Higher Education Labor United

Organizing Staff

Based Remote Nationally

 

HELU is Hiring: Organizing Staff

About HELU:
As a wall-to-wall, coast-to-coast coalition, HELU is uniquely positioned to channel workers’ visions, goals, frustrations, and demands into coordinated action across our sector and the country. We embody a new approach to cross-union collaboration, one that brings together workers across job categories, union locals, campuses, and IU affiliations. We seek energetic and experienced organizers who want to build this project with us.

What we seek:
HELU seeks Organizers to build a well-rounded organizing team. We are hiring to address a number of organizational goals and needs and are open to candidates who specialize in one or more of our main focus areas, including (but not limited to): national and local coalition building, collective bargaining alignment efforts, policy advocacy campaigns, and leadership development. Organizers will report to the Executive Director. These positions are funded for an initial term of one year, but with successful HELU membership growth may become ongoing.

Background:
Successful candidates will have the following experiences:

• 3+ years’ experience in labor leadership (member-leadership and staff roles both included); more experience required to be considered for a more senior position.
• Demonstrated ability to work well with democratically-elected leaders and operate as part of a team. 
• Experience working in or for labor coalitions, balancing political complexities of a multi-organization formation. 
• Demonstrated ability to build strong relationships remotely. 
• Preferred Qualifications: 
  • Demonstrated experience organizing unions, preference for someone who has played a leadership role (member or staff) in one or more new higher education organizing campaigns. 
  • Familiarity with multiple national/international unions that organize in higher education. 
  • Familiarity with unions and organizations that organize among non-faculty and non-graduate student unions. 
  • Demonstrated experience using digital organizing tools.
  • Demonstrated experience supporting union member and union leader development and participatory leadership.

Successful candidates will:

• Be prepared to navigate existing and complex union networks and build bigger/new networks.
• Demonstrate a deep understanding of and commitment to the principles and organizing strategies outlined in HELU’s Vision Platform.
• Demonstrate ability to communicate nimbly and at a high level with HELU member unions, recruits, other labor audiences, and non-labor audiences about our vision, theory of change, etc.
• Demonstrate a deep understanding of the higher ed labor movement or demonstrated capacity to quickly learn and integrate substantial amounts of information about this specific sector. 
• Demonstrate a familiarity with the labor movement and labor history.
• Demonstrate adaptability and comfort with change and ambiguity.

Other requirements:

• Demonstrates a high level of organization.
• Comfort with fast-paced work. 
• Demonstrated ability to be self-directed.
• Demonstrated success in a remote workplace that functions through Zoom, phone calls, and asynchronous co-working. 
• Basic ability to use database / information systems and/or demonstrated ability to learn new information systems (HubSpot, Airtable, Google Drive).
• Demonstrated ability to plan and execute an organizing campaign/project.
• Willingness to travel frequently (up to ~1 week/month).
• Prepared to serve as a professional representative of HELU to multiple partners and audiences.
• Participation in regular organizational and leadership meetings and events, sometimes outside of standard office hours.

Compensation and Benefits:

• Pay commensurate with experience. Range: $70,000 – $90,000/year.
• Health and retirement benefits.
• Professional development support.
• 4+ weeks of paid time off and no-cap on sick time.

Instructions on How to Apply: Please submit a résumé and cover letter, including names and email and phone information for three professional references to: info@higheredlaborunited.org. Application deadline is end-of-day June 20, 2025. We are looking to move quickly with this hire.

HELU is an equal opportunity employer and encourages applications from all qualified candidates. We do not discriminate based on race, color, national origin, ancestry, citizenship status, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, age, marital status, mental or physical disability, medical condition, genetic information, military or veteran status, pregnancy, or any other protected category recognized by state, federal or local laws.