Political Organizer I

About the Role

SEIU Local 2015 is seeking an energetic, relationship-driven, and mission-aligned Political Organizer to help long-term care workers build political power and win meaningful improvements for workers, families, and communities throughout California. This is an entry-level political organizing position designed for individuals beginning or developing their careers in political, labor, electoral, community, or issue-based organizing. Working at the grassroots level and under direct supervision, the Political Organizer engages members in home care, skilled nursing facilities, and assisted living centers; identifies and develops member leaders; builds political teams; supports legislative, policy, contract, and electoral campaigns; and connects members to the union’s broader political vision and priorities. The Political Organizer is responsible for meeting measurable goals related to Committee on Political Education (COPE) participation, membership sign-up, member outreach, leadership development, campaign activity, and data reporting. The position also coordinates political education, lobby visits, endorsement processes, phone banking, canvassing, community events, and other field activities at the local, state, and federal levels.

Key Responsibilities

Member Political Engagement & COPE Development

• Conduct consistent one-on-one outreach with members through home visits, worksite visits, organizing meetings, political team meetings, telephone calls, text outreach, and other approved organizing methods.
• Educate members about the union’s political program and connect public policy, legislative decisions, electoral outcomes, workplace issues, and contract campaigns to members’ lives and communities.
• Recruit members to participate in the union’s Committee on Political Education (COPE) and meet assigned COPE fundraising and participation goals.
• Conduct membership sign-up conversations and meet assigned membership enrollment goals.
• Frame issues clearly and communicate SEIU Local 2015’s political vision, values, goals, and priorities.
• Listen to members’ concerns, identify opportunities for engagement, and move members from initial interest to meaningful political action.
• Maintain accurate records of member conversations, commitments, follow-up needs, COPE participation, membership activity, and campaign engagement.

Member Leadership Development

• Assess, identify, recruit, and develop members who have the potential to become political activists, team members, and leaders.
• Build and support member political teams within an assigned geographic turf under the direction of department leadership.
• Develop individualized follow-up plans that help members take increasing ownership of political and campaign activities.
• Prepare members to participate in lobby visits, legislative hearings, candidate interviews, endorsement meetings, community events, electoral activities, and public actions.
• Conduct or support basic trainings that provide members with the knowledge, skills, tools, and confidence needed to lead.
• Coach members in telling their stories, speaking with elected officials, mobilizing coworkers, facilitating meetings, and taking responsibility for campaign assignments.
• Create opportunities for experienced member leaders to mentor and develop other members.
• Recognize barriers to participation and work with members and supervisors to identify practical solutions.

Political Team Building & Turf Development

• Build, staff, organize, and support political teams within assigned turf under direct supervision.
• Develop relationships with members across home care, skilled nursing facility, and assisted living center settings.
• Create and carry out daily, weekly, and monthly work plans based on assigned goals, campaign priorities, geographic needs, and organizational objectives.
• Recruit members for meetings, trainings, political actions, phone banks, canvasses, legislative visits, endorsement activities, and other union events.
• Track participation, leadership growth, relationship development, and campaign progress within assigned turf.
• Identify emerging political issues, member concerns, community dynamics, and organizing opportunities and communicate them to department leadership.
• Collaborate with organizing, communications, research, policy, regional, and other departments to support coordinated member and political campaigns.

Electoral, Legislative & Issue Campaigns

• Implement assigned components of electoral, legislative, policy, contract-support, and community campaign plans.
• Coordinate political field activities, including canvassing, phone banking, text banking, voter education, turnout, public meetings, rallies, community events, and other mobilization activities.
• Support campaigns involving city, county, state, and federal government and other decision-making bodies affecting long-term care workers.
• Schedule and coordinate lobby visits, including recruiting participants, preparing logistics, training members, developing materials, and supporting follow-up.
• Help members understand proposed legislation, policy decisions, ballot measures, electoral races, and other political developments relevant to SEIU Local 2015’s mission.
• Carry out campaign assignments with clear goals, strategies, benchmarks, timelines, and reporting expectations.
• Adjust field plans and outreach strategies in response to changing campaign conditions, emerging opportunities, and supervisor direction.
• Represent the union professionally and responsibly in political, legislative, community, and public settings.

Endorsements & Political Processes

• Support the planning, staffing, and execution of SEIU Local 2015’s candidate endorsement process and the SEIU One Voice process.
• Recruit and prepare members to participate meaningfully in candidate interviews, endorsement meetings, and political decision-making.
• Coordinate schedules, logistics, outreach, materials, participant communication, and follow-up for endorsement activities.
• Prepare meeting agendas, talking points, flyers, emails, presentations, sign-in materials, and other communication tools as assigned.
• Ensure endorsement and political-process activities are completed in accordance with organizational procedures, timelines, and direction.
• Maintain accurate documentation of participation, outcomes, commitments, and required follow-up.

Community & Political Relationship Building

• Develop and maintain relationships with community partners under direct supervision, including elected officials, legislative staff, other unions, nonprofit organizations, advocacy groups, faith leaders, and community-based organizations.
• Support coalition-building activities that advance shared policy, legislative, electoral, and community priorities.
• Attend community meetings, political events, public hearings, coalition activities, and organizational functions as assigned.
• Track relationships, commitments, opportunities, and follow-up activities within assigned turf.
• Communicate SEIU Local 2015’s mission and priorities clearly while maintaining respectful, professional, and accountable partnerships.
• Identify potential allies and opportunities for collaboration and share recommendations with department leadership.

Planning, Data & Accountability

• Develop and execute daily, weekly, and monthly work plans aligned with assigned quantitative and qualitative goals.
• Maintain accurate and timely records of member outreach, leadership assessments, COPE activity, membership sign-ups, campaign participation, community relationships, and other required data.
• Enter information into designated databases, spreadsheets, and reporting systems according to established standards and deadlines.
• Review progress toward goals, identify gaps, and adjust outreach or organizing plans in consultation with the assigned supervisor.
• Provide regular verbal and written updates regarding field activity, member development, campaign progress, challenges, and recommended next steps.
• Manage competing priorities, meet deadlines, and complete administrative responsibilities while maintaining a strong field presence.
• Protect confidential member, political, campaign, and organizational information.
• Perform other duties and campaign assignments as required to support the Political Department and the mission of SEIU Local 2015.

Requirements & Tech Stack

Required Qualifications

• Experience participating in political campaigns, electoral campaigns, labor organizing, community organizing, advocacy, member engagement, voter outreach, or a related activity; relevant volunteer, internship, leadership, and community experience will be considered.
• Demonstrated interest in political organizing, worker rights, long-term care, racial and economic justice, or community power building.
• Ability to connect with members around the union’s political vision, priorities, and goals.
• Ability to identify, recruit, develop, train, and support member political leaders and activists.
• Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to build trust with people from different cultures, backgrounds, identities, and lived experiences.
• Ability to communicate complex political, policy, legislative, and organizational issues in clear and accessible language.
• Strong personal planning, organization, time-management, and follow-through skills.
• Ability to develop and execute work plans with measurable goals, benchmarks, timelines, and accountability.
• Ability to meet quantitative and qualitative organizing, fundraising, membership, outreach, and participation goals.
• Ability to work independently in the field while remaining collaborative, communicative, and accountable to a team.
• Ability to balance competing demands, respond to changing campaign needs, and work effectively under pressure.
• Basic computer literacy and the ability to use email, spreadsheets, databases, virtual meeting platforms, and Windows-based programs for campaign data management and administrative work.
• Ability to prepare basic written materials, including emails, agendas, flyers, outreach messages, reports, and meeting materials.
• Ability to exercise discretion and protect confidential member, campaign, political, and organizational information.
• Willingness and ability to work long and irregular hours, including early mornings, evenings, weekends, and holidays, based on campaign and organizational needs.
• Willingness and ability to travel throughout California, including overnight travel when required.
• Valid driver’s license, reliable access to a vehicle for work, and current automobile insurance as mandatory conditions of employment for this role.
• Commitment to demonstrating SEIU Local 2015’s values and advancing equity, anti-racism, worker power, and social and economic justice.

An equivalent combination of relevant work, volunteer, internship, campaign, community, educational, and lived experience that provides the required knowledge, skills, and abilities will be considered.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience conducting one-on-one organizing conversations, member outreach, voter contact, canvassing, phone banking, text banking, or fundraising.
• Experience supporting electoral, legislative, issue-based, contract, or community campaigns.
• Experience working with union members, caregivers, healthcare workers, low-wage workers, immigrant communities, older adults, people with disabilities, or other historically underrepresented communities.
• Experience recruiting participants for meetings, trainings, public actions, campaign events, or community activities.
• Experience developing volunteers, activists, member leaders, or community leaders.
• Familiarity with COPE or other political fundraising programs.
• Familiarity with candidate endorsements, legislative visits, public hearings, voter engagement, or coalition work.
• Experience using voter, membership, campaign, or customer relationship management databases.
• Experience working for a labor union, nonprofit, advocacy organization, community-based organization, political campaign, or other mission-driven organization.
• Knowledge of California political institutions, electoral processes, legislative issues, and communities.

Work Environment & Physical Requirements

This is a field-based position that requires frequent interaction with members, elected officials, political partners, community organizations, and members of the public. Work may take place in members’ homes, worksites, union offices, campaign offices, government buildings, community locations, public events, and outdoor settings throughout an assigned geographic area. The position requires long and irregular hours, including early mornings, evenings, weekends, and holidays, based on campaign schedules, member availability, legislative activity, elections, and organizational priorities. Frequent travel within the assigned turf and travel throughout California are required. Overnight travel may occasionally be necessary. The role requires the ability to remain stationary or move throughout the field for extended periods; operate a computer and mobile device; communicate in person, by telephone, and through virtual platforms; and transport campaign and meeting materials. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the position.