Hiring: Community Organizer

Bike Cleveland is in search of a Community Organizer to develop and win support for key biking and walking infrastructure improvements across Greater Cleveland.

Deadline: Open until filled. Posted on August 16^th, 2023. Interviews expected to begin the week of September 11^th.
Status: Full-time, exempt salary
Reports to: Executive Director
Location: 3000 Bridge Ave, Cleveland, OH 44113

About Us
Bike Cleveland is a growing team of active transportation professionals working collaboratively to create a region that is sustainable, connected, healthy, and vibrant by promoting bicycling and advocating for safe and equitable transportation for all. We believe that to build a community in which active transportation is barrier free we must:

• Embrace creative solutions that increase biking, walking, and the use of public transit to improve health, vibrancy, and quality of life for all Greater Cleveland residents.
• Ensure All residents and visitors have safe access to a low-stress bike, walk and public transit network that connect people with where they need and want to go.
• Educate people about the important role transportation choice and recreation options play in reducing greenhouse gas emissions, improving air quality and the health of Greater Clevelanders, while also promoting active lifestyles and vibrant communities.
• Listen to and actively engage all people in shaping our work and the region’s transportation infrastructure to ensure we are building a system that meets the needs of diverse users.
• Be fiscally, ethically, professionally, and environmentally responsible with our resources.
• Harness the power of the community and civic leaders to effect change through open communication, collaboration, building trust, and diverse engaged public participation.

We highly encourage you to learn about our organization’s mission, vision, values and commitment to equity, as well as our strategic plan: https://www.bikecleveland.org/about/mission/

Bike Cleveland aligns its advocacy and education programs with social equity and community improvement and strives to embrace the power of a strong engaged membership to achieve its mission. Internally, our culture is collaborative and supports encouraging risk-taking, excellence, and constant learning. You will work hard, have fun, and make a lasting impact on the community by lending your expertise to a variety of innovative projects.

Position Description
The Community Organizer position is best for someone who is highly organized, likes to be in charge of their own projects, can manage many logistics at once, enjoys working collaboratively and building partnerships, has a strong sense of social equity, is passionate about promoting social mobility through transportation choices, and knows how to breathe deeply when managing stressful situations. This position will require working nights and weekends.

As Bike Cleveland’s Community Organizer you will work with Bike Cleveland’s Advocacy & Policy Manager, and all parts of the organization, including staff and members, to develop and win support for key biking and walking infrastructure improvements. This job will entail working closely with community groups, businesses, and elected officials to develop grassroots and grasstops support for improved streets. You will also be responsible for helping create new, as well as liaising with existing, neighborhood-level bike/ped Better Street Committees and helping them create and support locally-led campaigns. You should be comfortable with street-level organizing.

Position Duties

Organizing (80%)

• Campaign strategy and outreach for campaigns to build more and better biking, walking and traffic calming infrastructure and policy throughout the City of Cleveland.
• Grassroots outreach that may include on-street organizing, Action Alerts, creation of compelling presentations, talking points, and visual tools, etc.
• Co-developing, training, empowering and supporting neighborhood leaders, members and Better Street Committees in campaigns and elevating their voices to decision-makers.
• Working with City of Cleveland agencies and elected officials to advance campaigns.
• Creating new relationships and deepening existing relationships with community partners.
• Regular communications both in person and in writing, which will include engaging and communicating with Bike Cleveland members, and the media when necessary, about our work at all steps in the campaign process.
• Representing the organization at public meetings and with public officials, planners, etc.

Administrative/Other Duties (20%)

• Inspire people to participate in and advocate for making Cleveland a safer place to ride a bike.
• Answer the phone, emails, attend meetings.
• Work on special projects as needed.
• Ability to work a varied, flexible schedule including several evenings and weekends.
• Staff volunteer/board committees.
• Other duties as assigned.

Experience and Qualifications
The ideal candidate has:

• A deep commitment to Bike Cleveland’s mission.
• One year of experience as an organizer (preferred).
• Strong interpersonal and relational skills.
• Looks for intersectionality in divergent goals and priorities.
• An ability to take initiative and lead advocacy efforts within the organization.
• A demonstrated track record of successful project planning, project management, base-building, strategy implementation, and ultimately moving people to action.
• An ability to work individually and as part of a team.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills with a wide variety of audiences.
• Comfort working with volunteers aged 12-65.
• Ability to think strategically and be able to manage several projects at one time.
• High energy, great people skills, and an ability to have fun with work.
• Attention to detail and ability to follow through with tasks.
• Excellent written, presentation and verbal communications skills.
• Ability to network, build trust, and build working relationships with diverse groups.
• Proficient computer skills including Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint or Google Drive equivalent.
• A strong desire to make Greater Cleveland more bike-friendly.
• Ability to work both remotely and in an office setting.

We would really like you to have these extra qualifications:

• Experience working on advocacy campaigns and an understanding of basics of the political process.
• Knowledge of the economic, health, safety, social, and environmental benefits of bicycling and basic knowledge of how to improve bicycling.
• Proficient bike rider and a background that includes bikes either formally or informally.

Salary and benefits
Depending on experience and skills the benefits package is between $40,000-$44,000 including health care, retirement contribution and paid vacation.

How to Apply

For us to better understand why you are the best fit for this position, you need to provide us with the following items sent to jobs@bikecleveland.org:

• Cover letter explaining your interest in the job as well as your qualifications
• Resume
• 2-3 References

No hard copies or phone calls please.

Commitment to Equity and Equal Opportunity

Bike Cleveland’s work is for people biking and walking in the Greater Cleveland area, with a focus on ensuring that our work addresses the needs of Greater Clevelanders who have historically been marginalized by transportation system decisions. Historical and systemic transportation policies and practices have created inequitable conditions and marginalized many in our community. Bike Cleveland is committed to challenging these historic transportation policies, its own history and practices, as well as that of our members and affiliates.

Bike Cleveland has a commitment to support diversity and equal opportunity in its services, administration, employment, and programs. In recruiting for our organization, we welcome the life experiences that are shaped in part by race, color, ethnicity, national origin, religion, education, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, genetics, disability, age, languages spoken, or veteran’s status.