Administrative Organizer at ONE DC

Organizational Description:

Since our founding in 2006, Organizing Neighborhood Equity (ONE) DC has worked tirelessly to advance racial and economic equity in the District by fighting economic disenfranchisement among Black working-class communities in DC. ONE DC builds multi-racial and cross-class solidarity, but we focus our efforts in the majority of Black, working-class communities in Wards 5, 6, 7, and 8. We build community power through grassroots organizing, leadership development of members, advancing social entrepreneurship and alternative economic models, the collective use of resources, and coalition-building in housing, employment, and income inequality.

As a Black-led non-profit, we take seriously the need to bring community members into decision-making and leadership roles. The members of our shared leadership team have lived experience with the structural inequalities that we work to address, and this experience guides our direction and informs the work that we do. Our commitment to building economic independence and community power within communities of color in DC shows up clearly in the decisions we make about how to shape our programming, and where to direct our resources.

As a black and working class-led organization, ONE DC has recently achieved several internal and external victories to build our political strength to win racial and economic equity in the District. In 2018, ONE DC purchased The United Black Fund building and spent the last three years renovating it to become the country’s first debt-free Black Workers Center, where ONE DC members and other workers convene to build worker power through cooperative incubation, community work, and political education. As a community steward, ONE DC plan to use the Black Workers Center as a hub for movement-building work and community partnership. In 2020, ONE DC co-founded a citywide organizing partnership to cancel rent for workers who lost their jobs during the country’s first global pandemic in a century. Finally, in 2021, ONE DC began strengthening the city’s tenant union community. Now, in over five buildings working with tenant leaders, ONE DC encourages these tenant associations to join the Right to the City, a national network of tenant activism.

Organizationally, ONE DC has practiced a non-traditional governance structure called the Shared Leadership Team (SLT). ONE DC’s volunteer directors work with ONE DC’s senior staff to steward and govern its resources and organizational priorities through sub-committees. In 2022, ONE DC’s SLT decided to introduce a management team of three, who will strategize with SLT staff activities and provide day-to-day supervision. As a management team of three, these supervisors will ensure key responsibilities that fall under specific SLT sub-committees are completed collaboratively by staff and members.

This position is one of three management positions. ONE DC is seeking an Administrative Organizer who will develop and oversee administrative processes to ensure ONE DC’s campaign and organizational work is supported with strong logistical management.

About the Position:

ONE DC is seeking a creative and dynamic individual with a proven track record to join the ONE DC’s management team.

Responsibilities Include: 

• Anchor and co-lead ONE DC’s Shared Leadership Team’s (SLT) Admin sub-committee with one SLT Director
  1. Invite and ensure this committee has at least 10 to 15 ONE DC’s primary base members on it to ensure the organization’s administrative responsibilities are collaboratively and cooperatively conducted.
  2. Admin committee needs to provide logistical support to SLT’s committees and organizational work.
• Develop a system or process to ensure staff’s administrative needs are effectively addressed. When necessary, identify logistical or procedural recommendations to improve ONE DC’s administrative systems.
• Ensure all ONE DC’s SLT and staff orientation materials are compiled into hard and digital copies
• Work closely and transparently with all external partners including third-party vendors and consultants.
• Assist in mentoring ONE DC staff by participating and modeling ONE DC’s organizing model by holding at least three one-on-ones weekly with ONE DC’s primary base members.
• Oversee administrative functions as well as facilities to ensure efficient and consistent operations as the organization scales.
• Supervise any hired administrative positions like the Resource Organizer.
• Mentor ONE DC staff and model ONE DC’s organizing model by holding regular one-on-one on a weekly basis with our primary base. By the year’s end, successful development of at least 50 ONE DC members, not including SLT directors and staff, is expected.
• Ensure annual staff evaluations are completed on time
• Recruit and coordinate ONE DC’s interns and internships.
• Collaborate with organizing staff to address day-to-day administrative needs
• Coordinate with Delwin Realty about the property management of the Black Workers and Wellness Center
• Ensure all organizational bills and contractors’ invoices are paid in a timely manner
• Ensure office supplies are ordered on time
• Monitor the day-to-day expenses of the organization.
• Manage the resources of the organization and all bank accounts
• Maintain an accurate filing and record keeping system for organizational documents
• Ensure proper data entry into NationBuilder
• Work with the Finance team to prepare the audit documents
• Be a member of ONE DC’s finance committee.
• Support and participate in ONE DC’s Outreach Days.

Management team responsibilities include:

1. Supervise staff in daily work responsibilities
2. Further develop ONE DC’s human resources and administration, enhancing professional development, compensation and benefits, performance evaluation, training, and recruiting
3. Act as liaison between staff and SLT including the Personnel Committee
4. Work with management team to plan staff retreats
5. Work with SLT to plan annual SLT retreats
6. Hold bi-weekly check-ins with staff
7. Ensure monthly workplans are submitted
8. Ensure annual staff evaluations are completed on time
9. Provide and/or schedule leadership training for staff
10. Help staff develop leadership training plans and monitor their progress
11. Oversee new staff onboarding and conduct staff orientation
12. Support staff’s development and manifestation of ONE DC’s values, mission, and organizational work
13. Attend, participate and when necessary, plan staff meetings

A successful candidate’s Minimum Requirements:

1. At least five years of demonstrated administrative/direct organizing/base building experience;
2. Excellent interpersonal skills, with a history of power-building and relationship-building with working-class sub-populations;
3. Excellent computer and internet skills;
4. At least two or more years with administrative management
5. Ability to build unity and motivate others to action;
6. Strong history and personal practice of political and personal transformation;
7. A disciplined commitment to political education;
8. A history of developing successful working relationships with movement organizations;
9. Excellent emotional intelligence;
10. A visionary and strong organizational leader;
11. A long history of self-accountability and positive contributions to organizational staff culture;
12. Good communication skills, written and verbal; and
13. Self-motivated and skilled at working as part of a team.

Additional Qualifications:

1. Must be a resident in the DMV area, DC residents are strongly encouraged to apply and given strong preference;
2. To ensure leadership continuity, successful candidates should be willing to commit to at least a 3-year involvement in ONE DC;
3. Knowledge of Washington, DC issues and organizations;
4. Learn about and commit to ONE DC’s organizing model;
5. Willingness and ability to work with diverse community residents, particularly low-income residents, to address barriers to developing their strength as a community;
6. Spanish, Amharic, or Chinese language proficiency given strong preference;
7. Strong research skills;
8. Eye for detail;
9. Flexible hours, including a willingness to work evenings and weekends;
10. Creativity and sense of humor;
11. A desire to deepen political analysis and learn about the history of social movements;
12. A reflexive professional practice and active commitment to self-critique;
13. Willingness to engage in honest, though constructive, mindful, and compassionate reciprocal critique of work with teams and other staff.

This is a full-time position. The salary for this position will range from $65,000-$80,000 based on experience. ONE DC offers a generous salary and benefits package. ONE DC is strongly committed to staff development and training. This is an opportunity for an individual to build meaningful relationships with grassroots communities and to be a part of real, concrete social change. People of color, women, LGBTQ and bilingual applicants are strongly encouraged to apply.

To Apply:

Please submit resume and cover letter (including salary expectations) electronically to [email protected]. Applications will be accepted until the position is filled.