Director of Organizing
MASSCreative
Advocate Creativity
Job Description
MASSCreative is seeking a full-time Director of Organizing to lead our political organizing, execute our campaigns, and grow our network of effective arts and cultural advocates.
We seek someone who shares our mission to activate the advocacy power in every artist, creative worker, cultural leader and political changemaker in Massachusetts. They will have a passion for providing local organizers and advocates with the training, resources, and support to be more effective in their advocacy efforts. They will develop relationships with MASSCreative’s member organizations, individuals, and new prospective advocates to advance a Massachusetts where the creative community is an expected, valued and well supported part of everyday life.
The Director of Organizing will ensure there are consistent engagement and learning opportunities available for supporters across the state and experience level. Legislative and electoral organizing are a priority for this position and the ideal candidate will have a proven track record in designing and implementing successful issue advocacy or political mobilizing campaigns. They will demonstrate a commitment to racial justice, cultural equity, and radical inclusion in their work.
The Work
The Director of Organizing reports to the executive director and a member of senior leadership, is responsible for:
Political Mobilization and Communications
We seek someone who shares our mission to activate the advocacy power in every artist, creative worker, cultural leader and political changemaker in Massachusetts. They will have a passion for providing local organizers and advocates with the training, resources, and support to be more effective in their advocacy efforts. They will develop relationships with MASSCreative’s member organizations, individuals, and new prospective advocates to advance a Massachusetts where the creative community is an expected, valued and well supported part of everyday life.
The Director of Organizing will ensure there are consistent engagement and learning opportunities available for supporters across the state and experience level. Legislative and electoral organizing are a priority for this position and the ideal candidate will have a proven track record in designing and implementing successful issue advocacy or political mobilizing campaigns. They will demonstrate a commitment to racial justice, cultural equity, and radical inclusion in their work.
The Work
The Director of Organizing reports to the executive director and a member of senior leadership, is responsible for:
Political Mobilization and Communications
- Direct advocacy campaigns that engage arts supporters and creative advocacy leaders across Massachusetts and achieve MASSCreative’s policy goals and legislative agenda.
- Working with the Director of External Relations, create communications (written or video) via email, social media and our website that help individuals understand the process and take action.
- Negotiate the inherent tension between the needs of the field and advocacy deadlines we don’t always have control over.
Advocacy Training and Skills Building
- Direct MASSCreative’s Advocacy Organizing Fellowship, an annual paid learning cohort for local and regional arts and cultural organizers to increase their capacity as advocacy leaders and grassroots mobilizers.
- Co-lead the Create the Vote Coalition, a statewide coalition of cultural organizations, artists, and arts administrators to educate voters and elevate cultural policy issues during elections.
- Manage Create the Vote Campaign manager, a contract position that administers the Create the Vote Coalition.
- In partnership with the Executive Director, identify advocacy and organizing skill development needs for MASSCreative’s membership. Design and lead advocacy trainings in person and online.
- Identify and hire additional trainers to conduct training and develop supporting resources.
- Recruit and manage MASSCreative’s interns.
Organizing & Coalition Building
- Build upon MASSCreative’s work to develop coalition-based organizing strategies.
- Work with sector partners and key stakeholders to identify priorities for advocacy campaigns and ensure a diversity of voices are considered in the process.
- Launch the Arts and Cultural Advocate Leaders Network to provide ongoing peer support and connection for arts and cultural organizers.
- Forge partnerships with cross sector advocacy leaders to ensure MASSCreative’s advocacy supports a more just, equitable and inclusive Massachusetts for all residents.
- Conduct regular local and regional organizing meetings throughout Massachusetts in partnership with local leaders to connect and strengthen our network.
- Provide strategic planning assistance and consulting to MASSCreative members (organizations, individuals, and coalitions) on local and regional arts and cultural campaigns.
- Identify potential financial and in-kind support for current and potential campaigns.
Keys to Success:
To be successful in this role, the Director of Organizing will excel in the following areas:
- Commitment to Collaboration and Transparency: Shared systems increase efficiencies on small teams. We all must collaborate, be transparent in projects and generously share information to advance our shared goals.
- Relationship-building: Through consistent implementation, follow up and accountability, the Director of Organizing will develop and maintain trusting collaborative relationships with a diverse group of stakeholders. They can work collectively, handle and resolve conflict. They can build consensus and find points of collaboration even when there are competing interests. The Director of Organizing will be an empathic manager of people and volunteers.
- Learning: The Director of Organizing will utilize every opportunity to innovate, analyze and test MASSCreative methods for organizing and advocacy. They will have a track record of supporting the skills development and capacity building of advocates, constituents, and partners. Through work within the arts and cultural community, the Director of Organizing will identify opportunities for advocates to grow and lead.
- Mobilization: The Director of Organizing can hold the competing tension of sustaining the energies of the creative community with the need to achieve political wins towards large policy goals. They will have a track record of mobilizing communities for change utilizing established strategies and testing new efforts to innovate advocacy efforts.
- Racial and Social Justice: By recognizing the role of race, income, age, immigration status, and other identities in organizing and advocacy efforts, the Director of Organizing will ensure historically marginalized voices, including but not limited to members of the BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, Youth and Disability communities, are centered in decision-making and leadership opportunities. They will have taken space and time to recognize how their own identities show up in the work and commit to a continuous learning process about race, ability and lived experience of others.
The Ideal Candidate will have:
- 5 plus years of experience in political or issue-driven organizing campaigns, that include mobilization efforts and managing volunteers.
- 3 plus years of experience conducting advocacy trainings and / or skills building workshops
- Demonstrated commitment to racial justice, radical inclusion, and cultural equity.
- The capacity to hold multiple responsibilities, prioritize tasks for impact and uphold deadlines.
- Experience planning events and convenings.
- A personal connection to art, creativity, or culture.
- Ability to travel via car throughout the Commonwealth.
Compensation
Salary: Commensurate with experience, $70,000- $75,000.
Benefits:
- Monthly health insurance stipend ($475 for individuals without dependents, $950 for individuals with dependents)
- Participation in a matching retirement plan
- Generous vacation time and 12 paid holidays.
- $500 technology reimbursement
- Professional development stipend.
About MASSCreative
MASSCreative is a statewide grassroots organizing and cultural advocacy nonprofit. MASSCreative advances the public policy, advocacy learning, and cross-sector alliances necessary to creating a Commonwealth where art, culture, and creativity are a valued part of everyday life. Through our efforts over the past decade, we have built a coalition of 400 cultural organizations and thousands of arts advocates; doubled public investment in the Massachusetts arts and cultural sector; introduced legislation to strengthen the creative community; and elevated the role of arts and culture during local and statewide elections. In 2021, MASSCreative secured $60 million of Massachusetts’ American Rescue Plan Acting funding for arts and cultural recovery that prioritizes the diversity of experiences and artforms.
Location & Start Date
MASSCreative’s offices are in Boston, we continue to experiment with a hybrid remote work model with 2 days required in the office. The position will require travel throughout Massachusetts to meet with member organizations and hold media and fundraising events.
We hope to have the best candidate start this position by mid-November 2022.
To Apply
Please submit a resume, cover letter and writing sample to jobs@mass-creative.org.
- Writing samples can be a campaign plan, training materials, communications (emails, social media posts and website copy) to mobilize advocates for action. Please do not include academic writing.
- All materials should be submitted as one PDF.
- Please use the subject title: Director of External Relations Position.
MASSCreative is an Equal Opportunity Employer: Black, Indigenous and People of color, women, LGBTQ-identified persons, and others from historically underrepresented communities are encouraged to apply.