Job Opportunities

A Boston-area political campaign is looking to hire a jack of all trades. You will be doing a little bit of everything and will be working with the candidate directly. This is a great opportunity for someone who is hard-working and reliable. No previous experience is necessary. A car is required and the job starts ASAP.

Please send a resume to Ed at edmarin2004@yahoo.com if you are interested in applying for the position.

Bpeace is pleased to announce an open call for applications for its 2010 Summer Fellowship Program.

Bpeace (Business Council for Peace) is an international non-profit coalition of business professionals who believe the path to peace is lined with jobs. We work with entrepreneurs in conflict-affected countries to scale their businesses, create significant employment for all, and expand the economic power of women. More jobs mean less violence.®

Students accepted as 2010 Bpeace Fellows will work virtually with highly experienced business professionals in the fields of international development, marketing, film production, economics, architecture, journalism and financial services. You will work on projects that help developing countries create more employment and lift people out of poverty and violence.

Read more about us at: www.bpeace.org

Deadline for applications: April 19, 2010

Fellowship duration: June 1-July 30, 2010

Number of Fellowships: 5

Type of fellowship: Virtual; make your own hours, working at least 20 hours a week.

Compensation: $2,000 total for the entire Fellowship.

Description of available fellowships

1. Bosnia/El Salvador Fellowship:
Conduct due diligence including desk research and phone interviews that will help Bpeace decide whether we should initiate entrepreneur assistance programs in either of these countries. Take direction from the Bpeace Chief Program Officer and several business professionals in the Bpeace membership. Determine which communities in each country meet our criteria for entry; which industries promise the best opportunity for significant job growth; identify government, foundation and individual donors who will fund our entry into one of these countries. Fellowship outcome: White paper on each country outlining the strategy how and when Bpeace should enter; who would be our best partners; and who will fund our activities.

2. Rwanda Fellowship:

This Fellowship requires you to be based within one hour of New York City. Six Rwandan businesswomen will spend two weeks in the U.S. in July to learn new business skills and bring home knowledge they can share with their employees. You will plan and facilitate the two-week visit with meticulous detail from the time the Rwandans land on U.S. soil to the time they leave. This will include identifying U.S. businesses that are a good match with the interests of the Rwandans; creating the written materials necessary to invite the U.S. businesses to host the Rwandans; creating the schedule of sessions with U.S. companies; mapping daily travel and meal logistics; managing photographers and videographers; generating publicity. Take direction from the Bpeace Chief Program Officer. Interact with the Rwandan women before and during their trip. Previous experience in planning and managing complex events required. Fellowship outcome: Successful two-week U.S. trip by the Rwandans that you will document in a blog.

3. THREAD Tour Fellowship:
Thread is a documentary film about five Afghan businesswomen who Bpeace brought to the U.S. in 2005. Thread has surprised audiences at film festivals in the U.S. and Europe in its portrayal of Afghan women as mothers, businesswomen, and pioneers. We want to bring the Thread experience to more cities in the next 12 months. You will create a Thread playbook; press kit; and book the film and panelists from Bpeace into U.S. venues. The objective is to raise awareness of Afghan women; Bpeace; and raise Bpeace operating funds through sponsorships and ticket sales. You will work take direction from the film’s director and producer. Fellowship outcome: A playbook with all the procedures and press/marketing materials necessary for each venue to promote the film; 20 bookings for Fall 2010 and Spring 2011.

4. Kenya/Liberia Fellowship:
Conduct due diligence including desk research and phone interviews that will help Bpeace decide whether we should initiate entrepreneur assistance programs in either of these countries. Take direction from the Bpeace Chief Program Officer and several business professionals in the Bpeace membership. Determine which communities in each country meet our criteria for entry; which industries promise the best opportunity for significant job growth; identify government, foundation and individual donors who will fund our entry into one of these countries. Fellowship outcome: White paper on each country outlining the strategy how and when Bpeace should enter; who would be our best partners; and who will fund our activities.

5. Afghanistan Fellowship:
Twelve Afghan men and women will spend three weeks in the U.S. in the fall of 2010 to learn new business skills and bring home knowledge they can share with their employees. You will identify U.S. businesses that are a good match with the interests of the Afghans; create the written materials necessary to invite the U.S. businesses to host the Afghans; secure commitments from the U.S. businesses to begin direct communications with the Afghans. Take direction from the Bpeace Chief Program Officer. Fellowship outcome: Well produced profiles on each of the 12 Afghans; commitments from 30 U.S. companies to host the Afghans in the Fall of 2010; a blog where the U.S. companies can follow the progress of the Afghans.

Who should apply? Requirements for all applicants:

§ Current undergraduate or graduate student.
§ General knowledge of business, particularly small and medium businesses.
§ Demonstrated interest in at least one of the following focus areas: international business; economics; entrepreneurship; marketing; documentary film production; Afghanistan; Rwanda; Bosnia; El Salvador; Kenya; Liberia.
§ Able to work virtually and independently.
§ Excellent oral and written communication skills.
§ Excellent Excel, Word, PowerPoint and Skype skills.
§ Operating out of a North or South America home office, well equipped with high-speed Internet, computer, printer, and telephone.

How to apply:
§ By April 19, send a compelling email to fellowship@bpeace.org with the name of the fellowship(s) you are applying for in the subject line. You must limit yourself to applying for 2 fellowships, so select the ones that best suit your skills and interests.
§ In your email, tell us 1)what location you will be working from in June and July; 2)what school you attend, area of study and anticipated year of graduation; 3)what part of the day will you be available to work (example: 8:00 am – noon, M-F); and 4)what countries you have previously traveled to.
§ Attach your resume.
§ Hint: We will evaluate how well you: follow directions; have written a compelling email that drives us to open your resume; how well you present yourself on your resume.

Interviews:
§ You will hear from us by email if we select you for a phone interview.

JOB OPENING
Mass Alliance Deputy Director

Mass Alliance is a coalition of 21 progressive political and advocacy organizations* that work together to build a more progressive Commonwealth. We build infrastructure and develop leadership in the progressive community. We build power around the progressive agenda in the State House by making a difference in state legislative elections and organizing our legislative allies to promote and pass progressive pubic policy.

Mass Alliance is searching for a talented and dedicated organizer to serve as Deputy Director. The Deputy Director will report to the Director and support all aspects of the Mass Alliance work. In particular, the Deputy Director will support coalition building, research candidates and campaigns, lead some of the grassroots electoral work, and manage low to mid-dollar fundraising as well as outreach and electronic communications.

Responsibilities

Political Organizing

Research state legislative districts, voting trends, issues, and candidates
Help manage the candidate evaluation, interview and endorsement process
Coordinate with member organizations and help them build effective political programs
Consult with targeted legislative campaigns on strategy, field, fundraising, and media
Maintain positive relationship with campaigns and track, evaluate, and regularly report on this progress

Fundraising

Write and produce fundraising communications, including email and direct mail
Organize Mass Alliance fundraising events
Keep donor database up to date
Build and maintain relationships with low and mid-dollar donors

Outreach and Communications

Manage and update the organizations website and other electronic media
Prepare and send regular email communications to the Mass Alliance mailing list

Support for Coalition Organizing

Prepare research and briefing materials for Mass Alliance meetings and members
Respond to requests from Alliance members
Build relationships with coalition members, allied organizations, and legislative allies

Leadership Development

Supervise 4-8 Summer Political Interns
Depending on interest and skills, help plan and execute trainings for activists in grassroots campaigns and candidate trainings
Help recruit from diverse constituencies for training and individual development opportunities

Requirements

Commitment to progressive values, coalition building, diversity, and the democratic process
2-5 years of experience in grassroots organizing or grassroots campaigns
Demonstrated success in all aspects of political campaigns
Experience working with diverse groups and building consensus
Fundraising experience with individual donors, including event planning
Excellent written and verbal communications
Strong computer skills
Ability to drive throughout the state (mileage reimbursed at $.40 per mile)
Ability to work long and/or irregular hours, including nights and weekends

Salary and Benefits

$36,000-40,000, commensurate with experience. Excellent benefits including full health care, IRA, and three weeks paid vacation per year. This is a full time contract position through the end of 2010, renewable subject to the availability of funding.

To Apply

Please submit resume, cover letter, writing sample, and three references to deputydirectorsearch@massalliance.org. The deadline to apply is March 1st, 2010.

Mass Alliance strives to reflect the diversity in the communities we serve. Candidates of color and LGBT candidates strongly encouraged to apply.

*Mass Alliance member organizations include: 1199SEIU, American Federation of Teachers-MA, Boston Teachers Union, Clean Water Action, Coalition for New American Voters, Coalition for Social Justice, Democratic Socialists of America-Boston Chapter, MassEquality, Mass Gay and Lesbian Political Caucus, Massachusetts Peace Action, Massachusetts Teachers Association, NARAL Pro-Choice Massachusetts, National Association of Social Workers/MA-PACE, National Organization for Women Massachusetts, Neighbor to Neighbor Massachusetts, Planned Parenthood Action Fund, Progressive Democrats of Massachusetts, SEIU Local 509, Sierra Club Massachusetts Chapter, UAW Region 9A, Young Democrats of Massachusetts.

Some of you may know us as “VoteBuilder” – we build the tools that nearly all Democrats use to contact voters, manage volunteers, and record and analyze their data. We also do a lot of work for progressive allied organizations and labor unions, and are starting to work with progressive political parties in other countries.

We are currently looking for developers, either full-time employees or interns – people who will build out new systems and maintain and improve existing ones, to help Democrats maintain our majorities and allow our other clients to succeed in their organizing and campaign goals.

What we want most are people with a passion for politics, who are quick learners and have at least a little experience in programming. (We’ve found that people who share our goals tend to get good, fast.) What we provide is a fast-paced, fun atmosphere where everyone’s contributions are taken seriously and people with good ideas are given the chance to pursue them.

The technical stuff: We work with a VB.NET (we know, “VB,” it is actually pretty good, we swear) / SQL Server 2008 platform, and are also doing some PHP development for Drupal on a standard LAMP stack. We also have a bit of iPhone development going on, if that’s your thing.

Our main office is in Somerville, MA (just outside of Boston), and we have satellite offices in DC, Seattle, and Oakland. Salaries generally range from $45,000 to $65,000, with generous vacation, a 401(k) match, and full health care benefits.

If you’re interested or have questions, please send your resume and a cover letter to Jim St. George at jstgeorge@voteractivationnetwork.com.

The Massachusetts Alliance of HUD Tenants (MAHT), a tenant-controlled alliance of resident associations in HUD-subsidized multi-family housing, seeks an experienced Lead Organizer to organize and support tenants fighting to save and improve their homes in Eastern and Central Massachusetts. As Lead Organizer, s/he will play a role in supervising the organizing team, including coordination of two critical MAHT projects: 1) the integration of voter registration strategies with tenant organizing goals; and, 2) potential VISTA volunteer program. As the oldest and most accomplished HUD tenant coalition in the US, MAHT has preserved more than 9,700 apartments through tenant organizing since 1983. MAHT has 38 tenant association and organizing committee members representing more than 8,000 families. MAHT is the Massachusetts affiliate of the National Alliance of HUD Tenants, the only national tenants union in the US, with which MAHT shares office and staff. MAHT and NAHT play a key role in fighting for policies to save privately-owned, HUD subsidized housing at risk of conversion to market rents.

Responsibilities include:

• Help coordinate MAHT field organizing efforts, including intensive door-knocking drives
• Assist HUD tenants in organizing and strengthening tenant groups at the building level
• Assist tenant leadership in setting goals, strategizing and building campaigns to save and improve at-risk HUD housing, including resident-controlled ownership where feasible
• Assist tenant leadership in conducting participatory planning and training workshops
• Manage Voter Registration, Education and Mobilization (VREM) and VISTA volunteer projects, including supervision & field training for part-time VREM organizers & VISTA Volunteers, grant management and reporting
• Develop fliers, newsletters, Action Alerts, fact sheets and other materials and post them to the web
• Help tenant groups negotiate with owners and agencies for repairs, services and affordable rents
• Involve tenants in city-wide, statewide and national activities, coalitions, and campaigns
• Assist tenant groups in assembling appropriate technical resources
• Help coordinate National Alliance of HUD Tenants Annual Save Our Homes Conference

Qualifications:

• Commitment to social change and the empowerment of low and moderate income people
• Experience working with racially and economically diverse groups of people
• Organizing experience, preferably in the housing field
• Project-management and supervisory experience; knowledge of A*VISTA program helpful
• Knowledge of HUD housing issues or ability to learn
• Experience with VREM campaigns and integration of voter databases with organizing campaigns
• Grassroots leadership-training experience and knowledge of popular education methods
• Experience in planning and coordinating large meetings, events and campaigns
• Strong administrative, oral and written communication skills
• Excellent computer skills including all MS applications; database and web experience helpful
• Ability to work as a creative contributing member of a strong staff team
• Ability and willingness to travel in Eastern/Central Massachusetts and to Washington DC
• Must have cell phone, driver’s license, a car or routine access to a car
• Bi-lingual capacity (Spanish, Creole, Russian, Vietnamese, Chinese) helpful
• Grasp of big picture with an eye for detail
• Possessing initiative, enthusiasm, sense of humor, and a collaborative approach
• Available to work evenings and weekends

Salary & benefits: Mid 30’s to Low 40’s, depending on experience. 2/3 health and dental insurance for individual, family health negotiable. Two weeks paid vacation first year, more thereafter.

People of color, women, and residents of multifamily HUD housing are strongly encouraged to apply.

Please e-mail your resume and cover letter to maht@saveourhomes.org by February 5, 2010.
No phone calls please.