Job Title: Community Organizing and Advocacy Associate
Supervisor: Director of Public Policy & Advocacy
Designation: Salary, Non-Exempt
Pay Range: $55,000-$65,000 (commensurate with experience)
Location: Remote (Southern US)
Application Close Date: April 19, 2024
Organization Overview: The mission of the Southern AIDS Coalition (SAC) is to end the HIV and STI epidemics in the South. We are a non-partisan coalition of government, community, and business leaders working alongside individual members to prevent new transmissions, and build a better South for people living with HIV [PLHIV]. We do this through (1) public policy advocacy; (2) capacity building assistance and education; (3) leadership development and resiliency building for PLHIV; (4) research and evaluation; and (5) strategic grantmaking.
We envision a South where every person has access to high-quality health care and essential support services (including safe, decent, affordable housing), free from stigma and discrimination. We also envision a South where every person understands HIV transmission, receives routine screening, and has access to a full range of prevention interventions and harm reduction services.
Position Overview: The Community Organizing and Advocacy Associate will be responsible for supporting and implementing advocacy efforts at the local and state levels that align with SAC’s policy priorities related to ending the HIV epidemic in the South. This role is responsible for mobilizing advocates, network development, and ensuring community input on SAC’s policy priorities at the grassroots level. The associate will work closely with other members of the policy and advocacy team to create coordinated advocacy campaigns that build awareness, engage stakeholders, and influence momentum for policy change within communities in the South. The role will also be responsible for preparing community advocates for a range of training and advocacy opportunities.
Duties and Responsibilities: The Community Advocate and Advocacy Associate will develop, support, and often execute tailored community driven advocacy campaigns, such as rallies, letter writing campaigns, and petition drives, to raise awareness and mobilize supporters around key policy issues relevant to the community and ending the HIV epidemic in the South. Related duties include:
Coalition-Building
- Building a grassroots network of advocates in southern states.
- Conduct outreach and encourage participation in SAC membership and advocacy efforts.
- Communicating regularly with their grassroots network to provide updates on relevant legislation and regulation.
- Communicating with policymakers and their staff about HIV policy issues impacting their communities.
- Building and maintaining good relationships with advocates in southern states.
- Cultivate and maintain relationships with local advocates and lawmakers, providing regular updates on the organization’s policy priorities, and building a network of grassroots advocates.
- Build or participate in coalitions with other organizations and community groups to amplify SAC’s message and increase the impact of its advocacy efforts.
- Serve as point of contact for community coalitions and groups as it pertains to HIV policy and advocacy.
Collaboration and Communication
- Ability to work within and across teams both internally and externally.
- Nurture and manage collaborative efforts, program/intervention logistics, and in-person convenings.
- Clear written and verbal communication with partners and key stakeholders
- Participate in and contribute to team, department, and organization-wide meetings, reporting, development, work groups, and expansion activities.
- Manage assigned events and projects, including project build-out in Asana with guidance from appropriate staff.
- Engage other staff thoughtfully and in a timely manner to support implementation of appropriate scopes of work.
Minimum Qualifications: Qualified candidates will possess either:
- A Bachelor’s degree in public policy, public health, or some related discipline plus at least three (3) years of relevant professional experience and a writing sample to be submitted if selected for an interview; or
- A high school diploma/equivalent with a minimum of five (5) years of related experience and a writing sample to be submitted if selected for an interview.
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:
- Strong desire to work with communities that are disproportionately impacted by HIV in the South, including communities of color; low-income populations; gay, bisexual, and other same-gender-loving men; transgender or gender non-conforming people; youth; women; and injection drug users.
- Attention to detail and the ability to manage multiple projects, establish workload priorities, and meet deadlines.
- Strong verbal and written communication skills, including effectively conveying messages through public speaking or via electronic media.
- Ability to take initiative, set goals, and execute tasks with limited direct supervision.
- Outgoing personality and ability to work with people from a variety of backgrounds.
- Strong organizational skills with ability to manage diverse projects simultaneously.
- Positive, proactive, and personable team player.
- Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite and some database management experience.
- Ability to work independently and as part of a collaborative team.
- Special interest in building power among marginalized communities, particularly persons in rural communities and people of color, to obtain health equity, social, economic, and racial justice.
- Ability to travel and willingness to work some evenings and weekends as part of a flexible work schedule.
Location: This is a 100% remote position that will require approximately 15% travel in alignment with health and safety protocols. Selected candidate must reside in one of the sixteen southern states or Washington, D.C. All equipment and supplies will be provided. (AL, AR, DE, D.C., FL, GA, KY, LA, MD, MS, NC, OK, SC, TN, TX, VA, WV).
Benefits: In addition to the stated salary range, SAC also provides the following benefits for all staff, including—
- Individual major medical insurance, dental insurance, and life insurance provided at no cost to employee;
- IRA retirement benefits with a match of up to 3% (eligible at 3 months of employment);
- Generous paid time off
- Full-time remote work with office equipment provided;
- Monthly cell phone allowance ($1,200 annually); and
- Other benefits that may be elected upon employment.
Apply: Please submit a resume and cover letter to jobs@southernaidscoalition.org. Please note the position for which you are applying in the subject line. Note: only those candidates under consideration will be contacted. All inquiries will be kept confidential.
The Southern AIDS Coalition is an equal opportunity employer. We prohibit discrimination on the basis of actual or perceived HIV status, race, ethnicity, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, national origin, physical or mental disability, or veteran status. We are committed to recruiting, employing, and promoting qualified people living with HIV, as well as members of populations most disproportionately impacted by the HIV epidemic in the South including gay, bi, Same-Gender loving and other men-who-have-sex-with-men, Transgender, or gender non-conforming persons, Latinx persons, cisgender Black women, and persons experiencing poverty.