Community Organizing and Power Building Specialist

The San Diego LGBT Community Center; San Diego (CA); On-site; USD 37,000 - 40,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Full medical

Dental

Vision

Chiropractic health coverage

401(k) retirement plan

Vacation and holidays

Professional training & development

Promotion opportunities

Job summary

The San Diego LGBT Community Center seeks a Community Organizing and Power Building Specialist to advance LGBTQ+ civic engagement, organizing, and advocacy in San Diego. You will coordinate research councils, support focus groups, and help translate findings into practical civic action within a dynamic nonprofit setting.

This role requires at least three years in related work, strong communication skills, and the ability to engage volunteers and diverse communities through events, campaigns, and

Qualifications

• 3+ years in community organizing, civic engagement, advocacy, or campaign work.

Responsibilities

• Lead on-the-ground organizing and implement civic engagement campaigns.
• Coordinate with colleagues to align engagement with the agency's strategic plan goals.
• Build and sustain a Community Research Advisory Council with lived experience.
• Represent The Center at external events and coalition tables.

Skills

Volunteer management

Facilitation

Communication

Organizational skills

Tools

PDI

VAN

GetThru

Job description

WELCOME TO YOUR CENTER! Established as a community non-profit in 1972, The Center provides targeted programs and services to the full diversity of the San Diego LGBTQ+ community. The mission of The Center is to enhance and sustain the health and well-being of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, queer, transgender, nonbinary, immigrant, and HIV communities for the betterment of our entire San Diego region. Our vision is to create a Center and Center culture where every person feels and knows that they are welcomed, valued, and supported. As the beacon for our regional LGBTQ+ community, we actively recommit to being a more vibrant, bold, innovative, safe, and modern center each day than the day before. The Center provides advocacy and critical health and social support services to support our community members through all stages of life, focusing on our deeply held values of equity, social justice, and client-centered, trauma-informed care. The Center currently has over 100 staff working at seven facilities across San Diego County.

WELCOME TO YOUR CENTER! Established as a community non-profit in 1972, The Center provides targeted programs and services to the full diversity of the San Diego LGBTQ+ community. The mission of The Center is to enhance and sustain the health and well-being of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, queer, transgender, nonbinary, immigrant, and HIV communities for the betterment of our entire San Diego region. Our vision is to create a Center and Center culture where every person feels and knows that they are welcomed, valued, and supported. As the beacon for our regional LGBTQ+ community, we actively recommit to being a more vibrant, bold, innovative, safe, and modern center each day than the day before. The Center provides advocacy and critical health and social support services to support our community members through all stages of life, focusing on our deeply held values of equity, social justice, and client-centered, trauma-informed care. The Center currently has over 100 staff working at seven facilities across San Diego County.

The Center has a long and rich history of organizing community electoral power through our ever-growing civic engagement and advocacy program. Through advocacy, civic engagement, and coalition building, The Center works to promote LGBTQ+ health and wellness, fight homophobia, transphobia, and racism, and advance human rights by amplifying the voices of our LGBTQ+ community and families, especially those who remain most marginalized – youth, seniors, those experiencing homelessness and poverty, communities of color, those living with HIV, and immigrants. A core value of The Center is that the health and wellness of our community cannot thrive without strong advocacy and community power.

Position Summary

Under the direction of the Director of Advocacy & Civic Engagement, the Community Organizing and Power Building Specialist performs various duties related to supporting, coordinating and implementing The Center's community organizing, engagement, empowerment, and advocacy efforts. In partnership with the Senior Director of Strategic Communications & Marketing and the Chief Impact Officer, this position will advance LGBTQ+ internal and external organizing priorities while leading In partnership with the Chief Impact Officer, this position will also coordinate the strategy and execution of The Center's LGBTQ+ political power campaigns.

This position in partnership with the COO and CIO also facilitates: A Community-Led Civic Engagement Model for LGBTQ+ Systems Change in San Diego (CLCEM), a three-year community-based research initiative conducted in partnership with the San Diego State University Institute for Public Health. In this role, the Specialist coordinates a Community Research Advisory Council of up to 20 paid community research partners, supports community-based research activities, and helps develop, test, and share a civic engagement model and narrative reframing toolkit for LGBTQ+ communities.

The Community Organizing and Power Building Specialist is an emerging leader able to:

• Lead on-the-ground organizing and implementation of The Center's civic engagement campaigns and activities.
• Coordinate closely with their colleagues to organize and implement The Center's community engagement and empowerment strategies that align with and contribute to the agency's strategic plan goals.
• Build and sustain a community research council that brings lived experience into research, policy, and civic action as framed by this project.
• Contribute to The Center's growth to build deeper impact of our advocacy and civic engagement goals.
• Represent The Center externally at movement building efforts, coalition tables, and community events.

This position will work closely with the Chief Impact Officer and Director of Advocacy & Civic Engagement to achieve short-term and long-term civic engagement, organizing, and LGBTQ+ power building goals in alignment with the mission and vision of The Center.

Primary Roles & Responsibilities

CLCEM Community Research Initiative

Internal

• Recruit, onboard, and coordinate the Community Research Advisory Council, made up of up to 20 paid community research partners across three groups: Community Mobilizers, Systems Strategists, and Equity Analysts
• Schedule and facilitate the Community Research Advisory Council meetings; track member participation and hours for stipend processing; manage meeting supplies, transportation support, and member communications
• Partner with the San Diego State University Institute for Public Health research team to support focus groups, barrier survey administration, and community interpretation of needs assessment findings
• Co-develop and refine the civic engagement model with the Community Research Advisory Council members, translating research findings into practical civic action
• Document continuous quality improvement (CQI) cycles for the model and narrative reframing toolkit
• Maintain project activity records and support grant reporting to ensure the project meets its timeline and deliverables

External

• Support community members in live testing of the narrative reframing toolkit during public testimony, community events, and advocacy opportunities
• Contribute to the development of the civic engagement model guide, narrative reframing toolkit, and policy recommendations brief
• Support dissemination of project findings to peer LGBTQ+ community centers nationally and support open-access publication

Community Organizing And Building Community Power

Internal

• Work with Political Data Inc. (PDI) to manage, track, and analyze voter data to inform campaign performance
• Collaborate with The Center's Communications and Marketing team to develop branded organizing and outreach materials
• Produce post-campaign reports tracking work outcomes and political impact for multiple audiences
• Lead the Fierce Advocacy and Civic Engagement (FACE) Volunteer Team to build and sustain a reliable volunteer base that can be mobilized around The Center's power building initiatives
• Work in partnership with the advocacy and civic engagement team to coordinate community events and leadership programs
• Complete administrative data reporting on civic engagement strategies

External

• Lead the implementation of The Center's civic engagement strategy for nonpartisan campaigns, including but not limited to elections, census, redistricting, and expanding voter empowerment
• Organize and mobilize the LGBTQ+ community to participate in various engagement efforts to influence the larger San Diego region
• Engage volunteers by hosting regular FACE-branded social events
• Serve as the point of contact for and process incoming outreach requests that align with the Public Affairs Department
• Represent The Center at external community events that align with the Public Affairs Department
• Develop and maintain working relationships with external organizations
• Coordinate the presence of The Center at major mobilizing events in the region that influence grassroots power building and community organizing

Communications

• Work with the Communications team to effectively communicate The Center's community organizing efforts to staff, donors, volunteers, and the San Diego LGBTQ+ community
• Collaborate with the Communications team to ensure The Center's organizing efforts are communicated through The Center's social media platforms

Required Qualifications

• Education/Experience: At least three years of experience in community organizing, civic engagement, advocacy, or campaign work (paid or volunteer)
• Professional Skills:
• Experience recruiting, training, and managing volunteers or community members
• Experience facilitating meetings and groups with people of different backgrounds and lived experiences
• Strong organizational skills and ability to manage multiple projects, deadlines, and relationships
• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• Comfort working with data, including spreadsheets, databases, and participation tracking
• Knowledge of and commitment to LGBTQ+ communities and racial, gender, and economic justice
• Availability for some evenings and weekends, and reliable transportation for local travel across San Diego County

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience:
• Experience with community-based participatory research, surveys, focus groups, or program evaluation
• Experience with PDI, VAN, GetThru, or similar voter contact tools
• Experience supporting community members in public testimony, storytelling, or narrative change work
• Familiarity with San Diego's LGBTQ+ community, coalitions, and local government
• Familiarity with 501(c)(3) and 501(c)(4) nonpartisan compliance
• Language Skills: Bilingual in Spanish and English

Compensation

• Compensation: The pay range for this position is $26.75 – $28.84 an hour and is commensurate with experience. This is a Full-Time Regular Non-Exempt position.
• Benefits: The CENTER offers a robust benefits package, inclusive of Competitive Pay Scales, 401(k) Retirement Plan (with company match), Full Medical, Dental, Vision, and Chiropractic Health Coverage, Out-of-Pocket Optional Coverage for Spouses, Domestic Partners, and Dependent Children, Full-time and Part-Time Schedules, Generous Vacation and Holiday Benefits, Professional Training & Development Experiences, Opportunities for Promotion & Advancement.

Equal Opportunity Employer

The San Diego LGBT Community Center is an equal opportunity employer to all, regardless of age, ancestry, color, disability (mental and physical), exercising the right to family care and medical leave, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, marital status, medical condition, military or veteran status, national origin, political affiliation, race, religious creed, sex (includes pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding, and related medical conditions), and sexual orientation.