Senior Learning Program Specialist, Racial Justice Center

SEIU (Service Employees International Union)

JOB TITLE: Senior Learning Program Specialist, Racial Justice Center
GRADE: UUR Grade III
ANNUAL SALARY: $95,779.60
LOCATION: All USA

ORGANIZATIONAL OVERVIEW: We are the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), a union of about 2 million diverse members in healthcare, the public sector, and property services. We believe in and fight for our Vision for a Just Society: where all workers are valued and all people respected, no matter where we come from or what color we are; where all families and communities can thrive; and where we leave a better and more equitable world for generations to come. We are an anti-racist union determined to check corporate power and uproot structural racism through unions, worker power, collective action, and government, legislative, and political action. We fight for Unions for All and a Government that Works for All so that all of us, across race and place, can have power together in unions and participate fully in our democracy.

ABOUT THE RACIAL JUSTICE CENTER: The Racial Justice Center (RJC) was established in 2017 to anchor SEIU's conviction that racial justice is fundamental to building union power and achieving economic justice. The RJC is now poised to move into a new chapter of its work. In this next phase, the RJC will serve as a strategy partner, supporting SEIU to integrate racial justice across campaigns and programs. The RJC will drive systemic change through research and analysis to inform SEIU's campaign strategies to build power to win Unions for All and end poverty wages forever, writing new rules so that all workers, of every race and from every place, can organize across employers, industries, sectors, and geographies.

PURPOSE: SEIU is seeking a racial-justice educator and program practitioner to make complex research, history, theory, and race-class analysis understandable and useful to staff, members, leaders, departments, campaigns, and local unions.

The Senior Learning Program Specialist will develop accessible learning materials and experiences that help varied audiences understand and apply Racial Justice Center research to their work, organizing, programs, and strategic decisions. The role will combine curriculum development, facilitation, focused background research, and coordination of learning projects.

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES: Any one position may not include all of the specific duties and responsibilities listed. Examples provide a general summary of the work required and should not be treated as a total and complete list of expected duties to be performed by employees in the classification.

• Translate complex racial-justice research, theory, history, and race-class analysis into clear and engaging learning for audiences with different levels of familiarity, language access, cultural context, and educational background.
• Assist in developing explainers, curriculum, presentations, discussion guides, facilitator materials, learning tools, and other resources that preserve the substance of the underlying research while making it accessible and practical for nonacademic audiences.
• Use popular education, adult learning, teaching, and facilitation approaches to help participants engage with sensitive or complex racial- and economic-justice topics.
• Plan and facilitate workshops, discussions, presentations, and other learning experiences in collaboration with the Director, RJC colleagues, departments, campaigns, and local unions.
• Work with internal partners to identify audience needs, define learning objectives, and help staff, members, leaders, and campaign teams apply RJC research to programs, organizing, and organizational priorities.
• Develop learning opportunities connected to racial history, significant places, current events, campaigns, or emerging issues, including appropriate background materials and discussion resources.
• Conduct limited, focused background research needed to develop accurate and timely educational products, in coordination with the senior research role and other RJC staff.
• Coordinate learning projects, contributors, reviews, materials, timelines, delivery, and follow-up across the RJC and participating departments or local unions.
• Gather feedback on learning materials and sessions and revise approaches to improve clarity, relevance, cultural responsiveness, and practical usefulness.

DIRECTION & DECISION MAKING: This position reports to the Director, Racial Justice Center and works independently in developing and coordinating assigned learning materials and programs within established objectives. The Senior Learning Program Specialist exercises judgment in adapting content and teaching approaches for different audiences and works collaboratively with the Director, the senior research role, RJC colleagues, departments, campaigns, and local unions. This position does not supervise staff.

QUALIFICATIONS & PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE:

• Demonstrated experience in racial-justice education, popular education, adult learning, labor education, curriculum development, facilitation, training, social justice programming, or a related field.
• Experience translating complex historical, research, policy, political, or theoretical information into accessible learning for nonacademic audiences.
• Demonstrated knowledge of racial and economic justice theory and practice and the ability to teach sensitive or complex material accurately and respectfully.
• Experience developing curriculum, explainers, presentations, facilitator guides, discussion materials, workshops, or comparable learning products.
• Experience facilitating learning or discussion with participants who bring different levels of knowledge, language access, cultural context, authority, or comfort with racial-justice topics.
• Ability to adapt content for different audiences without diluting essential historical context, analytical meaning, or strategic implications.
• Strong written, verbal, presentation, facilitation, and program-coordination skills, including the ability to manage contributors, reviews, materials, and deadlines.
• Ability to conduct focused background research, assess sources, and work with researchers and subject-matter experts to produce accurate educational materials.
• Working knowledge of labor, unions, worker organizations, community organizing, or social justice movements; direct union or worker-organization experience is preferred.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS: Work is generally performed in an office setting, but may be required in other settings conducive to performing the work required to complete the assignment, such as field assignments. Long and extended hours and travel required.

COMPENSATION & BENEFITS: SEIU offers a competitive salary and a comprehensive benefits package that reflects our values as a labor organization and our commitment to the well-being and long-term security of our staff. Benefits include:

• A comprehensive, employer-sponsored health benefits package, including medical, dental, and vision coverage
• A defined benefit pension plan
• Paid time off, including vacation, sick leave, and holidays
• Additional benefits consistent with a mission-driven workplace

SEIU believes that workers deserve dignity, stability, and the ability to plan for their futures, and our benefits are designed to support that belief.