ACORN The Union is looking for a Member Defence Organiser to build power to fight for social and economic change in Bradford, starting date on May 22nd 2023.
ACORN is a mass membership organisation and a direct action community union. By taking action on social and political issues that affect us, we win real changes to our lives and our communities. For more information, read our 'About ACORN' page here and the ACORN Platform here.
About the job
As an Organiser with ACORN, you will firstly be responsible for recruiting, developing and supporting ACORN members to take action on issues affecting them and the communities they come from.
Member Defence is a section of ACORN's organising in which members come together to support an individual member’s issue through direct action. This could mean stopping evictions, winning housing repairs or safe accommodation for our members, or fighting for fair treatment at work.
Your daily work will involve:
- Recruiting individual ACORN members through door-knocking, social media and other means (door-knocking takes up around 50% of our organisers’ time),
- Building and maintaining existing ACORN Local Groups and teams,
- Identifying, and taking action on, issues that affect our members and their communities with a particular focus on Member Defence,
- Identifying, developing and supporting potential leaders,
- Supporting elected leaders to enable them to carry out their roles.
Why work for ACORN?
ACORN is committed to investing in the continued professional development of our organising staff. All staff are provided with a full week of community organising training when they first start the job, followed by close supervisory support during their probation period to ensure they have the confidence and skills necessary to develop as a community organiser. Regular training sessions are delivered beyond the probationary period in order to promote the continuous personal and professional development of the organising team. We are well known for having the best organising training of any community organisation, and you will be well-equipped with all the resources and tools you need to succeed as an organiser.
Testimony from our organisers
‘Working for ACORN as an organiser is an empowering and enriching experience. Every day we’re out organising in the community, we’re changing people’s lives, and we ourselves are changed in the process. This is no ordinary job, it’s an opportunity to make a difference in an incredibly nurturing and supportive environment.’ - Emily, Field Organiser
As an organiser, I’ve been able to play a hugely important role in uplifting women - Anna, Member Defence and Field Organiser
"One of my personal highlights of working for ACORN is being part of a member defence case for Sharon, one of our members in Bristol. Sharon had been fighting the council for five years just to get draughts and cold sorted in her house, and got nowhere. One day I knocked her door - she didn't seem keen to chat at first, but once I mentioned housing issues she started explaining her problem to me and we built a rapport. We ended up winning our demands for better insulation and a professional survey, and it's now noticeably warmer at her house. Just as rewarding for me was the way it built Sharon's confidence, helped build a local ACORN group, and brought together members. They all had a glass of wine after the win to celebrate!" Em, Field Organiser
Qualifications
No formal qualifications are necessary. We’re primarily looking for someone with a strong work ethic, good listening skills and the ability to motivate others.
For more specific information on the role and its requirements, please refer to the job description and selection criteria linked below.
ACORN are committed to investing in the continued professional development of our organising staff. Please refer to the Job Description and Selection Criteria for information on the training and support you will receive as an ACORN staff member.
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ACORN is an equal opportunity employer and values diversity. We are committed to equality of opportunity for all staff and applications from individuals are encouraged regardless of age, disability, sex, gender reassignment, sexual orientation, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief and marriage and civil partnerships.
To apply
- Make a copy and complete the full Application Form, referring to the Job Description & Selection Criteria.
- Save your completed application form as a PDF with the file name <YOUR NAME, role> e.g. JANE SMITH BradfordMDO.pdf
- Submit via email to [email protected] with ‘Application: BradfordMDO’ as the subject line
- Once you have submitted your application please complete this diversity monitoring form
If you require paper versions of this application form & diversity monitoring form please write to [email protected].
Deadline
The deadline for applications is 23:59 on Wednesday 12th April 2023. Late applications will not be considered. All candidates will be contacted to let them know whether they have been successful in meeting our shortlisting criteria. If you have any questions, please contact us at [email protected].
Interviews
Shortlisted candidates will be invited to an interview, involving two tasks and a Q&A. We are currently conducting assessments over Zoom video call. This may be subject to change should we feel in-person interviews would be more appropriate.
Interview date: w/c April 17th 2023