National Opportunities

Associate Counsel

Lead Organizer

Organizer

Associate Counsel

The American Association of University Professors (AAUP) is pleased to announce an Associate Counsel position to be filled as soon as possible in its Legal Office. The new leadership of the AAUP is looking for an individual who will help transform the Association into an organized, fighting union. Our goal is to defend the higher ed sector against increasing attacks while leading a fight for fair wages, job security, academic freedom, an end to student debt, and expanded access to post-secondary education. The ideal candidate will be committed to shaping and implementing the association’s organizing objectives to transform the AAUP into the fastest-growing union in higher education. The location for this position is flexible with the potential for working remotely while traveling regularly to AAUP’s Washington DC office. This position will work under the direction of AAUP’s Senior Counsel.

The AAUP legal department has helped lead the fight against the attacks on higher education. Recently, AAUP has been a lead plaintiff in a number lawsuits challenging the Trump administrations actions against higher education. The legal department leads the legal strategy and management of this litigation for AAUP. The legal department also speaks on the First Amendment, issues guidance and know your rights material to assist AAUP chapters and faculty, and provides advice to AAUP leadership on legal strategy. Seeking to shape the law in ways supportive of AAUP principles, the Legal Office also drafts and submits amicus briefs in key appellate cases. Additionally, the office performs in-house legal work for the AAUP and supplies legal support for a number of key AAUP committees.

The AAUP is committed to a diverse workforce and strives to achieve a workplace environment respectful of the many cultures of our own employees and the higher education workers we represent, including a significant number of African American, Asian American/Pacific Islander, and Latinx employees, as well as LGBTQl-identified employees, and those who have immigrated from various countries. The AAUP values the benefits that diversity brings to the faculty profession and the labor movement. We seek applicants whose experience and perspective will contribute to strong representation of our diverse members.

Duties and Responsibilities

The Associate Counsel will help lead AAUP’s legal strategy and provide guidance and assistance to AAUP leadership and AAUP chapters and faculty. The substantive areas include academic freedom, employment and labor law, and constitutional law. This position will include the following responsibilities:

• Author, coauthor, and file amicus curiae briefs in support of AAUP’s core issues.
• Assist in the management of AAUP litigation.
• Provide guidance and advice to AAUP leadership and AAUP chapters on utilizing labor and employment law and First Amendment rights to protect AAUP members and higher education.
• Conduct trainings, workshops, and webinars for AAUP members and chapter leaders on legal issues.
• Assist with the preparation and presentation of materials for leadership meetings.
• Conduct legal research using Lexis, PACER, and other resources.
• Analyze and summarize case law.
• Review and analyze federal/state legislation—both proposed and existing.
• Draft and review memorandums and other legal documents.
• Draft articles, emails, or other materials for members or other constituencies.
• Assist with the preparation of legal office reports to the leadership or other constituencies.
• Assist with preparing AAUP legal compliance materials.
• Other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

• Juris Doctorate degree from an accredited law school.
• Admission, in good standing, and license to practice in at least one jurisdiction.
• Five to eight years of legal experience.
• Strong interpersonal skills and a willingness to reach out to AAUP chapters and allies.
• Strong analytical and research skills.
• Strong attention to detail.
• Experience and demonstrated ability working with diverse groups and individuals.
• Computer proficiency skills—including familiarity with MS Office, PACER, and Lexis.
• Working knowledge of constitutional law, higher education law, non-profit law, academic freedom, employment or labor law preferred.
• Ability to work independently.
• This position requires a valid driver’s license and the willingness and ability to travel occasionally throughout the United States, to work long, irregular hours and weekends as needed.

Compensation

Salary range: $100,00–$120,000. Generous benefits package, including health insurance and 401(K).

Position Classification

This position is designated as a senior program officer in the Legal Department and is excluded from the staff union bargaining unit. This is an exempt position and not eligible for overtime pay.

Work Location

Work location is flexible. Travel to the Washington D.C. office is expected approximately once a month or as necessary.

To Apply

To apply, please submit a cover letter, resume, a writing sample that would demonstrate your analytical writing skills, and the names and phone numbers of three references: https://easyapply.co/job/associate-counsel-3?rcid=aaup_external No phone calls or recruiters please. Review of applications will begin immediately and continue until the position is filled.

The AAUP is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of age, sex, disability, race, color, religion, national origin, marital status, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, personal appearance, family responsibilities, genetic information, matriculation, political affiliation, homelessness, or other characteristics unrelated to professional performance. (EEO Know Your Rights | Family Medical Leave Act | Employee Polygraph Protection Act)

Women and minorities are encouraged to apply.

Lead Organizer

The American Association of University Professors (AAUP) is pleased to announce a Lead Organizer position to be filled as soon as possible. The new leadership of the AAUP is looking for an individual who will help transform the Association into an organized, fighting union. Our goal is to defend the higher ed sector against increasing attacks while leading a fight for fair wages, job security, academic freedom, an end to student debt, and expanded access to postsecondary education. The ideal candidate will be committed to shaping and implementing the association’s organizing objectives to transform the AAUP into the fastest-growing union in higher education.

The Lead Organizer will play a vital role in identifying and implementing new collective bargaining campaigns as well as internal organizing campaigns with existing units; defining key issues; increasing the diversity of our membership; creating and sustaining coalitions; mobilizing members; and winning increased rights and protections for faculty, academic professionals, and graduate student employees. The lead organizer will travel widely across the United States, working under the direction of AAUP’s Director of Organizing & Services. The successful candidate will play a key role in shaping and implementing the association’s organizing objectives in collaboration with our organizing partners at the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) and will work interdepartmentally to achieve the association's strategic objectives. This position requires a commitment to racial equity and involves working with diverse individuals both inside and outside of the AAUP office.

Duties and Responsibilities

The Lead Organizer will play a key role in developing and executing organizing plans for chapters they are assigned to, with a focus on assisting our existing collective bargaining chapters with internal organizing campaigns and building advocacy membership in the region. The position will include the following responsibilities:

• Coordinating with Association leaders and staff on specific projects and long-range planning, including responsibility for planning content for campus, regional, and national training events.
• Representing the Association before other faculty organizations, college and university bodies, and other unions and professional associations.
• Serving as the AAUP’s lead on assigned chapters by developing and implementing campus organizing plans in keeping with the goals and objectives identified in the AAUP’s national plans.
• Developing and implementing contract and other issues campaigns at our collective bargaining chapters/local unions. This may include on-the-ground work to recruit and train contract action teams.
• Developing and implementing internal organizing campaigns.
• Developing and implementing advocacy organizing campaigns at non-collective bargaining campuses.
• Working collaboratively with AAUP’s organizing partner AFT.
• Supporting AAUP chapters and state conferences in the region and helping develop and mentor diverse, talented grassroots leadership who can run effective issues-based campaigns, build membership, and increase the influence of our members on their campuses and in their states.
• Other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

• Five or more years of experience working for labor unions required. Experience with higher ed. unions preferred.
• Demonstrated ability with successfully developing and implementing comprehensive internal and/or external union organizing plans, including organizing timelines, benchmarks, and milestones.
• Demonstrated experience working with leaders and members from national, state-level, or local affiliates to build strong organizing structures.
• Demonstrated expertise in organizing databases.
• Experience successfully using digital tools to facilitate organizing work preferred.
• Knowledge of higher education preferred.
• Experience and demonstrated ability to work with professional groups and individuals.
• Commitment to racial equity required; demonstrated experience with racial equity or DEI initiatives preferred.
• Superior written and oral communication skills and computer proficiency skills—including working familiarity with MS Office suite.
• Ability to work independently within the context of a national strategic plan.
• Valid driver’s license and a willingness to travel nationally, and to accept lengthy field assignments and possible relocation. This is a national position and requires an ability to travel and work throughout the country.
• Associates degree or relevant experience required. Bachelor’s and/or advanced degree preferred.

Compensation

Salary range:  $85,000–$105,000. Generous benefits package, including health insurance and 401(K).

Position Classification

This position is designated as a probationary senior program officer in the Department of Organizing and is part of the staff union bargaining unit. This is an exempt position and not eligible for overtime pay.

Work Location

This position is remote.

To Apply

To apply, please submit a cover letter and resume: https://easyapply.co/job/lead-organizer?rcid=aaup_external. Both the cover letter and resume are required. If you have previously applied for this position, please do not reapply as the search committee has your application. No phone calls or recruiters please. Review of applications will begin immediately and continue until the position is filled.

The AAUP is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of age, sex, disability, race, color, religion, national origin, marital status, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, personal appearance, family responsibilities, genetic information, matriculation, political affiliation, homelessness, or other characteristics unrelated to professional performance. (EEO Know Your Rights | Family Medical Leave Act | Employee Polygraph Protection Act).

Women and minorities are encouraged to apply. 

Organizer

The American Association of University Professors (AAUP) is pleased to announce a professional position for an organizer, to be filled as soon as possible. The new leadership of the AAUP is looking for an individual who will help transform the Association into an organized, fighting union. Our goal is to defend the higher ed sector against increasing attacks while leading a fight for fair wages, job security, academic freedom, an end to student debt, and expanded access to postsecondary education. The ideal candidate will be committed to implementing the association’s organizing objectives to transform the AAUP into the fastest-growing union in higher education.

The Organizer will be central to implementing AAUP’s national strategy for building AAUP’s membership and local organizations in both collective bargaining and non-collective bargaining settings. A successful candidate will be a skilled organizer, an effective strategist, and capable of operating independently and using good judgment. This is an exciting opportunity at a critically important time in the AAUP, the academy, and the labor movement. The Organizer will travel widely and work under the direction of AAUP’s Director of Organizing. We invite you to join us in our vital work organizing academic workers to defend and advance the academic freedom, shared governance, due process rights, and economic security of the profession.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Developing and implementing issues or strategic campaigns for our chapters. This includes on-the-ground work to recruit and train organizing committees, as well as working on-site with members to plan and execute campaign objectives.
• Fostering leadership development and membership growth in our chapters and state conferences, including helping to develop new advocacy chapters.
• Assisting AAUP chapters with building membership and engagement, including assisting our chapters with developing and implementing campus organizing plans.
• Advancing the Association’s collective bargaining program by supporting the work of the AAUP CB chapters
• Representing the Association before other higher education organizations, college and university bodies, and other unions and professional associations.
• Coordinating with Association leaders and staff on particular projects and long-range planning, including responsibility for planning content for campus, regional, and national training events.
• Other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

• Three years’ experience as an organizer required. (Union organizer experience preferred, but we will also consider candidates with political and community organizing experience).
• Experience with membership development, leadership identification, and grassroots organizing required.
• Knowledge of labor relations and professional issues relating to higher education preferred.
• Experience successfully using digital tools to facilitate organizing work preferred.
• Experience and demonstrated ability to work with professional groups and individuals required.
• Superior written and oral communication skills and computer proficiency skills, including working familiarity with MS Office suite required. Experience with cloud-based organizing databases preferred.
• Associate degree required; BA or advanced degree and experience teaching and/or conducting research in higher education preferred.
• This position requires a valid driver’s license and the willingness and ability to travel extensively throughout the United States, to work long, irregular hours and weekends as needed, and to accept lengthy field assignments and possible relocation. This is a national position and requires an ability to travel and work throughout the country.