Memphis Community Organizer, Youth Justice

Stand for Children Leadership Center; Memphis (TN); On-site; USD 51,000 - 63,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Generous benefits

Job summary

Stand for Children Leadership Center is seeking an Organizer to work with justice-involved youth, opportunity youth, emerging adults, and community advocates in Tennessee. You will develop and lead community engagement opportunities to drive systemic change through a team-organizing leadership model.

The role centers people with lived experience in the youth justice system, building leadership skills and advancing campaigns at local and state levels. Generous benefits accompany the role.

Qualifications

• Passionate commitment to Stand for Children’s mission.

Responsibilities

• Organize and manage high‑performing teams and fellows focused on youth justice.
• Develop speakers and storytellers to testify and inspire action.
• Create trainings and webinars to build organizing, advocacy, leadership, and campaign skills.
• Coordinate volunteer events and create leadership pathways.
• Advance Stand Tennessee youth justice priorities through advocacy opportunities.
• Coach leaders to recruit others and sustain action across campaigns.
• Maintain coalition relationships and facilitate partnerships.
• Support, coach, and supervise youth leaders, interns, and volunteers.
• Track goals and use results to strengthen strategy and execution.

Skills

Leadership development

Campaign management

Team building

Youth organizing

Facilitation

Office tools

Social media

Bilingual communities

Flexibility

Tools

Microsoft Office

Job description

THE ROLE

Your role stands at the intersection of organizing and the fight to change the systems that shape outcomes for young people, families, and communities. As a key member of Stand's Tennessee team at a moment of tremendous need and opportunity, you will be responsible for working with justice‑involved youth, opportunity youth, emerging adults, and community advocates to develop and create community engagement opportunities to leverage change using a team‑organizing leadership model.

The Organizer will be responsible for identifying, coaching, and training individuals and building engaged teams committed to taking local, state, and systems‑level action in support of youth justice reform; developing the leadership skills of members; and initiating and leading campaigns to advance more just outcomes for young people. The role will intentionally center people with lived experience in the youth justice system and support youth and emerging adults in shaping, leading, and implementing organizing and advocacy efforts.

Through your dedication and passionate approach to the role, you get the opportunity to work with colleagues who are bold and strategic and take responsibility for achieving substantial progress toward our mission every year.

THE ORGANIZATION

Stand for Children is a unique catalyst for educational success and social progress, to create a brighter future for us all.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

Build a diverse and highly skilled base of engaged organizers and activists

• Organize and manage high‑performing teams, leaders, and fellows with clear roles and ownership who are engaged and mobilized, with a focus on justice‑involved youth, opportunity youth, emerging adults, and community advocates.
• Develop, manage, and grow a group of speakers and storytellers who are ready and able to testify, give interviews, share their lived experiences, and inspire others to act.
• Create and facilitate trainings, workshops, and webinars that build organizing, advocacy, leadership, and campaign skills.
• Manage volunteer‑led events and create meaningful pathways for leaders and members to take increasing levels of responsibility.
• Create and leverage advocacy opportunities in support of Stand Tennessee youth justice priorities and issue and electoral campaigns.

Activate leaders and members to grow teams and win campaigns

• Support initiation and leadership of youth justice campaigns, including developing goals, strategies, timelines, tactics, and leadership roles.
• Coach leaders to identify and recruit other potential leaders and support members in taking regular action across multiple campaigns.
• Build and maintain leadership structures that support authentic youth‑adult partnership and center directly impacted young people in campaign decision‑making.
• Support, coach, and, when assigned, supervise fellows, youth leaders, interns, temporary staff, and volunteers.
• Track organizing, base‑building, campaign, and policy goals and use results to strengthen strategy and execution.

Coalition and partnership work

• Help develop and maintain relationships with community leaders, key stakeholders, youth‑serving organizations, and local and statewide groups to build strong coalitions that can work with volunteer teams, leaders, and fellows.
• Co‑convene and facilitate youth justice coalitions and workgroups with partners, including developing agendas, coordinating participation, and supporting follow‑through on shared priorities.
• Help partners identify, advance, and track shared policy and campaign goals while expanding meaningful participation by young people, emerging adults, and people with lived experience.

Election and legislative session

• Fully participate in election, issue, and endorsement campaigns.
• Support voter engagement, civic education, and leadership development efforts with youth, emerging adults, and impacted communities.
• Help connect electoral, policy, and organizing strategies that advance Stand Tennessee's youth justice priorities.
• Perform other duties as required to support the work of the affiliate.

QUALIFICATIONS

• Passionate commitment and alignment to Stand for Children’s mission.
• One paid campaign cycle required, or comparable paid organizing experience.
• Experience organizing with young people, emerging adults, people with lived experience, or communities directly impacted by public systems preferred.
• Experience developing leaders, building teams, and managing organizing or advocacy campaigns.
• Experience facilitating meetings, trainings, or coalition processes and supporting partners toward shared goals.
• Experience using technology tools like Microsoft Office Suite and comfort learning new platforms.
• Experience with social media platforms for digital communications.

• Experience working with diverse and bilingual communities preferred.
• Strong interpersonal, communication, leadership development and team building skills.
• Ability to be flexible and steadfast in the face of ambiguity; self‑motivated problem‑solver and critical thinker.
• Willingness to work flexible hours including up to 3 evenings per week and occasional weekends especially during election cycles and legislative session.
• Valid driver’s license, an acceptable driving record, full‑time access to reliable transportation, and ability to travel within Memphis metro area.
• Ability to be in multiple locations during a given day, the ability to transport items, and the ability to set up and take down meeting equipment (chairs, tables, projectors, screens, etc.); may require the ability to climb stairs.

STARTING SALARY RANGE

$50,727 - $63,409 commensurate with experience. Generous benefits.

Stand for Children consists of two separate entities. Stand for Children, Inc., a grassroots membership organization is exempt under section 501(c)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code, and Stand for Children Leadership Center, a leadership development organization, is exempt under section 501(c)(3).

Stand for Children and Stand for Children Leadership Center are committed to ensuring equal opportunity for employment, welcoming individuals from all backgrounds. We strive to create a workplace where everyone feels included, valued, and empowered to do their best work. Our work focuses on communities that have historically faced systemic barriers. We squarely focus on hiring staff with skills and qualifications necessary to be successful and actively seek team members whose experiences and perspectives demonstrate a commitment to and alignment with the communities we serve, helping us build stronger connections and drive meaningful impact.