Organizing Director

About Lift Every Voice Philly

Lift Every Voice Philly (LEV) is Philadelphia's only base-building organization solely focused on systems change in the School District of Philadelphia. We are a Black parent-led, multiracial organization seeking our next Organizing Director.

After four years of organizing and winning campaigns that secured daily recess, citywide student wellness protections, and major progress on the school nurse vacancy crisis, we are ready for our next chapter.

The Organizing Director will lead four core areas of work: supervising and developing our organizing team, driving campaign strategy and execution, codifying and strengthening our member leadership development program, and building the external relationships and political positioning that expand LEV's power. They will serve as a full member of the leadership team with broad authority to build our base and lead winning campaigns.

The work is grounded in LEV's theory of change and the three strategies that have always driven our organization: growing parent leadership, unity, and voice.

To read more about our campaigns: https://lifteveryvoicephilly.org/our-work/ - campaigns. 

Learn more about LEV at https://lifteveryvoicephilly.org/.

The Opportunity

We're looking for an experienced organizer with a proven track record of building a base, developing leaders, and winning campaigns. You're equally comfortable setting strategy and executing the day-to-day work that makes campaigns successful. You know how to coach organizers, earn trust with members, and build relationships that expand an organization's power. You thrive in fast-moving environments, hold yourself and others to a high standard, and believe that Black and Brown parents have the power to transform public education when they are organized, united, and equipped to lead.

Candidate Profile

We recognize that there is a spectrum of lived and professional experience that will set candidates up for success in this role. While no one candidate will have every experience outlined in the position description, ideal candidates will display the following professional and personal qualities, skills, and characteristics:

STAFF SUPERVISION & COACHING

• Build and retain a high-performing organizing team by leading recruitment, hiring, and onboarding so every organizer begins with clear expectations, defined performance standards, and the tools to succeed.
• Provide consistent supervision, regular feedback, formal performance reviews, and direct management of performance and personnel issues so every organizer knows where they stand and what is expected.
• Assess each organizer's organizing skills, leadership capacity, strengths, and growth areas, and provide individualized coaching that accelerates their development.
• Lead weekly team meetings and bi-monthly trainings that strengthen organizing practice, reinforce accountability, and build consistent standards across the team.

CAMPAIGN STRATEGY & MANAGEMENT

• Set the strategic direction for LEV's campaigns, designing the goals, timelines, theories of change, and organizing strategies that move members from issue identification to policy wins.
• Lead campaigns from strategy through execution by developing clear targets, tactics, timelines, and accountability systems while keeping members at the center of the work.
• Design high-impact public actions, political interventions, and member-led moments that build power, generate earned media, and put decision-makers on the record.
• Represent LEV alongside member leaders in meetings with elected and appointed officials, using organized community power to advance campaign goals.
• Maintain campaign plans with clear benchmarks, decision points, and contingency strategies so the team can adapt quickly without losing momentum.
• Lead campaign evaluations and after-action reviews, integrating lessons learned into future organizing strategy and organizational practice.

MEMBER LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT, TRAINING & GROWTH

• Design and continuously refine a sequential leadership development program that sets clear objectives for every session, tracks member progress toward defined leadership milestones, and improves through ongoing evaluation.
• ·Codify LEV's leadership development curriculum into a replicable model that organizers can deliver consistently across Steering Committee and General Membership tracks, ensuring every session is rigorous, agenda-driven, and advances members toward concrete leadership outcomes.
• Develop and lead a high-impact field and outreach strategy that defines target geographies, sets measurable membership growth goals, prioritizes communities closest to the issue, and continuously tests and refines recruitment approaches.
• Spend at least two days each month in the field coaching organizers and member leaders, using observations and results to strengthen organizing practice and improve the leadership development model.

ORGANIZATIONAL LEADERSHIP & EXTERNAL RELATIONS

• Serve as a member of the leadership team, contributing to organizational strategy and owning the organizing department's budget, hiring, and personnel management.
• Build and maintain relationships with partners, coalitions, and strategic allies, representing LEV alongside members to expand the organization's influence and power.
• Own the organizing department's goals, calendar, and operating rhythms, ensuring clear priorities, strong execution, and accountability.
• Monitor political, economic, and community developments and translate them into ongoing power analysis that sharpens campaign strategy.
• Stay abreast of organizing innovations nationally and integrate proven practices into LEV's organizing model.               

WHO WE’RE LOOKING FOR

• Proven organizer and basebuilder: Demonstrated track record of leading winning campaigns, moving people to take collective action, and building authentic relationships, trust, and credibility with Black and Brown working-class parents and community members.
• Results oriented: Self-starter who cares deeply about getting results, including winning campaigns to transform Philly schools. Ability to think 3 (or 30) steps ahead to develop solutions, anticipate problems, and course-correct when needed. You hold a high bar even when things are hectic and bounce back from setbacks by turning each hurdle into a learning opportunity. 
• Strategic thinker and politically aligned: Strong systems and power analysis. Ability to move people in positions of authority and power. Political analysis is grounded in critical analysis of race, class, gender and identity that grounds your work and conduct. A nuanced understanding of your own positionality and demonstrated openness to remain self reflective and action oriented.
• Relationship oriented: Proven ability to build and maintain authentic, mutual relationships. Strong facilitator and ability to move people to action.
• Strong project and team manager: Ability to manage multiple projects at one time, meet deadlines, and hit metric goals. Strong attention to detail and able to provide thoughtful solutions to problems that arise. Able to work in a fast paced environment and adapt swiftly to change.
• Mission alignment: Deep belief in the power of Black and Brown people to lead change, a commitment to developing the leaders our city needs, strengthening public schools as a public good, and building collective power to win lasting change.

Compensation and Benefits

This is a full-time position with a salary of $110,000-$135,000 based on experience, plus benefits. The role is hybrid (with in-person days at LEV’s office at 3675 Market Street in Philadelphia).

We believe in fair pay, rest, and working in ways that honor people’s full lives.

Benefits:

• Relocation bonus provided with a two-year commitment to the role
• Health, dental, and vision insurance
• Annual wellness grant to support your health and well-being
• Generous professional development stipend
• Paid time off, including organization-wide breaks in July and December
• Student loan and child care reimbursement programs
• Employer-sponsored retirement plan

Contact

DSG | Koya has been exclusively retained for this engagement, which is being led by Alicia Salerno. Submit a compelling cover letter and resume by filling out our Talent Profile. All inquiries are strictly confidential.

DSG | Koya is committed to providing reasonable accommodation to individuals living with disabilities. If you are a qualified individual living with a disability and need assistance expressing interest online, please email NPSIpractice@dsgco.com. If you are selected for an interview, you will receive additional information regarding how to request an accommodation for the interview process.

LEV strongly encourages applications from people of color, persons with disabilities, women, and LGBTQ+ applicants.

About DSG | Koya

DSG | Koya, a DSG Global company, is the nation’s premier search firm dedicated to mission-driven leadership. Since its founding in 2004, DSG | Koya has had an exclusive focus on mission-driven clients and was founded on the belief that the right leader can transform an organization and have a deep and measurable impact on our world. DSG | Koya works with nonprofits & NGOs, responsible businesses, and social enterprises in local communities and around the world.

DSG Global is consistently recognized by Forbes on its top 10 list of “America’s Best Executive Recruiting Firms” and is an industry leader in recruiting transformational leaders for a changing world. The firm is deliberately different in its approach, with best-in-class teams who have decades of experience in cultivating inclusive leaders, understanding the dimensions of diversity, and building equitable teams.

Learn more about DSG | Koya via the firm's website.