ACLU FOUNDATION
OF SAN DIEGO & IMPERIAL COUNTIES
~ Job Announcement ~
EDUCATION & ADVOCACY ASSOCIATE

The American Civil Liberties Union Foundation of San Diego & Imperial Counties (ACLU) seeks a full-time, sophisticated, dynamic team-player to be its Education & Advocacy Associate.

The ACLU and ACLU Foundation of San Diego & Imperial Counties fight for fundamental freedoms and individual rights for all. The ACLU promotes and defends civil rights and civil liberties, including First Amendment rights, Equal Protection, Privacy, and Due Process in San Diego & Imperial Counties through legal, legislative, and public education programs. Located in beautiful San Diego, the ACLU affiliate has nine staff members, nineteen board members, 8,000 members, an annual budget of $1.2 million, and a $1.45 million endowment.

Position Overview and Functions:
The Education & Advocacy Associate plays a principal role in the organization’s education and advocacy programs, including managing certain projects, campaigns, and events. The Associate represents the ACLU at certain coalition meetings and public forums. The Associate reports to the Field & Policy Director and the Communications Director and works closely with other ACLU staff, ACLU offices, and allies. The Associate exercises independent judgment and discretion in performing the assigned job responsibilities.

Principal Responsibilities:

• Help develop and implement strategies—with a particular emphasis on e-activism—to deploy roughly 8,000 affiliate members in the region as advocates for civil liberties. Design strategies to increase the number of email activists, especially among new members, allies, students, young people, and other communities of interest;
• Organize activist campaigns, principally around policy issues identified as priority issues, which include educational equality, immigrant rights, criminal justice (death penalty), LGBT rights, and governmental abuse of power (secrecy, surveillance, detention, discrimination);
• Build and nurture relationships with community leaders and coalitions working on priority issues and statewide campaigns;
• Speak in public and to the media on behalf of the ACLU on various issues;
• Organize logistical aspects of events (house parties, forums, receptions, etc.) from start to finish;
• Respond to requests from ACLU student organizers, activists, and community partners;
• Prepare bimonthly email action alerts, website postings, newsletter articles, and reports relating to priority issues and campaigns for the affiliate as needed; and
• Assist the Field & Policy Director and the Communications Director in managing education and advocacy projects.

Qualifications:

• Excellent speaking and writing skills; Bachelor’s degree;
• A strong familiarity with online organizing and communication;
• A strong understanding of the policy-making process; experience in policy advocacy preferred;
• Experience working with a broad range of ethnically, ideologically, and geographically diverse communities;
• Experience working on civil rights and civil liberties issues, such as the priority issues identified above, is strongly preferred;
• Spanish language fluency in reading, writing, and speaking strongly preferred;
• Experience in organizing and/or political activism preferred; and
• Demonstrated commitment to civil liberties and civil rights and support for the goals of the ACLU.

Compensation:
Salary dependent on experience and qualifications. Excellent benefits.

To apply:
Applicants should submit a resume and a cover letter to jobs@aclusandiego.org describing, in particular, the applicant’s interest in working for the ACLU and his or her qualifications for the position described above. The deadline for applications is April 20, 2008, but the position will be kept open until filled. Position is anticipated to start by June 1, 2008.

Contact jobs@aclusandiego.org with questions.

Andrea Guerrero, Field & Policy Director
ACLU of San Diego & Imperial Counties
PO Box 87131
San Diego, CA 92138-7131
jobs@aclusandiego.org

The ACLU is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer and encourages applications from women, people of color, persons with disabilities, and lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender individuals.