Community Organizer

Community Organizer – Job Notice

Position Summary

Oregon Citizens’ Utility Board seeks a Community Organizer to help CUB shape Oregon’s energy and telecommunications policy by connecting with everyday people, organizations, and community leaders throughout Oregon. The Community Organizer will be part of a collaborative team of professionals working to protect consumers and promote equity and fairness as Oregon transitions to a clean energy economy. 

About CUB 

The Oregon Citizens’ Utility Board (CUB) is a non-profit established by initiative process to represent the interests of Oregon’s residential utility customers.

CUB advocates for customers by working to develop energy systems that are affordable, accessible, reliable, and clean and ensure telecommunications policies that support universal access to Broadband.

• Affordable utilities. CUB keeps utility rates affordable by challenging utility rate proposals and has successfully saved energy and telecommunications customers over $9 billion.
• Advance energy efficiency and renewables. CUB was instrumental in creating the Energy Trust of Oregon to deliver energy efficiency and renewable energy programs. 
• Reduce greenhouse gas emissions. CUB was central to the negotiations that led to the closure of Oregon’s only coal plant and worked as part of a broad coalition to pass Oregon’s 100% clean electricity legislation.
• Protect the accessibility and affordability of telephone and internet access services. CUB’s advocacy was critical to the passage of Oregon’s Net Neutrality and Rural Broadband bills. 
• Ensure that diversity, equity, and inclusion are promoted in utility policy. CUB has worked with community groups to broaden participation in energy policy decision-making, worked to protect vulnerable communities' access to electricity, natural gas, and broadband during the recent COVID-19 crisis, helped develop programs to prevent low-income shut-offs, and promoted weatherization and community solar. CUB strives to integrate diversity, equity, and inclusion principles in all our work. 

Job Responsibilities

This position gives the right candidate the opportunity to work with CUB’s Outreach Manager as part of the Outreach Team. 

• Work with the Outreach Team to execute CUB’s outreach and advocacy campaign activities.  
• Lead grassroots organizing efforts around CUB’s priority advocacy campaigns in collaboration with the Outreach Team.
• Build relationships with community organizations across Oregon to build power for advocacy efforts, particularly in underrepresented communities.
• Engage with partner organizations and community members to ensure CUB’s priorities are reflecting the needs of people in Oregon.
• Create and share tools for community education aimed at public empowerment for acting on utility issues that affect people in Oregon.
• Coordinate and staff outreach events, including CUB-hosted and partner events, focused on sharing information about utilities, advocacy tools, and building partnerships
• Work with the Outreach Team in creating outreach materials, including print, social media, blogs, and other communications as needed.
• Work with CUB’s Executive Director, Outreach Manager, and DEI Coordinator to ensure that CUB’s equity lens is applied to our work. 
• Share in the administrative responsibilities, and other tasks as needed, of a collaborative and informal work environment. 

Minimum Qualifications 

• Familiarity with environmental justice, low-income issues, and a commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion. (Lived experience encouraged, in addition to professional or educational experience.)
• Grassroots organizing, field organizing, or similar campaign experience (volunteer or professional).
• Experience with outreach for nonprofits, causes, or campaigns (volunteer or professional).
• Excellent written and oral communication skills, especially the ability to communicate effectively with a wide range of audiences. 
• Ability to juggle multiple tasks and to produce high-quality and factual communications.
• Friendly, with a sense of humor, and a professional demeanor with a demonstrated ability to work collaboratively with others.
• Ability to take direction and feedback graciously.

Preferred Qualifications

• Familiarity with energy and utility issues in Oregon.
• Experience communicating on policy issues (legislation, government affairs, etc.).
• Familiarity with social media management and content creation.
• Familiarity with EveryAction or similar CRMs.

Terms of employment and compensation

The Community Organizer works in CUB’s downtown Portland office.  Remote and hybrid working arrangements are available depending on job responsibilities. Pay range is $45,000 – $55,000 with a generous sick and PTO policy, family and bereavement leave, health insurance benefits including 100 percent individual coverage, and a 401(k) retirement plan. This is a full-time, salaried-exempt position. Though CUB’s work is serious, we place a priority on healthy work/life balance.  

How to apply

CUB encourages applicants from all backgrounds to apply. In your cover letter, we invite you to provide details that demonstrate how your education, training, and/or experience meets the qualifications listed above. Additionally, please list how you found our job posting in your cover letter. Email your cover letter and resume to Charlotte Shuff at charlotte@oregoncub.org and put Community Organizer in the subject line. Deadline is 5:00pm October 2nd.