Local Progress Texas State Chapter Consultant

Local Progress and the Local Progress Impact Lab work collectively to advance a racial and economic justice agenda through all levels of government. Local Progress (LP) is a movement of more than 1,500 local elected officials advancing a racial and economic justice agenda through all levels of local government. The Local Progress Impact Lab (the Impact Lab) brings together local leaders, partners, and experts to build the knowledge, skills, and leadership needed to advance racial and economic justice at the local level.

LP Texas State Chapter Consulting Project Overview:

The Consultant will be a temporary contracted position who will work closely with the Organizing Director and Texas Chapter Manager to identify state organizing and advocacy campaign opportunities in Northern TX and the Gulf Coast. The consultant will also assist with growing the leadership and organizing capacity of local elected officials throughout the state, including among the state chapter’s leadership body. The consultant will assist Local Progress in cultivating relationships and buy-in with regional and statewide community-based and labor organizations that could potentially partner on future advocacy and resource development.

The Texas State Chapter Consultant will report to the Organizing Director.

Position Location: Texas, Remote

Consultant’s Scope of Work 

The Texas State Chapter Consultant will provide support to Local Progress in its work to develop its Gulf Coast Organizing Strategy.

• Work closely with the Organizing Director, LP Texas State Chapter Manager and other relevant Local Progress staff. This will include regularly scheduled meetings to ensure deliverables are being met. 
• Engage state organizational partners, organizers and local groups in deep listening sessions to identify priority issue areas, as well as current organizing and issue campaign infrastructure. This will also include collecting key contacts within organizational partners and local elected officials and making introductions when necessary. 
• Engage local elected officials and facilitate deep listening sessions to identify issue areas, challenges, and opportunities and document key findings, lessons learned, and recommendations.
• Produce an assessment of key resources and tools needed to further develop the leadership and organizing capacity of local electeds in Northern TX and the Gulf Coast.
• Collect materials that outline issue and campaign landscape including a set of issue priorities that advance racial, immigrant, and economic justice; reproductive healthcare; and climate/worker justice, among other issue priorities within the LP network.
• Produce a final report documenting lessons learned, assessment of local political landscape, process to transfer key contacts (local electeds and organizers), and recommendations to build local elected capacity.

Required Qualifications:

• 5+ years of relevant experience
• Experienced project manager who can balance multiple projects and reach key deadlines
• Strong communicator and problem solver
• Results-oriented with a demonstrated ability to set up work plans oriented towards concrete goals, anticipate obstacles and identify ways to navigate challenges, identify and involve stakeholders appropriately, and drive projects independently;
• Strong communication, relationship building and facilitation skills; experience in relational organizing and an ability to relate to a diverse group of people from a variety of local contexts and backgrounds
• A commitment to inside/outside strategy and movement governance that features deep partnership between “outside” organizing and “inside” elected officials. 
• A demonstrated commitment to social, racial, and economic justice and a deep interest in local policy, politics, and government
• Ability to travel occasionally throughout the state

The Ideal Person will Have:

• Experience in issue campaigns, electoral experience, and/or government 
• Experience organizing in Texas
• Spanish language proficiency

Budget and Timeline:

We encourage applicants to submit their proposals by November 15, 2024. The anticipated start date for this contract is January 6, 2025 to last through April 30, 2024. We expect the consultant to contribute 10 to 15 hours per week to fulfilling our scope of work. The budget for this contract is up to $20,000. 

How to Apply: 

Please submit a proposal that includes a 1) cover letter, 2) resume, and 3) work product examples such as an issue campaign plan or state Advocacy Day plan. Please submit all documents in your proposal (including resume and work samples) through the JazzHR portal as an attachment in a single PDF in the "Attach Resume" section. Proposals will be considered on a rolling basis.

Local Progress is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer and actively recruits people of color, womxn, individuals with disabilities, and members of the LGBTIQAA+ community.