Elections Systems Organizer

The Michigan League of Conservation Voters (LCV) — one of Michigan’s largest, most impactful political advocacy organizations tackling drinking water contamination, the rapidly-worsening impacts of climate change, and efforts to undermine our access to the ballot — is seeking a full-time Elections Systems Organizer to build community power, especially through election official engagement and support of voting rights and election protection in Grand Rapids, Kentwood, and Wyoming. The Elections Systems Organizer will work alongside our Elections Systems Manager to support community engagement with local election officials as well as wider civic engagement initiatives. 

The ideal candidate will be able to work independently, take initiative, and be resourceful to move our priorities forward. This position, alongside a team of tenacious colleagues, will build and amplify the voices of communities of color and other key constituencies who are disproportionately impacted by historical barriers to the ballot and environmental issues.

Job Responsibilities

The Elections Systems Organizer reports to the Elections Systems Manager, is ideally based in the Grand Rapids metro area, and is responsible for the following:

• Organizing and attending community events and meetings to engage and expand voter and wider civic participation in West Michigan, with a focus on Grand Rapids, Kentwood, and Wyoming.
• Supporting education programs that engage and empower our community, especially young people, to understand election systems and wider civic issues in collaboration with the Election Systems Manager, youth interns, volunteers, and partners.
• Training election systems volunteers and partners to advocate for fair election systems and accessible election administrators.
• Keeping a steady pulse on local democracy issues, especially with local clerks, sharing that knowledge with staff and key partners, and using those issues and opportunities to engage voters in our work.
• Work with the Voting Rights Organizer and Manager to support West Michigan outreach.
• Participating in all Michigan LCV political election work — doing the hard work of campaigning, which means volunteering yourself to do door-to-door field canvassing, text and phone banking, and attend campaign events.

Qualifications

We are seeking candidates who excel at building genuine relationships, who are natural problem solvers, results-driven, and who are looking to become long-term community leaders. You should have:

• A positive, self-starter, solution-oriented, and goal-driven approach to work.
• Excellent problem-solving, organizational, and time-management skills, with a proven ability to achieve goals.
• A minimum of one year of experience organizing volunteers or staff who represent a rich mix of people across race, gender, sexual orientation, and other group identities.
• An interest in working with diverse constituencies to broaden and deepen participation in the democratic process.
• An ability to build genuine relationships and lead conversations with a wide-range of stakeholders — especially those most impacted by historical barriers to the ballot and environmental issues — through phone calls, in-person meetings, social media, and events.
• A deep connection to West Michigan and a commitment to addressing the local democracy, land, air, and water issues impacting the region.
• Ability to work 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM on weekdays with flexibility and willingness to work evenings and weekends, as needed.
• Spanish language proficiency is a plus.
• Reliable access to transportation, the internet, and a phone to use for work purposes as well as the ability to participate in campaign activities (canvassing and/or phone banking).
• Cultural Competence:
  • Demonstrated awareness of one’s own cultural identity and the ability to learn and build on varying community norms.
  • Commitment to equity and inclusion as organizational practice and culture.