Policy and Organizing Coordinator

Policy and Organizing Coordinator

Salvation and Social Justice (SandSJ)

Location: Trenton, New Jersey (Hybrid)

Reports To: Director of Policy and Advocacy

Salary: $70,000 Annually

Status: Full-Time, Exempt

About Salvation and Social Justice

Salvation and Social Justice (SandSJ) is a Black faith-rooted, nonpartisan organization committed to advancing racial, social, economic, and restorative justice. Grounded in the belief that liberation should precede legislation and prophetic vision should precede public policy, SandSJ organizes communities, develops leaders, and advocates for transformative policy solutions that improve the lives of historically marginalized communities throughout New Jersey. 

Position Overview

The Policy and Organizing Coordinator serves as a valued member of SandSJ's Policy and Advocacy Department and works directly under the supervision of the Director of Policy and Advocacy. This position bridges grassroots organizing and public policy by helping translate community experiences into legislative and systems-change solutions.

The Coordinator will work alongside the Director of Policy and Advocacy and other organizational leaders to support advocacy campaigns, community engagement efforts, coalition activities, and faith-based organizing initiatives. The Coordinator will assist with policy research, outreach, stakeholder engagement, and campaign implementation while helping advance SandSJ's legislative and organizing priorities. This role provides an opportunity to develop skills in community organizing, public policy, coalition building, and advocacy within a collaborative and supportive team environment.

The ideal candidate is a thoughtful, relationship-oriented, and skilled communicator who is passionate about racial justice, faith-rooted organizing, community empowerment, and policy change. The successful candidate should have experience or demonstrated interest in public policy, advocacy, organizing, legislative processes, or community-informed systems change. They should be comfortable learning, collaborating, and working at the intersection of grassroots organizing and policy advocacy, while growing their ability to help translate community concerns into effective advocacy strategies and legislative action.

Core Responsibilities

Policy Development and Legislative Advocacy

·      Assist with research and analysis on local, state, and federal policies impacting Black communities.

·      Support monitoring of legislation, committee hearings, agency actions, and budget developments.

·      Help prepare policy briefs, fact sheets, legislative summaries, testimony, talking points, issue memos, and advocacy materials.

·      Assist in developing policy recommendations and legislative strategies under the guidance of department leadership.

·      Work alongside the Director of Policy and Advocacy in meetings with lawmakers, government agencies, coalition partners, and policy stakeholders.

·      Maintain legislative tracking systems, advocacy databases, and policy resources.

Community Organizing and Base Building

·      Assist with recruiting, engaging, and supporting community members, advocates, faith leaders, and volunteers.

·      Support the coordination of grassroots organizing activities, listening sessions, town halls, and community conversations.

·      Work alongside organizational leadership to implement outreach strategies that build community power around SandSJ policy priorities.

·      Conduct outreach through phone banking, canvassing, relational organizing, and digital engagement efforts.

·      Help cultivate and maintain relationships with congregations, community organizations, coalition partners, and residents.

·      Support leadership development efforts by helping identify and nurture emerging community leaders.

Campaign Coordination

·      Assist with planning and implementing statewide and local advocacy campaigns.

·      Support coordination of campaign timelines, deliverables, events, and mobilization activities.

·      Help manage action alerts, sign-on letters, legislative outreach efforts, and constituent engagement opportunities.

·      Contribute to the development of campaign messaging, educational resources, and advocacy materials.

·      Work with team members to ensure alignment between organizing strategies and policy objectives.

Faith-Based Engagement

·      Support SandSJ's faith-rooted advocacy and organizing initiatives.

·      Assist with relationship-building and outreach to clergy, congregations, and faith networks throughout New Jersey.

·      Help coordinate faith leader briefings, trainings, issue education sessions, and advocacy events.

·      Assist in developing materials that help faith communities connect public policy issues with faith values and social justice commitments.

Coalition and Stakeholder Engagement

·      Participate in coalition meetings and working groups as assigned.

·      Support communication and coordination with advocacy partners, community leaders, and stakeholders.

·      Track coalition commitments, campaign opportunities, and collaborative projects.

·      Work alongside departmental leadership to strengthen partnerships that advance SandSJ's mission and policy priorities.

Events and Public Education

·      Assist in coordinating advocacy trainings, webinars, policy forums, leadership development programs, and public education events.

·      Help develop presentations and educational materials for community and faith-based audiences.

·      Support facilitation, logistics, registration, and participant engagement activities.

·      Contribute to special projects and public-facing initiatives of the Policy and Advocacy Department.

Data Management, Reporting, and Evaluation

·      Assist with tracking campaign metrics, community engagement data, and advocacy outcomes.

·      Maintain records related to legislative engagement, events, and organizing activities.

·      Support grant reporting, funder updates, and impact reporting efforts.

·      Assist with data collection and evaluation activities that help measure community impact and policy outcomes.

Qualifications

Required

·      Bachelor's degree in Public Policy, Political Science, Sociology, Social Work, Theology, Communications, or a related field, or equivalent professional experience.

·      Minimum of 2 years of experience in community organizing, advocacy, policy, nonprofit leadership, campaign work, coalition building, or related work.

·      Strong written and verbal communication skills.

·      Excellent organizational and project management abilities.

·      Experience supporting or facilitating meetings, trainings, community conversations, or engagement activities.

·      Ability to manage multiple priorities while working collaboratively as part of a team and exercising sound judgment independently when needed.

·      Commitment to racial justice, social justice, and community empowerment.

Preferred

·      Experience working with faith communities.

·      Experience supporting advocacy campaigns and grassroots organizing efforts.

·      Knowledge of data tracking and impact measurement.

·      Experience supporting coalition-building and stakeholder engagement.

·      Demonstrated knowledge of legislative advocacy, including experience or familiarity with tracking bills, engaging lawmakers, preparing testimony, participating in coalition advocacy efforts, and navigating state or local legislative processes.

Core Competencies

The successful candidate will demonstrate:

·      Commitment to Black faith-rooted social justice advocacy.

·      Strong relationship-building and networking skills.

·      Strategic thinking, political awareness, and a willingness to keep learning.

·      Excellent written communication and public speaking abilities.

·      Cultural humility and ability to work across diverse communities.

·      Strong facilitation skills and comfort supporting group processes.

·      Ability to work across policy, advocacy, and grassroots organizing projects with support from departmental leadership.

·      Passion for building community power and advancing systemic change.

·      Knowledge of legislative processes and the ability to effectively support advocacy efforts from policy development through implementation.

·      Understanding of how to help build community power while advancing policy and legislative goals.

Compensation & Benefits

·      Salary: $70,000 annually

·      Health benefits package

·      Paid holidays and generous paid time off

·      Hybrid work flexibility

·      Professional development opportunities

·      Opportunities for leadership growth and advancement

How to Apply

Interested candidates should submit a resume and cover letter outlining their interest in the position, relevant experience, and commitment to SandSJ's mission.