The Oregon Student Association (OSA) gives one voice to more than 120,000 college students. We believe every Oregonian deserves affordable access to a quality public education.
Equal Rights Organizer
You are a champion for equality, an idealist that produces results and advances the fight for basic human rights. As OSA’s Equal Rights Organizer, you will achieve measureable goals and help students launch and win key campaigns.
The Equal Rights Organizer works directly with the Oregon Student Equal Rights Alliance (OSERA) and reports to the Organizing Director to coordinate and implement organizing strategy on a statewide level. This position is responsible for the implementation, creation, and development of campaigns regarding issues relevant to LGBTQ-identified students. This includes campus outreach, engagement of non-member campuses and allies, creating and presenting workshops to students and coalition members, staffing and developing OSERA specific lobby days and other OSA events and functions, providing technical and on-site support for statewide and campus-based issue campaigns, and non-partisan voter registration, education, and Get-out-the-Vote work in the field, The Equal Rights Organizer spends 50% of their time in the field, 35% on projects and in communication with students and 10% on other duties.
General Duties
Development of grassroots field plans, campaigns, and strategies for implementation by OSERA and other OSA board members.
Facilitate, direct, and implement voter registration, education, and get-out-the-vote activities on an individual campus level and with direction from the OSERA board to engage students in the LGBTQ community in the electoral process.
Training and skills development of OSERA board members, student government members, and LGBTQ organizations on campuses around the state.
Maintain and develop working relationships with community and ally organizations.
Presentations on campuses about OSA and OSERA events, activities, trainings, and services.
Presentations on campuses about current issues affecting students in the public policy arena.
Coalition-building and outreach to non-member campuses.
Develop, coordinate, and recruit students, allies, and workshop presenters for the annual Oregon Students of Color Conference and the Northwest Student Leadership Conference (NWSLC)
Lead planning and execution for the OSERA Symposium with support of the Events and Development Director.
Staff the Oregon Student Equal Rights Alliance board; this includes monthly preparation of board packets and attendance at board meetings around the state every month with the exception of July and December.
Recruit and train at least 20 board members from 10 OSA member schools
Coordinate with the Oregon Students of Color Coalition Field Organizer and other OSA staff members to build a multi-oppressional analysis and framework for OSA campaigns, workshops, activities, and initiatives.
Travel to member campuses each term to provide technical assistance, trainings, and other services to students.
Monitor campus institutional boards and train students on new governance policies.
Perform other duties as assigned by the Organizing Director or Executive Director.
Preferred Qualities
1-2 years experience in organizing queer & trans youth/students
Understanding of electoral organizing
Excellent written and verbal communication skills
Self-motivated, outgoing, and detail-oriented
Willingness to travel frequently and work evenings and weekends
Demonstrable experience launching a new program
Leadership development experience with young and or students people
Knowledge and framework for working to advocate for education specific LGBTQ issues.
How to apply
Application must include:
A cover letter that addresses your interest in the position and experience as an organizer
Your resume
Contact information, including both phone and e-mail, for three references who can comment on your work, written and oral communication skills and level of experience
Your completed response to the following supplemental questions. Responses for each question should be no longer than 250 words.
1) OSA works in coalition with organizations on a variety of issues. Please give an example of work you have done to build strong coalitions, and discuss strategies you found effective.
2) Describe your experience with grassroots and relational organizing in the LGBTQ community. Describe a grassroots campaign that you worked on, your role in the campaign, and the final outcome. Please highlight aspects of the campaign that went well and did not go well.
3) OSA prioritizes issues impacting underrepresented communities by engaging lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer students and students of color at the statewide level. Please describe your experience and qualifications in advocating for and training students from these communities.
4) OSA places a strong priority on addressing issues that primarily related to access to quality postsecondary education. What do you think are the most critical issue(s) facing postsecondary education? Why?
Please send all application materials to J@orstudents.org. Please write “Equal Rights Organizer Job Application” in the subject line. Applications are due by 5pm onJuly 24th.
Oregon Student Association is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer, all people of color, women, gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, queer folks, and people with disabilities are encouraged to apply. Applicants will be fairly considered by their merits and personal interviews.