Maine People's Alliance

Maine Small Business Coalition Seeks Director

Posting date: 1/12/2021

The Maine Small Business Coalition (MSBC), a group of over 4,000 small business owners who collectively work to lend a progressive small business voice to public policy debates, is currently seeking a new coalition director. More about MSBC can be found at www.mainesmallbusiness.org.

MSBC was founded in 2008 and works to advance progressive public policies that foster investments in Maine’s workforce, address growing economic inequality, advance racial justice, protect Maine’s natural resources, and allow small businesses to thrive and compete with large corporations. Over the past ten years, MSBC members have been involved in a host of statewide and national campaigns, like:

•       Supporting just and humane immigration reform
•       Working to pass and subsequently defend the Affordable Care Act
•       Passing crucial COVID small business relief
•       Advancing stronger regulations for Wall Street
•       Ensuring the wealthy and corporations pay their fair share in taxes
•       Increasing the minimum wage 
•       Securing paid time off for Maine workers
•       Funding public education
•       Expanding Maine’s Medicaid program
•       Ensuring robust environmental protections

MSBC’s new Director will work to grow the ability of the coalition to advance progressive policies that benefit Maine’s small businesses and the communities they serve. Core responsibilities of the position include:

• Regular outreach and recruitment of small business owners to increase MSBC’s membership, particularly businesses owned by people of color  
• Leadership development and training of small business owners statewide, and staffing of a coalition steering committee
• Mobilization of small business owners to engage decision-makers, the public and the media in support of progressive policy reforms
• Oversight of a robust organizational communications and media plan that centers small business voices in support of a variety of progressive issue campaigns
• Oversight of MSBC’s online presence (website, social media pages, etc.)
• Fundraising 

A qualified applicant should have:

• Strong commitment to progressive values;
• Track record of working on racial and economic justice, preferably with strong relationships to communities of color, and fluency in languages other than English;
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills;
• Willingness to travel within the state on a regular basis (post-COVID) and work flexible hours;
• Some experience in the realms of fundraising, communications, or field organizing for advocacy organizations or political campaigns preferred;
• Familiarity with Maine’s small business community, including immigrant-run small businesses, preferred.

Maine People’s Alliance (MPA) serves as the fiscal host of MSBC. The position is unionized and full-time at a competitive wage in the range of $40-$65,000, depending on experience. Open until filled. MPA and MSBC are equal opportunity employers, and we are committed to equity and inclusion. Core to our work is an understanding of the multiple ways in which society is constructed to disadvantage and marginalize people of color, LGBTQ people, immigrants, native peoples, women, low-income people, people with disabilities, and others. We believe that underrepresented and marginalized communities must be centered in the work we do and we strongly encourage applications from people with these identities or from these communities. 

Interested applicants should apply at https://mpatime.bamboohr.com/jobs/view.php?id=4. Interested applicants may contact MPA Campaigns Director, Rachel Ackoff at rachel@mainepeoplesalliance.org, with any questions about the position.