Community Organizer & Engagement Coordinator

Position description

Bikes Not Bombs (BNB) uses the bicycle as a vehicle for social change to achieve economic mobility and racial equity for Black and other marginalized people in Boston and the Global South. We are currently undergoing a strategic pivot to deepen our impact: moving from direct service to power building.While we maintain our core work of reclaiming, recycling, and distributing thousands of bicycles throughout the world, and running our retail Bike Shop & Training Center to help youth build resumes and enter high-paying career tracks, we are intensifying our programmatic focus to address the systemic roots of transportation inequity.Through our renewed “Earn-A-Bike” (base building) and “Chain Reaction”(power building) initiatives, we mobilize youth ages 14-18 to become researchers, organizers, and policy advocates.

Position Summary

The Community Organizer & Engagement Coordinator is the tactical lead for BNB’s advocacy ecosystem. This is a grant-funded position designed for a movement-builder who can bridge the gap between youth development and systemic policy change.While the position is currently secured through grant funding for a little over one year (through June 2027), we are actively seeking and committed to securing additional funding to extend this critical role through 2027 and beyond.

Working closely with the CEO and the Chief of Strategy & Impact, you will help further integrate youth organizing activities, training, and campaigns into our existing youth workforce development model. You will be responsible for recruiting youth from our pipeline, training them in community organizing, and facilitating two active campaigns:Safer Streets(our year-round advocacy for mobility justice) andWheels to Wellness(our initiative to promote mental and physical health through cycling; with our new indoor cycling program launching in late Feb 2026). This role is ideal for an individual who is not just passionate about bikes, but is ready to organize street rides, analyze data, and collaborate with youth to dismantle “Mobility Apartheid” in Boston. The Community Organizer & Engagement Coordinator will also collaborate with the Director of Development; the Development & Operations Manager; the Global Partnerships Manager, and is supervised by the CEO.

Core Responsibilities

Power Building: Lead Key Organizing & Advocacy Campaigns (35%)

• Safer Streets Implementation:Lead the youth in PAR (participatory action research)-driven “Data Rides” using air quality sensors and GoPros to document hazards in Roxbury, Dorchester and Mattapan primarily as well as other parts of the city. Guide the youth cohort in synthesizing data into specific policy demands for City Hall.
• Wheels to Wellness Coordination:Collaborate with the CEO on the February 2026 launch of the indoor cycling pilot (Feb–June; Nov-Dec), focusing on wellness workshops and fitness classes. During the outdoor season (April–Oct), run community rides throughout Boston.
• Curriculum Facilitation:Serve as lead facilitator for “Chain Reaction” youth apprentice cohorts (24-week Fall/Winter/Spring; 8-week Summer). Teach weekly workshops on Power Mapping, Systemic Racism in Transit, and Campaign Strategy.
• Event Execution:Lead the planning of seasonal “Town Halls,” “Scavenger Hunts,” or “Youth Bike Party Rides” — ensuring youth are prepared to present findings to public officials, health stakeholders, and the press.

Base Building: Earn-A-Bike to Youth Organizing Pipeline & Recruitment (25%)

• Talent Scouting:With support from BNB staff and youth apprentices, lead facilitation of revised Earn-A-Bike (EAB) curriculum (now infused with Mobility Justice 101 content) at our headquarters in JP to identify “high-potential” youth leaders for the organizing track.
• Curriculum Integration:Collaborate with CEO and apprentices/mechanics/instructors to infuse “Mobility Justice 101” content and activities.
• EAB Alumni Activation:Manage the transition of EAB graduates into the Chain Reaction squad, ensuring a steady pipeline of new youth organizers.

Communications & Narrative Power (20%)

• Storytelling:Translate youth research and campaign wins into compelling narratives. Manage the production of the “State of the Streets” Zine and annual impact reports.
• Digital Mobilization:Manage social media channels, e-newsletters, and action alerts. Shift digital content from “marketing” to “mobilization”—creating urgent calls to action regarding transit policy or upcoming City Council votes.
• Press & Web Coordination:Prepare youth spokespeople for media interviews. Maintain and update website content to reflect current campaign milestones and legislative priorities.

Intergenerational Coalition Building (15%)

• CAC Facilitation:Coordinate the “Community Advisory Council, facilitating sessions where elders share neighborhood history with youth organizers and get involved in efforts to support youth-led campaigns, actions, fundraising, etc.
• External Partnership Building:Represent BNB at local coalitions (e.g., T4MA, ACE, Boston Cyclists Union) and build relationships with the MBTA and the Boston Transportation Department (BTD).
• Volunteer Mobilization:Recruit and train volunteers to act as Ride Marshals for Wheels to Wellness and “Turnout Captains” for advocacy rallies.

Administration & Data Compliance (5%)

• Attendance tracking:Support with tracking attendance for Youth Apprentices.
• Organizing Data Tracking:Maintain meticulous records of Safer Streets and Wheels 2 Wellness metrics (e.g., number of youth trained, number of policy meetings held, number of group ride participants).
• Data Archiving:Ensure all PAR data (sensor readings, friction logs) is accurately uploaded and archived for long-term advocacy use.

Application instructions

Please provide a resume and cover letter that includes where you learned about the position and how your qualifications match BNB’s needs. Applications should be emailed to[email protected]and will be reviewed on a rolling basis. Please include “Community Organizer & Engagement Coordinator” and your full name in the subject line.

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