We’re Hiring: Senior Policy Organizer

Join our team at Move Minnesota!

Open Position: Senior Policy Organizer

Reports To: Associate Director

Job Type: Full-time, 32 hours per week, exempt

Salary & Compensation: $58,000-65,000 annual salary. Competitive benefits package includes health and dental insurance, HSA, 401(k) retirement plan, paid holidays and paid time off (PTO), FSA dependent care, life insurance, short-term and long-term disability, sustainable commuting benefits, a Metro Transit Go-To card, and flexible work environment.

About Move Minnesota

Move Minnesota is a leader in the movement for an equitable and sustainable transportation system that puts people first. We are passionate about connecting communities, ending the climate crisis, expanding access to jobs and resources, and improving daily life for Minnesotans of all ages, races, incomes, and abilities. We connect people to transit where the system works well, and fight hard to ensure it works for everyone. By engaging local communities, sharing a positive and transformative vision, and advancing precise political strategy, we are working toward a transportation system in Minnesota that protects our climate, our community wellbeing, and our collective future.

Move Minnesota (a 501c(3) nonprofit), and its subsidiary Move Minnesota Action (a 501c(4) nonprofit) are based in Saint Paul, MN. Our team is collaborative, hard-working, mission-driven, and fun. We create change through advocacy, organizing, coalition building, policy leadership, and education. We work alongside over 10,000 supporters behind the scenes and on the ground, creating change and helping Minnesotans tell the stories of how transportation choices impact their lives and the future of our communities.

Move Minnesota’s team currently works in person from our office two partial days per week to foster staff-wide connection and collaboration. The remaining work is done remotely, during optional office hours, or out in the community. All Move Minnesota employees are required to be fully vaccinated for COVID-19.

Embedding equity in organizational practices is a core value at our organization. Move Minnesota works to offer culturally inclusive services, materials, resources, and programs. We value the strengths offered through different backgrounds and perspectives. Move Minnesota is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Encouragement to Apply

At Move Minnesota, we believe that diverse perspectives and experiences enrich our work and strengthen our organization. We understand that no candidate will meet every desired qualification, and we encourage you to apply even if you do not meet all the criteria listed. If you are passionate about our mission and believe you have the skills to contribute to our team, we want to hear from you.

Position Summary

The Senior Policy Organizer is responsible for policy and organizing work that advances Twin Cities public transit service at a regional level. This role fosters relationships with local community members, partners, leaders, and decision-makers, and collaborates with other organizing and policy staff to develop leaders, conduct research, and advance campaigns.

Over the last two years, Move Minnesota and partners successfully secured significant new funding for public transit in the Twin Cities and created a new law that will require land use and transportation projects in the Twin Cities to adhere to state goals to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and how much people drive. To ensure the best possible implementation of both of these victories, regional government, especially Metro Transit and the Metropolitan Council, must act quickly to improve and expand public transit infrastructure and service, as well as mitigate climate impacts via land use planning processes.

Given these wins, this role is focused on identifying pathways to advance an excellent transit system while reducing driving and climate pollution, then organizing and mobilizing the public while leveraging relationships with decision-makers to advance this agenda. This role also actively collaborates as a thought partner with other Move Minnesota organizing and policy staff members focused on the local and state levels to ensure continuity of approach and strong alignment across jurisdictions.

This role includes evening and/or weekend hours to support campaign related activities and events, including attending relevant public meetings. While the nature of advocacy work is that it is often fast-paced and requires being nimble, Move Minnesota prioritizes work-life balance and encourages schedule flexing when work outside of 9-5 office hours is required. This role must register as a lobbyist with the Minnesota Campaign Finance Board for both Move Minnesota and our 501(c)4 subsidiary, Move Minnesota Action.

Duties and Responsibilities

The Senior Policy Organizer collaborates with key partners to:

• Understand and continue to develop Move Minnesota’s vision for excellent transit in the Twin Cities region.
• Collaborate with the team to define policy and advocacy positions, goals, and objectives.
• In coordination with other Move Minnesota staff, volunteers, and external partners, develop and implement political and advocacy organizing and mobilizing activities to inspire government action. This could potentially include but is not limited to: canvassing, survey and data collection, relational organizing, community engagement and events, and collaboration on messaging.
• Coordinate communications between staff members, volunteers, and stakeholders to ensure effective communication within advocacy initiatives.
• Assist in writing action alerts, newsletters, leave-behind materials, and website and social media content.
• Build and maintain relationships with key leaders and staff at relevant partner jurisdictions and agencies.
• Conduct research and connect with local and national experts to understand ways to leverage land use and transportation decision making to reach climate and racial justice goals.
• In partnership with other Move Minnesota staff, review and comment on regional plans and policies.
• Attend, track, and testify at public, board, and committee meetings; coordinate community comments and testimony where appropriate.
• General collaboration and support: as a small team, everyone is expected to pitch in to help colleagues when support is needed.

Position Qualifications

The Senior Policy Organizer must have excellent organizational and interpersonal skills, as well as comfort working with decision-makers, policy and agency staff, organizational partners, and key stakeholders.

• Demonstrated commitment to cultural competency, including experience working effectively with people of diverse backgrounds, including but not limited to race, ethnicity, gender, nationality, sexual orientation, religion, language, ability, age and socioeconomic status.
• Knowledge of walking, biking, rolling, transit, and shared mobility as modes of transportation, and sensitivity to the way transportation issues affect people’s lives and communities.
• Commitment to progressive causes impacted by transportation such as climate action, racial justice, disability justice, children and education, housing, health, and more.
• Experience working on advocacy initiatives.
• 2-5 years of experience in organizing, policy and/or electoral campaigns, as well as a demonstrated ability to engage decision makers, speak and write compellingly about policy issues, and implement a campaign plan.
• Strong skills in project management, proactive problem solving, analytical thinking, and direct communication.
• Understanding and ability to navigate nonprofit structures, including 501c(3) and 501c(4) activity restrictions and reporting requirements. Must register as a lobbyist with the Minnesota Campaign Finance Board.
• Proficiency with standard office technology including software, virtual tools, and database management.
• Superior communication, writing, and organizational skills and ability to execute multiple tasks simultaneously in a fast-paced environment.
• Ability to work independently in a deadline-driven environment with competing priorities.
• Ability to work occasional evenings and weekends.

Location

This position is housed at the Move Minnesota office in Saint Paul, Minnesota. The office is one block from the METRO Green Line’s Raymond Ave Station and easy to reach on Metro Transit bus routes 16, 63, 67, and 87. Indoor bike parking and a private changing room are available. The building where our office is located has one floor (no stairs) and multi-stall restrooms.