College Organizing Manager – South Region (Milwaukee, Madison, or Whitewater)

Leaders Igniting Transformation; Madison (WI); On-site; USD 45,000 - 55,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

100% employee medical, dental & vision

Cell phone stipend

Mileage reimbursements

Professional development funds

Job summary

Leaders Igniting Transformation (LIT) in Wisconsin seeks a College Organizer to lead campus organizing at UW-Milwaukee, UW-Madison, UW-Whitewater and nearby colleges, overseeing 4–6 part-time Fellows and driving regional strategy.

You will build chapters, recruit members, and develop leadership pipelines while coordinating with senior staff to set expectations, plan outreach events, and advance equity-centered mobilization on campus.

Qualifications

• 1 year of previous full time paid organizing experience.
• Previous experience working with college-aged students.
• The ability to organize and mobilize Black and Brown students into action.
• An understanding of issue and electoral organising.
• An understanding of LIT's mission to build homegrown leadership and promote equity.
• A commitment to learning in a diverse staff environment.

Responsibilities

• Chapter Building and Maintenance: maintain active campus membership and leadership opportunities.
• Member Engagement & Recruitment: lead 1:1 conversations and plan campus outreach events.
• Leadership Development Programs: supervise 4–6 part-time Fellows and trainings.
• Civic & Electoral Engagement: run campus voter outreach and nonpartisan initiatives.
• Issue Campaign Planning & Execution: develop school-based actions and lobbying priorities.

Skills

Strategic mindset

Goal-oriented

Organizational skills

Team leadership

Community outreach

Public speaking

Job description

Leaders Igniting Transformation (LIT) engages in values-based issue relational and electoral organizing, direct action, advocacy for public policy, and leadership development. On campuses, in high schools, and communities of color across Wisconsin, we organize young people to build independent political power for social, racial, and economic justice.

We are organizing a political and cultural bloc of young people to define the future of our communities through public policy and cultural change. We believe progressive grassroots political power is most effectively built with a two-pronged strategy – growing resilience and excellence of youth of color, and engaging youth in a full spectrum of year-round civic engagement.

College Organizer

The College Organizing Manager – South Region will lead LIT's campus organizing efforts at UW-Milwaukee, UW-Madison, UW-Whitewater, and potentially MATC , mobilizing and organizing young people around civic, electoral, and issue-based campaigns. This leadership role will oversee a team of 4–5 part-time College Fellows while driving regional organizing strategy across these campuses.

The College Organizing Manager – South Region will work on the following buckets of work, and potentially more

Chapter Building and Maintenance – 20%

• Maintain active membership weekly or biweekly meetings per campus, with goals to increase membership and leadership opportunities for young people
• Work with or identify faculty or other college staff members to support chapter activities and existence through being an advisor and advocating for youth leadership on campuses

Member Engagement & Recruitment 20%

• Consistently engage in 1:1 organizing conversation with potential chapter members
• Consistently engage in maintenance and escalation 1:1 organizing conversation with current members, advancing their leadership and growth
• Work with the Executive Directors, the College Organizing Manager – North Region, and other department leads to set expectations and goals for membership growth per campus
• Consistently plan campus-specific outreach events including but limited to classroom raps, tabling, outdoor events, poetry slams, art installations, and mutual aid events
• Work in building strong community and youth organizational coalitions
• Work in building strong relationships with elected officials: school board members, local officials, statewide officials
• Working in building strong relationships within UW System and other key campus administrators

Leadership Development Programs – 30%

• Manage and support a team of 4–6 part-time College Fellows across the South Region campuses
• Ensure all College Fellows, as part-time employees of LIT, meet organizational standards and expectations. The Manager is responsible for their oversight, leadership development, and accountability
• Support the development and execution of college statewide & regional trainings
• Support the development and execution of our summer Black Hogwarts training institute

Civic & Electoral Engagement – 10%

• Help execute our non-partisan and partisan civic engagement programs which include campus voter registration and outreach activities, text & call campaigns, door-to-door outreach, and youth summit programs.
• Work to engage youth in non partisan and partisan civic engagement activities around local school board elections
• Be prepared to engage in non-school civic engagement efforts if the political climate and moment require action and the voices of young Black & Brown people.
• Be prepared to engage in support in civic engagement efforts around local, statewide, and national elections

Issue Campaign Planning & Execution – 20%

• Work to develop and implement school-based action plans to work on our Invest-Divest and other LIT campaigns and issues
• Work on organizational priorities to help advance the LIT Platform at all levels of government
• Collaborate with the College Organizing Manager – North Region to develop lobbying and issue advocacy priorities for state legislators and district administrators
• Work to implement action plans and recruit students to be active in the State Budget process
• 1 year of previous full time paid organizing experience
• Previous experience working with college-aged students
• The ability to organize and mobilize Black and Brown students into action
• An understanding of the importance of issue and electoral organising
• An understanding of LIT's mission to work to build homegrown leadership, expand access and opportunity, and promote an equitable society by engaging and organizing the leadership of young people.
• A commitment to building the leadership capacity of Black & Brown youth
• A commitment to learning and being in a community with a diverse staff from various racial & ethnic, gender, sexual, economic, and immigration status backgrounds

Candidate Profile

• Goal orientation and strategic mindset, with the ability to adapt and collaborate to meet desired outcomes and metrics with thoughtful, proactive, and intentional communication
• Comfort operating with uncertainty and change, including being able and ready to take advantage of unexpected opportunities, adapt quickly to context shifts and move forward despite unknowns and imperfections
• Strong organizational skills, including an ability to manage complex systems for tracking and program planning.
• Commitment to the growth and development of self, team, and community. Strong applicants will be inquisitive, curious, and open to feedback, direction, and collaboration.
• Proactive problem-solving, including the ability to think ahead, troubleshoot potential problems, seek solutions, and help the team meet their goals, with thoughtful communication about issues as they arise. Strong applicants will have significant prioritization skills and an adaptable work style.
• Self-driven work style, including strengths in being resourceful, innovating and finding creative solutions to problems, and achieving goals and following plans without needing close supervision

Leaders Igniting Transformation is an equal opportunity employer committed to a diverse work environment. People of color, people with disabilities, people of diverse sexual orientations, gender expressions, and identities are encouraged to apply.

Logistics

• Reports to: Co-EDs, Director of Programming
• Compensation: $50,000 annually
• Benefits: Leaders Igniting Transformation offers a competitive benefits package covering 100% of employee medical, dental, & vision insurance premiums. Additional benefits include cell phone stipend, mileage reimbursements, professional development funds, and more!
• Work Schedule: Our typical work schedule is Monday through Friday with 8 hour days, but some weekends and nights may be required depending on organizational needs and priorities.
• Location: Within 20 miles of one of the campuses mentioned above
• Travel: Will be required to visit campuses to engage in relational organizing with young people and key campus stakeholders