Appalachian People’s Union Organizer

SURJ is seeking an APU Organizer to support members to run and win issue campaigns in eastern Kentucky, particularly the area between Madison and Boyd County.

A successful person in this role will have experience, volunteer or paid, in grassroots organizing, and be committed to practicing issue campaigning and leadership development as the center of their organizing work. The candidate will be committed to organizing a large base of poor and working class people to build and exercise power.

The APU Organizer will be expected to regularly travel by car in-person across the region we are organizing, including the counties between Madison County and Boyd County, KY. The APU Organizer will work closely with Madison County Tenants Union and Kentucky People’s Union, both projects of Appalachian People’s Union. Collaboration and mutual support is also likely with other Kentucky organizing groups as part of a statewide multiracial powerbuilding strategy; and Southern Crossroads, SURJ’s organizing project in Tennessee and Georgia.

This position will report to the APU Director. This position is included in a union-represented collective bargaining unit, and specific terms and conditions of employment are subject to negotiations for a Collective Bargaining Agreement.

• Recruit people to join issue campaigns.
  • Issue campaigns are when a group of organized people act consistently and persistently toward a specific goal.
  • “Issues” are specific demands of a decision-maker: for example, “We demand Landlord X repair the leaking faucets in units 103, 119, and 264 by February 10, 2026.”
• Develop the leadership of people who become actively involved in issue campaigns.
• Train and coach members on key issue campaign skills and concepts, including power analysis, power mapping, escalation, direct action, meetings with decision-makers, and coalition building.
• Facilitate members to develop strategy for issue campaigns.
• Coach members to execute issue campaign strategies.
• Consistently communicate a clear plan to win issue campaigns to members.
• Offer members clear ways to take action on issue campaigns.
• Ensure that members take on large roles in issue campaigns and take primary ownership and leadership of the campaign.

• Train and coach members on key organizing skills and concepts
  • Topics to include power, self interest, one-on-one organizing conversations, outreach, recruitment, building a team, leading a team, goal setting, holding each other accountable, and meeting facilitation.
  • Provide training and coach both through facilitating trainings and 1-on-1 coaching.
• Assign members tasks and roles designed to increase their leadership abilities and responsibilities.
• Provide ongoing, clear feedback that helps members grow their capacity to carry out tasks and step into leadership.
• Recruit new leaders through one-on-one organizing conversations, canvassing, door knocking, and attending community events.

• Schedule regular one-on-one conversations with active campaign members to build stronger relationships, understand their motivations and self-interests, and support their growth through coaching, agitation, and development.
• Develop a reliable base of people you can mobilize into action through ongoing, face-to-face one-on-one conversations that build new organizing relationships.
• Identify new individuals for one-on-one organizing conversations, including potential members, community leaders, allies, and others who can support relationship-building and strengthen your power analysis.
• Reflect on what you learn in one-on-ones and integrate it into campaign strategy and organizational planning.

• Minimum of 2 years experience in grassroots organizing or 2 years of equivalent experience in related areas, for example, community leadership, policy advocacy, direct service, or communications.
• SURJ policy requires all employees to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19, subject to reasonable accommodation under federal, state, and local law. Accommodations may be not possible for positions that require in-person contact with other staff or members of the public.
• This job will require driving for work, please consult our driving policy to ensure you meet all minimum qualifications for this role.

• Significant curiosity and commitment to learning the practices of issue campaigning and leadership development in community organizing
• Ability to build strong relationships
• Understanding of and experience in rural communities in Kentucky
• Understanding of the importance of building working class power in rural Kentucky
• Experience doing organizing on issues of racial justice

• Relationship-building
• One-on-one communication
• Giving and receiving direct feedback
• Communicating through conflict
• Project management
• Meeting facilitation
• Training facilitation
• Excellent relational and verbal communication skills
• Solid time management skills
• Strong written communication skills
• Strong attention to detail

• Ability to build trust and work with a wide range of individuals and personalities, and to establish and maintain effective working relationships
• Ability to build and lead a team
• Ability to identify and develop leaders
• Ability to direct the work of volunteers and members
• Ability to raise tension while maintaining a healthy relationship (for example, with members, colleagues, or decision-makers who are targets of our campaigns)
• Commitment to SURJ’s strategy and approach to anti-racist work
• Ability to get to canvassing locations multiple times per week, frequently work outdoors in hot/cold/wet/dry conditions for canvassing purposes, frequently ascend and descend stairs to access tenant units, regularly canvass from door to door for up to 4 hours at a time, frequently travel over uneven surfaces to door knock, and occasionally transport up to 20 lbs to set up for meetings and events
• Flexible - open to new ways of doing things and experimentation
• Reliable - follows through on what they said they are going to do
• Demonstrated ability to work both independently and as part of a team

Applications will be accepted until the position has been filled.

SURJ is an equal opportunity employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability status, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.