National Community Organizer

Overview

The HIV/AIDS epidemic is not over, especially in Black communities. Would you like to be a part of the solution? The Black AIDS Institute (BAI) is looking for a highly skilled and self-motivated National Community Organizer to help us end HIV and AIDS. The National Community Organizer is a part of an innovative team that works collectively to mobilize Black communities against HIV and health disparities through education and advocacy. The National Community Organizer provides direct in-person and virtual capacity-building assistance to BAI’s Black Treatment Advocates Network (BTAN) chapters in various forms including content development and provision, guidance on community building and mobilization, and leadership development. The Black Treatment Advocates Network aims to address the systemic barriers that perpetuate health disparities. To do this, BTAN specifically aims to ensure there are enough Black-serving institutions and Black leaders with the skills, capacity, and social capital to ensure equitable access and utilization of up-to-date HIV prevention and treatment strategies for all Black people. BTAN facilitates the space for black leaders to build collective power through intersectionality to end the epidemic.

The National Community Organizer will identify, plan and deploy strategic community building and organizing techniques that engage a broad range of community stakeholders to strengthen the voices and political influence of Black communities regarding the HIV justice issues they confront.

Black people, LGBTQ+ people, and people living with HIV or on PrEP are highly encouraged to apply.

Job Location:                        Southern U.S. (No re-location costs are borne by the agency)

Reporting Relationship:     Policy & Organizing Manager

Supervisory Relationship:  None

Supervision/Training:

●      Regular supervisory meetings with the Manager

●      Maintenance of a work plan which details project goals and outcomes

●      Participation in agency training programs

●      Maintenance of an ongoing professional development plan

Agency-wide Duties and Responsibilities:

●      Supports the mission, vision, and values of the Black AIDS Institute

●      Complies willingly with all organizational policies and procedures

●      Supports all functions that attain and maintain accreditation and compliance with regulatory agencies

●      Supports and facilitates positive interaction with others by exhibiting:

o  Individual maturity

o  Respect for others

o  A team-centered approach

o  Maintenance of confidential information

●      Communicates appropriate information to other departments in a timely and effective manner

●      Participates in appropriate professional development programs to attain and maintain competency

Position Specific Duties/Responsibilities:

●      Organizing

o  Developing and implementing an organizing strategy for BAI to maintain and grow its base through BTAN and other community mobilization efforts

o  Building and maintaining strategic relationships with community members, leaders, organizations, elected and appointed officials, etc.

o  Developing BTAN members into leaders that can play prominent roles in community education and mobilization

o  Recruiting, retaining, and supporting BTAN members, chapters, and affiliates

o  Training BTAN members to effectively implement action strategies to confront HIV

o  Coordinating BTAN members’ participation in public forums, coalition meetings, conferences, and elected official engagements

o  Planning, organizing, and facilitating BTAN meetings and activities

o  Planning and coordinating actions for national BAI campaigns that involve BTANs

o  Identifying and advancing connections between issue-based campaigns and BAI policy priorities, including local issues and issues which affect Black people and BTANs on a national level

●      Advocacy

o  Coordinating tailored activities to reach local, state, and national decision makers.

o  Recommending advocacy and policy positions to the Policy & Organizing Manager

o  Attending and tracking allied coalition and meeting spaces

o  Conducting leadership development trainings with BAI staff and constituents to advocate with elected officials

o  Maintaining regular in-services to keep all BAI staff abreast of pertinent policy issues

o  Prepping BTANs for meetings with elected officials and other policy stakeholders

●      Partnership Development

o  Organizing, attending, and presenting with various partners regarding BAI programs and their impact

o  Attending and participating in relevant community meetings, councils, roundtables, and committees

o  Developing and maintaining relationships, partnerships, and coalitions with organizations, community members/leaders, and public officials to advance BAI’s goals and BTAN

o  Maintaining systems to keep pertinent team members aware of coalition conversations

●      Training

o  Facilitate trainings for community members, health departments, community-based organizations, ASOs, and other entities on topics including, but not limited to social determinants of health, community organizing, and HIV prevention and treatment

o  Create training content for use by BAI staff and BTANs according to requests

o  Perform administrative functions related to the trainings, including coordination ahead of time, and reporting afterwards 

●      Event Planning

o  Planning organizing and advocacy related events to reach and support Black people

o  Leading logistical planning for programs including, but not limited to securing venues, securing food, preparing material for events, recruiting attendees, managing event teams, planning event agendas, securing speakers, etc.

●      Communications

o  Working closely with BAI’s communication team in the development and execution of media and public outreach communication strategies for BAI’s organizing and advocacy efforts.

o  Developing flyers, materials, and more for outreach, education, and BTAN actions in collaboration with BAIs communications manager

o  Assist with writing and copy-editing fact sheets, action toolkits, and web and social media content related to BTANs and related mobilization activities

●      Administration

o  Reporting and tracking on progress of organizing and field efforts from BTAN and other projects

o  Collaborate with M&E team to proactively use data to improve outreach, messaging and tactics

o  Participating in monitoring & evaluation and other meetings to assess outcomes of advocacy, mobilization, and organizing efforts

o  Maintaining and updating a community database of interested parties and issues

Professional Qualifications:

●      Two or more years’ experience of successfully organizing communities or coalitions

●      High level proficiency in Windows and Microsoft Office (Word, Outlook, PowerPoint and Excel)

●      Excellent oral, written, interpersonal communication, public speaking and presentation skills

●      Experience in project planning, meeting facilitation and consensus building, program evaluation, leading trainings, coalition building, and curriculum development, specifically for adult-learners

●      Demonstrated understanding of the structural and cultural issues related to HIV/AIDS prevention among Black people, women, and MSM

●      Ability to exercise discretion and tact in all interpersonal contacts and maintain confidentiality at all times

●      Exemplary ability to manage multiple tasks using independent judgment and discretion

●      Ability to work independently and accurately in a high-paced, deadline-oriented environment

●      Ability to work under pressure while exercising discretionary judgment; make decisions when necessary with minimal direct supervision; work remotely without supervisory accompaniment

●      Significant travel is required

●      Other duties and responsibilities as needed

●      Demonstrated experience with (or training on) high level HIV prevention knowledge competency strongly preferred

Physical and Sensory Requirements:

●      Ability to read, write and converse in English

●      Ability to communicate efficiently with staff, stakeholders, and vendors

●      Ability to remain calm and composed under stress

●      Bending, lifting, grasping, fine hand/eye coordination, pushing/pulling, and/or prolonged sitting/standing

●      Ability to respond to telephones and other auditory stimulation

●      Ability to organize

●      Quantitative/mathematical ability (addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, standard measurements)

●      Ability to evaluate/interpret information and make independent judgments/decisions

●      50% or more of time will be spent in community settings outside of the office

About the Black AIDS Institute

The Black AIDS Institute (BAI) is the only national HIV/AIDS think tank focused exclusively on Black people. The Institute's mission is to stop the AIDS epidemic in Black communities by engaging and mobilizing Black institutions and individuals in efforts to confront HIV. The Institute interprets public and private sector HIV policies, conducts trainings, offers technical assistance, disseminates information and provides advocacy mobilization from a uniquely and unapologetically Black point of view.

The Black AIDS Institute is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

For more information about the Black AIDS Institute visit www.blackaids.org.