Policy/Political Intern
Position Title: Policy/Political Intern
Location: Hybrid (work commitments across Oregon). Employee is expected to reside in Oregon.
Duration: Limited Duration, for 6- 10 months between August 19th, 2024 to June 30th, 2025 for 16- 36 hrs/
week.
Compensation: $250 stipend per pay cycle (15 days); travel and supply reimbursements.
About Unite Oregon/ Action: Unite Oregon (501(c)(3)) and Unite Oregon Action (501(c)(4)) are grassroot community organizations that represent and are led by black, indigenous, people of color, immigrants and refugees, rural communities, and people experiencing poverty. Both sister organizations are statewide with leading chapters in Washington county, Multnomah county, Clackamas county, the Rogue Valley, and expanding to Marion and Deschutes counties.
Unite Oregon/Action (UO/A) believe that all people can become leaders and agents of change by working across urban and rural divides to build a unified intercultural movement for housing justice, environmental justice, reimagining community safety, economic justice, health equity, and education equity.
Note to Candidates: Studies have shown that women and people of color are less likely to apply for jobs unless they believe they meet every single one of the qualifications as described in a job description. Unite Oregon is committed to building a diverse and inclusive organization and we strongly encourage you to apply, even if you don’t believe you meet every one of the qualifications as described or if you require a reasonable accommodation to apply for or perform job duties.
Position Description
Up to four interns will be hired. This position reports to the Lead Policy Coordinator (supervisor) and assigned Policy Coordinator (manager). The Policy/Political Director reports to educational or programmatic institutions. The interns will work on the Policy/Political team and engage with UO/A members, partners, and staff. They will contribute to, support, and execute policy and political programs that build power for our communities. Major areas of work include Unite Oregon’s six pillar issue areas and electoral justice.
Position Responsibilities
● Provide support to Policy/Political Director, including finance, outreach, communications, and field. Exact responsibilities will be delegated through a collaborative work plan.
● Work with the department director and team to develop and strengthen UO/A’s policy and political program.
● Work with policy team, pillar leads and chapter staff to develop community-led policy campaigns in assigned pillar-areas.
● Support assigned pillar-area work across the organization by gathering information necessary to push forward policy changes that uplift the needs and desires of our community members.
● Support department programs and events.
● Carry out organizing and field activities on assigned pillar-area policies for legislative sessions and campaigns.
● Work with the political director to implement field plans for UOA-endorsed candidates and ballot measures.
● Carry out voter contact and engagement.
● Carry out field tasks including but not limited to recruiting, training, and managing project teams.
● Use field tools like VAN, Bill Tracker, data analysis, OLIS, phone/text bank applications, etc.
● RepresentUO/A with partner organizations, coalitions, alliances, and electeds as assigned.
● Attend assigned committees, commissions, coalitions, tables, projects, bills and campaigns.
● Support community policy tables, leadership cohorts, and events.
● Support member engagement and recruitment.
● Support financial management and reporting.
● Support grant management, writing, and reporting.
● Support volunteers.
● Complete all role specific administrative duties including but not limited to financial reporting, tracking work hours, completing stipend invoices, reimbursements, etc.
Portfolio Responsibilities
● Each intern will choose one of the following policy portfolios. There must be only one intern per portfolio. Primary Portfolios:
Reimagining Community Safety and Education Equity or; Economic Justice and Housing Justice or; Climate Resilience & Environmental Justice and Health Equity or; Electoral Justice.
● Each intern will have a chance to swap policy portfolios. There must be only one intern per portfolio.
Secondary Portfolios:
Reimagining Community Safety and Education Equity or; Economic Justice and Housing Justice or; Climate Resilience & Environmental Justice and Health Equity or; Electoral Justice.
● Each intern will be assigned to a chapter county in Oregon as a liaison. There must only be one organizer assigned to each chapter county. Chapter Counties: Washington County chapter or; Multnomah County chapter or; Clackamas County chapter or; Rogue Valley chapter or; Deschutes County chapter or; Marion County chapter
Desired Experience
● Demonstrated commitment to social and racial justice.
● Interest in civic engagement and legislative, electoral, or candidate campaigns.
● Interest in legislative and electoral processes.
● Interest in community lobbying.
● Interest in candidate endorsements.
● Interest in participating in political field work including but not limited to phone banking and door knocking.
● Familiarity with latest technology and tools.
● Effective communicator, both written and verbal.
● Ability to research and present data.
● Experience leading projects.
● interest in the progressive movement in Oregon.
● Ability to work long hours, including evenings and weekends, as needed.
*Extended hours will be discussed beforehand and accommodated accordingly
All interested candidates, please email resume and cover letter to recruitment@uniteoregon.org
Applications will be considered as they are submitted; applicants are encouraged to apply as soon as
possible.
Unite Oregon is committed to providing equal employment opportunity and equal access in a non-discriminatory manner to its programs and services for all persons without regard to race, creed, color, marital status, gender, sexual orientation, religion, age, national origin.
