Looking for a job you can feel good about? MPA is hiring

Currently Hiring:

 
Community Organizer - Bangor

MPA is currently accepting inquiries for a Community Organizer located in Bangor, Maine.

Responsibilities will include:
•    Recruitment, training and leadership development of new and existing volunteers (with particular attention paid to indigenous, immigrant, and migrant populations, people directly impacted by the opioid epidemic, low wage workers, people benefitting from safety net programs and other disenfranchised communities)
•    Developing and supporting local, volunteer leadership team(s)
•    Grassroots fundraising
•    Planning campaign events and trainings
•    Leveraging social media (Twitter, Facebook) to enhance on-the-ground organizing efforts
•    Leadership role in issue campaigns

A qualified applicant should possess:
•    Self-motivation and an ability to successfully work independently, as part of a team, and as a team leader.
•    Ability to inspire others to action
•    Ability to multi-task and prioritize
•    Ability to think creatively and leverage available resources to overcome challenges
•    A willingness to work flexible hours, including some evenings and occasional weekends

Experience that is helpful but not necessary:
•    Experience in door-to-door organizing
•    At least one year of community organizing experience or community-building work
•    Working knowledge of Microsoft Word, Excel, and Outlook
•    Strong persuasive writing skills

This position is based in Bangor and will report to MPA’s Organizing Director, Jennie Pirkl.
 
MPA is an equal opportunity employer. The position is full time and unionized, with salary ranging from $30,000 to $45,000, dependent on qualifications.
 
Please send a one-page letter of interest, resume, and three references via e-mail to MPA Organizing Director Jennie Pirkl: Jennie@mainepeoplesalliance.org. Please title your email “Bangor organizing position: (your name)”.

Phone Organizers
Phone Organizers are responsible for acting as a communications and fundraising liaison between MPA and our members. Responsibilities include updating members on current issues and campaigns and negotiating contributions. 

Potential candidates must possess strong communication skills and a commitment to MPA's mission of achieving social, economic, environmental, and racial justice.

Please email resume to Lindsey at lindsey@mainepeoplesalliance.org or call 207-797-0967. 

Field Canvassers

MPA is hiring field organizers in Portland, Saco, Lewiston and Bangor to make a difference on issues that matter to everyday Mainers. Our success hinges on our ability to engage everyday people in a powerful and strategic grassroots campaign. Field organizing is the foundation of our grassroots infrastructure, allowing us to recruit members, raise money, generate grassroots action and build political power amongst key constituencies.

Qualifications: Excellent communication skills.

Our field organizers will have the opportunity to talk with hundreds of Maine people, organize press conferences, lobby our state and national representatives, and learn what it takes to be a great organizer.  Current campaign positions are focused on identifying and mobilizing voters to support progressive economic policies like raising the minimum wage, but there are also opportunities for employment beyond the current campaign and for career-building advancement. We have leadership/career opportunities available for those that demonstrate the commitment and skills to excel at the job. Pay starts at $14/ hour plus bonuses and benefits.

Interested candidates should contact:

Blake in Portland
207-797-0967
blake@mainepeoplesalliance.org

Donny in Bangor
(207) 990-0672
donncha@mainepeoplesalliance.org

MPA Internships and Fellowship Program

MPA is committed to an internship and fellowship program that develops our organization and brings in new people who are committed to social change and are interested in learning a variety of skills in the work. The program is open to seniors in high school, community college students, students enrolled in 4-year colleges or graduate school, recent graduates and people interested in social justice careers.

About the programs:
The internship and fellowship programs begin with participants attending a mandatory one-day orientation. During the training, participants learn about building power, the campaigns MPA is currently engaged in, the skill of holding one-on-one meetings, recruiting leaders, and more. Following the training, participants are assigned an MPA staff person as their supervisor who will help them develop individual work plans and goals for their time in the program. Participants will receive day-to-day supervision, ongoing training, and mentoring from their assigned staff member. They will also be expected to fill out weekly reports and meet regularly for reflection.

Maine People’s Alliance has multiple opportunities available:

Organizing program:
The spring organizing program coincides with the Maine legislative session and will involve organizing grassroots activists to engage in state and federal policy work. Fall organizing interns/fellows will get hands-on experience during election season. All organizing interns/fellows will work in targeted regions to recruit, train, and develop the leadership of community members and engage them in current campaigns. Organizing interns/fellows will work closely with a local organizer. Activities will include: door-to-door canvassing, phone calls, meetings, trainings, writing, planning, lobbying, and more.

Policy program (January- June only)
Policy interns/fellows will work closely with the Political Director during the Maine legislative session in the State House learning the ins and outs of how a law gets passed and how grassroots pressure can influence law making. Interns/fellows will track bills as they make their way through the legislative process; monitor committee work; conduct policy research; recruit volunteer lobbyists; and help lead actions, trainings, and other events with MPA members at the State House.

Communications program:
Communications interns/fellows will work closely with MPA’s communication staff and staff of The Beacon. Interns/fellows will have an opportunity to learn how communication through both traditional and emerging new media can impact social change. Communications interns/fellows will work with communications staff using a variety of skills and tools such as managing a social media presence, graphic design and video production, establishing press relationships, staffing public media events, writing for public communication, investigative journalism and more.

We offer:
Internships: Interning with MPA is an unpaid volunteer position. Students are expected to spend anywhere from 5-20 hours a week in this position. People can intern for school credit or for the experience depending on what their school requires or allows. Some applicants may be able to get funding for an internship through their school but students are responsible for coordinating such an arrangement with their respective schools. Internships are available in our organizing, policy, and communications programs.

MPA Student Action Organizing Fellow: The Student Action Organizing Fellow is a paid position open to anyone who is attending a Maine college or university. This program is competitive, as there will be at most one fellow on each college campus. Students are expected to work an average of ten hours a week in this role, for a total of 140 hours a semester. Some of the responsibilities and projects include, but are not limited to:

• Meeting weekly with MPA supervisor
• Participating in a video chat with fellows representing other Maine campuses every other week
• Organizing, maintaining, and growing a Student Action Club on campus
• Base-building activities on campus, such as tabling, clipboarding, classroom presentations, dorm storming, etc.
• Utilizing the organizing tactic of 1:1s to expand the group’s reach on campus

Fellowships: Fellowships at MPA are highly competitive, with one to three positions available any given year. Fellowships are available to recent graduates and people interested in social justice careers. This is a good opportunity for someone to gain hands-on experience in the social justice and advocacy field. These positions are paid, with the expectation that someone work an average of twenty hours in this role, for a total of 360 hours in the fall and spring. If you are interested in a paid position in the summer, please apply for a position with our canvass team.Fellowships are available in our organizing, policy, and communications programs.

Ideal candidates should meet the following criteria:

• Must have a have a passion for social justice and be able to demonstrate how you’ve participated in social justice activities and want to learn solid skills in the field of organizing.
• Knowledge of current events and comfort with social media
• Highly organized, with an ability to prioritize time-sensitive assignments
• Fearlessness – not afraid to be a bold and outside-the-box thinker
• Honesty and integrity in fulfilling your commitments
• Ready to work hard and take on new challenges and responsibilities
• Fluency in Spanish, Somali, Arabic, and French or other languages relevant to recent immigrants is a plus.
• Ability to commit 5-20 hours per week, depending on position

To apply, download our application form, paste it into the body of an email according to the instructions in the form, and send your completed application to esther@mainepeoplesalliance.org.

MPA strongly encourages women, people of color, and members of the LGBTQ community to apply.

2019 Important Dates: