Northern California Program Director Environmental Justice Coalition for Justice Oakland

August 1, 2009
Northern California Program Director

The Environmental Justice Coalition for Water (EJCW) seeks a full-time Northern California Program Director. The Program Director is responsible for working with local communities on water justice campaigns covering the Northern half of California starting in Fresno. The Program Director is primarily responsible for elevating local water struggles to the statewide arena and mobilizing local communities to participate in statewide policy activities through capacity building and collaboration with our members across the State. In addition, the Program Director is one of four members of the organization’s collaborative management team.

EJCW is a non-profit organization comprised of more than seventy grassroots groups and intermediary organizations formed to advance a progressive, community-driven policy agenda that affirmatively addresses the water-related issues, problems, and visions of low-income communities and people of color in California. The EJCW works to educate and build leadership in order for our members to become effective water advocates locally, regionally, and statewide. We seek to support and promote greater advocacy for environmental justice issues in California water policy and to support community participation in water policy forums. We recognize that access to safe, affordable water is a crucial part of achieving economic development, a clean environment, and ensuring public health for low-income communities and communities of color.

The position
EJCW strives to maintain geographic, ethnic, racial, issue and organizational diversity within our membership base and to ensure our work truly reflects the needs of our members. The Northern California Program Director is responsible for developing and executing local and statewide campaigns that engage specific water justice issues at the community level and connect them to statewide policy. Conversely, the Program Director is also responsible for identifying how statewide and regional policy can be leveraged to improve conditions in local communities. Core to this position is the responsibility for building the capacity of organizations and communities to undertake water and environmental justice work.

The Northern California Program Director shares responsibility with the Southern California program director for general membership outreach, recruitment, member communications, and general member assistance. Finally, the Northern California Program Director is responsible for facilitating one of EJCW’s work groups. Facilitation includes working with the members to develop an advocacy agenda and to implement that agenda.

EJCW has a unique, internal collective management structure based on a non-hierarchical staff system. In addition to programmatic responsibilities the Northern California Program Director is responsible for working with other staff collaboratively to maintain the health of the organization. Each staff member is accountable to their fellow staff members and is responsible for a certain amount of organizational development duties.

Position-specific Responsibilities:
• Develop and execute local and statewide water justice campaigns to ensure EJCW is connected to community based organizations and the grassroots and is likewise connecting our member organizations to statewide and regional policy arenas. This may involve but is not limited to: building capacity in communities, leveraging statewide and regional policy to help address their water-related issues, and participating in local and statewide water advocacy
• Coordinate with the Legislative Director and Southern California Program Director to ensure community issues are being addressed within legislative and policy efforts statewide
• Outreach to potential new members and allies






• Develop online update and other communications materials
• Maintain member orientation materials
• Organize Coalition-related meetings, workshops, and events
• Manage program budget(s) and work with Fund Development Coordinator to meet grant reporting requirements
• Actively participate in the Collective Management Team


General responsibilities as a part of the EJCW team:
• Support EJCW Board, Program Advisory Committee and other programs and activities as needed
• Respond to new environmental justice and water concerns and community needs
• Develop educational and advocacy materials for a variety of audiences and purposes
• Collaborate on the maintenance of the website, listserv and other forms of e-communication.
• Represent EJCW in public forums
• Collaborate and support members with media relations
• Coordinate the work of one of EJCW’s work groups
• Administrative tasks as necessary, including travel arrangements for self and members, photocopying, meeting planning and coordination, event logistics, etc.

Qualifications:
• At least 2 years experience coordinating campaigns and/or capacity building with community-based organizations and people of color
• Understanding of environmental justice issues
• Experience mobilizing grassroots constituency and organizing
• Experience in campaign development & implementation
• Experience in community capacity-building and training
• Willingness and flexibility to take on new responsibilities and support fellow staff members
• Experience working with media
• Strong communication and written skills
• Ability to interface effectively with a diverse leadership structure and members within EJCW
• Ability to multi-task, prioritize daily activities to meet competing deadlines
• Strong leadership and excellent interpersonal skills
• Self-directed and organized individual with ability to work independently
• Proficient in MS Office, including MS Word and Excel; Internet applications
• Ability to prosper in a team environment
• Willingness to travel and work on weeknights and weekends, as required
• Valid California Drivers License
• Web-skills a plus
• Experience working with coalitions not required, but a plus
• Bilingual English-Spanish not required, but a plus
• Experience in collaborative leadership environment a plus
• BA degree or commensurate experience/Advanced degree preferred








A Note on Collaborative Leadership
The Collaborative leadership model provides many exciting opportunities to engage in the actual nuts and bolts of operating a non-profit organization. The right candidate will bring some experience, or at a minimum, interest in managing non-profits including budgeting, personnel, fundraising, etc.

Salary: $45,000, plus a highly competitive benefits package, including health, dental and paid sick leave. EJCW also offers 15 days paid vacation and 10 paid holidays.

The EJCW is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration without discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, national origin, ancestry, age, marital status, pregnancy, medical condition, disability, or sexual orientation.


If you are excited about becoming a member our friendly and dynamic team please send cover letter, resume, writing sample, and 3 professional references to:

Program Director Search
The Environmental Justice Coalition for Water
1201 Martin L. King Jr. Way
Oakland, CA 94612
Or
Fax: 510.444.2502
Or
Email: keira@ejcw.org

*No phone calls please*