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Executive Administrative/Outreach Associate

Goal: The Progressive States Network (www.progressivestates.org) seeks a highly motivated individual to provide direct support for our executive director and assist in outreach activities with our network of state legislators, advocates and supporters. This is a great opportunity for an entry-level professional to contribute to building a movement for economic and racial justice, while gaining unique experience in progressive politics that is integral to Progressive States Network’s operations, growth and success as an organization.

Progressive States Network since its founding in 2005 has been building a network of progressive legislators working with grassroots advocates, progressive policy institutions, unions and community groups to move progressive state policy and transform the political debate across the fifty states.

Job Description: A primary part of the job will involve supporting PSN’s Executive Director. This will include scheduling and administrative support, research support on policy work, outreach to and scheduling meetings with key partners, drafting email and other communication, and helping the Executive Director to manage multiple projects at the same time. This position will also be responsible for maintaining office inventory and ordering supplies when needed. Additional tasks as assigned.

Outreach work at Progressive States Network spans the personal and technical, requiring an attention to detail and the ability to communicate professionally and persuasively. Duties will include helping to build and maintain our extensive database of legislators and organizational partners, writing and coordinating mass email blasts to legislators and organizational supporters, coordinating in-house mailings and event preparation, planning logistics for staff travel and events around the country, and working with policy staff to develop and carry out strategies to recruit and engage legislators and advocates in policy campaigns. A key role is helping manage additions to the website, so HTML and related web skills are critical. The goal is for the Executive Administrative/Outreach Associate to take on more specialized responsibility over time. She or he will work as part of an Outreach & Communications team to advance progressive state policy through legislative research, sophisticated web campaigns, database administration, and one-on-one communication with stakeholders.

Qualifications:
  • A desire to foster progressive political and social change
  • Excellent organizing ability and administrative experience
  • Excellent written and oral communications skills, professional and articulate phone manner
  • Excellent computer skills – MS Office, scheduling and database software (Excel, Access or similar).
  • Experience with Democracy In Action or similar CRMs (Convio, CivicCRM), Salesforce and/or HTML a plus.
  • Experience assisting executive-level employees and the ability to “manage up” a plus.
  • A college degree, BA or BS
  • At least one year of experience working on a political campaign or for a political organization is preferred.
  • Tech savvy, quick learner and self-starter with a sense of humor is a must.

This position is based in New York City.

Progressive States is an equal opportunity employer. We encourage and value a diverse workforce, and we seek diversity among applicants for this position. Women and people of color are strongly encouraged to apply.

How to Apply:
Email a compelling cover letter, resume and writing sample identifying which position you are applying for and which shows your ability to write about policy issues in a manner accessible to the public to: outreachassoc@progressivestates.org

No Phone Calls Please

 

Health Care Policy Advocate

Goal: The Progressive States Network (www.progressivestates.org) seeks a highly motivated individual to work in a team approach as a policy advocate working on health care issues with state legislators and organizations around the country.

The Progressive States Network is a state-based organization, the mission of which is to pass progressive legislation in all 50 of America's state legislatures, strengthen progressive alliances, promote racial and economic justice, and challenge rightwing forces in each of those states.

Job Description: Progressive States Network has built a network of over 1000 state legislators in all fifty states and alliances with both national and state organizational allies. The task of the health care policy advocate is to help translate that legislative network into effective implementation of health care reform in the states and alliances to build on that reform to move the states towards quality health care coverage for all Americans.

That work will include a few key policy goals:

  • Help coordinate with allies to promote model policies for implementation in the states
  • Work with allies in states to implement the law in the most progressive way possible
  • Promote policies such as prescription drug reform and universal health care policies that promote additional health care goals beyond federal health reform.

The organizational tools we use in pursuit of these legislative goals include a combination of broad policy support in the form of reports and weekly updates on best practices, coordinated conference calls with allies, and rapid-response technical support for legislators and advocates in particular states. We work to strengthen cross-state legislator peer-to-peer education and coordination, while deepening coordination of legislators and organizational allies in each state. PSN State Campaign Support: A core part of the PSN staffer’s responsibility will be to support campaigns on these issues in each state, working with local allies and legislative allies we have developed from other campaigns to find sponsors and help move the bills in more states. This help will range from helping draft policies and amendments during the sessions, writing op-eds, developing fact sheets and other resource sheets, promoting grassroots public education in support of these voting reform initiatives, and helping legislators educate their fellow lawmakers on the need for the bills.

Strategic Coordination with Other Issue Campaigns: Where PSN brings special expertise is using our involvement in a range of other national and local issue campaigns to add strategic advice on moving these voting reforms, including highlighting the need for voting reform to achieve health care by increasing turnout among the uninsured, coordinating with immigrant and civil rights movements, and tying issues like broadband and telehealth into the broader discussion of health care reform.

Building National Health Care Legislative Network: A key role for the PSN health care advocate will be to strengthen and deepen our national network of state legislators and allied organization that can work consistently to expand health care for all. By encouraging more legislator-to-legislator communication across state lines, we help legislators to see a policy proposal not as some radical new innovation but as a tested policy which has strengthened the political position of their peer legislators in other states. Strengthening legislator-to-legislator coordination also encourages legislators to think more seriously about the national impact of their actions and their role as leaders in the progressive movement, instead of just narrowly concentrating on their role as legislators in their own state.

Qualifications:
The candidate for Health Care Advocate must be self-motivated, as well as an innovative thinker and organizer with a dedication to a progressive, anti-racist vision of our economy and society. Excellent verbal and writing skills are an essential requirement. Background in health care advocacy is strongly desired. Relevant experience includes (but is not limited to) working in political, policy, legal, journalistic, or government settings. Advanced degrees, including a JD or masters in related fields, may count toward a candidate’s professional experience. But most of all, we are looking for smart, creative thinkers and doers who can help build and strengthen the progressive movement in this country.

This position is based in New York City.

Progressive States is an equal opportunity employer. We encourage and value a diverse workforce, and we seek diversity among applicants for this position. Women and people of color are strongly encouraged to apply.

How to Apply:
Email a compelling cover letter, resume and writing sample identifying which policy position you are applying for and which shows your ability to write about policy issues in a manner accessible to the public to: healthcarejob@progressivestates.org

No Phone Calls Please

 

Outreach Associate - Focus on Workers' Rights

Goal: The Progressive States Network (www.progressivestates.org) seeks a highly motivated individual to assist in outreach to our network of state legislators, advocates and supporters. This is a great opportunity to contribute to building a movement for economic and racial justice, while gaining unique experience in progressive politics that is integral to Progressive States Network’s operations, growth and success as an organization. A strong focus of the outreach work for this position will be around mobilizing legislators and allies around workers’ rights, in particular issues like fighting wage theft and enforcing the minimum wage, although it will include support for Progressive States Network’s range of other policy work as well.

Progressive States Network since its founding in 2005 has been building a network of progressive legislators working with grassroots advocates, progressive policy institutions, unions and community groups to move progressive policy and transform the political debate across the fifty states.

Job Description: Outreach work at Progressive States Network spans the personal and technical, requiring an attention to detail and the ability to communicate professionally and persuasively. Duties will include helping to build and maintain our extensive database of legislators and organizational partners, writing and coordinating mass email blasts to legislators and organizational supporters, planning logistics for staff travel and events around the country, and working with policy staff to develop and carry out strategies to recruit and engage legislators and advocates in policy campaigns. The goal is for the Outreach Associate to take on more specialized responsibility over time. She or he will work as part of an Outreach & Communications team to advance progressive state policy through legislative research, sophisticated web campaigns, database administration, and one-on-one communication with stakeholders.

Qualifications:
  • A desire to foster progressive political and social change.
  • Excellent organizing ability and administrative experience.
  • Excellent written and oral communications skills, professional and articulate phone manner.
  • Excellent computer skills – MS Office, scheduling and database software. Experience with Democracy In Action or similar CRMs (Convio, CivicCRM), Salesforce and/or HTML a plus.
  • A college degree, BA or BS.
  • At least one to two years of experience working on a political campaign or for a political organization is preferred.
  • Tech-savvy, quick learner and self-starter with a sense of humor is a must.

Given a focus of this position on workers’ rights, a background working on labor or workers’ issues is strongly desired.

This position is based in New York City.

Progressive States is an equal opportunity employer. We encourage and value a diverse workforce, and we seek diversity among applicants for this position. Women and people of color are strongly encouraged to apply.

How to Apply:
Email a compelling cover letter, resume and writing sample identifying which position you are applying for and which shows your ability to write about policy and political issues in a manner accessible to the public to: workersrightsoutreach@progressivestates.org

No Phone Calls Please.

 

Legal Fellowship Applicants Welcome!

Progressive States Network (PSN) seeks recent law school graduates to host as fellows. Fellowships can include, but are not limited to those funded by Equal Justice Works, Open Society/Soros Foundation, and school specific fellowships.

PSN blends analysis and action to provide coordinated strategic support for a network of state legislators, their staffs and advocacy groups, in order to equip them with coherent logistical and strategic advocacy tools necessary for advancing key progressive economic and social policies. PSN is working to establish a cohesive network and support system for progressive legislators, while building a concerted movement dedicated to grassroots social and political change across the nation. See www.progressivestates.org for more information. Since Progressive States is dedicated to breaking down single issue politics in favor of a shared multi-issue agenda, fellows will have the opportunity to work closely with our policy staff on a range of issues in the context of alliances with labor, civil rights, environmental and affordable housing organizations.

Any candidate must be self-motivated and an innovative thinker and organizer with a dedication to public interest issues. Excellent verbal and writing skills are an essential requirement. Candidates must have a demonstrated commitment to public service and experience in policy advocacy or community organizing is a plus. But most of all, we are looking for smart, creative thinkers and doers who want to learn how to help build and strengthen the progressive movement in this country. PSN’s national office is located in New York, NY.

Please email a resume, cover letter, writing sample, and project proposal to our Outreach Director, Marisol Thomer, at mthomer@progressivestates.org. We will review applications on a rolling basis.

Part-time Bookkeeper/H.R. Position

Job Description: The Part-time Bookkeeper/H.R. Manager will be responsible for the bookkeeping and human resources operations of the organization, including grants accountant, payroll accountant and accounts payable. Responsibilities include paying bills, reconciliation of all balance sheet accounts, preparing balance sheet and income statements on a monthly basis, maintaining grant files, coordinating payments to employee benefit vendors, enrolling new hires and explaining benefits, administration of accounting software and troubleshooting systems problems. The Bookkeeper/H.R. Manager also provides budgeting and analytical support for the Executive Director and Director of Operations in preparation of annual financial statements and coordination with auditors.

 

Responsibilities

  • Manage operations of accounting unit.
  • Manage all account reconciliation and oversee preparation of all general ledger entries.
  • Reconcile General Ledger Balance Sheet Accounts, revenue and investment accounts.
  • Prepare financial statements, including cash flow statement, balance sheet and supporting schedules and assist auditors during audit process.
  • Provide support to Executive Director in preparation of budgets, maintenance of chart of accounts, development of fiscal procedures and systems, investment CDs, preparation of financial information for the Board of Directors.
  • Work closely with Director of Operations to assist in grant requirements and provide information as needed.
  • Work with Director of Operations in preparation of all financial reports to grantors.
  • Supervise reconciliation of organization bank accounts, which may include general, payroll and miscellaneous accounts, investigate any discrepancies between bank and organization.
  • Supervise maintenance of all grant files and summary grant information.
  • Prepare and maintain standard journal entries.
  • Maintain and troubleshoot accounting software, communicating with vendor tech support.
  • Manage to assure compliance with agency fiscal procedures and policies.
  • Prepare backup documentation for IRS 990s and prepare and submit State Revenue and Tax reports.
  • Other duties as assigned.
This is a part-time position. 1-2 days a week.

Qualifications:

  • Bachelors Degree in Accounting and 3+ years relevant experience
  • Required software knowledge includes Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Word and Quick books.
  • Experience with non-profits and foundation a big plus
  • Excellent attention to detail
  • Conscientious
  • Ability to multi task

This position is based in New York City.

How to Apply:
To apply please email a resume and cover letter to bookkeeperHR@progressivestates.org

No Phone Calls Please