“You can't fight these big fights on your own. You need to work with others, and you need others if you're going to take care of the places that you love.” 

-Jeanie Alderson, Northern Plains Chair’19-‘21

Northern Plains is a grassroots organization of people who love where we live.  For over 50 years, we have been standing shoulder-to-shoulder across Montana, to protect this place we all call home for ours and future generations.

We are working toward a future where we live in harmony with nature, where our economy serves the people rather than the people serving the economy, and where neighbors work side-by-side to build a world that lives up to our ideals of fairness, inclusion, and justice.

Check out our website for more information about us and our history: www.northernplains.org.

LOCATION: Billings, Montana

JOB DESCRIPTION:

 

Working at Northern Plains, you’ll make change happen by using your creative skills to help build power in local communities. In this position, you’ll put your talent to work protecting clean air and water, and supporting renewable energy, healthy soils, and local food.  In our communications, we strive to maintain consistent brand adherence while also embracing and encouraging new ideas, innovation, and imagination.

Any given day might include designing posters and banners for a rally to hold fossil fuel companies accountable, laying out action alert emails to support policies that create a more sustainable food system, and creating Instagram reels highlighting our work to fight the climate crisis.

We are a team of hard-working, dedicated individuals who honor and promote a healthy work/life balance.  Our LEED Platinum certified office is full of natural light, outbursts of laughter, and is frequently visited by our furry, four-legged friends.    

You will be directly supervised by the Communications Director and work with members from all over the state.  Occasional overnight travel is required, approximately 5-7 times per year. As the Northern Plains Communications Coordinator, you’ll meet lots of inspiring people from all walks of life, and you’ll make change happen at the grassroots level. 

SPECIFIC DUTIES INCLUDE:

• Backup and support for the Communications Director in managing the weekly communications huddle and monthly team meetings

• Design & layout of posters, postcards, brochures, fact sheets, social media memes, etc.

• Email lead (finalize content, layout, and send several organizational emails per week)

• Manage the website in collaboration with communications team

• Compose, schedule, and post approved social media content in consultation with Communications Director

• Take, edit, and organize photos 

• Assist with videography and light video editing as needed

• Participate with the full staff and board in grassroots fundraising 

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Commitment to the democratic process, and to environmental stewardship and conservation. 

• Ability to get along well with people from diverse backgrounds and with a wide range of personalities.

• Positive attitude and flexible disposition (as a grassroots organization, we often wear many hats at Northern Plains!) 

• Able to make constructive edits to written and designed projects, comfortable with being edited

• Strong speaking and writing skills

• Ability to travel and be away overnight (apprx. 5-7 times/yr for this position)

Technical Experience 

• Graphic design with Adobe Creative Cloud (extensive InDesign and Photoshop experience required, Illustrator skills preferred)

• Experience with website management/maintenance (WordPress a plus)

• Experience with email marketing/outreach software (Campaign Monitor a plus)

• Experience crafting and monitoring social media posts for company/organization 

• Experience with light video editing preferred (esp. Adobe Premier Pro) 

• Experience working for social change, environmental issues, or a political campaign preferred

• Familiarity with conservation and agriculture issues, and experience with fundraising  preferred

This is a job where you will have strong influence about what, when, where, and how things are done. The ideas, experience, and creativity of ALL staff are valued, cultivated, and integral to how we fulfill our mission.

SALARY AND BENEFITS:

Our compensation philosophy and transparent salary structure flows from our belief that our people are the most important part of our organization. We offer thriving wages, ample benefits, and opportunities for growth and development.

The salary for this position is $41,000 to $45,000 depending on experience. We also offer options for fully and partially employer-paid health insurance, 20 days paid vacation plus 13 paid holidays (including the week from Christmas Eve through New Year), 12 days paid sick and personal leave, and 8 weeks of paid parental leave with the option to extend utilizing other leave types. In addition, we offer, a retirement plan, an employer paid cell phone plan, and a sabbatical program.  This is a permanent, salaried, and exempt position.

TO APPLY:

This position is open until filled, but we encourage applications as soon as possible.

Email the following to dustin@northernplains.org :

• Cover letter (tell us why you want the job)

• Resume

• Short writing sample 

• Contact information for 3 professional references

Call (406) 248-1154 with any questions, or email dustin@northernplains.org.

“Every moment is an organizing opportunity, every person a potential activist, every minute a chance to change the world.”

-Dolores Huerta, Community Organizer

Northern Plains is a grassroots organization of people from the plains and mountains, cities and towns. We are everyday Montanans who love where we live. We stand up, shoulder-to-shoulder, to protect this place we all call home.

We believe that true prosperity begins with healthy land, water, and air. We believe that our families, farms, ranches, schools, businesses, governments, and communities thrive when we are good stewards of these resources. We believe that if we look beyond our fences, listen to one another, and keep our minds open, we will find creative solutions to secure a clean, healthful environment for all.

We are working toward a future where we live in harmony with nature, where our economy serves the people rather than the people serving the economy, where neighbors work side-by-side to build a world that lives up to our ideals of fairness, inclusion, and justice.

For 50 years, Northern Plains Resource Council has helped Montanans organize to protect water quality, family farms and ranches, and our unique quality of life.

LOCATION: Billings, Montana.

JOB DESCRIPTION:

Each of our organizers works with Northern Plains’ grassroots membership as a whole, with our local affiliates (mostly in small, rural communities), and with our issue task forces to further the mission of Northern Plains. As a Northern Plains organizer, you won’t be tied to a desk, you’ll meet lots of people, and you’ll make change happen at the grassroots level. During non-pandemic times, overnight travel averages perhaps 2-3 times a month for this position. 

In order to keep our staff and members safe during COVID, Community Organizers must be able to organize remotely if needed. This requires having access to reliable internet from your home, convening and attending virtual meetings, conducting phone calls, and deploying creative problem solving. 

This is very much a “people” job.

This is a permanent, salaried, and exempt position.

Check out our website for more information on this position, our organization, and our staff: https://www.northernplains.org/about-us/careers/ .

SPECIFIC DUTIES INCLUDE:

• Execute campaigns as developed by members;

• Conduct research on Northern Plains’ issues, decision makers, and communities;

• Participate in grassroots fundraising efforts;

• Train members in organizational skills;

• Organize and facilitate meetings and events;

• Communicate clearly, orally and in writing;

• Recruit new members;

• Generate turnout for events;

• Help members make contact with public officials and the press;

• Assist with duties such as member renewal, special events, and routine office tasks;

• Help produce earned media in the form of letters to the editor and press coverage.

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Commitment to Northern Plains’ issues and values

• Commitment to the democratic process, including a willingness to hear diverse opinions and build consensus among groups 

• Ability to get along well with people from diverse backgrounds and with a wide range of personalities

• Strong speaking and writing skills

• Ability to travel and be away overnight

• Ability to lift equipment up to 50 lbs, stand or walk for long periods of time, and work in all weather conditions

• Willingness to work long hours when needed.

Also helpful: 

• Experience (either as a volunteer or staffer) with a nonprofit organization working for social change or on environmental issues

• Experience on a political campaign

• General familiarity with the workings of legislative bodies and agencies

• Familiarity with environmental and agricultural issues, or familiarity with broader movements for social, economic, and environmental justice

• Experience with the media and fundraising. 

SALARY AND BENEFITS:

Our compensation philosophy and transparent salary structure flows from our belief that our people are the most important part of our organization. We offer thriving wages, ample benefits, and opportunities for growth and development.

The salary for this position is $41,000. This position also comes with the added benefit of a pay differential of $2,040 annually designed to acknowledge the challenges that travel and intermittent evening and weekend work bring to maintaining a healthy work/life balance. 

We also offer options for fully and partially employer-paid health insurance, 20 days paid vacation plus 13 paid holidays (including the week from Christmas Eve through New Year), 12 days paid sick and personal leave, and 8 weeks of parental leave with the option to extend utilizing other leave types. In addition, we offer, a retirement plan, an employer paid cell phone plan, and a sabbatical program.  This is a permanent, salaried, and exempt position.

TO APPLY:

Applications will be received and reviewed on a rolling basis. The position is open until filled.

We are an Equal Opportunity Employer. We celebrate diversity in all forms and in all aspects of our work. Applicants from all walks of life and identities, including persons of color, LGBTQ+, are strongly encouraged to apply.

Email the following to Caroline Canarios, Deputy Director of Organizing and Legislature, at caroline@northernplains.org:

• Cover letter (tell us why you want the job);

• Resume;

• Contact information for 3 professional references.

“You can't fight these big fights on your own. You need to work with others, and you need others if you're going to take care of the places that you love.” 

-Jeanie Alderson, Northern Plains Past Chair

Northern Plains is a grassroots organization of people who love where we live.  For over 50 years, we have been standing shoulder-to-shoulder across Montana, to protect this place we all call home for ours and future generations.

We are working toward a future where we live in harmony with nature, where our economy serves the people rather than the people serving the economy, and where neighbors work side-by-side to build a world that lives up to our ideals of fairness, inclusion, and justice.

LOCATION: Billings, Montana.

JOB DESCRIPTION:

As the Good Neighbor Agreement Manager (GNA Manager) at Northern Plains, you will uphold a groundbreaking agreement between a mining corporation and the local communities impacted by the platinum and palladium mine in their backyard. At nearly twenty-four years old, the Good Neighbor Agreement has been recognized both nationally and internationally for its innovative and collaborative approach to balancing the extractive industry with the preservation of pristine rivers and a wilderness area in the heart of the Beartooth Mountains. 

You won’t be tied to a desk - this is very much a “people” job! Depending on the day and need, the GNA Manager functions as an an advocate, diplomat, mediator, defender, and organizer for the Good Neighbor Agreement and the people it represents. You’ll get rare access to the inner workings of a large mining corporation while playing a critical role in ensuring the mine’s impacts are minimal and their approach is forward-thinking. As Northern Plains member Paul Hawks put it, “If we’re going to have a mine, it’s going to be the best damn mine in the world.” 

Any given day may include planning and organizing effective meetings between Northern Plains and the mine, communicating important updates from the mine to Northern Plains members, helping our members prepare for interactions with mine personnel or state regulators, and helping members think strategically about our next steps. You will balance competing demands, act as a nexus of communication, and help coordinate the work of engaged Montanans as they hold the mining company accountable to strong environmental standards.

The Northern Plains staff is a team of hard-working, dedicated individuals who honor and promote a healthy work/life balance. When you’re in the office, you’ll enjoy a casual office environment that is full of natural light and camaraderie with a team of engaged and passionate people. When you’re in the field, you’ll be in Montana’s rugged mountain landscape, working side by side with a team of inspired members fighting for the long-term health of our environment and communities.  

QUALIFICATIONS:

This position carries with it specific demands and successful candidates will have the following qualifications:

• Strong interpersonal and diplomatic skills

• Ability to think strategically

• Excellent active listening, communication, and questioning skills 

• Ability to adapt to a changing environment, and effectively handle multiple priorities

• Strong planning and organizational skills

• Attention to detail

• A commitment to the democratic process, and to environmental stewardship and conservation. 

• Ability to get along well with people from diverse backgrounds and with a wide range of personalities

• Willingness to travel (staff car provided), up to 25% of the time

 SALARY AND BENEFITS:

Our compensation philosophy and transparent salary structure flows from our belief that our people are the most important part of our organization.  We offer thriving wages, ample benefits, and opportunities for growth and development.  

The salary range for this position is at $50,000 to $55,000 per year, depending on experience. We also offer options for fully and partially employer-paid health insurance, 20 days paid vacation plus 13 paid holidays (including the week from Christmas Eve through New Year), 12 days paid sick and personal leave, and 8 weeks of parental leave with the option to extend utilizing other leave types.  In addition, we offer flexible schedules, a hybrid office/remote work structure, a retirement plan, an employer paid cell phone plan, and a sabbatical program. 

This is a permanent, salaried, and exempt position.

Help us write the next chapter of this historic effort to protect the vitality and prosperity of the mountains, valleys, rivers, and people living alongside a major mining operation.

TO APPLY:

Applications will be received and reviewed on a rolling basis. The position is open until filled.

We are an Equal Opportunity Employer. We celebrate diversity in all forms and in all aspects of our work.  Applicants from all walks of life and identities, including persons of color, LGBTQ+, are encouraged to apply.

Email the following to Caitlin Cromwell, Director of Organizing and Campaigns, at caitlin@northernplains.org:

• Cover letter (tell us why you want the job);

• Resume;

• Contact information for 3 professional references.

Check out our website for more information on this position, our organization, and our staff: https://www.northernplains.org/careers-and-internships/ .