Lead Organizer, RAC-CA

Location: Remote based in California (In-person meetings, as needed)

Organization: Union for Reform Judaism

Employment Type: Full Time, Benefits Eligible, Exempt, MNGT

Department: Acting Together for Justice, Religious Action Center

Reporting to: Director of Organizing

Start Date: As soon as possible

Salary Range: $75,000 - $80,000 plus competitive benefits package

Level/Salary Grade: People Manager (Intermediate) / C

The Role

The Union for Reform Judaism (URJ) is seeking a passionate and strategic Lead Organizer for RAC-CA, which is one of nine state-based organizing projects nationwide. Based in California, RAC-CA mobilizes and organizes individuals and communities in strategic issue advocacy, voter engagement, and other national social justice initiatives of the URJ. Using a relationship driven model, RAC-CA mobilizes both volunteer and clergy leaders from congregations across the state. The Lead Organizer will play a critical role in expanding participation among clergy, individuals of all ages and backgrounds—including but not limited to teens, People of Color, LGBTQ+ individuals, people with disabilities, and other underrepresented communities—and will foster multi-faith and multi-racial coalitions. This is an exciting opportunity to play a pivotal role in advancing democracy and social justice by driving grassroots organizing, leadership development, and community empowerment.

What You Will Do

The RAC-CA Lead Organizer reports to the Director of Organizing and is responsible for the following:

Lead strategic issue advocacy campaigns in California. Identify, develop, and implement advocacy campaigns at the state level, in collaboration with the volunteer leadership of RAC-CA. Develop a “power analysis” of California state policymaking and train leaders in that analysis. Explore opportunities for collaboration on campaigns across several states and/or nationally.
Expand and mobilize the RAC-CA base. Expand the network by recruiting new clergy and participants from a wide range of ages and backgrounds (teens, People of Color, LGBTQ+ identifying individuals, people with disabilities, and other underrepresented identities), deepening their engagement and fostering long-term involvement. Invest in one-on-one relationship building to recruit and develop new leaders with a focus on using the “Snowflake Leadership Model” (leaders are trained and empowered to expand and mobilize the base).
Engage the RAC-CA base in URJ’s national campaigns and other initiatives. Promote participation in the URJ’s voter engagement campaigns. Identify opportunities for collaboration with other URJ teams. Ensure RAC-CA’s issue advocacy is aligned with the broader goals of the URJ.
Supervise and support another state organizer. Provide day-to-day support, mentorship, and consistent feedback. Ensure alignment with national priorities, effective coordination, collaboration, and professional growth.

Who You Are & Keys to Success (the must-haves):

To be successful in this job, you excel in the following areas:

A sense of justice and imagination about systemic change. You have a passion for protecting and strengthening democracy and your values are aligned with the Reform Movement, and a commitment to creating an inclusive, equitable society that reflects Jewish values of justice, fairness, and belonging. You see injustices in our society and have the desire to rectify them to achieve systemic change.
A track-record of growing volunteer-driven initiatives. You have had past success in recruiting new participants or grassroots organizing. You can inspire and communicate effectively with a diverse range of individuals, from teens to adults, to engage in justice campaigns.
Success in developing and executing issue-based campaigns. You have experience developing advocacy campaigns with clear asks, ways participants can play meaningful roles, and analysis of which decision-makers can implement change.
Strong self-management and personal accountability. You have strong organizational and project management skills, with the ability to juggle multiple priorities, manage timelines, and drive results. You can establish individual goals aligned with organizational objectives. You can articulate your needs and challenges by fostering a transparent and collaborative environment. You are committed to maintaining respectful communication and providing timely responses to colleagues and stakeholders. You take initiative to be informed and most effective in your role.
A collaborative mindset. You work effectively across teams and with diverse stakeholders to achieve shared goals, ensuring clarity in roles and responsibilities. You are proficient in scoping projects and using frameworks to define purpose, outcomes, and accountability, and are able to manage time and resources to meet commitments on schedule and within budget while addressing challenges respectfully. You are willing to learn about the broader organizational context and strengthen collaborative initiatives, to connect people and ideas to identify and implement opportunities for enhancement across teams, and to seek diverse perspectives in order to develop comprehensive solutions and foster a culture of inclusion.
Commitment to Racial Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (REDI). You have experience creating, equitable, diverse, and inclusive environments that foster a sense of belonging, proficiency in seeking and incorporating diverse viewpoints in decision-making processes to promote innovation, ability to prioritize efforts to engage multi-racial and marginalized communities effectively, willingness to apply a REDI framework in planning and budgeting processes to support fair initiatives, and skill in implementing and upholding shared agreements that advance Racial Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion.
Strong people management. You are able to manage employees to align with overall goals and mission, provide clear and actionable guidance to ensure team members understand their roles and responsibilities, actively engage employees in planning and decision-making processes that affect their work, deliver regular feedback and conduct consistent check-ins to support employee development, and focus on skill development and growth opportunities for team members.

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS

Qualified candidates will have a background in community organizing and/or strategic issue advocacy, strong relationship-building skills, commitment to social justice, and investment in the Reform Jewish Movement.
Preferred candidates will also have background in the California legislative or policy-making landscape.

About Us

Every team member at the Union for Reform Judaism (URJ) plays an essential role in our mission to create a whole, just, and compassionate world. Our team is creative, thoughtful, and innovative. Each member of the team is empowered to make meaningful contributions to achieving our shared goals. Our diverse team is made up of individuals with different skills and backgrounds and every team member is willing to take risks as well as take action to develop and create big ideas for the future of the Reform Movement. While this position focuses on a particular area of work, every team member is a vital part of our overall success.

The Union for Reform Judaism (URJ) provides vision and voice to build strong communities that, together, transform the way people connect to Judaism and change the world. We acknowledge that due to racism, ableism, homophobia, and other forms of oppression, that our communities are not whole until everyone experiences a sense of belonging within the Jewish community. As the largest Jewish movement in North America, we stand for a Judaism that is inclusive and reflective of a wide range of identities and accept the responsibility of dismantling oppression both inside and outside of our communities. Through camping, youth experiences, programs, information sharing, and networking opportunities, our over 850 congregations and 14 residential camps create opportunities for our communities to enhance their capacity to build and expand community, engage in meaningful and authentic Jewish life, deepen Jewish learning, energize worship, pursue social justice and develop inspired leadership. Together, our employees and stakeholders, are creating Reform Judaism of today.

Application Process

Apply online and include a one-page cover letter along with your resume, outlining your skills and experience and how you meet the essential functions and qualifications of the position. We look forward to hearing from you!

The URJ strives to be a welcoming and inclusive environment that acknowledges diversity as a critical strength. We promote strenuous policies and practices of equal opportunity and diversity, equity, and inclusion. It is our objective to recruit, hire, and retain the most qualified individuals including those of any race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation or identity, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or any other characteristic or status protected by applicable federal, state, or local law. Our equal employment philosophy applies to all aspects of employment, including recruitment, compensation, benefits, training, promotions, transfers, job benefits, and terminations. The URJ encourages applications from women, people of color, persons with disabilities, individuals who identify as LGBTQIA+, and other often underrepresented groups.

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Lead Organizer, RAC-CA

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