Lead Organizer

Who we are:

Metro Justice is a member-based and member-led organization that has been fighting for racial, social, and economic justice in the Greater Rochester Area since 1965. We fight for racial, social, and economic justice by building multi-racial mass movements of working class people. Our goal is to strive for structural changes that make tangible improvements to people’s quality of life while building long-term mass power.

Over the decades, Metro Justice has led grassroots efforts for well-paying and secure jobs for all; affordable housing; an end to racist redlining; and an end to the Gulf War, Iraq War, and Afghanistan War. Then, Metro Justice anchored upstate New York activity for the Fight for $15 and a Union and won, leading to historic minimum wage raises for all New Yorkers, and also helped found the Campaign for NY Health for universal healthcare in New York. Currently, Metro Justice continues the work for racial justice, energy democracy and climate justice, the New York Health Act, and solidarity with local labor fights.

Overview :

• Full time position based in the Greater Rochester area.
• Leads and collaborates with the Metro Justice membership to start, grow, and win mass campaigns that implement Metro Justice’s mission, vision, and theory of change.
• Reports to the Metro Justice Council.
• Paid bi-weekly.
• Salary and benefits: $45-50,000/year, plus coverage of a Bronze-level health insurance premium. All Federal holidays, 23 days of paid time off, and 10 sick days each year.

Duties:

• Lead the core campaign and at least one ancillary campaign of Metro Justice. This includes ensuring base building is central to the plan to win; as well as, building coalitions of local unions and community organizations, convening campaign committee meetings, overseeing strategy, campaign planning, mobilizations, media, policy development, and lobbying.
• Create, develop, and grow member-based volunteer committees to co-lead campaigns with the Lead Organizer.
• Conduct field work (door-to-door canvassing, tabling at events, etc.) and organizing 1on1 conversations as the primary method of recruiting volunteers to a campaign. This includes training and engaging volunteers in doing this recruitment work.
• Develop members to fulfill concrete and impactful leadership roles in campaign committees.
• Involve the Metro Justice Council in key campaign decisions, decisions regarding the public facing political program of the organization, and decisions to endorse campaigns and events led by other organizations.
• Serve as primary spokesperson and liaison to labor and community movements as directed by the Metro Justice Council.
• Co-lead strategic planning processes for the organization with Metro Justice Council and experienced members.
• Collaborate with existing members of the Union Membership Program to maintain and grow the program.
• Build prospect lists for the Fundraising & Membership Coordinator to ask for membership.
• Fulfill and report on current grant obligations to funders.
• Provide verbal and written reports to monthly Executive Council and Council meetings.

With time, demonstrable success at campaign goals, and a demonstrable understanding of Metro Justice’s unique structure and mission in all aspects of the work, this position has the potential to grow into an Organizing Director position with additional responsibilities. These responsibilities can include but are not limited to: securing grants that support the priorities of Metro Justice as decided collaboratively by the membership and staff, leading hiring processes for and supervising organizing staff for campaigns, and development of the Council and internal policies.

Requirements

• At least one year of organizing experience as staff or a dedicated volunteer in a community organization, labor union, or mass movement.
• Strong ability to self-direct in setting and accomplishing goals, prioritizing, creating a work schedule, problem-solving, and showing initiative to fill campaign and organizational gaps.
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills. Ability to be clear, concise, and concrete; as well as, be able to simplify complex campaigns and political analysis for a mass audience.
• Ability to build, coordinate, and work in teams, especially with volunteers.
• Ability to work effectively under pressure.
• Passionate about Metro Justice’s political values and mission.
• Familiarity with GSuite, Nationbuilder, VAN, and other mass communication tools or must be able to learn new software quickly after introductory training.
• Ability to work flexible hours, with a mix of day time, evening hours, and weekend hours.
• Access to own vehicle and valid driver's license or reliable transportation.

Preferences

• Ability to be flexible in duties is preferred.
• Experience working in small nonprofits is preferred.

Interested candidates should submit the following to [email protected] by: Dec 31, 2025

• Cover letter and resume.
• A campaign plan and strategy chart/document that you write for a campaign of your choice. Your campaign and strategy chart should include a base building plan, and an introductory paragraph that explains the campaign.

Pay: $45,000.00 - $50,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• Dental insurance
• Health insurance
• Paid time off

People with a criminal record are encouraged to apply

Work Location: Hybrid remote in Rochester, NY 14620