Description

Location: Mississippi (in-person, with statewide travel)
Reports to: Executive Director

Type: Full-timeCompensation: $70,000-80,000
Application Deadline: February 20, 2026

About Mississippi Engaged

Mississippi Engaged is a 501c3 table that coordinates and resources civic engagement efforts of nonprofit and community based organizations to build transformative community power statewide.

About the Role

This is an inaugural leadership role. The Field Director will be the first person to hold this position at Mississippi Engaged and will play a foundational role in building the organization’s statewide field program from the ground up with a focus on building a program that identifies and engages voters, builds community networks, and nurtures long-term civic power to improve material conditions for Mississippians. This includes setting the vision, structure, systems, and culture for a new organizing program establishing strategies, workflows, benchmarks, and partnerships where none have previously existed.

This position will manage organizing strategy, staff and operations, data driven program implementation all while ensuring alignment with organizational priorities and partner initiatives. The role is ideal for a creative, grounded, and strategic leader with deep roots in grassroots or voter engagement organizing who is willing and eager to keep the best of organizing traditions while embracing new ways of thinking that value in person organizing. 

As the inaugural Field Director, this role requires comfort with ambiguity, a strong entrepreneurial mindset, and the ability to move between big-picture strategy and hands-on implementation. The ideal candidate is able to create plans and programs from scratch, and motivated by the opportunity to create durable organizing infrastructure that will shape Mississippi Engaged’s work for years to come.

What You Will Do in this Role

Develop and Implement Organizing Strategy
Co-create and execute a statewide organizing strategy to engage infrequent voters and strengthen community power.
Design and oversee voter engagement programs, including registration, education, turnout (GOTV), and persuasion efforts.
Align organizing strategy with Mississippi Engaged’s mission and the shared goals of partner organizations.
Analyze political, social, and data and targeting trends to inform strategic shifts and identify new opportunities.
Expand volunteer engagement through recruitment, training, recognition, and ongoing support.

Manage and Support Statewide Organizing Staff
Recruit, hire, onboard, and supervise a team of organizers across 7-10 regions.
Provide hands-on coaching and mentorship to organizers to build skills, resilience, and meet results.
Build a supportive, high-accountability culture centered in equity, care, shared learning and results.
Conduct regular 1:1 check-ins and staff meetings to assess progress, troubleshoot challenges, and ensure adherence to field standards and metrics.
Develop and implement training programs that equip staff and volunteers to be effective organizers and advocates.
Oversee professional development, performance evaluation, and budget management for the Field Department.
Oversee field operations, ensuring consistency, quality, and alignment across all regions, with organizational and partner strategies.

Coalition & Partner Work, Communication, and Buy-In
Cultivate and sustain strong relationships with Mississippi Engaged partners, grassroots leaders, stakeholders and coalition members.
Facilitate collaboration among diverse stakeholders and ensure open communication and shared accountability.
Represent Mississippi Engaged in coalition meetings, public forums, and strategic convenings.

Data, Technology, and Metrics
Implement and manage data systems to track outreach, measure progress, and evaluate program effectiveness.
Support staff and partners in using organizing and voter engagement tools effectively (e.g., TargetSmart, VAN, relational organizing platforms, digital outreach tools).
Produce user-friendly reports and insights that analyze voter contact data, and translate insights into actionable strategy adjustments, and inform continuous learning and improvement.
Maintain rigorous quality control standards to ensure accuracy, data integrity, and compliance with reporting protocols.

Must-Have Qualifications

5+ years of senior-level experience in community, relational, issue-based, or political organizing, including voter engagement, GOTV, field campaigns, and volunteer mobilization, preferably in Mississippi, the South, or similarly complex organizing environments.
At least 2 years of experience directly supervising staff and volunteers, with a demonstrated ability to hire, manage, mentor, and develop teams while fostering a culture of accountability, collaboration, and care including but not limited to coaching and supporting staff and volunteer leaders, including providing timely, constructive feedback to support growth, learning, and performance.
Strong commitment to building grassroots power by organizing people to take collective action and sustain long-term civic engagement.
Proven ability to design, launch, and scale grassroots and voter engagement programs from concept through execution, including voter registration, turnout, persuasion, and volunteer leadership development.
Comfort operating in startup or growth-stage environments, with the ability to establish systems, processes, and strategy while programs are actively underway including the ability to work in ambiguity, evolving priorities and be nimble.
Demonstrated success translating strategic vision into clear, actionable, and metrics-driven organizing plans, using data to guide decision-making and continuously refine field strategy.
Deep relational skills, with a track record of building authentic, lasting relationships across lines of difference, power and within diverse communities.
Proven commitment to racial, gender, and economic equity, both in organizing practice and leadership approach.
Technical proficiency with organizing and advocacy tools such as TargetSmart, VAN, MiniVAN, EveryAction, and other voter engagement or relational organizing platforms with strong data and targeting literacy, including the ability to interpret field data, generate reports, and apply insights to improve program effectiveness.
Excellent organizational, time management, and prioritization skills, with the ability to manage multiple workstreams in a fast-paced, evolving environment.

Benefits and Culture: All employees must be eligible to work lawfully in the United States upon the commencement of employment. Mississippi Engaged is not able to sponsor visas. Mississippi Engaged offers a competitive benefits package that includes comprehensive health and wellness coverage, paid vacation, paid holidays, along with a variety of additional support designed to support your overall well-being and professional growth.

Equity and Inclusion: Our work is centered on creating a deeply inclusive and significantly more representative electorate in Mississippi. To be successful in this role, the candidate must have the cultural competence to work with a diverse group of staff, partners, and stakeholders in the American South. We strongly encourage applicants with close ties to Black, Latinx, Indigenous, immigrant, non-English-speaking, disabled, and LGBTQ+ communities to apply.

How to Apply: Please complete this application and email a pdf of your resume to jobs@MSEngaged.org by February 20, 2026.  Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis and if you are not chosen for an interview, you will be informed via email.

Talent Path will include:

Virtual initial screening interview with Sujata Tejwani, who has been retained by Mississippi Engaged to manage the search (30-45  minutes)
Second Round virtual interview with an Mississippi Engaged Staff and Partner Panel (60 minutes)
Final Round virtual interview with the Mississippi Engaged Staff and Partner Panel (75 minutes)
References will be requested and checked for finalists only

Mississippi Engaged is an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, disability, marital status, citizenship, veteran status or any other protected status. We value diversity and inclusion in our workforce and strive to create a supportive environment where everyone can thrive.

Requirements

Must-Have Qualifications

• 5+ years of senior-level experience in community, relational, issue-based, or political organizing, including voter engagement, GOTV, field campaigns, and volunteer mobilization, preferably in Mississippi, the South, or similarly complex organizing environments.
• At least 2 years of experience directly supervising staff and volunteers, with a demonstrated ability to hire, manage, mentor, and develop teams while fostering a culture of accountability, collaboration, and care including but not limited to coaching and supporting staff and volunteer leaders, including providing timely, constructive feedback to support growth, learning, and performance.
• Strong commitment to building grassroots power by organizing people to take collective action and sustain long-term civic engagement.
  Proven ability to design, launch, and scale grassroots and voter engagement programs from concept through execution, including voter registration, turnout, persuasion, and volunteer leadership development.
• Comfort operating in startup or growth-stage environments, with the ability to establish systems, processes, and strategy while programs are actively underway including the ability to work in ambiguity, evolving priorities and be nimble.
• Demonstrated success translating strategic vision into clear, actionable, and metrics-driven organizing plans, using data to guide decision-making and continuously refine field strategy.
• Deep relational skills, with a track record of building authentic, lasting relationships across lines of difference, power and within diverse communities.
  Proven commitment to racial, gender, and economic equity, both in organizing practice and leadership approach.
• Technical proficiency with organizing and advocacy tools such as TargetSmart, VAN, MiniVAN, EveryAction, and other voter engagement or relational organizing platforms with strong data and targeting literacy, including the ability to interpret field data, generate reports, and apply insights to improve program effectiveness.
• Excellent organizational, time management, and prioritization skills, with the ability to manage multiple workstreams in a fast-paced, evolving environment.