American Association of University Professors

Department of Organizing and Services

Director—Washington, DC

The American Association of University Professors (AAUP), a fast-growing union of higher education workers, invites applications for the Director of the Department of Organizing and Services from experienced organizing leaders who are committed to building a powerful and democratic union. AAUP is uniting and mobilizing the higher ed sector against increasing partisan attacks that undermine academic freedom in principle and practice. We aim to protect college and university teaching and research by protecting the jobs of instructors and researchers, strengthen the higher education labor movement by forging cross-sector solidarity, and defend democracy itself against authoritarian encroachment.

The Director will lead AAUP’s efforts to unite and mobilize higher education workers nationwide to meet these challenges. This is an opportunity for an experienced organizing leader to shape the future of U.S. higher education and strengthen the labor movement at a pivotal time. The Director will build power with and for academic workers, defend democracy and academic freedom, and ensure that the voices of those who teach and research are at the forefront of the fight for a just, democratic, and inclusive future.

The Director leads the Department of Organizing and Services and plays a pivotal role in advancing AAUP’s mission and strategic direction. The Director develops and executes national organizing programs—internal, external, and member-led—to expand AAUP’s reach, strengthen chapters, and build sustainable worker power.

This is a managerial position requiring a combination of visionary leadership, strategic planning, campaign execution, and staff supervision. The Director works under the direction of the Executive Director; collaborates closely with elected leadership, AFT counterparts, and coalition partners; and represents AAUP publicly and within the broader labor movement.

This position requires a deep commitment to racial and social equity, extensive travel, and a readiness to work with faculty, graduate workers, and academic professionals across diverse institutional settings.

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 position will include the following responsibilities:

• In consultation with AAUP’s national officers and Executive Director, lead AAUP’s national organizing strategy.
• Design and implement comprehensive, focused, and disciplined organizing campaigns in both collective bargaining and non-collective bargaining contexts that increase membership, strengthen local AAUP chapters, and build sustainable power for higher education workers.
• Carry out the decisions of AAUP’s elected leaders.
• Align department with AAUP’s strategic priorities, including the AFT affiliation and AAUP’s racial equity initiative.
• Develop annual organizing plans, goals, and budgets in coordination with the Executive Director and national officers.
• Allocate resources and manage staff assignments to achieve measurable and concrete goals in both internal and external organizing campaigns.
• Create systems to track campaign, member, and staff progress.
• Build coordination and shared planning capacity between AAUP’s national office, state conferences, and local chapters.
• Foster collaboration across AAUP departments, integrating communications, research, political, and legal strategies to achieve campaign objectives, and instilling an organizing ethos throughout the union.
• Collaborate with AFT counterparts and other coalition partners to align resources, campaign strategies, and national objectives.
• Represent AAUP at conferences, meetings, and other convenings, and to other unions, higher education organizations, and public bodies.
• Engage AAUP chapters, state conferences, and member leaders in organizing to strengthen local infrastructure and leadership pipelines.
• Liaise with community and labor allies to support organizing drives and build durable coalitions in defense of higher education.
• Build and maintain strong partnerships with other labor unions, community organizations, and higher education coalitions to advance common goals.
• Supervise, mentor, and evaluate departmental staff, cultivating accountability, teamwork, and professional growth.
• Recruit, train, and mentor diverse organizing staff and ensure equity and inclusion are central to all aspects of department work.
• Provide staff with coaching, training, and performance feedback to build their capacity as effective organizers.
• Conduct regular check-ins, performance evaluations, and team meetings to align work with leadership and campaign objectives.
• When necessary, develop support plans for performance improvement or initiate progressive discipline.
• Support the creation of strong, democratic, member-led organizing committees and sustainable leadership structures.
• Lead the planning of leadership development and organizing training programs, including the AAUP Summer Institute and pre-Biennial conference.
• Support campus-based and regional organizing education, providing tools and curriculum that develop member-leaders and activists.
• Establish metrics and accountability systems to track staff performance, campaign progress, and membership growth.
• Prepare reports and presentations for the AAUP Council, Executive Committee, and other stakeholders on organizing progress, challenges, and opportunities.
• Ensure all programmatic and staff activities align with AAUP’s overall mission, strategic goals, and racial equity commitments.
• Other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

Required

• Minimum of ten years’ experience in labor organizing, including at least five years in a supervisory or program-directing role.
• Demonstrated success leading comprehensive, focused, and disciplined organizing campaigns and developing union leaders.
• Deep understanding of union organizing frameworks, labor law, and collective power-building, with the ability to apply these principles in higher education contexts.
• 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 in different locations. This is a national position that is based in Washington, D.C., and requires an ability to travel and work throughout the country.
• Experience organizing in the education sector and working with educators to achieve measurable organizing goals.
• Familiarity with collective bargaining campaigns and agreements for education workers.
• Proven ability to supervise, motivate, and hold staff accountable to organizing goals and performance standards.
• Strong strategic planning, campaign design, and project management skills.
• Excellent written, oral, and public communication skills; ability to speak effectively to diverse audiences and represent AAUP externally.
• Understanding of how structural issues of class, race, and gender affect the success of labor and social justice organizations, commitment to racial equity, inclusion, and social justice, and experience applying these principles in organizing and leadership.
• Strong grasp of digital organizing tools, databases, and other systems for membership tracking and campaign management.
• Valid driver’s license and willingness to travel nationally and work evenings and weekends.
• Bachelor’s degree.

Preferred

• Experience leading organizing initiatives within higher education.
• Prior leadership of successful collective bargaining, legislative, and political campaigns for higher education workers.
• Familiarity with public-sector labor relations, NLRB procedures, federal and state legislation affecting higher education, and college and university policies.
• Ability to conduct power analysis in order to identify key targets of organizing campaigns.
• Experience coordinating with multiple unions, affiliates, or coalition partners.
• Background in training development, staff mentoring, or leadership pipeline building.
• Advanced post-graduate education or professional development in organizing techniques and best practices.

This job description is not designed or intended to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties, or responsibilities that are required of the employee. Activities, duties, and responsibilities may change, or new ones may be assigned during the course of employment.

Compensation 

Salary range: $120,000 – $150,000. AAUP offers a generous benefits package that includes health, dental, and vision insurance; paid sick days; paid vacations days; and 401(K).

Position Classification

This regular full-time Senior Program Officer position is categorized as management/supervisory and is excluded from the staff bargaining unit. This is an exempt position and is not eligible for overtime pay.

Work Location

This position is based in AAUP’s Washington, D.C., office, with an option for part-time telework. The Director will also travel to multiple in-person work sites on college and university campuses nationwide, sometimes on short notice.

To Apply

To apply, please submit a cover letter, resume, and the names and contact information of three references; all application material are required. No phone calls or recruiters please. Review of applications will begin immediately. Application deadline is November 11, 2025. 

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).

Women and minorities are encouraged to apply.