Council of New Jersey State College Locals
AFT/AFL-CIO
 

Senior Strategic Campaign Lead

Based in Springfield, NJ

 

POSITION TITLE: Senior Strategic Campaign Lead
LOCATION: Council of New Jersey State College Locals (CNJSCL) – Springfield, NJ (hybrid; significant in-state travel required)
STATUS: Full-time
SALARY: $92,232.22 – $106,407 (commensurate with experience)
BENEFITS: The Council offers a comprehensive benefits package including medical health benefits, healthcare reimbursement funds, employer funded SEP-IRA contributions, vacation, sick, tuition reimbursement, employer paid family medical leave, and all other compensation afforded under the staff collective bargaining agreement.

ABOUT CNJSCL
The Council of New Jersey State College Locals (CNJSCL) is the exclusive bargaining agent for more than 10,000 faculty, adjunct faculty, librarians, non-tenure-track faculty, and professional staff. We are a federation that unites ten union locals across New Jersey’s six State Universities and two State Colleges. An affiliate of the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) and the AFL-CIO, CNJSCL advances the collective voice of higher education workers through contract negotiations, enforcement, legislative advocacy, and organizing in defense of quality, accessible public higher education.

POSITION SUMMARY
CNJSCL seeks a Senior Strategic Campaign Lead to help build a powerful, member-led union that fights austerity, advances public higher education, and advocates for the low-income, working-class, and first-generation students our members serve. This position will lead unified, escalating campaigns across the Council's ten locals, including the 2026–2027 master contract campaign and future statewide legislative and issue-based campaigns to strengthen higher education and protect union jobs.

The Senior Strategic Campaign Lead will provide strategic leadership for organizing and campaign work, with a particular focus on developing workplace leaders, strengthening local organizing structures, and supporting adjunct faculty organizing and recruitment. Unlike many senior organizing roles, this position is not primarily supervisory; its focus is campaign strategy, leadership development, and building the capacity of members to lead collective action. This is a rare opportunity to shape ambitious statewide campaigns, cultivate a new generation of union leaders, and help build a stronger, more democratic union from the ground up.

AFT fosters local autonomy, workplace democracy, and deep organizing. For the past year, CNJSCL has been transitioning its culture from a service to an organizing union. We have recruited strong volunteers to lead Contract Activist Teams across our locals, executed a member-driven process of identifying priorities for the next contract cycle, and designed a transparent and member-engaged plan for master contract negotiations in the 2026-2027 year. We have done all this without an organizer on staff, and we are teed up to execute a year-long master contract campaign. Now, we need a strategic campaign lead ready to take CNJSCL to the next level. 

The Senior Strategic Campaign Lead works under the direction of the Council President and Executive Committee. They will collaborate closely with a small team of highly dedicated staff and a motivated core of elected union leaders. They will not need to come into the Springfield office more than one day a week (and potentially less), but they will need to make regular visits to four-year colleges across New Jersey in order to work directly with elected officers and members. 

RESPONSIBILITIES
Strategic Campaign Development and Execution

• Develop strategic plans for supporting major union priorities including contract campaigns and issue-based/legislative campaigns in close coordination with Council’s president, elected leadership, and staff.
• Conduct power analysis to identify key leverage points on employers, means of targeting decision makers, and crafting escalating campaigns.
• Work with elected leaders to plan and implement escalating actions across eight public colleges and universities. Support direct action, strike preparation, and strike execution, as applicable.
• Support legislative and electoral work coordinated by AFTNJ and New Jersey’s Central Labor Councils; serve as the staff point-person for CNJSCL’s legislative committee. 

Leadership Development & Membership Engagement

• Identify, recruit, and mentor member leaders to organize coworkers and address workplace issues. Know how to have a one-on-one organizing conversation and teach others to do so.
• Support membership recruitment at locals, with a focus on building power among adjuncts.
• Build powerful committees and sustainable workplace structures that mobilize existing members and recruit new members. 
• Facilitate trainings on organizing fundamentals, workplace mapping, power analysis, communication, and strategic campaigns.

Communications & Operations

• Draft internal and external communications, including member outreach, leadership engagement, campaign updates, reports, and content for Council publications and digital platforms. 
• Maintain organized records, work plans, and activity reports.
• Track recruitment and participation metrics in collaboration with the staff assistant and membership coordinator.
• Participate in Council operations, staff meetings, and planning sessions.
• Perform other duties as assigned to advance the Council’s agenda and mission.
• Visit worksites across New Jersey regularly.

QUALIFICATIONS
Required:

• 5+ years of experience in union, community, or political organizing, plus experience supporting or leading campaigns at unions, community organizing non-profits, or similar experience. 
• Strong interpersonal, written, and oral communication skills, including public speaking and training facilitation.
• Ability to build relationships and motivate members across diverse workplaces and identities.
• Ability to manage multiple projects, meet deadlines, and work independently and collaboratively.
• Ability to work autonomously to execute strategic objectives.
• Proficiency with digital organizing and communications tools.
• Bachelor’s degree.
• Valid driver’s license and ability to travel throughout New Jersey, including some evenings and weekends.
• Demonstrated commitment to organized labor, public higher education, student access and equity, and academic freedom.

Preferred:

• Experience organizing in higher education or public sector settings
• Knowledge of collective bargaining, contract campaigns, and labor relations
• Background in labor, education, or politics

APPLICATION PROCESS
Applicants should submit:

• Cover letter describing qualifications, relevant experience, and interest in the position
• Résumé
• Three professional references

Send materials to jobs@cnjscl.org.

Application screening begins June 1, 2026, and continues until the position is filled.

CNJSCL is an equal opportunity employer and strongly encourages applications from women, people of color, LGBTQ+ individuals, people with disabilities, and others historically underrepresented in higher education and the labor movement.