Environmental Justice Director at COPAL

Who We Are

COPAL, Communities Organizing Latine Power and Action, is a member-based organization established in 2018 to improve the quality of life of Latine families. Grounded in the Principles of Jemez, COPAL is committed to continue building meaningful relationships that transcend both identity and geographical boundaries. COPAL envisions a Minnesota where everyone lives with dignity and respect.

Why You’ll Love Working Here

Our greatest asset is the dedication and commitment of our board, staff, members, and interns, as well as our valued volunteers, partners, coalition members, and leaders of the Latine community. With a clear mission and vision of a better future for all, we can mobilize people to bring about transformation and lead social, political, and economic change.

Wages & Benefits

$75,000 - $85,000 annual salary; generous paid time off (PTO), plus eight paid holidays per year and two floating holidays; cell phone stipend provided; competitive health plan with BlueCross, BlueShield of MN, dental, and vision insurance offerings: Health Savings Account (HSA). There is employer paid basic life insurance with the option for additional coverage paid by the employees. The employer pays for Accidental Death and Dismemberment (AD&D) and short- and long-term disability insurance. COPAL sponsors a retirement plan with 6% employer contribution after 90 days of service and immediate vesting.

A Typical Day in the Life…

A typical day as COPAL’s Environmental Justice (EJ) Director provides an opportunity to set the strategic direction of COPAL’s Environmental Justice (EJ) Team. Responsibilities will include the following:

• Collaborating with the EJ Team and leadership to sharpen COPAL’s EJ vision and strategy to be reflective of, and responsive to, COPAL’s core constituency concerns and organizational goals.
• Creating and maintaining an EJ Team annual plan, adjusting as needed throughout the year given changes in circumstances and strategic work plan.
• Managing EJ-related grants budgets, authorizing expenses, and assuming responsibility for balancing the budgets.
• Analyzing and documenting the effectiveness of EJ organizing and policy strategies.
• Developing and maintaining positive relationships with neighborhood businesses, policymakers, EJ funders, and organizations to increase visibility and support COPAL’s strategic goals.
• Writing grants to meet EJ vision and goals.
• Coordinating with the EJ Team to plan and execute cross-organizational events, grassroots fundraising, new member cultivation, communications plans, digital outreach plans, training, and other issue campaign actions.
• Organizing strategic involvement in local, state-wide, and transnational coalitions.
• Planning and facilitating/leading effective EJ team meetings with clear outcomes.

Who You Are

• You hold a degree in environmental justice or another relevant field, or you have an equivalent combination of education and work experience.
• You possess knowledge of environmental justice, climate change, and social justice, specifically around cumulative impacts, forced climate migration, green jobs, and energy transition issues as they apply to the Latine community.
• You are bilingual in Spanish and English and demonstrate cultural competency.
• You are a relational leader and a good team player with the ability to work with a broad team of staff and grassroots leaders, collaborate effectively in a coalition setting, and motivate diverse groups of people.
• You are committed to promoting COPAL’s goals and priorities in compliance with all policies and procedures with a deep investment in the shared agenda for change.
• You possess excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• You are creative and flexible in responding to changing priorities and emerging needs.
• You manage time effectively with the ability to prioritize tasks and meet deadlines.
• You are detail-oriented and highly organized.
• You have the ability to develop and manage a budget.
• You are proficient in MS Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
• You hold a valid driver’s license, have access to reliable transportation, and meet COPAL’s driving record requirements. If your license was not issued in Minnesota, you apply for a Minnesota driver's license or permit within 60 days after becoming a resident of Minnesota (not applicable for new hires living out of state).

Diversity and open expression are fundamental to the work of COPAL. We are passionate about building and sustaining an inclusive and equitable working environment where everyone can belong. Every member of our team enriches our work by exposing us to a broad range of ways to understand and engage with the world, identify challenges, and to discover, design, and deliver solutions. We welcome everyone to apply, especially those individuals who are underrepresented in our sector: individuals who identify as BIPOC, Indigenous or people of culture, LGBTQI+ and gender fluid or gender nonconforming, individuals with disabilities (both seen and unseen), veterans, people of any age or family status. We encourage you to apply even if you feel like you don't fit 100% of the technical requirements. Equal Opportunity Employer: All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, race, color, religion, disability, marital status, national origin, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, familial status, genetic information or a protected veteran’s status.

Our organization has a partnership with Metropolitan Alliance of Connected Communities (MACC) to provide administrative services including management of the hiring process. If you apply for this position, you may see references to MACC in some online materials.