Native Vote Washington Field Director

Position Summary

Native Vote Washington (NVW), a program of Washington Conservation Action, is seeking a savvy, motivated, and organized Field Director to achieve an on-the-ground field operation within Tribal communities in Washington state for the 2024 election cycle and beyond. This role will help further Tribal sovereignty by engaging Tribal members to register to vote and to vote in state and local elections. This full-time, permanent position will be based in Washington state and will be a hybrid remote/in-person work environment.

The NVW Field Director will join the growing team of hard-working, skilled, and data-driven Organizers who are responsible for supporting Native Vote Washington’s grassroots advocacy and political organizing efforts. They will report to the WCA Vice President of Campaigns and work closely with the NVW Senior Organizer, NVW Digital Field Organizer, interns, and the Washington Conservation Action (WCA) Field and Political teams. This role will grow to include staff supervision after the 2024 election cycle.

The ideal candidate is self-motivated, organized, and excited to train and manage others and mobilize Indigenous peoples around voting, elections, civic engagement, and environmental issues in Washington state. Experience with in-person field campaigns, canvassing, and working with the voter file or tribal member lists is a must. The successful candidate will also have a variety of experiences with public outreach and engagement.

Native Vote Washington is a 100% Indigenous-led collaborative, serving Indigenous communities across the state of Washington. The Native Vote Advisory Committee provides guidance to the development and implementation of this Indigenous-led political power building project in Washington and serves as the decision-making body for the project. In 2021, Washington Conservation Action became the fiscal sponsor of Native Vote WA and the Native Vote WA Education Fund, to increase the capacity of the organization to operate year-round; and is now a permanent program within WCA.

Washington Conservation Action is a statewide environmental advocacy organization that advances environmental policies and pushes for actions that equitably address climate pollution, restore Puget Sound, sustain our state’s forests, and protect our democracy. For Washington to remain a national leader on environmental issues, we need environmental champions in elected office and to hold our

leaders accountable. To keep our environment protected, healthy, and vibrant, we are committed to supporting Native candidates, candidates of color, and environmental leaders seeking election.

Washington Conservation Action is a 501(c4) organization. Washington Conservation Action Education Fund is our 501(c3) partner organization. Together, we advance a shared vision for a Washington state where nature and people live in balance for the flourishing of all.

Washington Conservation Action is based in a LEED-certified building in downtown Seattle with a view of Elliott Bay. Our team of nearly 45 staff works in a flexible hybrid model, with staff in the office two days a week for collaboration and celebration. All staff members have access to tools and systems to support hybrid work. We offer competitive salaries, excellent benefits, and the opportunity to make a difference. We are committed to a diverse, socially just, and welcoming work environment. People of color, people with varying abilities, and people of all sexual orientations and gender identities are especially encouraged to apply. We continue to advance the application of a racial equity lens to our work and are led by a CEO who is a citizen of the Confederated Tribes Warm Springs, Oregon.

Responsibilities:

The NVW Field Director is responsible for advancing our organization’s civic engagement and political organizing, including preparing field plans and training volunteers and canvassers. They will manage the relationship with a canvassing contractor and work closely with the WCA VP of Campaigns and WCA Field Director to implement a state-wide voter turnout plan within Tribal communities. Working alongside our NVW Organizers, the NVW Field Director will play a key role in growing people-power and increasing Native Vote storytelling from native communities in Washington state. This role will grow to include staff supervision after the 2024 election cycle.

Field Planning and Implementation 40%

• Develop and implement a field plan with clear goals, projections, and a path to hitting our voter registration and voter contact targets
• Communicate and adjust progress weekly to meet community outreach goals, including voter registrations, email signs, and conversations with voters
• Update and maintain volunteer databases in Voter Activation Network (VAN) and spreadsheets with the intent to report back all numbers post-election
• Engage and mobilize Native voters to participate in elections in Washington Tribal communities, in alignment with the 2024 NVW Political Plan
• Serve as a point of contact for Tribes and vendors for field and Get Out the Vote efforts on behalf or in partnership with NVW
• Work with the WCA Political team to develop and manage the delivery of voter contact materials, like literature
• Work with the NVW Senior Organizer to grow a base of volunteer leaders in organizing community outreach, educational events, and voter turnout efforts
• Support the NVW Senior Organizer in planning, coordinating, and staffing field events
• Staff supervision after the 2024 election cycle

Contract Management 35%

• Work with the WCA Political Team to engage a canvassing contractor and implement field plan
• Communicate twice weekly with contractor to get reports on metrics and track to goals
• Ensure data from contractor is accurately entered into VAN database in a timely manner
• Work with vendors to develop materials for contract employees, like flyers and Get Out The Vote literature

Organizational 25%

• Supports the NVW online presence by reporting out stories, photos, and videos from the field to the NVW Digital Field Organizer
• Ensures principles of tribal sovereignty, racial and social equity are infused in our fieldwork through Free Prior Informed Consent with Tribal Councils before engaging with communities and supporting WCA staff to advance racial and social equity in organizational culture
• Assist with fundraising and other organizational events as needed, including recruitment and providing live support at events
• Performs all administrative duties, like entering timecards, reimbursements, and other administrative tasks in a timely manner
• Uses organizational systems to communicate with team members and contractors, including Outlook, Slack, Asana (project management software), and Salesforce and VAN
• Perform other duties as directed

Requirements:

• Experience organizing and implementing successful grassroots advocacy or electoral campaigns Campus or community organizing of any kind can meet this requirement
• Experience working with tribal communities and understanding of Tribal Treaty Rights and issues of sovereignty
• Knowledge of the Voter Activation Network (VAN) or Votebuilder, Salesforce, or similar database platforms and field tools
• At least one year of experience supervising volunteers, interns or staff
• Commitment to environmental protection and principles of racial, social, and economic justice
• Demonstrated ability in education or outreach and communications
• Ability to maintain a flexible schedule that will include some evening and weekend work
• Ability to take initiative, develop ideas, and turn them into action
• Ability to work and communicate effectively, both independently and with a team, in a remote supervisory environment
• Lives in Washington state or is willing to move to Washington state at their own expense
• A valid driver’s license, or the ability to obtain one, and ability to travel to different parts of Washington as needed, up to 50% of your work time. You will be reimbursed for approved travel costs, including mileage, food and lodging if needed

Desirable Skills

• Understanding of social networking tools like Facebook, Instagram, and Threads/Twitter

Compensation and Benefits

This is a full time, exempt position with a salary range of $85,000-$93,000 depending on experience. We also offer a generous benefits package including medical and dental insurance, 401k plan and organizational match of up to 3% of your annual salary, a flexible spending account, four weeks of paid vacation accrued in your first year and sick leave, 13 paid holidays per year, an unlimited ORCA transit pass if you are in the ORCA service region, $1000 per year for professional development and if you work for seven consecutive years you are eligible for a two-month paid sabbatical. We welcome new and diverse people to a great team who together shape environmental protection in Washington.

Location Information

This position is hybrid (minimum of 40% in the Seattle office) but we will consider an option for being fully remote for those located within Washington State, but outside of mass transit options to our Seattle office. We anticipate this job will involve travel to in-person meetings, events, and staff gatherings at the discretion of the supervisor.

Working Conditions and Physical Demands

This is a full-time position and is expected to work a standard work week of 40 hours. Some weeks may require additional hours to meet deadlines.

This job requires frequent sitting. Must be able to conduct business in English, though fluency in other languages is welcomed. For remote work, employees must maintain a workspace with an internet connection where they can reliably perform work during scheduled work hours. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with different abilities to perform functions essential to the duties of the position.

While performing the canvassing duties of this job, the employee is regularly expected to be on their feet and/or walking. The individual will be interacting with community members in public settings and will adhere to all regulations and organizational protocols related to COVID-19 safety. While canvassing in the neighborhood, there is a potential for interacting with unpredictable community members and inclement weather.

This position has the option of being primarily remote, within Washington state. We are prioritizing folks who live on or near Lummi, Yakama, Puyallup, Tulalip, or Spokane Nations but if you live elsewhere this should not discourage you from applying.

COVID-19

The organization follows all requirements of local health authorities. We are currently working in a hybrid remote work model with staff working from home in addition to in-office time for collaboration and celebration. We maintain strict safety protocols while in our office. All staff who come to the office must be fully immunized against COVID-19.

Washington Conservation Action and Native Vote Washington are an equal opportunity employer committed to dismantling structural racism and creating a welcoming work environment. WCA and NVW do not discriminate on the basis of age, race, gender, religion, marital status, veteran’s status, national origin, disability, or sexual orientation. People of color, people with disabilities, and people of all sexual orientations and gender identities are especially encouraged to apply.