Neighborhood Captain - Detroit, Atlanta, Cleveland, Akron, Columbus

Movement Labs is seeking charismatic, trusted local leaders, organizers, and passionate college students to serve as Neighborhood Captains for Community Rising, a research-backed organizing program that mobilizes disengaged voters through relationship-based outreach. Building on a successful 2025 pilot, the role focuses on long-term relationship building with neighbors who didn't vote in 2024, blending traditional organizing with digital tools to build lasting community power and generate evidence for what works.

As a Neighborhood Captain, you will focus on becoming a trusted neighbor and civic resource provider. You will organize high-potential voters using door-to-door canvassing, phone calls, personalized texts, and neighborhood gatherings to build trust, identify community needs, and bridge the gap between barriers to vote and civic power in your area ahead of the 2026 General Election.

This is a temporary hire for the 2026 election cycle that will run until November 15, 2026.

Who We're Looking For:

We're looking to bring on a team of people who are outgoing and genuinely energized by talking to and mobilizing others, who can walk into a community event and turn it into a room full of people leaning in. You’re at ease talking to people in person, with phone calls, SMS, quick on your feet when a contact doesn’t go as planned, and able to adapt your style to different audiences.

This role requires commitment until November 15th, and particularly in the week preceding the November Election. However, the hours are flexible: canvassing sessions happen on your specific schedule each week, and we need someone who can reliably show up across a variety of scheduled slots, sometimes with short notice.

• →Voter Outreach and Relationship Building: Bring energy and personality to develop relationships with, and manage a target list of approximately 750 - 1,000 high-potential voters within your community. You will conduct high-quality outreach through door-to-door visits, phone calls, and peer-to-peer texting, aiming for at least 3+ meaningful interactions with as many voters as possible. This includes prioritizing outreach to folks that you may already know or have relationships with.
• →Neighborhood Event Planning: Organize and execute local gatherings or community events to provide low-pressure opportunities for neighbors to connect and engage.
• →Detailed Data Entry: Utilize outreach tracking platforms like ECanvasser to document interaction and engagement details, and make note of community concerns (e.g., specific neighborhood issues, personal interests) to ensure every follow-up feels like a continuation of a single, long-term conversation. Make note of voter feedback and insights on key issues and resources needed by each voter.
• →Reporting & Quality Control: Collaborate with your Manager for quality control reviews, feedback sessions, and verification of engagement standards.
• →Maintain a flexible, reliable schedule, including evenings and weekends during peak season – Up to 29 hours a week.

• Community Trust & Charisma: You should be a "grasstops" or “grassroots” leader—someone with roots in your neighborhood, and the ability to engage easily with strangers. If you’re involved in your community activities, sports, and neighborhood events, this is for you!
• Emotional Intelligence: High empathy and "active listening" skills, with the ability to listen 80% of the time and speak 20%.
• Experience: Prior experience in community organizing, door-knocking, or paid or volunteer political work is preferred but not required. We’re also looking for folks that may have more informal or unconventional community outreach and organizing experience.
• Tech Savvy: Comfortable using mobile apps and relational databases for tracking engagement and data entry.
• Reliability: A commitment to the full duration of the program and a track record of following through on community support.

• You want to engage civically with your neighbors, and care deeply about your community.
• You genuinely enjoy meeting strangers and can make people feel welcome and heard within minutes.
• You know your block, your building, or your community — and people know you.
• You're curious, coachable, and open to learning on the job.
• You've shown up for your community in some way, even if you've never called it "organizing".

Come be part of something exciting, connect with others, and make your voice heard. We’d love to have you involved!

Movement Labs is a political innovation incubator that uses technology, data, and experimentation to stop fascism and build progressive power. We help progressives win and defeat MAGA extremists through year-round work grounded in research and real-world testing. Our team partners with leading advocacy groups, grassroots organizers, and electoral campaigns to develop innovative tactics, win elections, and shift power for the long term.