Community Organizers, Omak/Okanogan & Wenatchee

Applications Due: Rolling

Hours: Starting 20 hours/week, with more hours possible in the future

Compensation: Starting at $25/hour

The Opportunities

Rural People’s Voices (RPV) seeks two part-time organizers to play a pivotal role in our base building and electoral program in communities across North Central Washington (NCW), with a particular focus on the Omak/Okanogan or Wenatchee region. Now in our second full year of programming, we are purposefully growing our base and engaging voters through deep organizing, narrative leadership development, winning elections, and seizing policy opportunities. We are committed to building a sustaining, multi-racial base of working- and middle-class power, one that can advance the leaders, actions, and policies our rural communities need. 

The community organizers will be responsible for leading community-based organizing tactics, including deep listening, issue-based, and/or electoral canvasses, and community events in swing “districts” or key communities in NCW. Organizers will be tasked with knocking on doors, conducting deep listening conversations, identifying or planning and hosting community events, tracking data, and collecting and embedding learning to more effectively grow the base and move electoral outcomes. The ultimate goal of their work will be to learn what issues matter the most to working people and what solutions their communities need, move people on the doorstep or at an event to greater alignment with the RPV Platform or a specific issue-based campaign, and engage them in RPV’s work of winning elections and building long-term power for working people. 

The ideal candidate is fueled by community connection and passionate about building a powerful multi-racial base that wins changes for working- and middle-class people in NCW. They have an organizer mindset, are excited about learning, have strong interpersonal skills, thrive as part of a team, can work independently, and are deeply aligned with the mission of RPV. Previous experience as an organizer or a grassroots leader is preferred but not required. Our team is excited to train and support a great candidate.

This position reports to the Organizing Manager.

About Rural People’s Voice

Rural People’s Voice (RPV) started in 2021, and working people are our fabric. We are business owners, community organizers, teachers, social workers, electricians, city council members, young people, nurses and so much more. We are rural North Central Washington. We envision a North Central Washington economy that works for all of us: jobs that support a family, housing and healthcare we can afford, great schools for every student, health land and water for generations to come, and a rural region where all our people have a fair shot. Together as Rural People’s Voice, we’re calling for real living-wage jobs and an economic future where every person has enough, in the community they call home. 

Calling on the best thinking from across the state and country, Rural People’s Voice invests in four core strategies:

  1. Build the people’s government our communities need and deserve

  2. Advance key policies and initiatives that support working people and families

  3. Reclaim the rural narrative of who we are, where we come from, and what a better future for all of us looks like

  4. Organize with our neighbors for a multi-racial working- and middle-class majority

Community Organizer Responsibilities

  • Strategy development: Working closely with the Organizing Director and the RPV team, co-develop an annual organizing work plan and approach in relation to broader organizational goals and annual campaign goals

  • Deep Canvassing: Engage community members within RPV’s deep canvassing framework through door to door canvassing, phone banks, and community events 

  • Leadership Development: Identify and recruit community members to volunteer, canvass, advance our network, or run for office

  • Voter Outreach & Base Building: Lead multiple canvasses per week in peak organizing periods and 1- 4 small community events a month 

  • Community Events: Developed with Organizing Director, host 1 - 2 large community events that build relationships, connection, and shared vision around community issues

  • Youth Interns: Work directly with a team of 5 - 7  youth interns, contributing to program planning, recruitment and intern training, and engaging interns throughout the year as part of our organizing team

  • Volunteer Support: Guide, support, and build belonging among volunteers who join community events, canvasses, or other activities

  • Outreach and Partnership: Represent RPV at public and political events, embodying our values, hope, deep joy, and culture 

  • Data: Use VAN and Action Network database daily to weekly to develop canvass plans and track data

  • Meetings and training: Attend regular staff meetings, weekly organizer de-briefs, and ongoing trainings to build skill and connect with ongoing learning across the country

  • Problem-solving: Communicate challenges and questions from on-the-ground programming with the organizing team and join in solution building

  • Organizational Success: Be part of the broader work and mission of RPV,  contributing insight and skills to the organization’s forward movement and overall strategy and goals

Required Qualifications

  • Great communication and listening skills:  Can engage deeply with new people, listen to community members and understand their concerns, and build rapport quickly.

  • Thrives in a team: Can contribute to a growing and fast-paced team, take directions well and contribute by offering feedback and suggestions to co-workers. Readily offers support to teammates and are able to ask for help when needed. 

  • Independent worker: Can complete work independently, including identifying, recruiting, and supporting volunteers. Meets deadlines and hits metric goals and ensures that numbers are reported on time with data integrity at the top of mind. Pays attention to details and are able to provide thoughtful solutions to problems that arise. Able to work in a fast-paced environment where work areas are expected to change frequently. 

  • Mission Aligned: Committed to the inclusive, multi-racial, working and middle-class movement-building path towards liberation for all people. Aligned with the idea that building power takes both great electoral campaigns and long-term base building and investment in communities.

  • Experience in Rural: Has meaningful personal or professional experience with rural communities, experience in rural organizing, and/or organizing is a plus but not required. 

  • Bilingual in Spanish and English required

Additional Details

  • Location: This position requires both remote, independent work and regular in-person work in or near Wenatchee and/or Omak, and across North Central Washington.

  • Schedule: This is a part-time (20 hours/week, with room to grow to 35 hours/week) hourly, non-exempt position supervised by the Organizing Director. This position requires regular weeknight and occasional weekend hours. Exact start-date is negotiable; however we seek to start this position as soon as possible.

  • Travel: This position will require frequent driving for canvassing, logistics and coordination, meetings and events. This position must own or have full time access to a car as a licensed, insured driver. We cover mileage reimbursements. We also provide per diem and lodging for all required overnight travel. Where possible, we carpool and encourage use of public transit.

  • Employer: This position is split between Rural People’s Voice, a 501(c)(4) and Rural People’s Platform, a 501(c)(3).

  • Salary and Benefits: This is a part-time position, compensated at $25/hour. In-person and remote work will be required. We offer limited benefits and generous paid time off. RPV values a healthy workplace, worker rights and worker respect, including family and kid-friendly work options.

Job Requirements

  • Must have valid Washington State driver’s license

  • Able to stand and walk for long periods of time

  • Able to talk to all kinds of people, including knocking on doors of people you do not know, speaking at events, and having respectful conversations with people with whom you disagree

  • Able to work alone/without direct supervision

  • Able to sit and perform work duties at a computer for long periods of time

  • Able to collect, input, and analyze basic to intermediate data in an online database

  • Able and willing to travel regularly for work

How to Apply

Please submit a cover letter and resume to adrianne@ruralpeoplesvoice.org with Community Organizer in the subject, preferably as soon as possible. Positions will remain open until filled. We will be inviting applicants to interviews on a rolling basis. Please specify if you’re applying for the Omak or Wenatchee position.