Senior grassroots organizer
Location: Philadelphia, PA
Schedule: Part-Time, 25 hours per week weekend & evening work required
Reports to: Delaware Bayshore Program Director
Compensation: $25-$27 per hour
Application deadline: 10/1/26 (Applications reviewed on a rolling basis)
Schedule: Part-Time, 25 hours per week weekend & evening work required
Reports to: Delaware Bayshore Program Director
Compensation: $25-$27 per hour
Application deadline: 10/1/26 (Applications reviewed on a rolling basis)
About the American Littoral Society
The American Littoral Society is a membership-based coastal conservation organization helping lead a regional campaign to achieve a cleaner, healthier, fishable, and swimmable Delaware River and Philadelphia. We work with residents, community organizations, environmental partners, public officials, and regulatory agencies to reduce sewage pollution, improve public access to waterways, and ensure that communities affected by poor water quality have a meaningful voice in decisions about their waterways.
The American Littoral Society is a membership-based coastal conservation organization helping lead a regional campaign to achieve a cleaner, healthier, fishable, and swimmable Delaware River and Philadelphia. We work with residents, community organizations, environmental partners, public officials, and regulatory agencies to reduce sewage pollution, improve public access to waterways, and ensure that communities affected by poor water quality have a meaningful voice in decisions about their waterways.
Position Summary
The American Littoral Society is seeking a Senior Grassroots Organizer to lead community outreach and organizing in Philadelphia as part of a campaign to reduce combined sewer overflows and improve water quality in the Delaware River and its tributaries.
We are building a team of Grassroots Organizers (GO’s) to help inform Philadelphia communities and empower them to promote policy change to improve water quality in the city. We are seeking a Senior Grassroots Organizer to help lead this team. The GO Team will engage with Philadelphia communities to elevate the voices of residents and stakeholders impacted by poor water quality, and build a constituency for improving water quality in the Delaware River. The GO Team will promote public access as a policy driver in support of fishable and swimmable waters in and around Philadelphia and establish an active network of current and potential supporters and advocates for the Delaware River.
The GO Team’s primary responsibilities are to engage residents and elevate their voices so that decisionmakers understand the water-related priorities of the community. They will also advocate to and work with local, regional, and state entities including any regulatory bodies related to water quality, water supply and land use. The GOs are responsible for representing the interests of the American Littoral Society before ally groups and stakeholders in order to change or enforce public policies related to achieve fishable and swimmable water quality conditions in the Delaware River.
The Senior Grassroots Organizer will build sustained relationships with residents, neighborhood leaders, civic associations, recreational water users, community organizations, and other stakeholders. They will help residents understand how sewage overflows, flooding, poor water quality, and limited public access affect their communities and provide meaningful opportunities for them to advocate for solutions.
This position will also help translate complex water-quality and infrastructure issues into clear public information, elevate community stories, organize events, recruit and develop local advocates, and connect resident priorities with policy and regulatory decisions.
The ideal candidate is an experienced relationship-builder who is approachable, organized, persistent, and comfortable working across diverse Philadelphia communities.
This is a part-time position at approximately 25 hours per week. GOs will work closely with the Delaware Bayshore Program Director, Communications Director, and Executive Director as well as collaborate with team members from allied organizations.
The American Littoral Society is seeking a Senior Grassroots Organizer to lead community outreach and organizing in Philadelphia as part of a campaign to reduce combined sewer overflows and improve water quality in the Delaware River and its tributaries.
We are building a team of Grassroots Organizers (GO’s) to help inform Philadelphia communities and empower them to promote policy change to improve water quality in the city. We are seeking a Senior Grassroots Organizer to help lead this team. The GO Team will engage with Philadelphia communities to elevate the voices of residents and stakeholders impacted by poor water quality, and build a constituency for improving water quality in the Delaware River. The GO Team will promote public access as a policy driver in support of fishable and swimmable waters in and around Philadelphia and establish an active network of current and potential supporters and advocates for the Delaware River.
The GO Team’s primary responsibilities are to engage residents and elevate their voices so that decisionmakers understand the water-related priorities of the community. They will also advocate to and work with local, regional, and state entities including any regulatory bodies related to water quality, water supply and land use. The GOs are responsible for representing the interests of the American Littoral Society before ally groups and stakeholders in order to change or enforce public policies related to achieve fishable and swimmable water quality conditions in the Delaware River.
The Senior Grassroots Organizer will build sustained relationships with residents, neighborhood leaders, civic associations, recreational water users, community organizations, and other stakeholders. They will help residents understand how sewage overflows, flooding, poor water quality, and limited public access affect their communities and provide meaningful opportunities for them to advocate for solutions.
This position will also help translate complex water-quality and infrastructure issues into clear public information, elevate community stories, organize events, recruit and develop local advocates, and connect resident priorities with policy and regulatory decisions.
The ideal candidate is an experienced relationship-builder who is approachable, organized, persistent, and comfortable working across diverse Philadelphia communities.
This is a part-time position at approximately 25 hours per week. GOs will work closely with the Delaware Bayshore Program Director, Communications Director, and Executive Director as well as collaborate with team members from allied organizations.
Primary Responsibilities:
Community Organizing & Outreach Lead
Advocate for a Clean Delaware River
Required Qualifications and Skills:
Preferred Qualifications and Skills:
Community Organizing & Outreach Lead
- Explain combined sewer overflows, flooding, water pollution, public access, and infrastructure needs in clear, accessible language.
- Work with Society and Team’s communications staff to develop fact sheets, presentations, social-media content, email updates, petitions, action alerts, and other campaign materials.
- Identify and recruit neighborhood leaders, such as block captains, ward leaders, and social club chairs to join our efforts
- Work with local leaders to host block parties, walking tours, house meetings, and other events to spread awareness and engage residents in our efforts to promote clean water
- Identify and document community stories that illustrate how water quality affects neighborhoods, recreation, public health, flooding, and quality of life.
- Support and initiate collaborations between the public, community groups and established conservation and environmental organizations.
- Build sustained relationships with residents, block captains, ward leaders, civic associations, faith communities, social clubs, recreational groups, and other local networks. Regularly communicate with Philadelphia residents via face-to-face conversations, telephone calls, and text messages
Advocate for a Clean Delaware River
- Organize and advocate for the development and implementation of land use, water quality and water supply policies, regulations and decisions in support of attaining fishable and swimmable waters in the central portion of the Delaware River
- Elevate community priorities in meetings with elected officials, public agencies, utilities, regulators, and other decision-makers.
- Conduct effective networking and ally development activities with individuals, groups, organizations, and governmental entities
- Participate in statewide environmental networks to secure state policy to meet local goals.
- Build partnerships by elevating shared environmental issues of concern as important issues.
Required Qualifications and Skills:
- Local knowledge of Philadelphia neighborhoods, preference will be given to a candidate who resides within City limits;
- Willingness to regularly work evenings and weekends; flex time is available to ensure work life balance;
- Demonstrated commitment to environmental justice and clean water
- Excellent oral and written communication skills;
- Microsoft Office skills including PowerPoint, Outlook, Excel;
- Reliable transportation to enable attendance at meetings throughout the region;
- Ability to handle multiple tasks, work under pressure, and maintain attention to detail;
- Connection to the communities of Philadelphia and able to comfortably work with diverse groups of people.
Preferred Qualifications and Skills:
- Existing relationships with Philadelphia neighborhood organizations, civic associations, faith communities, recreational groups, or local leaders
- Experience developing community stories, public presentations, digital content, or media materials
- Background in water quality management, land use, environmental campaigns or other related fields
- Familiar with regulatory bodies and state and local government affecting the Delaware River
- Ability to speak, read, and write in both Spanish and English.
Work Environment
This is a community-facing position that requires substantial in-person work throughout Philadelphia. Some administrative, planning, and communications work may be completed remotely. The position requires regular evening and weekend events, with flexible scheduling provided to balance those hours. A technology stipend will be provided for GO team members.
This is a community-facing position that requires substantial in-person work throughout Philadelphia. Some administrative, planning, and communications work may be completed remotely. The position requires regular evening and weekend events, with flexible scheduling provided to balance those hours. A technology stipend will be provided for GO team members.
How to Apply
Please submit:
Send materials to [email protected] with “Senior Grassroots Organizer” in the
subject line.
The American Littoral Society is an equal-opportunity employer. We strongly encourage applications from people historically underrepresented in the environmental field and from candidates with direct knowledge of communities affected by environmental and infrastructure challenges.
Please submit:
- A resume
- A brief cover letter explaining your interest in the position and your connection to Philadelphia communities; and
- Contact information for three professional references.
Send materials to [email protected] with “Senior Grassroots Organizer” in the
subject line.
The American Littoral Society is an equal-opportunity employer. We strongly encourage applications from people historically underrepresented in the environmental field and from candidates with direct knowledge of communities affected by environmental and infrastructure challenges.
