Mishegas

AJWS job announcement

Director of Campaigns
New York, NY
About the organization:
Inspired by Judaism’s commitment to justice, American Jewish World Service (AJWS) works to realize human rights and alleviate poverty in the developing world. AJWS is a Philanthropy 400 international human rights organization that works within the American Jewish community to promote global citizenship and social justice through activism, volunteer service and education. In its first 26 years, AJWS has had extraordinary impact around the world, working in 32 countries and sending over 400 American Jewish volunteers to the developing world annually. Throughout its history, AJWS has remained committed to its core values: essential dignity of every human being, sense of possibility, partnership and community, initiative and accountability, and humility.
The $50-million organization has 120 national employees, four national offices in NY, San Francisco, Los Angeles and Washington, D.C., and 25 country representatives in Africa, Asia and the Americas. AJWS has 125,000 activists engaged in fighting for global justice, 60,000 donors who understand the intersection between Judaism, international development and human rights, and has granted over $100 million to help grassroots organizations build civil society, foster economic development, expand access to education and health care, and advance human rights.

Position Overview:
AJWS is undertaking a significant new commitment to run advocacy campaigns that mobilize the American Jewish community in support of U.S. policy change on AJWS’s priority issues, which include sexual health and rights, natural resource rights and economic justice, and civil and political rights. This elevated commitment to advocacy campaigns emerges from AJWS’s recently adopted comprehensive strategic plan, which outlines the methods by which AJWS will move the needle toward its intended impact over the next five years (2012-2016). The Director of Campaigns will spearhead AJWS’s heightened investment in using campaigns as a vehicle for social change.
AJWS seeks a savvy campaigner and visionary strategist to design and build a campaign program that capitalizes on the organization’s historical experience, resources and expertise. The successful candidate will be a results-oriented team player with a strong background in advocacy campaigns and organizing; excellent communications and project management skills; a proven track record of combining high-level strategic thinking and ability to execute; the flexibility to work in a fast-paced, dynamic environment; and the experience to partner with colleagues to build and integrate a major new program area.
AJWS’s previous advocacy initiatives have included a successful push for more than $600 million in debt relief for Haiti; leadership of the American faith-based community in the Darfur movement and the fight against the Ugandan Anti-Homosexuality Bill; mobilizing Jewish religious leaders to lobby against global hunger; and advising the Administration and Congress on reform of the U.S. foreign aid system. The current campaign, Reverse Hunger, seeks to reform U.S. food aid policy so that it more effectively fights global hunger. The successful candidate will be charged with managing Reverse Hunger and partner with colleagues across the organization to take this campaign and future campaigns to the next level.
The Director of Campaigns will be responsible for ensuring strategic collaboration across the organization, particularly among the communications, community engagement, volunteer service and DC-based advocacy departments. The position will report to the vice president of programs, operating out of the New York office.
Key responsibilities:
Incubate innovative, thoughtful and impact-oriented campaign strategy as well as work plans based on specific goals developed in coordination with fellow directors.
Lead design of campaign program and bring robust campaign thinking to the organization.
Collaborate with appropriate staff to develop, manage and implement campaign activities, including proactive, activist-based programs and ongoing rapid response to the political landscape.
Review and revise campaign plans regularly based on external realities and internal priorities. Proactively communicate campaign plans to the rest of the organization.
Collaborate with key staff to develop a narrative arc that synchronizes campaigns with each other and with AJWS’s other programs.
In collaboration with communications department, develop, write and edit campaign materials, such as general campaign fact sheets, blog posts, e-actions and internal memos.
Coordinate the campaign’s operations within AJWS, including facilitating cross-organizational matrix meetings, promoting information-sharing, trouble-shooting, and strategic coordination across departments to incorporate all aspects of campaign work (communications, research, lobbying, constituent engagement, etc.).
Prepare and monitor the budget and all financial activity for the program.
Hire and manage staff, vendors and consultants as needed.
Travel to AJWS’s DC office on a regular basis and to the San Francisco and Los Angeles offices at least once a year. Other domestic and international travel possible.
Qualifications:
7+ years experience in issue-based advocacy or political organizing campaigns at the national level.
Strong knowledge of and experience with a range of advocacy tactics, including grassroots and grasstops pressure, advocacy communications (including social media) and government affairs.
Experience in directing all phases of a campaign.
Ability to build a new campaign program from scratch and introduce campaign culture and aptitude into an existing organization.
Demonstrated capacity to manage staff to excellence, with and without positional authority.
Exceptional facilitation, collaboration and coalition-building skills.
Talent for juggling multiple tasks under tight deadlines and performing in a fast-paced, team-oriented environment.
Highly organized and detail oriented.
Excellent analytical, verbal and written communication skills, along with excellent interpersonal skills.
Demonstrated experience and creativity in utilizing online and new media to engage and mobilize constituencies.
Passion for global justice and the AJWS mission.
A strong interest in promoting Judaism’s imperative for social justice.
Experience living or working in the developing world and/or knowledge of the U.S. Jewish community, a plus.
How to Apply:
For immediate consideration, please forward your resume to [email protected] — including your name in the subject line — and complete the 3-question survey at:
http://bit.ly/ajwscampaigns
Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis.
We thank you for your interest in career opportunities with AJWS. Due to high volume, only those candidates selected for an interview will be contacted. AJWS is an equal opportunity employer and provides competitive salaries and benefits.

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