Job Title: Senior Organiser

Salary: £45,420 per annum

Hours: 37.5 hours per week (some unsociable hours) Contract: Full-time

Based: Greater Manchester

Deadline for applications: 12pm, Monday 15th January 2024.

Interviews: in-person on Monday 22nd January 2024.

Citizens UK

Citizens UK organises communities to act together for power, social justice and the common good.

We are the home of broad-based community organising in the UK, with 17 diverse civil society alliances across England and Wales. We build powerful alliances that develop the leadership capacity of our members so they can hold politicians and other decision-makers to account on the issues that matter to them. Citizens UK also creates systemic change through projects such as the Living Wage Foundation and Sponsor Refugees. Please visit our website at: www.citizensuk.org

Greater Manchester Citizens

Founded in 2017 with a gathering of 1000 people ahead of the then Mayoral elections, Greater Manchester Citizens has a membership of seventeen diverse civil society organisations. The independent alliance is the home of broad-based community organising in the region, training many civil society leaders and winning change on persuading employers to pay the Real Living Wage, refugee resettlement and tackling hate crime.

Purpose

A Senior Organiser is mastering the craft of community organising and taking increasing responsibility for developing major campaigns, managing budgets and managing staff. They operate with a high degree of independence but are significant contributors to CUK-wide functions such as training. Senior Organisers model the broad-based community organising methodology in their work including the building of relational power, the recruitment and retention of dues-paying institutions, the development of leaders, the strengthening of member institutions, leader-led public actions, and the winning of systemic change.

Main Responsibilities

Working as the Senior Organiser in Greater Manchester for Citizens UK your main responsibilities will include:

Build relational power to further the goals of CUK:

• Develop a comprehensive power analysis for Greater Manchester

• Develop and grow strong working relationships with power players at a regional level or sector, including journalists; taking the initiative to establish new relationships as required

• Conduct on-to- ones in order to develop relationships with leaders; demonstrating timely and effective agitation to stimulate action

• Work effectively with local journalists and media outlets to further CUK’s goals

Identify and develop relational leaders prepared to act with others for the common good:

• Work with and learn from the best veteran leaders on key actions

• Play a central role in the development of primary leaders; creating plans with them that are carried out

• Nominate leaders for training on the core taster curriculum and for National Training

Strengthen institutions and develop BBOs:

• Organise a diverse alliance to work together at chapter level

• Create/develop a leadership team of representatives from several institutions at chapter level or a regional/national campaign that is successful in combining action with growth

• Design organising strategies that combine internal & external action

Support leaders through the Cycle of Action to create change

• Take the staff lead on chapter-wide actions and campaigns; aiming to achieve significant wins at chapter/campaign level

• Facilitate Issues Workshops and Delegates Assemblies.

• Develop strategies for significant impact; with comprehensive plans & tactics

• Support actions, ensuring publicity, and facilitating high level negotiations

• Evaluate the effectiveness of actions; demonstrating ability to incorporate lessons learned into future actions

Contribute to CUK’s financial viability through effective fundraising & financial management:

• Recruit new dues paying institutions; negotiating annual membership fees and letters of understanding as required

• Recruit and work with large organisations; ensuring that they invest into the alliance and not solely internal delivery

• Contribute to fundraising by securing £75k-£90k per annum overall, at least half of which should be ‘hard money’ from retention and recruitment of member institutions and strategic partners.

Contribute to effective teamwork:

• Attract and help recruit new Organisers

• Lead other Organisers or Associates in a manner that supports high performance by providing clear expectations and providing proactive coaching, support and accountability.

• Teach entire training curriculum on National Training successfully; acting as a ‘Track Captain’ by providing meaningful feedback and support to other trainers

• Deliver sessions at a Guild Day

• Produce all required reports and follow CUK’s procedures on time and to the required standards

Contribute to the Craft of Community Organising:

• Schedule an average of at least 3 1-2-1 relational meetings into your daily schedule as a core part of your professional practice

• Commit 10 working days pa (pro rata for part-time staff) to the preparation, delivery and evaluation of Citizens UK National Community Leadership Training;

• Contribute to the leadership of a Guild Team and help it develop as a Community of Practice that enables Organisers across the UK to develop their skills and experience.

The successful applicant will be required to undertake a satisfactory Enhanced DBS check. DBS checks are renewed on a 3-year cycle.

Person Specification REQUIREMENTS

QUALIFICATIONS

ESSENTIAL:

Bachelor’s degree in any subject

DESIRABLE:

Evidence of further and continuing study including a possible professional qualification

EXPERIENCE

DESIRABLE:

At least three-years employment track record of successful Organising

ESSENTIAL:

Demonstrated ability to lead a team; including motivating and developing more junior staff

Experience of risk taking to create a project/situation/event that illustrates your values

Experience of successful fundraising

Demonstrated ability to manage complex projects on time and to standard

Clear evidence of campaigns won and people developed

KEY SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE

ESSENTIAL:

Ability to inspire, motivate and lead (particularly people who are different than you)

Ability to organise yourself and others and to work responsibly in an unstructured environment

Financial management skills including ability to set and manage a budget

Ability to use imaginative strategies to help improve disadvantaged communities

Ability to plan and organise under pressure

Ability to work with and relate to all types of people

Ability to teach and run workshops

Ability to develop the potential of others

Ability to communicate well verbally and in writing

PERSONAL QUALITIES & VALUES

ESSENTIAL:

A passion for justice

A good sense of humour

A positive enthusiasm for working with faith congregations, trade unions, schools and other community organisations

An interest in and experience of politics and public life

Able to work in a team

Willingness to work within accountable relationships

Self-motivated and adaptable