LA Research & Organizing Assistant

The LA Research & Organizing Assistant at Apen will work on organizing low-income Asian immigrant and refugee communities in Los Angeles. Responsibilities include outreach, leadership development, campaign support, and research related to environmental justice. The role aims to build community engagement and advocacy skills. The position requires some evening and weekend work, indicating a local focus rather than remote work.
The Asian Pacific Environmental Network (APEN) is an environmental justice organization with deep roots in California's Asian immigrant and refugee communities. Since 1993, APEN has built a membership base of Laotian refugees in Richmond and Chinese immigrants in Oakland, and more recently, Asian Americans in South Bay LA. Together, we have fought and won campaigns to make our communities healthier and just places where all people have the resources we need to live full, dignified lives. We are growing our local roots and building power to make decisions at the state level that have real local impact. By building an organized movement, we're leading a transition away from an extractive economy based on profit and pollution and toward local, healthy, and life-sustaining economies that benefit everyone.

POSITION SUMMARY

The LA Research & Organizing Assistant position is a part of APEN's Los Angeles organizing project, working towards APEN's vision of building healthy, fair and just neighborhoods. The LA Research & Organizing Assistant plays a crucial role in organizing low-income Asian immigrant and refugee communities, developing their leadership to engage in advocacy, campaign, and electoral actions, and providing interpretation and translation to make these processes accessible to members. The position reports to the LA Organizing Director and works with other APEN team members to integrate bold and authentic Asian immigrant and refugee leadership throughout the organization.

The LA Research & Organizing Assistant's work will focus on organizing in the South Bay, research of oil and gas infrastructure in the region and campaign development as a key part of our Just Transitions efforts. Key Strategies we engage in are educating communities on the Just Transitions model, supporting policies and projects that support equitable development in our communities, leadership development, outreach and organizing towards a just and healthy vision for our communities. Job may require some evening and weekend activities.

PRIMARY ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
• Basebuilding: Outreach, Transformational Organizing, Leadership Sustaining & Development
• * Support with outreach and various activities to gain new members and new constituencies
• Support with member participation in various leadership development and campaign activities that engages members in the Environmental Justice movement
• Contribute to developing organizing systems and methods
• Coordinate & implement logistics for various activities, including providing transportation, arranging childcare, etc.
• Support members to improve needed skills (e.g. public speaking, grassroots fundraising, critical thinking & analysis, campaign strategy, electoral phone-banking)
• Work with members to deepen political consciousness (e.g. critical analysis of political context; understanding of the importance of transformative organizing; shared commitment to vision; exposure to different social justice issues)
• Contribute to culturally relevant and accessible curriculum and messaging towards leadership development
• Campaign Research
• * Support local policy and electoral campaigns, including political strategy research and development
• Support on research and analysis of policy/legislative as needed
• Conduct research on demographics and community resources as needed
• Work with members to identify progressive campaign demands
• Support planning and implementing campaign goals and activities
• Support members to lead campaign strategy and implementation
• Build relationships, alliances and coalitions to win campaigns, integrating those relationship with APEN's membership
• Anchor research needs related to oil and gas infrastructure in the South Bay/ Harbor Gateway Region
• Share, learn from and exchange with other social justice allies as needed

QUALIFICATIONS
• Commitment to the mission and principles of APEN and social justice; and shares the commitment of indigenous peoples and the broader environmental justice movement to work toward a Just Transition, defined as shifting from an extractive economy to a regenerative economy that provides well being for all.
• Clear communication skills (written and verbal)
• Self-motivated, responsible, proactive, and disciplined
• Team-oriented, with a commitment to principled struggle
• Outreach and recruitment; skills and confidence in talking to strangers about different issues
• Willing to work some evenings and weekends
• Willing to travel

PREFERRED EXPERIENCE
• Experience working within Social/Environmental Justice movement and/or social service sector
• Comfortable using social media platforms for community engagement
• Familiarity with the Los Angeles region, specifically the South Bay (Carson, San Pedro and Wilmington)
• Facilitation in small to large groups (5 -100 people)
• Working with Asian immigrant and refugee communities, especially elders
• Supporting community members in building up their confidence to participate in public processes
• Fluency in Tagalog, Korean or other Asian dialects is strongly preferred.
• Experience working with interpretation and translation

SALARY AND BENEFITS

This is a temporary, Part-Time, non-exempt position that will require 15 hours of work per week for 28 weeks. The LA Research & Organizing Assistant pay rate is $28 per hour. This position is not eligible for benefits.

ACCESSIBILITY AND WORKING CONDITIONS

This position will require applicants to work on a computer daily for long periods of time, and collaborate with colleagues and coalition partners through Zoom, email, and other digital platforms. APEN will provide a computer and other equipment needed to fulfill basic job responsibilities.

This position will be hybrid requiring 2-3 days of in-person work. In addition, this position will also follow APEN's COVID safety policies and protocols regarding in-person work. Masks are required to be worn in APEN offices and indoor events, with the exception of eating and drinking. All employees also are required to be vaccinated as part of our safety policy.

APEN will continue to closely monitor local and state health officials guidance around COVID and any additional guidelines around safety for people to return to offices and gather in-person as needed.

This position may require work during irregular hours including on nights or weekends, and will require travel within California.

This position will not require applicants to carry or move heavy equipment, regularly ascend or descend a ladder, or stand or sit for long periods of time. This position will not require working in hazardous or unusual conditions such as outdoors in inclement weather.

APPLICATION PROCESS

This position was posted in March 2025 and will be open until filled. Applications are due electronically by clicking "Apply Now" on the APEN website. Incomplete applications will not be accepted.

The application must include the following:
• Resume
• Cover letter describing Interest in the position and qualifications

APEN is an equal opportunity employer and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type and affords equal employment opportunities to employees and applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, pregnancy, age, national origin, disability status, genetic information, protected veteran status, caste, or any other characteristic protected by law. APEN conforms to the spirit as well as to the letter of all applicable laws and regulations. Queer, transgender, intersex, gender non-conforming, disabled, black and indigenous people of color are strongly encouraged to apply.
• For more information about Just Transition, please reference: https://climatejusticealliance.org/just-transition/

The pay range for this role is:

28 - 28 USD per hour (Los Angeles)