Youth Organizer

The Black Organizing Project is reviving the spirit of Oakland’s Black community through relationship building, leadership development, political education, and policy-change.

About the Black Organizing Project

The Black Organizing Project (BOP) is a Black member-led community organization working for racial, social, and economic justice through grassroots organizing and community-building in Oakland, California and across the Bay Area. In addition to caring for our community, BOP has adopted a more sustainable philosophy for our staff. BOP takes pride in caring for its staff by providing competitive salaries, 4-day work weeks, three paid company-wide seasonal rest periods each year, as well as other perks that promote a healthy work-life balance. While BOP currently observes a hybrid work model, we require all program staff to live within a one-hour driving distance from Oakland, CA.

Our vision is to build a strong bottom-up organization of Black people that will:

• Craft alternative models and institutions that will advance our vision of racial and economic justice
• Rebuild the spirit and foundation of our community
• Exercise political and economic power
• Act to win real systematic change
• Transform the lives of Black people
• Embody the spirit that has sustained the Black community

Organizational Culture

BOP is building toward a free and just world for Black people. Staff conduct expectations include active participation in building and sustaining a culture of radical care, equity for all members of the BOP team, joyful connection to Black Liberation, and thoughtful understanding of our political and historical experiences.

In service of this goal, staff are expected to:

• Participate in an organizational culture of resolving conflict through transformative justice strategies, as appropriate.
• Engage in generative and compassionate communication.
• Demonstrate a commitment to maintaining a joyful, healthy, and positive work environment.

About Our Ideal Candidate

Our ideal candidate is detail-oriented, organized and thorough. They are an experienced strategist and community organizer, self-motivated, and creative, wanting to impact the conditions of black youth through community organizing in Oakland and the East Bay. They are passionate about BOP’s mission and committed to developing youth leaders and organizers.

Position Description and Functions

The Youth Organizer at Large works extensively empowering youth leaders and providing outreach in spaces that cultivate youth organizers and leaders. They are responsible for recruiting and retaining a membership base of people ready to engage in increasing power in the Black community. This role requires building relationships with Oakland youth from OUSD schools and creating development opportunities for them to become BOP members. It requires a flexible schedule with occasional nights and weekends. The Youth Organizer at Large reports to the Youth Organizing Manager.

Base Building:

• Develop and execute outreach, retention and member engagement strategies
• Develop and recruit OUSD youth to become lifelong BOP members
• Work with core leaders on programming, campaign strategy, implementation, negotiations and direct action

Leadership Development:

• Develop and facilitate relationships with youth members to build organizing, base-building, and community mobilization strategies
• Develop youth members' and organizers' political analysis and understanding of BOP ideology
• Identify emerging youth leaders among membership
• Develop youth members and organizers to participate in and/or lead committees, participate in BOP’s campaigns, coalitions, and movement-building strategies

Coaching & Support:

• Build positive relationships and team comradery
• Support the ongoing development of youth members through coaching, reflection and capacity building
• Develop and cultivate work plans, evaluations, and assessments

Documentation & Reporting:

• Document qualitative and quantitative data related to programs and report to Organizing Director
• Maintain systems of tracking outreach and 1:1 check-ins, oversee a database of contacts, and generate weekly reports
• Other duties as assigned

Preferred Skills and Qualifications

• A minimum of 1 year working in youth development settings
• A minimum of 2-3 years of experience in community, labor or other relevant grassroots organizing
• Demonstrated success in growing and developing an organized base of youth members, constituents or community members
• Team player attitude
• Excellent verbal and written skills
• Excellent time management skills
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite, Google Workspace, and PowerBase is a plus

• Flexibility to work on weekends and evenings, as necessary
• Ability to multi-task and generate solution-based ideas
• Willingness to travel as needed

• Having deep roots in Oakland, graduating from OUSD or having a child enrolled in OUSD is a PLUS
• Valid driver's license, insurance, and reliable transportation required
• All positions at BOP are expected to contribute to our campaign work as needed and as directed by staff supervisors and/or Executive Director

Conditions and Compensation

This is a full-time, non-exempt, at-will position with a 90-day probationary period. Background check is required for all positions at BOP. For positions working directly with children, fingerprinting will also be required upon job offer.

Compensation: $32-$37/hr. (depending on experience), plus a 32 hour FTE work week, and a generous benefits package.

• 100% organization paid medical, dental, vision coverage for the employee and family
• 401(k) with employer matching
• 14 vacation days in the first year, 7 sick days annually, 16 paid holidays, 2 unrestricted floating holidays
• 3 paid seasonal closures: 1 week in spring, 1 week in summer, and 1 in winter between Christmas and New Year’s Day
• Eligibility for a fully paid 3-week sabbatical after five years of service
• Professional development funds