Field Director

Description

Position: Field Director

Department: Field

Terms of Employment: Regular Full-Time / Exempt (NYCLU staff is currently working in a hybrid model. A number of in-person days will be required)

Career Path: Executive Pay Scale

Location: 55 Broadway, New York, NY 10006 / Statewide

Salary: $135,000 - $165,000

Application Deadline: Applications will be reviewed upon receipt starting August 20, 2024, and will be considered until hiring is complete.

The New York Civil Liberties Union (NYCLU) is one of the nation's leading advocates on behalf of constitutional rights and liberties. Founded in 1951, as the New York affiliate of the American Civil Liberties Union, the NYCLU is a not-for-profit, nonpartisan organization with more than 180,000 members and supporters, and seven offices statewide. We work in the courts, in the legislatures and on the streets to advocate for racial and economic justice, free speech, freedom of religion, privacy and equality before the law for all New Yorkers. For more information, please visit our website: www.nyclu.org.

DEI VISION STATEMENT

The NYCLU affirmatively values the humanity and contributions of those we work with, inside and outside of the organization; and will take action to build and sustain an equitable, anti-racist culture that centers the voices and experiences of marginalized and directly impacted people and communities, and an organizational environment where all people feel valued, trusted, and respected. We are committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion, and having a workforce that reflects the population that we serve and actively recruit people of color, women, people with disabilities, formerly incarcerated people, and LGBTQ and gender non-conforming people.

Summary Description

The NYCLU seeks a dynamic leader to develop and execute our statewide and regional field organizing and advocacy strategies. The Field Director is a member of the NYCLU’s senior leadership team and is tasked with supervising a statewide team of organizers and advocates to advance the NYCLU’s mission across New York State. The Field Director oversees the NYCLU’s work to organize and mobilize a base of volunteers and members who understand and advocate for civil rights and liberties issues on behalf of the NYCLU across 8 regions in the state.

Organizing at the NYCLU is unique. Our field organizers and advocates serve in an emerging space between traditional organizing and policy advocacy. They seek to develop, train, and deploy a NYCLU volunteer base that has a localized and nuanced understanding of how civil rights and liberties issues manifest in their communities. The right person for this position will have a deep understanding of and commitment to the principles of the Bill of Rights and the Constitution, and a vision and instinct for organizing that centers civil rights and liberties principles. The ideal candidate will also have experience leading a large team of organizers and advocates, an ability to direct and manage staff who work with advocates across departments (legal, policy, and communications) to forward interdisciplinary campaigns, and familiarity with the political landscapes of Albany, New York City, and New York State.

Roles & Responsibilities

Leadership of the Field Department

• Develop and execute the vision and strategy for our field organizing program around a diverse array of civil rights and liberties issues including reproductive justice, LGBTQ+ rights, police and criminal justice reform, immigration, voting rights, privacy and technology, free speech, education, and racial justice, among others.
• Shape the statewide network of NYCLU members and volunteers into an effective advocacy force, supported by an infrastructure that promotes growth and retention (including communicating with our volunteer network, managing volunteer data, and making use of digital platforms and tools).
• Supervise and manage a diverse, statewide team of more than a dozen full-time staff. This includes supervising field organizers, regional directors, mid-level managers, and occasionally contract personnel. The NYCLU has staff located in New York City, Albany, Buffalo, Syracuse, Rochester, Kingston, Nassau, and Suffolk.
• Oversee and support the development and success of our regional offices by supporting interdepartmental relationships, providing input and guidance on local campaign strategy in our regions, and incorporating regional offices into statewide strategies. The Field Director must be committed to creating an environment where a complex team can succeed and excel.
• Strengthen relationships with mission-critical organizations and networks.
• Oversee and manage the operational and budgetary needs of the department, including regional offices.
• Ensuring professional development, appropriate management and feedback, and positive morale for a large department.
  
  
  

Interdepartmental Leadership

• Lead the planning and implementation of the field organizing components of the NYCLU’s strategic plan.
• Develop/execute the field components of high priority legislative and advocacy campaigns in close collaboration with the Policy Director, Education Policy Center Director, Racial Justice Center Director, and other organizational leadership.
• Develop/execute the field components of litigation or other advocacy campaigns that involve the legal strategies, in close collaboration with the Legal Director.
• Contribute to the development of communications strategies that leverage traditional and digital media to advance our policy and advocacy goals, in collaboration with the Communications Director and other organizational leadership.
• Develop and uphold inter-departmental process and protocols for shared campaign work.
• Oversee organizing and mobilization efforts for major events or days of celebration/remembrance such as PRIDE and Juneteenth.
• Develop and manage the NYCLU’s program of Know Your Rights workshops and other trainings in collaboration with the Communications Department and other interdepartmental experts.
  
  
  

Organizational Leadership

• Participate as a key member of the NYCLU’s Senior Leadership Team, including by offering counsel, information, and expertise on regional political and advocacy landscapes for civil liberties and rights issues, and field organizing approaches to addressing those issues.
• Serving as a thought partner and support to the Executive Director and Executive and Senior Leadership Teams on vision and direction for the organization, and in particular regarding our relationships with key decision-makers and organizations throughout New York State.
• Serve as a key NYCLU spokesperson on campaigns and issues.
• Participate in organizational decision-making regarding both internal and external issues.
• Promote diversity, equity, and inclusion in the hiring and management of staff, in interactions with colleagues, and in external relationships, in accordance with NYCLU commitments.
• Advise and inform the NYCLU Board of Directors about our regional and field organizing work, at the request of the Executive Director.
  
  
  

Qualifications

• A minimum of 10 years of experience in advocacy, grass tops organizing, and mobilizing including substantial experience leading campaigns at the state level.
• A minimum of 3 years in a substantial management role and a demonstrated aptitude for recruiting, retaining, and supervising talented people.
• Strong analytical ability, intellectual curiosity, and critical thinking skills.
• Understanding of the role of field organizing in the context of interdisciplinary campaigns (involving policy advocacy and litigation strategies).
• Understanding of and commitment to the nonpartisan mission and goals of the NYCLU and ACLU.
• Exceptional communications skills and a collaborative personality.
• A commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion.
• CRM experience (i.e., NPG VAN, Salesforce, etc.) and familiarity with digital organizing tools including e-mail, call, and text tools.
• Availability & willingness to travel within the state, as necessary, and participate in occasional evening and weekend meetings.
  
  
  

IDEAL CANDIDATE WILL ALSO POSSESS

• A love for the challenges and rewards of managing a large team.
• Experience leading a department with 10+ staff members.
• Experience working with organizational membership, volunteers, directly impacted communities, and/or community organizers.
• Existing relationships with key external constituencies and/or policy makers from diverse backgrounds and ideological positions.
• Familiarity with the political landscapes of Albany and New York City.
• Familiarity with the cultural and/or political landscapes of NYS regions outside of the NYC Metro area.
• Experience working with remote colleagues and managing staff in the office, in the field, and remotely.
• Familiarity with media strategy, including social media.
• A great sense of humor, a collaborative disposition, patience, and flexibility.
  
  
  

How To Apply

Please submit your cover letter and resume that includes your unique qualifications for this position, where or how you learned of this job posting, and your salary requirements via https://recruiting.paylocity.com/recruiting/jobs/Details/2634796/New-York-Civil-Liberties-Union-Foundation/Field-Director If feasible, please submit these materials as a single PDF.

The NYCLU is an equal opportunity employer and encourages applications from all qualified individuals regardless of race, sex, gender identity or expression, age, disability, religion, national origin, citizenship, marital status, sexual orientation, veteran status, record of arrest or conviction or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. We are committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion, and having a workforce that reflects the communities that we serve.

The NYCLU is committed to providing reasonable accommodation to individuals with disabilities. If you are a qualified individual with a disability and need assistance applying online, please e-mail ldecicco@nyclu.org. If you are selected for an interview, you will receive additional information regarding how to request an accommodation for the interview process.