Associate Director

Organizational Overview 

For more than 60 years, the ACLU of New Jersey (ACLU-NJ) has defended liberty and justice guide by the vision of a fair and equitable New Jersey for all. Our mission is to preserve, advance, and extend the individual rights and liberties guaranteed to every New Jerseyan by the state and federal constitutions in courts, in the legislature, and in our communities. We are committed to repairing and transforming spaces where constitutional promises have not been delivered.     

In every facet of our work, we strive to be anti-racist and are actively committed to advancing racial justice in the institutions of New Jersey, for the people of New Jersey. We aim to center the voices and lived experiences of those who historically have not been fully protected by government systems or laws.    

Founded in 1960 and based in Newark, we are a non-partisan organization that operates on several fronts – political, legal, cultural – to bring about systemic change and build a more equitable society. 

Position Overview

The Associate Director of Civic Engagement is part of the Policy Department, focused on community organizing through an integrated advocacy format that demands a high level of interdependence and works closely with all departments across the ACLU-NJ.  The ideal candidate will advance our goals at the local and state levels through creative organizing strategies and tactics, civic engagement expertise and demonstrated experience building long term institutional relationships. This position reports to the Policy Director.

Essential Duties

• In collaboration with ACLU-NJ leadership, develop and oversee civic engagement, organizing, and electoral action strategies, with clearly articulated goals, metrics, tactical recommendations, and key deliverables.  
• Drive cross developmental collaboration to optimize program impact, including working with the communications team to develop voter educational materials and other resources.
• Build support for ACLU-NJ’s civic engagement and electoral strategies with key external stakeholders, including community volunteers and partners.
• Develop a robust communication and feedback loop between volunteers, stakeholders, and ACLU-NJ staff to ensure effective implementation of programming
• Create and manage recruitment and training tools to for stakeholders to support civic engagement, GOTV and other electoral efforts. 
• Manage tracking, evaluation and reporting of ACLU-NJ deliverables against established goals in order to inform decision making regarding an expansion of organizational efforts into electoral campaigns.  

Qualifications

• At least five years of experience in community/field organizing and base building for political and/or advocacy campaigns.
• At least two years of experience managing staff and volunteers.
• Facility with Civic Engagement digital technology and databases, including the Voter Activation Network (VAN), and peer-to-peer messaging tools.
• A history of working collaboratively and successfully with people and organizations from diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds and a broad range of ideological positions and religious views.
• Demonstrated experience putting campaign strategy and tactics for volunteer engagement into practice.
• Exceptional interpersonal skills and strong written and oral communications skills.
• Detail-oriented with strong follow-through and the ability to work independently and meet deadlines.
• Willingness and ability to travel in New Jersey and flexibility to work weekend and evening hours when necessary.
• Experience with designing and implementing in-person canvassing programs.

Our ideal candidate will demonstrate

• Creative thinking with a commitment to racial, gender and economic equity.
• Interest in inclusive civic life, voting rights and education, volunteerism and community service, policy advocacy, and language access.
• Comfort presenting to and working with diverse audiences, including community boards, local elected officials, settlement house leadership and workers, and community members.
• Ability to communicate in more than one language.
• The ability to remain flexible and adaptable, yet decisive regarding work assignments.
• A commitment to advancing ACLU- NJ values, mission, and campaign goals.

Compensation

Salary for this role starts at $95,000 and is commensurate with experience. The ACLU-NJ supports and plans for staff member professional growth and skill development through internal and external opportunities. We offer a comprehensive compensation and benefits package which currently includes 30 days paid time off, 12 office holidays and 16 health care leave days; medical, vision, and dental insurance; 20 weeks (100 days) paid family leave; life and long-term disability insurance; pre-tax transit benefits; and a 401(k) plan with employer match. This position is exempt under the Fair Labor Standards Act.

About Our Culture

We are a diverse workforce and take pride in our ability to attract and retain employees with a huge array of backgrounds and experiences. We work hard but also like to celebrate our successes. We strive to bring humility, empathy, kindness, and generosity to our work, internally within the organization and externally with our partners and those whom we are serving. We seek to build a work culture with a sense of respect and collegiality, and a willingness to be generous with our expertise and resources.

To Apply

To complete the application please upload a cover letter and resume. We invite applicants to include in their cover letter information about how their background and/or experiences could contribute to the diversity, cultural vitality, and perspective of our staff and advocacy work.

Applications will be reviewed until the position is filled; at which time the job announcement will be removed from our website.

The ACLU-NJ makes every effort to assure that its recruitment and employment provide all qualified persons, including persons with disabilities, with full opportunities for employment in all positions.

The ACLU-NJ is committed to providing reasonable accommodation to individuals with disabilities. If you are a qualified individual with a disability and need assistance applying online, please email careers@aclu-nj.org. If you are selected for an interview, you will receive additional information regarding how to request accommodation for the interview process.

The ACLU-NJ is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer. We value a diverse workforce and an inclusive culture of belonging. It is our policy to employ qualified people without regard to race; color; religion; sex; national origin; age; ancestry; disability; sexual orientation; veteran’s status; marital status; civil union status; arrest or court record; citizenship; credit history; genetic information; gender identity or expression; status as a victim of domestic violence, sexual violence, or stalking; or any other characteristic protected under federal or state law. The more inclusive we are, the better we are.