washington, DC

Duties and Responsibilities

Campaign Development and Implementation (60%)

• In consultation with issue-based teams, help develop and implement advocacy goals in specific regions and states throughout the country.
• Survey the landscape and keep informed and knowledgeable about when and where to influence policy. Elements include mapping field capacity and allies, developing legislative targeting, and monitoring issue environment.
• Implement field outreach strategies that respond to the political landscape federally and in targeted states, including visibility, legislative outreach, nontraditional coalition-building, and grasstops outreach.
• Structure campaigns that result in positive program and policy outcomes, raise issue awareness, and promote NCLR’s profile in identified regions.
• Implement innovative outreach strategies to engage key players in specific states working on federal policy.
• Provide technical assistance (in local organizing, coalition-building, advocacy, civic engagement, and media outreach) to Affiliates and/or other community-based organizations in targeted states as necessary to meet campaign goals.
• Maintain constant communication with those Affiliates and/or other community-based organizations that have partnered with specific campaigns.
• Identify and train individuals within the community to be spokespersons for NCLR or for a specific campaign.
• Collaborate with issue-based teams, field offices, and Affiliate Member Services (AMS) to ensure cross-component collaboration and maximize effectiveness.
• Develop materials (tool kits, action alerts, reports, etc.) in support of campaign goals.

Program Administration and Management (40%)

• Manage National Campaign activities and deliverables with state and local partners.
• Help procure and manage necessary shared technology.
• Build and maintain mapping of field capacity and legislative targets.
• Support the component’s efforts to raise funds for campaigns.
• Assist with proposal writing and reporting.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree (Master’s preferred) or 5-7 years experience in field advocacy
• Expertise in working with advocacy or political campaigns
• Expertise in working with Latino and immigrant communities
• Experience working with and developing coalitions
• Strong communication skills and experience working with community-based organizations
• Strong ability to set and meet deadlines, work with minimal supervision, manage multiple projects and duties simultaneously, and prioritize assignments
• Ability to represent NCLR and communicate effectively in various settings (internally and with coalition partners, CBOs, community members, the media, and foundations) on selected issues
• Excellent, well-developed writing skills; ability to synthesize information from different sources and present it in a variety of written formats and styles for various audiences (e.g., funding proposals and reports, campaign materials, training tool kits, fact sheets, etc.)
• Flexibility regarding schedule, working hours, and assignments, including ability to work evenings and weekends when necessary
• Ability to travel extensively
• Bilingual (English/Spanish) ability 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.

Please note: Only those applicants who submit a cover letter and writing sample along with a résumé will be considered for this opportunity.