Now Hiring: Organizer - Reuse Program

Location: Remote within US; slight preference for West coast.

Position: Full time, FLSA exempt

Salary: $70,000 - $85,000 depending on experience and geographic location

Benefits: Competitive and comprehensive benefits include 100% employer provided health, dental, and vision coverage for employees and dependents; a 401(k) plan; generous PTO policy; flexible work culture; and more.

Reports to: Reuse Program Director

Timeline: Applications accepted on a rolling basis. Final deadline to apply - September 26

Our Story

The Story of Stuff Project is transforming the way we make, use, and throw away Stuff to be more sustainable, healthy and fair. Over the past fifteen years, our trademark animated videos and field-leading social media content have engaged tens of millions of viewers in a solutions-oriented exploration of the take-make-waste economy and its impacts on people and the planet. Today, we encourage the civic engagement of our global Community by enlisting their participation in campaigns for environmental and economic justice and by supporting their leadership with everything from small grants to training and strategic advice.

The Reuse Program

The Story of Stuff Project’s Reuse Program aims to create the public policy frameworks that drive business adoption of reuse, support the expansion of the reuse services industry and, ultimately, reduce single-use plastic waste. To this end, we are implementing two campaigns – Bring Back Refill and Serve Up Reuse – that seek to establish reuse as the norm in the beverage and food service industries.

History demonstrates that voluntary commitments by businesses to adopt reuse are insufficient to the task and likely to fail without strong public policies holding companies accountable. Our goal, starting in 2024, is to enact policies and support the launch of reuse systems in at least 30 local jurisdictions and, at the state level, enact 3-5 state reusable beverage policies and 2-3 reusable foodware policies. To win, we need to dramatically increase grassroots support and activism for reuse policies and programs both within our own community and across the plastic pollution and climate movements throughout the U.S.

Position Summary

The Reuse Program Organizer will play a key role in the Story of Stuff’s efforts to strengthen and strategically deploy grassroots advocacy for local and state policies that bring reuse into the beverage and food service industries in North America. The Organizer will run a reuse advocacy training program (the Reuse Changemaker Boot Camp), strengthen the advocacy and leadership skills of local activists, help grassroots coalitions engage in reuse policy campaigns, and launch new community-based reuse coalitions. The person who fills this role will spend much of their time supporting grassroots activists’ engagement in policy advocacy campaigns.

This position requires a strong background in community organizing, advocacy, and facilitating coalitions and/or grassroots engagement. This person will be comfortable interacting with community members in a range of mediums and thrive in a fast-paced environment which may require responding to campaign needs promptly. We seek a highly motivated candidate with experience in organizing strategy development, campaigning and/or policy advocacy. The ideal candidate has experience working on policy campaigns at the local and/or state level. The candidate would also have experience coalition-building and supporting a diversity of local teams or advocacy groups.

Job Duties & Responsibilities

Leadership development
Recruit and train hundreds of people to become local reuse activists by running the Reuse Changemaker Bootcamp at least 4 times per year.
Provide other forms of ad hoc training and presentations for budding and seasoned reuse activists.
Help coach and problem-solve challenges identified by local grassroots leaders.
Develop strategic partnerships with local NGOs to co-host Bootcamp cohorts in key states.
Conduct participant surveys and collect data to improve and expand the Bootcamp training outreach and impact.
Movement building
Facilitate the transition of newly trained activists to existing local reuse coalitions and support the formation of new local coalitions.
Provide strategic support, from innovative organizing tactics to intersectional approaches to community organizing, for new and existing reuse coalitions, helping them win reuse policy campaigns and develop reuse services.
Lead 1-2 local community based reuse coalitions in order to be a reuse organizing leader and practitioner and continually hone effective organizing strategies and skills in the reuse space.
Proactively recruit new allies to the fight, including local plastic pollution groups, climate advocates, zero waste advocates, environmental justice groups, canners and other informal economy workers, faith-based groups and others.
Ally with organizations representing fenceline communities, helping them integrate reuse as a local form of resistance to the petrochemical industry.
Strategic planning
Co-develop a strategy to build out the local reuse advocacy movement that accelerates grassroots organizing capacity across the country and supports individuals and community-based organizations in increasing their impact.
General Reuse Program Support
Conduct research and maintain databases that track local community-based organizations, reuse service providers, and reuse policies.
Assist in the ideation and development of new organizing projects, local campaigns, programs, and initiatives.
Conduct research and writing to develop resources for the campaigns we offer to grassroots advocates.
Collaborate with the organization’s campaigns and marketing teams and support the needs of media content development and our digital advocacy and social media strategy leads to launch engagement tools for reuse advocates.

Qualifications:

Demonstrated success in developing and leading organizing strategies and campaigns, communicating with the public, and building and maintaining diverse coalitions.
Demonstrated minimum of five years experience in political, policy or community organizing, and grassroots engagement.
Experienced in organizing to enact laws at the city, state, or federal level.
Demonstrated experience engaging and supporting a diverse group of people to reach their goals, including increasing depth of participation.
Experience facilitating interactive training for leadership development, grassroots organizing, and civic engagement.
Demonstrated experience recruiting new members using a mix of digital (email, Slack, social media) and traditional (in-person, phone) community-based tactics.
An understanding of one or more of the following issues: waste prevention, toxic chemicals exposure, plastic pollution, environmental justice, climate change issues, and public health.
A track record of outstanding relationship building; creating and maintaining fundamental relationships by identifying individuals and organizations who will work effectively at the local and state level to elevate reuse systems and policies.
Commitment to working with people from a variety of ethnic, racial, and socioeconomic backgrounds, as well as varying religious, educational, generational, and gender identity backgrounds.
Strong project management and organizational skills, coupled with sharp attention to detail, solution orientation, and a demonstrated ability to manage competing and changing priorities effectively.
Openness to ongoing learning and coaching from colleagues at every level.
Excellent verbal and written communication skills that inspire action.
The ability to work nimbly and respond quickly to emerging opportunities.
The experience, maturity and self-direction to work autonomously in this fully remote organization.
Willing and able to work varying schedules including mornings, evenings, occasional weekends and travel.
Desire and ability to work well in a collaborative, team environment.

How to Apply:

To submit your application for this position, please visit www.storyofstuff.org/jobs.

Your application should include a resume and a cover letter that addresses your background, experience, and qualifications for this position. Include a third attachment of a professional writing sample that is relevant to this role, such as an email blast, a campaign material, a report, press release, or a grant proposal.

If you have questions or require assistance, you may email jobs@storyofstuff.org

Story of Stuff is committed to diversity, equity and inclusion. Women, people of color, LGBTQ+ individuals, and members of other minority or marginalized groups are strongly encouraged to apply. Applicants must be authorized to work in the United States.

The Story of Stuff Project

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Organizer, Reuse Program