Application Guide

How to Apply for Senior Director of Public Services Organizing

at Action Center on Race and the Economy Institute

🏢 About Action Center on Race and the Economy Institute

ACRE Institute uniquely combines racial justice and economic justice organizing through strategic corporate campaigns, targeting systems that harm Black, brown, and poor communities. They operate at the intersection of community organizing, labor partnerships, and corporate research, making them distinct from traditional advocacy groups.

About This Role

This Senior Director role leads public services campaigns focused on revenue generation and fighting austerity measures, specifically targeting corporate actors to secure funding for public services. You'll coordinate labor-community partnerships through Bargaining for the Common Good tables while managing campaign directors and researchers working with partner organizations.

💡 A Day in the Life

You might start by strategizing with campaign directors on corporate targets for public services funding, then convene a Bargaining for the Common Good table with local unions and community groups, followed by reviewing research on corporate accountability mechanisms. The day typically involves balancing campaign development, partnership coordination, and staff management across multiple states.

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Interview Prep

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🎯 Who Action Center on Race and the Economy Institute Is Looking For

  • 12+ years social change organizing with 5+ years specifically in strategic corporate campaigns (not just advocacy)
  • Proven experience building state/local community-labor partnerships that won concrete common good demands
  • Demonstrated ability to manage predominantly women of color staff with anti-racist leadership practices
  • Specific public services organizing background (education, healthcare, housing, etc.) with revenue/anti-austerity focus

📝 Tips for Applying to Action Center on Race and the Economy Institute

1

Quantify your corporate campaign wins - how much money was shifted, which corporations were targeted, what community benefits were secured

2

Highlight specific Bargaining for the Common Good experience or similar labor-community partnership models

3

Demonstrate your anti-racist leadership with concrete examples of supporting women of color staff development

4

Show understanding of public services revenue strategies (tax justice, corporate accountability, budget advocacy)

5

Reference ACRE's specific campaigns like their work on Wall Street accountability or corporate landlord campaigns

✉️ What to Emphasize in Your Cover Letter

['Your experience designing and winning corporate campaigns that generated public revenue', 'Specific examples of building successful community-labor partnerships with measurable outcomes', "How you've implemented anti-racist practices in staff management and campaign development", 'Your vision for public services organizing in the current political climate of austerity']

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🔍 Research Before Applying

To stand out, make sure you've researched:

  • → ACRE's corporate campaigns database and their specific targets (banks, landlords, tech companies)
  • → Their Bargaining for the Common Good partnerships with unions like SEIU, CWA, or teachers unions
  • → Recent ACRE Institute reports on public services and revenue (like their work on education funding)
  • → Their organizational structure and how the Institute relates to the Action Center on Race and the Economy
Visit Action Center on Race and the Economy Institute's Website →

💬 Prepare for These Interview Topics

Based on this role, you may be asked about:

1 Walk us through a corporate campaign you led that secured funding for public services
2 How have you navigated tensions between community groups and labor unions in partnerships?
3 Describe your approach to managing a diverse team with anti-racist practices
4 What's your strategy for developing offensive (not just defensive) public services campaigns?
5 How would you approach building power in a new city/state for public services organizing?
Practice Interview Questions →

⚠️ Common Mistakes to Avoid

  • Generic social justice experience without specific corporate campaign or public services organizing
  • Focusing only on defensive organizing (protecting services) without offensive revenue-generation strategies
  • Vague statements about anti-racism without concrete management examples or understanding of ACRE's racial justice framework

📅 Application Timeline

This position is open until filled. However, we recommend applying as soon as possible as roles at mission-driven organizations tend to fill quickly.

Typical hiring timeline:

1

Application Review

1-2 weeks

2

Initial Screening

Phone call or written assessment

3

Interviews

1-2 rounds, usually virtual

✓

Offer

Congratulations!

Ready to Apply?

Good luck with your application to Action Center on Race and the Economy Institute!

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