Job Opportunity: Community Advocate, Voting Rights Program - Asian Americans Advancing Justice - Asian Law Caucus
Location: Hybrid Work Schedule, Based in San Francisco or Oakland, CA
Due Date: Applicants are encouraged to apply as soon as possible and the posting closes October 6, 2023.
Start date: Nov 1, 2023
Type: Short-Term (13 month), Full-Time, Non-Exempt Position. This position is included in the collective bargaining unit represented by CWA Local 9410.
Annual Compensation Range: Starting from one year's experience, $67,980 up to a maximum of $74,284. Compensation depends on years of relevant experience.
Benefits
Comprehensive benefits package including generous vacation, paid holidays, medical, dental, disability, and life insurance coverage. ALC pays 100% of premiums for employees and 75% for qualified dependents); Flexible spending account (FSA) and 401K retirement plan with employer contribution and match.
ALC offers an additional $1,000 annual compensation for proficiency in a language other than English and an additional $1,000 annual compensation for a graduate degree(s).
The Opportunity
Asian Americans Advancing Justice - Asian Law Caucus (ALC) seeks a community-centered, detailed-oriented, and self-motivated Community Advocate to work with its Voting Rights Program and Community Advocacy Team. The Voting Rights Program at Advancing Justice - ALC is dedicated to expanding access to voting for immigrant and limited English-proficient Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI), American and Arab, Middle. Eastern, Muslim, and South Asian (AMEMSA), and Latino voters across Northern California and the Central Valley. The Voting Rights Program’s primary projects in 2024 will focus on election protection (mainly in the form of nonpartisan poll monitoring) and voter engagement, striving to ensure access to the ballot for immigrant communities across Northern California and the Central Valley in the March and November elections. The Community Advocate’s key responsibilities will include leading the volunteer organizing and community education work to expand access to California's democracy. This position reports to the Program Manager & Senior Staff Attorney, Voting Rights.
The Organization
ALC is the nation’s first legal organization focusing on advancing and defending the civil rights of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPIs). Since 1972, ALC has litigated high-profile civil rights cases, advocated for the passage of landmark policy changes, and provided an array of services, including community education, advocacy, and direct client representation to further the rights of low-income immigrants and communities of color. Current program areas include Voting Rights, Workers’ Rights, Immigrant Rights, Housing Rights, Criminal Justice Reform, and National Security & Civil Rights. A growing staff of more than 50 provides strong collegial support and opportunities to learn about and collaborate with other program areas. ALC is based in San Francisco, a hub of the Asian American rights movement, progressive politics, and social justice activism. We also have an office in Oakland. As a civil rights legal organization, ALC works on issues of racial equity and justice at both the state and national levels.
Responsibilities
The Community Advocate position is a short term, 13-month opportunity. A successful candidate will be team oriented and possess both the strategic and management skills to coordinate the poll monitoring and voter education projects. This dynamic position’s day-to-day activities vary and include the following:
- Assist in the coordination of ALC’s poll monitoring program, which sends volunteer "poll monitors" to polling places in the March and November 2024 elections, to ensure no voter is intimidated or harassed and to ensure elections officials are providing language assistance to limited-English speaking voters as required by law
- Recruit and manage volunteer attorneys, community members, and students who act as poll monitors
- Coordinate and conduct Zoom-based volunteer trainings
- Assist with logistical preparation, including some in-person work in the office leading up to Election Day
- Assist in management of operations, including the Saturday before Election Day and on Election Day
- Gather information from election officials about county election plans
- Help with form collection and data entry post-Election
- Coordinate community engagement and education
- Work with a variety of community-based organizations in minority language communities to educate communities about their right to vote, including how to access translated ballots and other in-language voting materials
- Conduct workshop presentations, both in-person and over Zoom, to a wide range of partner organizations
- Build and maintain relationships with community-based organizations and elections officials
- Update Know Your Voting Rights resources and presentations, distributing them to a wide range of partner organizations, particularly in counties transitioning to new election systems in 2024
- Work with ALC’s communications team on social media
- Communicate with Voting Rights team members for internal collaboration
- Participate, contribute, and implement identified intersectional collaboration opportunities and experiments with other Community Advocates across issue areas within the organization, as determined by ALC’s Community Advocacy Manager and Voting Rights Program Manager
- Participate in regular check-in meetings, staff meetings, program team meetings, and other organization meetings, as requested
- Perform other duties as needed.
The position is based in ALC's San Francisco or Oakland office and will require travel around Northern California and the Central Valley.
Note: This job description is subject to change and is not intended to constitute a contract.
Qualifications
- 1-3 years of advocacy or organizing experience
- Basic understanding of the California electoral process
- Dedication to social justice and to a democracy that hears all voices
- Ability to work with people across a diverse range of communities, including community leaders and grassroots volunteers
- Ability to coordinate various stakeholders in coalition and to manage relationships with partner organizations
- Extremely strong organizational skills and attention to detail
- Demonstrated ability to work independently and as part of a team and manage multiple tasks in a timely manner
- Strong written and oral communication skills
- Availability to work some weekends and evenings when necessary, and additional overtime hours as elections approach, including the Saturday before Election Day
- Willingness to travel (valid driver’s license and ability to drive)
Additional Qualifications (Not Required)
- Experience working with low-income AAPI and/or other immigrant communities
- Language proficiency in Spanish and/or Asian language(s)
Application Process
Interested candidates should submit the following by October 6, 2023:
- Cover letter explaining your interest in the position
- Resume
- A writing sample of your work (no more than five (5) pages)
- Three (3) professional references
Advancing Justice – Asian Law Caucus is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer. All qualified persons are encouraged to apply, regardless of race, color, religion, religious creed (including religious dress and grooming practices), national origin, ancestry, citizenship, physical or mental disability, medical condition (including HIV, cancer and genetic characteristics), genetic information, marital or domestic partner status, reproductive health decision-making, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding, or related medical conditions) gender (including gender identity and gender expression), age (40 years and over), sexual orientation, veteran and/or military status, protected medical leaves (requesting or approved for leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act or the California Family Rights Act), domestic violence victim and survivor status, political affiliation, height, weight, or any other status protected by federal, state, or local laws.