Job Description

Southern Workers Assembly

Lead Organizer

Must be located in the U.S. South

Organization: Southern Workers Assembly 
Position: Lead Organizer
Location: Must be located in the U.S. South 
Desired Start Date: August 24, 2026
Compensation: $70,000 – 75,000, based on experience, with generous health, dental, vision insurance benefits
Status: Full Time
Position type: Regular
Application deadline: Applications accepted until positions are filled.
Position open until filled. 

About Southern Workers Assembly
The Southern Workers Assembly is a network of local unions, worker organizations, and organizing committees, committed to building rank-and-file democratic social movement unionism as a foundation for organizing, uniting and transforming labor power throughout the South. The Workers Assembly is a strategy to educate, organize and mobilize a broad social workers’ movement in the fight for power by: First, helping the most militant worker/organizers form committees in major non-union workplaces. Second, by linking together such committees into action networks (Worker Assemblies by regions, sectors or corporate ownership) capable of leading public collective action in support of immediate wage and benefit gains. Third, by encouraging new and existing unions to fully engage in major non-union workplaces regardless of NLRB election prospects.

Summary 
The Southern Workers Assembly is looking for a highly motivated person with workplace organizing experience and a deep commitment to social justice for a Lead Organizer position. The lead organizer will be responsible for supervising, training, and supporting a growing team of field organizers advancing work to build workplace committees and assemblies across the U.S. South. In tandem with the Organizing Coordinator, the lead will help to advance the overall strategic direction of the organization as set by the Coordinating Committee by ensuring staff are moving focused plans and have adequate organizational support to complete their work. The lead organizer will work at the direction set by the Organizing Coordinator and will occasionally relate to other areas of SWA programmatic work and other directives set by the Coordinating Committee.

Responsibilities

• Hold weekly one on one meetings with field staff to review progress on objectives, work plans, and approaches to advance the strategic priorities of the organization
• Work with staff to develop, execute, and evaluate weekly and quarterly work plans
• Support the work in the field by traveling frequently to various areas and working on the ground with staff and workers assembly leadership
• Identify individual and collective needs for training and additional skills development among the organizing team 
• Identify economically important workplaces in assembly areas 
• Schedule workplace blitzes to recruit new cadre
• Provide assistance with follow up to bring new cadre into the organization 
• Work with assemblies to identify workers to recruit to the RNF project and to get jobs in other strategic local workplaces
• Assist in developing program and recruitment for local worker schools 
• Assist staff in building organization to participate in Southern Labor Congress and May Day 2028
• Providing political leadership to staff and assembly members to encourage focus on the SWA power program
• Additional assignments as needed

Requirements

• Deep commitment to workplace and social justice organizing
• Demonstrated knowledge of movements in the South
• At least five years experience with cadre building workplace organizing, rank and file activism, community organizing and/or coalition building 
• At least one year of experience managing organizing staff
• Proficient in database management, social media, and other communications related work
• Ability to travel including current drivers license and working automobile - please note that this position will require extensive driving and travel
• Ability to work long and irregular hours, including frequent evenings and weekends
• Live in or be willing to relocate to the U.S. South
• Ability to speak Spanish is a plus but not required

Supervision 

• Supervised by Organizing Coordinator

To Apply
Send the following to hiring@southernworker.org : 

• résumé, 
• a cover letter, and 
• three references 

SWA is an equal opportunity employer and strongly encourages people of color, women, LGBTQ+, and people with disabilities to apply. SWA is a project of the Southern Vision Alliance. All employees are legally employed by the Southern Vision Alliance.

SVA is an equal opportunity employer and prohibits discriminatory employment actions and treatment against employees and applicants for employment based on actual or perceived race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, marital status, personal appearance, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, familial status, family responsibilities, matriculation, political affiliation, genetic information, disability, and/or past incarceration.

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