The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) Foundation of Florida seeks a Deputy Field Director. The Deputy Field Director works closely with the Field Director to achieve the organization’s goal of protecting the liberties that define our democracy. This position will be located in the organization’s Tallahassee, Tampa, Jacksonville, or Miami office and include travel.
The American Civil Liberties Union of Florida is an affiliate of the national ACLU, a national public interest organization devoted to the defense of the Bill of Rights. For over 100 years, the ACLU has served as the nation’s primary protector of the liberties that define our democracy. The organization implements its vital civil liberties mission in all 50 states in large part through affiliate entities such as the ACLU of Florida. Operating out of four offices—Miami (main), Tampa, Pensacola, and Jacksonville—the Florida affiliate has a budget of over $8 million and 55 staff members, placing it among the larger ACLU affiliates in the nation.
The ACLU of Florida, the state’s largest civil rights and civil liberties organization, employs litigation, public policy advocacy, and public education to protect and promote a broad range of constitutional values and individual rights, such as freedom of speech, racial justice, right to privacy, religious liberty, criminal justice reform, voting rights, reproductive rights, LGBT rights, disability rights, and immigrants’ rights. The ACLU of Florida litigates a broad range of complex constitutional cases in federal and state courts through direct representation, filing amicus briefs, and submitting administrative complaints to state and federal agencies.
ORGANIZING APPROACH
The ACLU of Florida has adopted a “campaign” approach for its work. Work is focused on pursuing specific integrated advocacy campaigns to achieve measurable goals that will expand civil liberties and civil rights, while building the long-term power of the ACLU and the civil liberties movement.
For the foreseeable future, the ACLU of Florida will focus on three campaigns: voting rights, criminal justice reform, and immigrants’ rights. The Deputy Field Director will be responsible for helping to create and oversee the implementation of comprehensive, multi-faceted organizing plans that are contained within these campaigns. The campaigns in which the organization engages are about integrated advocacy, and include lobbying, communications, and litigation in addition to grassroots organizing. In addition to department-wide responsibilities, the Deputy Field Director will exercise leadership over the field components of one of the three campaigns.
As a result of this campaign approach, the ACLU of Florida’s organizing model focuses on developing volunteer leaders for the civil liberties movement, mobilizing grassroots support for campaign objectives, and educating Florida residents about campaign objectives through person-to-person field contact. ACLU of Florida organizing is intended to engage both existing ACLU members/supporters/volunteers in the movement, as well as to reach new constituencies. Organizing at the ACLU of Florida centers the experiences and leadership of directly impacted people and engages directly impacted people in the work, while also ensuring that non-impacted allies engage in effective and substantive action.
The Field team works with Florida residents to influence decision-makers, via direct contact of decision-makers by residents and by holding events/actions. The Field Department focuses on identifying and supporting volunteer leaders willing to work to mobilize contacts with their own networks, in order to expand the size, reach, and power of the movement. The Field Department works with the ACLU of Florida’s chapter network, collaborating with chapter leaders and members to advance campaign objectives and build power in the 12 Florida communities that have chapters.
Organizing at the ACLU of Florida is intended to complement the approaches used by some other groups—especially those that connect individuals to resources, build community/social capital, primarily react to unanticipated or emerging community concerns, or educate the public about important issues—but not to replicate those approaches. Organizing at the ACLU of Florida is instead oriented towards systemic change and policy action—moving people to take strategic actions that lead to decision-makers making different decisions, ones that result in the advancement of specific campaign objectives. These strategic actions can take place in the electoral, legislative, legal, and community education contexts. Organizing at the ACLU of Florida is also designed to build long-term political and community power for the civil liberties movement, so that civil liberties and civil rights are better protected and strengthened.
POSITION OVERVIEW
The Deputy Field Director is a senior staff position. Reporting to the Field Director, the position provides critical leadership on issues related to the organizing and mobilizing of grassroots civil liberties/civil rights supports in Florida. The position is tasked with facilitating crucial internal communication, leading all training efforts, and providing direct supervision over our internship program.
PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES
- Provide assistance to the Field Director in developing and implementing strategies for grassroots supporters to engage policymakers, stakeholders, and opinion leaders from all ends of the political and ideological spectrum, in ways that achieve the organization’s policy campaign objectives.
- Provide assistance to the Field Director in developing and implementing strategies to organize Floridians across the state to work toward achieving the ACLU of Florida’s campaign objectives and building power for the civil liberties movement, including developing field plans, and turning goals and strategies into tactics, timelines and metrics.
- Serve as the primary point of contact with the Director of Statewide Initiatives to engage the chapter network and chapter members to achieve the ACLU of Florida’s campaign objectives.
- In coordination with the Communications Department, developing and implementing digital organizing actions, tools and materials
- Serve as a point of contact with the Communications Department for coordinating inter-departmental activity and developing persuasive and informative outreach materials.
- Oversee and manage ACLU FL Field Internship Program
- Lead all departmental efforts related to training, programming, and building the advocacy skills of volunteers and ambassadors.
- Organize action-oriented events to influence decision-makers on ACLU of Florida campaign objectives.
- Consistent with ACLU of Florida policy, working with local and national ACLU staff to implement non-partisan, non-political strategies to educate the public about candidates’ positions on civil liberties and civil rights.
- Serve as a spokesperson, as needed.
- Ensure that the Field team has the tools and resources needed to effectively execute strategies and tactics.
- Other duties, as assigned.
DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS
While no one person will have all the qualities enumerated below, the successful candidate will bring many of the following qualifications and attributes:
- 5 to 7 years of organizing experience
- Strong track record of developing trainings and curriculums, mobilizing large numbers of people into action, and building community leadership.
- Excellent communication skills and ability to share a vision
- Strong, clear, and accurate writing, editing, and verbal communication.
- Excellent relationship building skills and experience working effectively with community groups and members,
- Computer skills: working knowledge of campaign databases including the Voter Activation Network (VAN) preferred, word processing, spreadsheet, and multimedia presentation software.
- Prior knowledge and experience working in Florida and selected regions is a plus.
- Familiarity with 501(c)3 structures and 501(c)4 non-profit management a plus
- Experience in political/advocacy/campaign organizing.
- Experience putting campaign strategy and tactics for volunteer engagement into practice.
- 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 ability to work on a fast-paced campaign with many moving pieces and adapt to changing circumstances preferred.
- Ability to have a flexible schedule and travel.
- Must have FL Driver’s License.
- Must have a working vehicle.
- Fluency in Spanish or Creole preferred, but not required.
- Unwavering commitment to the mission and goals of the ACLU, including a demonstrated commitment to equity and racial justice.
Compensation will be commensurate with experience, within the range of $75,000 - $100,000. The ACLU of Florida provides excellent benefits, including health and dental insurance with generous vacation, holiday and sick leave policies, as well as a Defined Contribution 401K Retirement Plan. Base vacation leave is five weeks per year.
Please send cover letter, resume, by email to [email protected]. All inquiries should include Deputy Field Director in the subject line and all attachments should be in Microsoft Word or PDF format.
Applications will be accepted until the position is filled. Please indicate where you learned of this job posting. No phone calls, please.
This job description provides a general but not comprehensive list of the essential responsibilities and qualifications required. It does not represent a contract of employment. The ACLU of Florida reserves the right to change the job description and/or posting at any time without advance notice.
Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the ACLU of FL, is currently working remotely.
The ACLU of Florida is an equal opportunity employer. We value a diverse workforce and an inclusive culture. The ACLU of Florida encourages applications from all qualified individuals without regard to race, color, religion, gender, LGBTQIA+, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, national origin, marital status, citizenship, disability, or veteran status. We encourage formerly incarcerated individuals to apply. If selected for an interview, please inquire if financial assistance is needed in order to attend.
The ACLU of Florida undertakes affirmative action strategies in its recruitment and employment efforts to assure that persons with disabilities have full opportunities for employment in all positions.