Policy & Research Organizer
Grassroots Leadership is seeking a full-time Grassroots Leadership Policy & Research Organizer to support local and statewide chapters. The position will support campaign development by gathering data collection to perform power analysis, conduct research that helps move decision makers, and disseminating complex information in digestible ways for our members and the general public. An ideal applicant will have the ability to work in a fast-paced environment, be a self-starter, and have experience with advocacy work.
This position typically reports to the Deputy Director and works closely with all team members and base, to determine best practices to shift the narrative through policy practices, knowledge/ understanding of the political landscape and analysis to support the needs of our community who are impacted by mass incarceration in Texas.
Essential duties and responsibilities:
Develop political training curricula to empower teams in achieving the organization's mission.
Conduct research to build power analysis, inform strategy, and provide accessible resources that advance campaigns addressing mass incarceration reduction in Texas.
Report to the manager via phone, email, or text regarding urgent attacks from opposing campaigns.
Collaborate with the communications team to monitor media and track opponent actions, ensuring quick rebuttals that align with our narrative.
Participate in campaign and policy strategy discussions with organizers, allies, and partner organizations, particularly in policy-intensive moments, and share updates with the team.
Monitor emerging or proposed policies related to mass incarceration, criminalization, and deportation using tools like policy monitoring sites, media tracking, and communication with partners and legislative offices to stay informed about the political landscape.
Share regular policy and political updates with the team via email, policy chats on Basecamp, or meetings.
Support advocacy efforts by providing guidance and logistical assistance to organizers, members, and the public on how to effectively engage in the policy process.
Research and analyze data needed for campaigns using tools such as open records requests, conversations with partners and elected officials, and publicly available datasets.
Assist the communications team in creating visuals, infographics, Twitter threads, toolkits, videos, and other engaging formats to share campaign messages and support organizing.
Collaborate with organizing and communications teams to develop mini-reports and blogs that further campaign goals.
Build and maintain relationships with allied organizations and policymakers to gather information or clarify their positions on policies or strategies being advanced by Grassroots Leadership.
Involve members and their communities as co-creators of knowledge, empowering directly impacted communities to shift power.
Engage members in Participatory Action Research processes, developing resources to support this work with guidance from the management team and organizing team support.
Implement and execute the key objectives listed above as they relate to the political context and Grassroots Leadership’s work organizing campaigns both statewide and in individual cities.
Other Responsibilities:
Monthly expense reports
Working within team budget
Any other tasks assigned by the Deputy Director and other managers
Identify opportunities to engage during organization-wide events, actions, and campaigns as needed.
Qualifications:
Three or more years of experience in policy and campaign work, and facilitating leadership development amongst directly impacted communities
Strong background and experience in written communication, such as reports, policy positions, press releases, and one-pagers
Strong oral communication skills
Strong ability to synthesize and effectively communicate with staff the analyzed information
Strong ability to manage partner relationships and conflict
Extremely well-organized with the ability to meet deadlines
Ability to work effectively with diverse individuals, coalition partners, and policy-makers
Ability to work in close proximity to others or alone, and manage multiple tasks simultaneously
Able to strategically adapt to rapidly changing situations in a politically challenging environment
Knowledge of the criminal justice and/or immigration systems with a commitment to continued learning
Familiarity with state, city, and county-level legislative processes
Familiarity with ways to research data on the local, state, and national levels that will support campaign strategy planning conversations
A deep understanding of the challenges facing communities of color, immigrants, and low and moderate-income families
A strong belief that the people most impacted by an issue are the experts in their own lived experiences, and a commitment to center their priorities
Commitment to collaborative decision-making and contributing to a healthy staff culture
A demonstrated commitment to social, racial, and economic justice
Ability to work in constant alignment with our shared values
Experience working with grassroots organizations in diverse communities, working across departments or teams within an organization
Strong applicants may also have:
Experience working with nonprofit and/or base-building organizations
Bilingual written and oral proficiency in English & Spanish
Direct experience with incarceration, immigrant detention of oneself or of a loved one
More about the job:
This full-time, salaried position will work with our Austin and Houston offices. Some travel within the city and occasional travel outside of the city or state will be required. Salary for this position will be $54,855 a year with full benefits. Full-time staff members are automatically enrolled in comprehensive health care plans, have flexible work schedules, and are able to take part in various employee benefits. The successful candidate will be trained by the Deputy Director.
About the organization:
Founded in 1980, Grassroots Leadership is a nationally recognized civil and human rights organization based in Austin, Texas working for a more just society where prison profiteering, mass incarceration, deportation, and criminalization are things of the past. We work to transform the justice and immigration systems through organizing, research, advocacy, and public education, building bridges between communities to increase the capacity of local leaders and coalitions, and mobilizing those most impacted by incarceration and deportation.
Grassroots Leadership is an equal opportunity employer and does not to discriminate in employing staff, or selection of volunteers, on the basis of race, creed, religion, color, national origin, citizenship, sex, age, disability, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, justice involvement or conviction, veteran status, financial status or HIV status. Grassroots Leadership works affirmatively to build a staff and board that includes people of many different races, classes, genders, physical and mental abilities, ages and sexual orientations.
Grassroots Leadership is committed to investing in the leadership of people of color. Formerly incarcerated people, people who have family in prisons or have been impacted by the immigration enforcement system, women, queer, and trans people are encouraged to apply. We do not discourage or discriminate against people with convictions, and you will not be asked if you have ever been convicted of a crime on the application or interview. Please feel free to mention your experience with the criminal justice or immigration system as those experiences will be considered as an asset in this job.
How to apply:
Please send to HR@grassrootsleadership.org with “Policy and Research Organizer” in the subject line, in PDF format:
Letter of introduction / Cover letter
Current resume/vitae
Contact information
Questions about the position should be directed to the same email address.
