Looking for: Full Time/Exempt

Position Overview

An Opportunity Neighborhood (ON) utilizes a collective impact approach to help children, youth, and families reach their fullest potential through a strong academic foundation, family and community stability, and a culture of engagement, connectedness, and success. The ON Mount Vernon Community Organizer identifies and fosters grassroots leadership, recruits local volunteers and conducts neighborhood meetings. The Community Organizer reports to the ONMV Strategy Manager and is responsible for building and maintaining strong relationships with the community, including schools, county staff, nonprofits, faith community representatives law enforcement, property managers, and business. The ONMV Community Organizer, utilizing community building and organizing techniques will be a critical member of the ON team whose aim is to steward the internal and external strategic collaboration activities and partnerships that comprise United Community’s Community Impact initiatives. Opportunity Neighborhood Mount Vernon serves the community in the following focal areas: Family and community engagement, youth connections, early childhood education, family wellness & stability, and career readiness. This work in a collaborative effort of United Community staff, Fairfax County services, school resources and community partners.

Essential Functions: 

Coordination and collaboration with internal/external teams and partners

• Recruit, train, and support Neighborhood Ambassadors to be community leaders and among other duties, implement engagement programs in their communities.
• Manages, coaches and schedules professional development training for ON Neighborhood Ambassadors. Oversight of NAs community engagement activities, advocacy and other neighborhood service initiatives.
• Teach and empower residents to develop solutions to community needs.
• Work with community leaders to support events in targeted communities to meet the needs of low-income communities.
• Create monthly community calendar and Opportunity Neighborhood Mount Vernon e-newsletter. Maintain the Opportunity Neighborhood Mount Vernon outreach database for the distribution of communications.
• Co-lead the Opportunity Neighborhood Engagement Team’s monthly meeting of non-profit, county government and school partners.
• Supports Strategy Manager in coordination with other related projects and coalitions to maintain full understanding of the current landscape of local and regional activities and integrating their work into the work and processes on ON governance structure.
• Collaborate with United Community and other stakeholders to address issues and concerns in targeted communities and increase resident engagement and community partnerships.
• Coordinate community empowerment and engagement programming across the two Community Schools, Community Centers, other United Community programs, and various neighborhoods.
• Builds and maintains relationships with community partners.
• Coordinates with county-wide ON Management Team

Communication and Teamwork

• Facilitates ongoing communication between ON Strategy Manager, CI team, NA, and partners through regular conference calls, in-person meetings, or coordinating regular email updates to ensure alignment of activity(ies)
• Canvasses community, businesses, neighborhoods including FBOs and CBOs; Plans and manages logistics of, and attends, community events
• Communicates the objectives of ON to the community and potential partners
• Represents ON at the monthly, providing updates and receiving and incorporating feedback as appropriate; Attends other appropriate meetings, presentations and community events, to represent ON as needed
• In coordination with Community Impact team works to achieve internal and external synergy with a transdisciplinary and DEIA lens/approach
  • Coordinates with the Chief Impact Officer, Director of Collective Impact and Marketing &n Development team (and develops as necessary) regarding:
  • In collaboration with Strategy Manager and NAs serves as Chief Storyteller, capturing examples of community impact, resident leadership, systems change
  • Communications materials as ON evolves, potentially including summary documents, brochures, FAQs, and other items;
  • Web and social media stories

Strategic coherence

• In collaboration with Strategy Manager develops and CO Strategy based on ONMV focal areas
• Coordinates advocacy supporting activities of partners.
• Identify gaps and strategize to fill them in community empowerment programming across the Mount Vernon region; Coordinates effort with Community Centers and Community Schools.
• Assist with the Opportunity Neighborhood training series for community partners and direct training opportunities for residents.

Fund Development and Management

• • Works with the Chief Impact Officer and Director of Collective Impact to identify potential funding sources to support ON’s goals and priorities:
  • Assist in securing additional support (in-kind or financial), to support community empowerment programming.
    o Coordinates ON grant reporting to funders as required

Data collections, Analysis, and Reporting

• Provide support in the creation of regular reports (at least annually) of ON’s progress for internal and external audiences; Responsible for monthly ONMV report and twice annual Community Survey and report
• Support the data gathering, entry, analysis, and reporting needs of Opportunity Neighborhood activities, including entering data into United Community’s client services database and Fairfax County’s Opportunity Neighborhood database.
• Prepares monthly Opportunity Neighborhood Mount Vernon progress summary
• Provide support to Data Committee and appropriate United Community staff
• Coordination support in all data collection, analysis, and reporting activities.

Support and Training

• Oversee personnel functions, including recruiting, training, supervising/coaching, evaluations, and supporting volunteers and NAs
• Coordinates appropriate trainings

Preferred Education, Experience and Qualifications

• Possess a bachelor’s degree in human services, community development or related field, and /or a minimum of three years of experience working with multi-agency teams. Bilingual (English/Spanish) is strongly preferred.
• Experience with community organizing and/or collective impact model, DEIA (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Accessibility) and working with teams from different agencies, backgrounds, perspectives and goals a must

• Direct experience organizing volunteers, community members, events and connecting communities together towards a common goal; Demonstrated Respect for economic and cultural diversity and ability to foster collaborations across diverse constituencies in a low-income community.

• The presence to inspire confidence and passion in external audiences and to build effective relationships with a range of stakeholders
• Must possess excellent coordination, organization, oversight, interpersonal and communication skills (written and oral)
• Ability to thrive in a fluid, unstructured, entrepreneurial environment without formal training; Flexibility and the ability to work autonomously, with teams as well as take direction as needed
• Existing relationships with, or ability to build relationships with, a cross-sectorial range of stakeholders

• Ability to use Microsoft Outlook, Work PowerPoint, Excel, and other working and coordinating technologies a must; Strong analytical and critical thinking skills Understanding of program evaluation principles

• Must be able to work some weekends and evenings and have reliable transportation
• Criminal background checks are mandatory for all United Community employees
• Valid driver’s license and clear driving record

TRAVEL

Travel to and from satellite United Community locations and meeting sites with a 3-5 mile radius is expected.  Mileage reimbursement may be provided.

Contact hr@unitedcommunity.org to learn more and apply. 

Looking for: Full Time/Exempt

Position Overview

Opportunity Neighborhood (ON) utilizes a collective impact approach to help children, youth, and families reach their fullest potential through a strong academic foundation, family and community stability, and a culture of engagement, connectedness, and success. The Strategy Manager will be part of a small team responsible for driving ON’s work forward, providing leadership and overall direction and supporting day-to-day communications and administration, community engagement, and data functions. The Strategy Manager reports to the Chief Impact Officer and is responsible for building and maintaining strong relationships with the community, including schools, county staff, nonprofits, faith community representatives and business.  This person is responsible for the daily coordination of Opportunity Neighborhood Mount Vernon and the internal and external strategic collaboration activities and partnerships that comprise United Community’s Community Impact initiatives.

Essential Functions: 

Coordination and collaboration with internal/external teams and partners

• Serves as program lead in coordination of the Place-based Governance Teams with emphasis on their relationship to and work with the Community Council.
• Coordinates efforts of working groups/committees, such as Communications, Data, and so.
• Facilitates and oversees various sub-committees and collaborates with various United Community internal teams.
• Supervises and coordinates effort of the Community Organizer in managing, coaching and training ON Neighborhood Ambassadors. Oversight of NAs community engagement activities, advocacy and other neighborhood service initiatives.
• Task lead-coordinates research and other activities with initiative partners to minimize redundancies and to align strategies and actions, including conducting individual outreach and education as needed.
• Coordinates with other related projects and coalitions to maintain full understanding of the current landscape of local and regional activities and integrating their work into the work and processes of ON governance structure.
• Builds and maintains relationships with community partners
• Coordinates with county-wide ON Management Team.

Communication and Teamwork

• Communicates the objectives of ON to the community and potential partners
• Represents ON at the monthly, county-wide ON Management Team meetings, providing updates and receiving and incorporating feedback as appropriate
• In coordination with Community Impact team works to achieve internal and external synergy with a transdisciplinary and DEIA lens/approach
• Attends other appropriate meetings, presentations and community events, to represent ON as needed
• Facilitates ongoing communication between ON partners by hosting regular conference calls, in-person meetings, or coordinating regular email updates to ensure alignment of activity
• Plans and manages logistics of, and attends, community events
• Creates or manages creation of reports of ON progress for Central Organizing Body and Place-based Governance Teams, county-wide ON Management Team, and external audiences
• Coordinates with the Chief Impact Officer, Director of Collective Impact and Marketing & Development team (and develops as necessary) regarding:

• Communications materials as ON evolves, potentially including summary documents, brochures, FAQs, and other items;
• Web and social media strategy;
• Compilations of press clippings; and
• Press strategy, including drafting press releases and coordinating with media outlets

Strategic coherence

• In collaboration with the Director of Collective Impact, maintains thorough understanding of applicable theory and principles, and works to ensure that the project remains an alignment with those.
• Maintains understanding of implementation challenges and develops comprehensive solutions to address them.
• Provides support to partner organizations in aligning their work to a common ON agenda (e.g., identifying opportunities for program work to support specific ON goals)
• Acts as a neutral arbiter and helping resolve disputes or disagreements in direction among groups or individuals who form part of the ON governance structure.
• Coordinates advocacy supporting activities of partners.

Fund Development and Management

• Works with the Chief Impact Officer and Director of Collective Impact to identify potential funding sources to support ON’s goals and priorities:

• Writes grants, as needed, or coordinating work of grant writer
• Works with implementing agencies to provide information to support their grant applications

• Coordinates ON grant reporting to funders as required
• Tracks OMV budget and grant funding, including allocated funds from partner organizations

Data collections, Analysis, and Reporting

• Prepares monthly Commun1ty+ briefings, progress summaries and assists working groups, chairpersons with their monthly reports
• Creates or manages the creation of regular reports (at least annually) of ON’s progress for internal and external audiences; Responsible for monthly ONMV report and twice annual Community Survey and report
• Coordinates indicator refinement with committees/working groups, Central Organizing Body, and county-wide ON Management Team
• Serves as lead facilitator for Data Committee to ensure all partners are aware of targets and indicators
• Coordinates work of Data Committee and appropriate United Community staff
• Serves as lead in all data collection, analysis, and reporting activities.  Works independently and in collaboration with research and evaluation consultants to establish a culture of evaluation through performance outcomes (SMART), tracking KPI, creating a CI Score Card and supporting community members in community assessments and environmental scans.

Support and Training

• Oversee personnel functions, including recruiting, training, supervising/coaching, evaluations, and supporting employees.
• Coordinates appropriate trainings

Preferred Education, Experience and Qualifications

• Possess a bachelor’s degree in human services, community development or related field, plus a minimum of five years of experience working with multi-agency teams, including supervision of professional staff and a demonstrated leadership role in the agency work.

• Experience with community organizing and/or collective impact model, DEIA (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Accessibility) and working with teams from different agencies, backgrounds, perspectives and goals a must
• Demonstrated ability to positively advance the work of professional teams while maintaining relationships and accomplishing tasks is a must
• The presence to inspire confidence and passion in external audiences and to build effective relationships with a range of stakeholders
• Must possess excellent coordination, organization, oversight, interpersonal and communication skills (written and oral)
• Ability to use Microsoft Outlook, Work PowerPoint, Excel, and other working and coordinating technologies a must
• Strong analytical and critical thinking skills
• Ability to thrive in a fluid, unstructured, entrepreneurial environment without formal training
• Flexibility and the ability to work autonomously as well as take direction as needed
• Existing relationships with, or ability to build relationships with, a cross-sectorial range of stakeholders in the local or regional area, including senior executives
• Must be able to work some weekends and evenings and have reliable transportation.
• Criminal background checks are mandatory for all United Community employees.
• Valid driver’s license and clear driving record.

TRAVEL

Travel to and from satellite United Community locations and meeting sites with a 3-5 mile radius is expected.  Mileage reimbursement may be provided.

EEO STATEMENT

UCM provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability or genetics. In addition to federal law requirements, UCM complies with applicable state and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment in. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation and training. UCM expressly prohibits any form of workplace harassment based on race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, genetic information, disability, or veteran status. Improper reference with the ability of UCM employees to perform job duties may result in discipline up to and including discharge.

Looking for: Full Time, Part Time, On Call

Work Assignment: 

Staff will be trained to support both community centers, Creekside Community Center and Sacramento Community Center (Rotating Schedule) 

Essential Functions: 

The Youth Development Specialist (YDS) will work between the Creekside Community Center and the Sacramento Community Center, and is responsible for planning and facilitating out-of-school-time educational and enrichment activities for youth and their families. The position works in the United Community SPARK Program. The YDS serves a vital position in the community supporting the five focal areas of the Neighborhood Initiative Program that include but are not limited to 1) family and community engagement; 2) connecting with and motivating youth; 3) school readiness, education, and literacy; 4) family-wide service referrals and navigation; and 5) workforce readiness and student career preparedness.

Required Qualifications:

3+ years of experience in afterschool programming and/or recreational services

(Preferred) Bachelor’s Degree relevant to the position (Education, Psychology, Sociology, Social Work, Special Education, and Therapeutic Recreation 

A demonstrated ability to educate a diverse group of participants in a low-income community through implementing evidence-based curricula and community programming.

Experience and knowledge of various classroom management and behavioral techniques.

Possesses the technical skills and organization needed to create engaging educational materials.

Demonstrated success in the achievement of program outcomes and records management.

Knowledge of community-based services for children and youth 

Ability to work independently, and in partnership with others to achieve desired results.

Proficiency in Data Entry and Report Analysis, Microsoft Office, and Google Services.

Ability to meet the U.S. Department of Justice and Virginia Child Protective Service requirements for employment verification and background checks.

An individual is driven to help others in need, with the ability to work flexible hours, if needed, including limited evenings and weekends.

TRAVEL

Travel to and from satellite United Community locations and meeting sites within a 3-15 mile radius is expected.

EEO STATEMENT

UCM provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability or genetics. In addition to federal law requirements, UCM complies with applicable state and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment in. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation and training. UCM expressly prohibits any form of workplace harassment based on race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, genetic information, disability, or veteran status. Improper reference with the ability of UCM employees to perform job duties may result in discipline up to and including discharge.