Community Program Specialist

Amnesty International USA (AIUSA) is the global organization’s presence in the United States. We engage people in the U.S. to fight injustice all around the world, while we also work to protect people’s human rights here in the U.S. Amnesty International USA has more than one million members and activists in all 50 states, who are part of a larger global movement of 10 million people in 150 countries. We are a democratically governed, grassroots membership organization, which means that our members vote on key policy issues and elect our Board of Directors. Some of our members are experts on specific human rights issues, parts of the world, or advocacy areas, and they serve as volunteer leaders. Others are volunteer leaders of local or student groups in towns, universities, states, or regions of the country. Amnesty International USA’s elected Board members, staff, and members work together to lead the organization.

Job Summary

The AIUSA Community Program provides people with opportunities to become grassroots activists with Amnesty International USA, and engage in human rights education, advocacy and activism for global human rights from their own communities across the United States.

The Community Program Specialist is responsible managing and leading the development of a national volunteer leader program comprised of AIUSA members. The Specialist will build and strengthen the capacity of this network of specialized volunteer activists who are critical in advancing AIUSA’s human rights work. The Specialist will lead the recruitment, assessment, engagement, training and retention of this activist network, while providing resources and support. The position will also represent AIUSA with external partners, including work in coalitions, outreach opportunities and other audiences.

The ideal candidate or this role has a passion for human rights work, and will lead the successful mobilization of Community Program networks in activism initiatives at AIUSA. This role is a union position and covered by the Collective Bargaining Agreement with the Communication Workers of America (CWA), Local 1180. This role is fully remote but will require travel for conferences and in-person trainings.

Essential Responsibilities

• Manage and direct volunteer activists that support the work of AIUSA’s Community Program
• Implement leadership, recruitment, and cultivation strategies for AIUSA’s Community Program, including standards of accountability to ensure that volunteer activists meet the expectations associated with their roles
• Create onboarding and role development plans, including one-on-one meetings and customized support as needed, ensuring volunteer activists are fully prepared for their role
• Project manage and lead annual in-person and virtual trainings for Community Program volunteer activists to provide orientation and skill development
• Oversee the annual work planning for volunteer activists and collaborate on the development of annual goals for a national volunteer leader steering committee
• Develop and implement a comprehensive plan for measurable volunteer growth that meets program needs through the continued engagement of the existing volunteer base, reactivation of previous volunteers, and the acquisition of new and diverse volunteers
• Capture volunteer activist impact by creating mechanisms for tracking both online and offline engagement and analyze engagement points with intent to scale
• Ensure proper monitoring, evaluation, accountability, and learning is documented and incorporated into a data management system
• Cultivate and negotiate mutually beneficial agreements and partnerships with a variety of external groups organizations, and corporations with the goal of increasing volunteer recruitment
• Develop and facilitate webinars, trainings and orientations for Community Program volunteer and network of activists
• Develop, implement and evaluate communication, retention and engagement strategies for network of volunteer activists in the Community Program
• Identify and support individual volunteer leaders through coaching, leadership development and skill development
• Support on organization-wide Community Program activism initiatives, including Banned Books Week, Write for Rights, and specific initiatives that support AIUSA’s base-building projects

Knowledge, Skills, Abilities

• Strong understanding of volunteer management, engagement and educational/leadership development, including experience with recruitment, coaching, assessment and offboarding of volunteers
• Knowledge of current theories of volunteer leadership development, recruitment and management, including a demonstrated track record implementing IDEA strategies in their work
• Strong people skills, with an ability to manage, motivate and collaborate with volunteers
• Demonstrated experience with (IDEA) inclusion, diversity, equity, and accessibility in building and supporting programs
• Strong project and people management skills, with the ability to successfully manage multiple concurrent projects and deadlines
• Ability to manage and analyze data, and use data to make strategic decisions
• Demonstrated ability to work across teams, departments and other structures to achieve goals
• Excellent interpersonal and diplomatic skills, with demonstrated ability to independently resolve conflict
• Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail

Education and Experience

• Minimum of 5 years directly relevant experience with volunteer management, organizing, and/or program management;
• Experience working on human rights or social justice movements preferred
• Experience or strong understanding community organizing principles and tactics preferred
• Demonstrated ability to develop and implement systems or processes for a team while integrating multiple stakeholders
• Experience using digital communications and engagement tools to increase organizing and advocacy outputs
• Experience with coaching and training volunteers in-person and/or remotely
• Experience developing training materials and facilitating workshops based on identified needs of stakeholder groups
• Experience launching IDEA initiatives and strategies to recruit and retain diverse, intergenerational members
• Strong written communication ability, including experience with email, newsletters, toolkits, and/or promotional materials
• Experience with Google apps, Microsoft office, Adobe Acrobat editing, WordPress, Constant Contact, and Canva preferred

We recognize the valuable skills that can be gained through internships, fellowships, volunteer work, and non-traditional work experience. This experience helps build competencies and knowledge that may translate to our job openings. We seek a diversity of experience and skills for our workplace and encourage people from all backgrounds to apply to our openings.

HOW TO APPLY AND OUR EEO STATEMENT

All applications must be completed online, and we do not accept paper submissions. Please visit our Careers Page to review all current job postings. You must complete the entire online application, and electronically sign, in order for an application to be considered “complete.” We send emails via Paycom so please check your spam folders for any updates. Please email talentacquisition@aiusa.org for technical difficulties ONLY.

Amnesty International USA is an equal opportunity employer. AIUSA encourages applications from all qualified individuals without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, national origin, marital status, citizenship, disability, veteran status and record of arrest or conviction, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. Black people, Indigenous people, people of color; lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and intersex people; women; people with disabilities, protected veterans, and formerly incarcerated individuals are all strongly encouraged to apply.

OUR COMMITMENT AS AN ANTI-RACIST ORGANIZATION AND TO INCLUSION, DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND ACCESSIBILITY (IDEA)

Dismantling white supremacy is central to the fight for human rights in the United States and around the world. As we mobilize staff and activists and work with partners to help transform the multiple systems where oppression operates in the world around us as part of our human rights mandate, anti-racism must be integral to our work. What does that mean for Amnesty International in the United States? It means using our people power to fight injustice and centering the voices and experiences of those most impacted by racist structures, beliefs, and laws. Fundamentally, it means doing our human rights work differently than it has been done before, because we know that who we work with, how we work, the work we do, and ultimately who we are, are all interconnected.

As an international, intercultural, intergenerational and intersectional movement of activists committed to protecting and advancing human rights for all, Amnesty is deeply committed to Inclusion, Diversity, Equity & Accessibility (IDEA). To learn more about how we integrate IDEA into our programs and workplace, visit: https://www.amnestyusa.org/idea/

Remote and Hybrid Workplace Policy

Because the health and safety of our employees and candidates are a top priority, we are currently conducting our hiring process virtually.

Staff, office visitors, and event attendees to be up to date with COVID vaccines before entering AIUSA offices or attending AIUSA events or in-person meetings. If anyone wishing to enter the office or attend our events is not vaccinated, they will need to have tested negative for COVID within 24 hours of entry. We expect that all staff and visitors entering the office or attending AIUSA events will, by accessing our facilities, be attesting that they are vaccinated or that they have tested negative within 24 hours of entry.

Please review the job description, which will state whether a role is hybrid and remote. Some roles may require travel domestically and/or internationally.