SEIU Committee of Interns and Residents (CIR)
 

West Coast Government and Community Relations Director

Location: California, Illinois, Minnesota, New Mexico, Washington (California Preferred)

 

About Us
The Committee of Interns and Residents (CIR) is the largest house staff union in the United States. We are a local of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), representing nearly 37,000 resident physicians who are dedicated to improving residency training and education, advancing patient care, and expanding healthcare access for our communities. CIR’s mission is to empower our nation’s interns, residents and fellows to fight for excellence for our patients.

Job Summary
The Committee of Interns and Residents/SEIU Healthcare seeks a Government and Community Relations Director to manage the union’s political and community relations programs on the West Coast and MidWest. To achieve this, the successful candidate will be tasked with building and strengthening our infrastructure and engaging our members to be a powerful force at their hospitals, in the legislative process, and at the ballot box as well as be strong advocates for their patients and communities.

The West Coast Government and Community Relations Director will develop and implement the political program for the union at the federal level, in states where we represent members (California, New Mexico, Washington, Illinois and Minnesota) and the major urban areas where most of our physician members live and work. The Director will also create our community engagement strategy on the West Coast and MidWest, leading efforts to bridge community and labor issues in a mutually beneficial way.

The successful candidate will work with leaders and staff to develop, execute, and align the political priorities of CIR and build coalition support for new organizing, contract, and issue-based campaigns.

The ideal candidate for the position will have leadership experience in legislative or issue advocacy campaigns with a labor union. They will possess strong community organizing skills and understand strategic approaches to coalition building. They will be an experienced manager with the ability to effectively manage staff and work collaboratively with a diverse membership and stakeholders.

What You’ll Do

• Work with our Executive Committee, Senior Leadership, and each of our Regional Directors to develop and implement member engagement and recruitment, public policy, legislative advocacy and community relationship strategies at the State, Local and Federal levels where CIR represents members.
• Supervise the work of a team of political and community engagement coordinators, including holding regular check-ins, evaluating individual team members and supporting their professional development. Provide corrective counseling and take disciplinary action, where appropriate.
• Participate in the recruitment and training of new political and community engagement coordinators.
• Work with SEIU to coordinate CIR’s political and legislative activities with those of the International at the Federal, State and Local levels.
• Serve as CIR's representative to one or more SEIU State Councils, coalition steering committees, and advisory boards for local political organizations and community organizations, including local affiliates of the Working Families Party and other labor and community allies.
• Coordinate political education, legislative issue advocacy, messaging, and community engagement strategies with CIR's leadership and Communications staff.
• Oversee community engagement programs aimed at developing deeper community relationships. These include but are not limited to Community Tours as well as providing support for public health and health equity campaigns.
• Oversee the work of the political coordinators for the recruitment, training, leadership development and coordination of member political activists for mobilization around issue campaigns and legislative priorities.
• Provide support to political and community relations coordinators on identifying community groups to support CIR campaigns and how to engage CIR members in community advocacy.
• Support contract and organizing campaigns by integrating political, legislative and community strategy into the campaign planning, including rallies, press events, and other targeted activity.
• Coordinate CIR's response to emergency situations for our members and our hospitals resulting from policy changes in healthcare funding, actions against immigrant patients or immigrant physicians, or changes to labor law at the federal, state, and local level.
• Work with multiple levels of staff and members to develop goals and execute plans for member participation in candidate interviews, lobby days, town hall meetings, elected official accountability activities, voter registration drives, and GOTV activities.
• Coordinate the candidate interview and endorsement process both for independent endorsements and through the SEIU State Council endorsement processes in CIR's various states, including developing candidate questionnaires, a member-driven interview process, and making recommendations on candidate endorsements and contributions.
• Working with CIR leadership to identify other healthcare providers, community, political, and civic organizations with whom CIR shares values and interests, and develop and implement outreach and engagement with those allies.

What Makes a Great Candidate

• Legislative or issue advocacy campaign experience with a labor union with progressively increasing responsibility and leadership required. At least five years with such experience is strongly preferred.
• Health care experience preferred but not required. A passion for healthcare issues and a vision of healthcare justice that incorporates the social determinants of health, including the evolving healthcare workforce, poverty, racial and immigrant justice, gun violence, public health, and support for the healthcare safety-net is required.
• Direct experience in any of the states covered by this position (California, Illinois, Washington, New Mexico or Minnesota) is highly desirable, with a strong preference for experience in California.
• Residence in California is preferred but not required.
• Electoral campaign experience preferred, but not required.
• Minimum of three (3) years supervisory experience or as a team lead.
• Outstanding interpersonal skills with a demonstrated ability to motivate, lead, build strong working relationships and hold others accountable.
• The ability to think strategically, and operate in a fast-paced, mission driven with quick thinking, energy, humor, flexibility, and above all professionalism.
• Proven ability to work with diverse groups of people, including union leaders, members and staff, elected officials, community leaders and issue stakeholders.
• Excellent listening and communication skills required (both verbal and written).
• Ability to exercise discretion and independent judgment.
• Demonstrated ability to handle multiple high priority projects with competing deadlines.
• Demonstrated ability to resolve conflicts while maintaining important and effective relationships.
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively in politically sensitive and high-pressure environments
• Superior ability to exercise excellent political judgment and discretion.
• Demonstrated experience in developing campaign and personal work plans and goals.
• Demonstrated ability to build and motivate teams and work effectively in a team environment in both a lead and support role.
• Technologically savvy.
• Proficiency with Canva and Google products such as Gmail and Google Drive (docs & sheets)
• Ability to work long hours and weekends as required.

CIR Offers
Competitive salary ($140,000 – $150,000) commensurate with experience. Excellent benefits package including health, dental, and vision coverage with no employee contributions; generous paid leave time including four weeks’ vacation, paid holidays, personal days, and sick days; short and long-term disability insurance; 401(k); defined benefit pension plan; and mileage reimbursement.

To Apply
In addition to a résumé, please include a cover letter that explains your reason for wanting to work for CIR, an example of how you demonstrated success in a similar position, and a description of how this position fits into your long-term career plan.

Please send your résumé and cover letter to: jobs@cirseiu.org, with the Subject Line: West Coast Government and Community Relations Director.

CIR is committed to equal opportunity for all employees and applicants and encourages applications from all qualified candidates. As a proud Equal Opportunity Employer (EOE), we do not discriminate based on race, color, national origin, ancestry, citizenship status, religion, sex, sexual stereotyping, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, age, marital status, mental or physical disability, medical condition, genetic information, military or veteran status, pregnancy (which includes pregnancy, childbirth, and medical conditions related to pregnancy, childbirth, or breastfeeding), or any other protected category recognized by state, federal or local laws. CIR provides reasonable accommodations, in accordance with applicable law, for qualified individuals with disabilities, for individuals’ religious beliefs and practices, and on any other basis required by law. If, to apply for this job or to participate in a job interview, you require a reasonable accommodation, please let us know.

Please visit our website for more information: www.cirseiu.org.