The Street Vendor Project, founded in 2001, is a membership-based, vendor-led organization of nearly 1,200 people who sell food and merchandise on the streets and sidewalks of New York City. We advocate for economic justice and civil rights for our members and all NYC street vendors: more licenses, more public space for vending, less harassment from police and health inspectors, and more respect. We hold trainings, bring lawsuits, write reports, shoot videos and protest in the street. We are a project of the Urban Justice Center, a larger non-profit organization that advocates for NYC’s most marginalized populations.

We seek a Community Organizer to take the lead in working one-on-one with street vendors to support our current members and expand our base across the city, while also working to build leadership skills among our strongest members. We need a self-starter who can find and recruit vendors on the streets and in the garages where they store their carts at night. We need someone with the speaking and writing skills to represent the organization at meetings with city agencies, police precincts, community boards, etc. Candidates with the following qualifications will be preferred:

• Experience in worker organizing or in membership-based community organizing
• Ability to develop strategies to grow a vibrant, democratic membership organization
• Strong writing, communication & listening skills
• Experience initiating and leading organizing or policy campaigns
• Flexible, creative, self-motivated, able to work independently and handle multiple tasks
• Demonstrated ability to relate to and work with diverse groups of people
• Passion for this issue and a demonstrated commitment to social justice
• Ability to speak a second language (esp. Arabic, Bengali, Mandarin, Spanish or Wolof)
• High proficiency with computer and web applications, including MS Access
• Willingness to work long, irregular, evening or weekends as needed

Salary is commensurate with experience. Applications are being accepted on a rolling basis -- this position will begin immediately. Women, people of color, immigrants and people who have direct experience with informal labor are strongly encouraged to apply and. To apply, please mail a résumé and cover letter explaining your interest to Street Vendor Project, 123 William Street, 16th Floor, New York, NY 10038 or email svp@urbanjustice.org. Absolutely no phone calls or faxes, please. To read more about our work, please visit www.streetvendor.org. The Urban Justice Center is an equal opportunity employer.