Job Description

Youth Represent is seeking a full-time Youth Organizer with 2 to 5 years of experience in an organizing or direct services role working with system-involved young people and who can support them in developing the skills and experience to be powerful advocates.

Youth Represent is a youth defense and advocacy non-profit serving New York City youth up to age 26. We provide comprehensive legal representation, community support, education, and policy advocacy for and with our clients.

The Youth Organizer will play a key role supporting youth leadership at Youth Represent and in campaigns for youth justice. The Organizer will oversee our Youth Committee, including recruiting and training Youth Committee participants; supporting Youth Committee members helping to lead our advocacy efforts through campaign events, social media, lobby days, and youth-led workshops; and leading outreach to schools and other youth organizations to engage more young people in our campaigns for youth investment and decarceration.

The Organizer position is part of the Policy Team, reporting to the Director of Policy and closely collaborating with the Youth Development Coordinator and Policy Associate. The role is based in New York City with some statewide travel required. Candidates must be available to regularly work early evenings and occasionally work weekends. We strongly encourage people with lived experience in the criminal legal system to apply–especially those impacted as teens or young adults.

The person who will succeed in this role:

• Is truly committed to centering young people whose lives have intersected with the legal system as valued, respected, and credible decision-makers and contributors to policy reform campaigns.
• Feels a real sense of ownership to get things done as a partner to the team. This can mean responding to quick deadlines and changing conditions.
• Enjoys outreach and collaboration and is excited to make connections with young people around the city and facilitate their leadership in our youth justice campaigns.
• Has experience working with older youth and young adults, particularly in the areas of youth leadership development, education, and advocacy.
• Has experience with grassroots organizing, advocacy campaigns, and/or youth outreach.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Lead the Youth Represent Youth Committee

• Recruit, interview, and select a new cohort of 4-10 Youth Committee members (age 16-24) each year (cohort size will vary depending on the number of openings in the Youth Committee).
• Plan and facilitate intensive training for new Youth Committee members, including leading trainings and scheduling guest speakers.
• Lead Youth Committee meetings throughout the year.
• Train and support youth interns.
• Work with Youth Committee members to set goals and track progress towards goals (in collaboration with the Youth Development Coordinator).

Advance Youth Justice Campaigns in New York Centering by Centering Young People

• Support Youth Committee members taking leadership roles in the Youth Justice & Opportunities Act, Youth Justice Innovation Fund, Raise the Age and other youth justice campaigns.
• Work with Youth Committee members and YR staff to plan and execute campaign events to advance our policy goals. These include rallies, town halls, press conferences, legislative meetings, social media action days, and lobby days. Ensure that directly impacted youth are centered in campaign events and messaging.
• Plan, attend, and prepare youth participants for legislative meetings.
• Plan, attend, and prepare youth participants to lead workshops for other youth.
• Prepare and support young people for speaking engagements, including testimony before the City Council, state legislature, and other bodies.
• Strengthen our coalitions by building relationships with schools, community-based organizations, and direct services providers.
• Provide administrative and fundraising support to program, campaign, and policy work as needed.

PRIOR EXPERIENCES & KNOWLEDGE

We know you may not have all of the skills listed below– you are still encouraged to apply!

• The ideal candidate has 2+ years of relevant full-time experience, including grassroots organization and/or youth engagement and leadership development.
• Strong communication, interpersonal, facilitation and relationship-building skills, including comfort managing and de-escalating conflict and using restorative practices.
• Deep commitment to centering directly impacted youth in every aspect of our work and to dismantling systems that criminalize youth.
• Knowledge and experience organizing events and actions (such as rallies, trainings, teach-ins, and town halls) and using social media tools.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills.
• Initiative, good judgment, strong work ethic, and a sense of humor.
• Ability to stay organized, meet deadlines and work both independently and in collaboration with others.
• Flexibility for statewide travel and ability to work some evenings and weekends.
• Young people and people who have been impacted by the criminal legal system or are formerly incarcerated are encouraged to apply, especially those arrested and convicted as teenagers or young adults.

WORKING REQUIREMENTS

Employees are expected to work in-person at our lower Manhattan office at least three times a week, and to attend additional in-person events around the City during the work week. Some statewide travel is required and candidates must be available to work 11am - 7pm at least one day per week and occasionally work on the weekends (with comp time available).

Candidates must reside in New York City or the surrounding area.

SALARY RANGE & BENEFITS PACKAGE

• Salary for this position is $60,683 - 66,629, depending on experience.
• We offer fully employer-covered health insurance, including vision and dental coverage, along with short- and long-term disability insurance, life insurance, and a generous parental leave policy (17 week fully paid). We offer four weeks of paid vacation (increasing to five weeks after five years of service), thirteen holidays, five personal days, and twelve “sick or mental health” days, and we close the office during the week between Christmas and New Year’s Day. Finally, each employee also has access to professional development funds and a $200 wellness fund. These comprehensive benefits reflect our commitment to our staff’s health, happiness, and overall satisfaction.

This position is included in the bargaining unit represented by the Association of Legal Aid Attorneys-UAW Local 2325.

HOW TO APPLY:

Interested applicants should click on the following link for the online application portal. Please upload your cover letter, resume, and a short writing sample as a single pdf titled Organizer-YOUR NAME.

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis with a priority deadline Thursday, September 10th. Applications without cover letters that directly address the candidate’s fit with the key qualifications will not be considered.

Youth Represent is an equal opportunity employer and is cultivating a truly equitable and anti-oppressive workplace that embraces staff with a diversity of backgrounds, identities and experiences. We particularly encourage applicants from marginalized communities, including those who identify as Black, Indigenous, people of color, queer, transgender, gender expansive, disabled, and those directly impacted by legal systems. We value lived as well as professional experience. We acknowledge the ways in which systemic oppression and injustice can undermine access to professional opportunities and are committed to conducting a hiring process that is equitable and accessible to all.

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