Field Director
Position Overview
The Field Director will be tasked with sustaining and enhancing a robust, impactful, civic engagement organizing infrastructure to defend and strengthen youth power and justice across the state of Oregon. In this role, they will develop a winning strategy and oversee all logistical aspects of the field program to ensure the priorities and plans are carried out. The Field Director is responsible for the creation, adjustments, and completion of field goals. The Field Director position is responsible for the campaign’s direct voter contact goals to build power, educate, and mobilize them toward your campaign’s goals. The ideal candidate will have experience in all facets of campaign operations including: communications, operations, fundraising and field. This position reports to the Deputy Director.
About Us
Since 2002, Next Up Action Fund (501c4) has been a political home to build upon the collective power and leadership of young people in order to secure a more just and equitable Oregon. Together, we envision an accountable and inclusive democracy where young people have the political power to create and sustain resourced, flourishing, and livable communities. We create lasting change through youth leadership development, issue advocacy, co-governance, and civic engagement. Our work is rooted in the belief that by investing in young people’s collective power we are able to build towards a liberated and just future.
We don’t only achieve victories; we see tangible change with youth boldly leading the way. For over 20 years, we’ve helped lead the way on innovative policies to create a more reflective and inclusive democracy in Oregon – now Oregon is one of the easiest states to vote in with over 93.7% of eligible Oregonians registered to vote.
We also specialize in youth voter engagement in Oregon and help turn out the vote for progressive candidates and ballot measures. We’ve helped elect dozens of candidates to statewide and local office by turning out 18 - 35 year olds to vote and ensuring Oregon is one of the most accessible states to vote in through our political advocacy work.
Primary Responsibilities
Electoral Campaign Planning and Execution
Develop and implement strategies to organize Oregonians to achieve electoral campaign objectives, including developing field plans, and turning goals and strategies into tactics, timelines and metrics. This includes creating a yearly Political Plan that lays the foundation for our electoral and basebuilding work for the year.
Work alongside our members, paid field team, and Field Organizer to implement tactics that move electoral campaigns forward, develop the skills of the team, and grow the base of supporters.
Manage the volunteer lifecycle around electoral seasons including recruiting, training, and retaining new and returning volunteers
Work collaboratively with the Advocacy Department to engage members and volunteers on legislative and policy work, especially in critical geographies.
Ensure successful implementation of advocacy technology tools, including the best use of volunteer management software, the voter file, social media, text messaging, e-mail, relational organizing tools, and phone calls to increase engagement by the organizing staff and volunteers.
In collaboration with the Communications Department, develop persuasive and informative outreach materials to be used for electoral and civic engagement purposes.
Managing and Supporting the Civic Engagement Department
Manage the organization’s civic engagement infrastructure, including directly supervising a temporary Field Organizer and Field Staff.
Recruit, hire, and onboard a Paid Field Team as needed (typically before elections). A significant amount of the position’s time will be spent shadowing, coaching, and developing organizers and volunteers.
Providing volunteer canvassers + phone bankers with the positive leadership culture, resources, guidance and technical support required to succeed during each phase of the program while ensuring compliance with all Next Up and Next Up Action Fund policies and best practices.
Manage and provide guidance to the Field Organizer, who will manage and launch College Campus Organizers across Oregon. Train young leaders on how to run an effective outreach program on campuses, set organizing goals/benchmarks, and execute a plan to achieve those goals.
Foster individual and team resilience to promote a culture of continuous growth.
Develop and implement training that builds the capacity of the organization’s supporters, and activists to be strong leaders, advocates, and messengers for the civil liberties and civil rights movement.
Identify and facilitate the professional development needs of Field Department staff.
Develop, implement, and monitor the departmental budget.
Data Accountability and Management
Track program progress to goals, produce reports and highlights, and adjust plans as necessary.
Ensure compliance with all field programs.
Lead on maintaining current processes for the CRM databases for full staff. This includes oversight and ensuring all full time staff are uploading their data in a timely manner to Everyaction, and that the electoral program data is synced to either AmericaVotes My Voters (c4), and/or StateVoices MyVoters (c3).
Ensuring that volunteer canvass teams properly perform their roles and maintain accurate and reliable data
Ensuring that all field data is entered accurately and in a timely manner.
Proactively identify and act upon opportunities to create new, engaging voter education and mobilization content in response to news events and current and potential voter questions.
General Support
As needed, serve as a spokesperson for the organization.
Other leadership and management duties as assigned.
Engage in organizational decision making and planning processes.
Key Qualifications
At least three (3) years of high-level experience in electoral organizing, political, ballot initiative, and/or legislative campaigns, with an emphasis on planning and implementing effective field organizing strategies.
At least two (2) years of experience supervising staff and volunteers in a political or field organizing context; demonstrated and proven leadership experience working in an organization that uses both professional staff and volunteers.
Friendly and outgoing; excited to meet new people, build relationships, and bring them into the movement.
Significant experience with and expertise in organizing/advocacy software and tools, especially EveryAction and VAN. Experience with GetThru, or other texting and calling platforms, and Empower, or other relational organizing platforms, are a plus but not required.
A sophisticated understanding of how to be effective in the policy arena, and experience in political organizing and formulating strategies that tie together research, lobbying, new forms of communications, and grassroots and grasstops strategies.
Knowledge of current political alignments and opportunities for collaboration in Oregon with a broad range of groups.
A history of working collaboratively and successfully with people and organizations from diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds and a broad range of ideological positions and religious views.
Strong written and oral communications skills.
Position Logistics
Job Title: Field Director
Deadline to Apply: Sunday, February 8, 2026 at 11:59 PM PST
Salary: $79,115.00/year to start with annual cost of living raises
Anticipated Start Date: February 16th, 2026
Reports To: Deputy Director
Management Position: Yes. Manages the Field Organizer and any other Paid Field Staff.
Duration: Full time (32 hour work week), permanent position with occasional weekend and evening work required.
Benefits: Our benefits include medical, vision, and dental coverage (with 100% of the premium covered by the employer), a 4-day (on average 32 hour) work week, a laptop computer, professional development funding, cell phone and work from home stipends, 401k retirement matching, flexible scheduling, 20 days of PTO per year (10 days if hired after July 1), a generous sabbatical policy, and paid holidays including a two-week office closure in December.
Location: Our office is in Portland, Oregon. We have a hybrid work policy that requires full-time staff to work 2 days per week in-person. Biannual team retreats and a few major events are required in-person as well.
Covid- 19: We are requiring all team members to be vaccinated for COVID-19 unless a team member has requested and received a health/disability or religious accommodation. For in-person meetings - applicants must follow all in person covid protocols outlined by the organization.
How to apply
Please send a cover letter and resume to hiring@nextuporegon.org and in the subject line put Field Organizer by January 18th, 2026. Those missing a resume, cover letter and application materials not submitted by the deadline will not be considered.
Please send a 1-page cover letter that includes your responses to the following questions:
How do you relate to Next Up Action Fund’s mission (found on our website)?
What interests you most about this position?
How would your skills and experiences (personal and professional) translate into success in this position?
equal opportunity statement
Next Up Action Fund is an equal opportunity employer. We do not discriminate based on race, religion, color, national origin, disability, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, reproductive health decisions, or related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, status as a protected veteran, or other applicable legally protected characteristics.
We believe our work is stronger when it benefits from the experience, knowledge, and wisdom of people who have faced systemic barriers and strongly encourages Black, Indigenous, people of color, disabled people, people of diverse sexual orientations, gender expressions, and identities to apply.
