La Mesa Verde Organizing Manager

Description

La Mesa Verde

Organizing Manager

JOB ANNOUNCEMENT

Sacred Heart Community Service, located in San José, CA is looking for a multifaceted La Mesa Verde (LMV) Organizing Manager to lead, develop, and innovate La Mesa Verde program, a leadership network of urban gardeners who build access to healthy food in San José. The LMV program works to build collective power for low-income communities and individuals through mutual support networks. LMV seeks a strong leader to partner with internal programs and cultivate external collaborations and funding entities while developing member engagement in programs and systems change work. This individual must be highly organized and possess strong communication skills, a strong track record of program management, and an ability to work flexibly and creatively. The ideal candidate must be equally committed to our vision of a community united to ensure every child and adult is free from poverty, an approach of driving policy change through transformational leadership development, and teaching and living an anti-racism and anti-oppression worldview. For 59 years, SHCS has been one of the leading institutions addressing poverty in Santa Clara County through a strategy that combines addressing the consequences of poverty through impactful programs while building power with people to push for systemic change.

POSITION SUMMARY:

The La Mesa Verde Organizing Manager will organize, manage, and sustain a leadership network of urban gardeners who are working together to build access to good food in San José. The Organizing Manager collaborates with Sacred Heart staff and members to set strategic priorities, goals, and program budgets for La Mesa Verde, acts as a liaison to internal and external partners, and is responsible for the professional development and coaching of the LMV staff, members, and volunteers. The Organizing Manager oversees and provides support and training for the network’s political education, leadership development, and community organizing work. The La Mesa Verde Organizing Manager also collaborates with the Self-Sufficiency Department Management team to ensure the continued alignment of organization-wide strategic priorities.

RESPONSIBILITIES AND DUTIES:

Strategic Program Leadership (55%)

● Develops and tracks strategic priorities and goals in alignment with department and organization-wide strategies, member input, and grant specifications

● Provides structure, support, supervision, training, evaluation, and professional development for the management team of SHCS’ Self-Sufficiency Program Area –La Mesa Verde

● Implements the core values of SHCS by using an asset-based approach to provide staff and volunteer leaders with vision, encouragement, challenge, modeling, training, and opportunities to acquire personal and collective power

● Implements consistent onboarding and professional development plans and training for LMV staff on transformative programming and organizing. Training may include topics such as sustainable gardening, composting, popular education, community organizing, food policy, power and privilege, and solidarity

● Ensures the alignment of programs with strategic plan priorities including program integration, the development of mutual support systems, and coordination with organizing, advocacy, and community engagement efforts.

● Work with member leaders and staff to design programming and trainings, through the use of a Promotora Model, that elevates political consciousness around food justice through a racial and economic justice lens

● Facilitates member committees, including the LMV Advisory Committee, to develop member leadership, engage members in strategic decisions, and accomplish program goals

● Works with team Salesforce Superuser and Community Development teams to streamline data collection and analysis using Salesforce, and integrate data results into program management and evaluation. Ensures that staff is trained and supported in data collection, data entry, management, and analysis.

● Develops, implements, and monitors program evaluation plans in support of strategic outcomes; evaluation plans will include both quantitative and qualitative measurement tools and may include data management systems, surveys, and/or focus groups.

● Coordinates with other Sacred Heart program managers and teams to ensure strategic collaboration in training, community organizing efforts, and LMV events.

Community Organizing Leadership (15%)

● Manages staff organizers to develop organizing campaigns around local policy issues related to food justice

● Trains and supports staff in community organizing methodology, strategy, and tactics
● Collaborates with other SH staff, volunteers, the SHCS Organizing team, and local partners to provide training and coordination for organization-wide organizing

Collaborative Leadership (15%)

● Supports the planning and implementation of organization-wide programs, events, training, and outreach efforts.

● Attends and participates in SHCS’s Managers Round Table.

● Serves on the Emergency Response Team and serves as on-site manager as needed.

● Serves as liaison with community allies and partners. Attends coalition meetings and regional strategic planning meetings to nurture collaborative relationships with community members, volunteers, donors, and partners.

Administrative (15%)

● Leads efforts to identify prospective program and collaborative funders, supports the development of grant proposals, supports contract negotiation, and oversees program execution and reporting.
●Works with the development team to develop plans for program sustainability, and cultivates and nurtures new relationships with potential future funders.

● Ensures grant administration, contract compliance, and reporting.

● Develops, tracks, and manages program budgets.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE:

● Bilingual in English and Spanish required.

● Strong commitment to our vision of a community united to ensure that every child and adult is free from poverty.

● At least 5 years experience working in a community-based organization.

● Excellent verbal, written, and presentation skills including experience working with and making presentations to community and partner organizations or serving on community initiatives.
● Demonstrated experience with both organic gardening and popular education.

● Ability to work with diverse people and communities through a racial and economic justice lens. ● Demonstrated experience in developing and implementing community projects and coalition networks in a nonprofit setting including education, training, and tracking systems.

● Experience with grant writing, monitoring, and reporting.

● High level of proficiency and comfort with computer-based software including, but not limited to MS Word, Excel, Powerpoint, Google Suite, Salesforce, and client database systems.

● Flexible, compassionate, and supportive attitude.

● Knowledge of outcomes-based planning, evaluation, and program development.

● Strong written, verbal, and presentation skills.

● Ability to lift up to 30 lbs without assistance and up to 50 lbs. with assistance.

● The position requires you to stand and walk for prolonged periods of time.

● The position also requires computer use up to 6-8 hours per day.

● Must be insurable under the organization’s driving insurance requirements.

● Must successfully pass a DMV and criminal background check.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE:

● Trilingual in English/Spanish/Vietnamese.

● Two to three years of management or supervisory experience.

● Experience with and passion for community organizing.

● Direct experience working with low-income populations through human services or policy advocacy efforts.

● Graphic design software and social media proficiency.

● Demonstrated program evaluation background, including process and systems-level analysis that is rooted in data and research.

● Strong sense of community, personal identity within it, and a professional maturity about our individual and collective responsibility to contribute to tangible change.

● Bachelors or Masters relevant to the program

REPORTING RELATIONSHIP:

The La Mesa Verde Manager reports to the Essential Services Director.

COMPENSATION:

This is an exempt, salaried position ranging from $78,000 - $82,000 per year commensurate with experience. Excellent benefits include fully paid medical insurance for employees and majority paid medical insurance for qualified dependents, dental insurance, vision insurance, 12 paid holidays, 10 paid sick days per year, paid vacation starting at 10 days per year, additional wellness benefits, basic life and long term disability insurance, professional development and more.

Sacred Heart Community Service is proud to be an Equal Opportunity workplace and an Affirmative Action Employer. SHCS is committed to building a team of people of diverse ethnic, cultural, and experiential backgrounds. We especially encourage members of historically underrepresented and marginalized communities, people of color, women, people living with disabilities, veterans, and LGBTQ+ people to apply. It is the policy of Sacred Heart Community Service to prohibit discrimination and harassment of any type and to afford equal employment opportunities to employees and applicants, without regard to race, color, ethnicity, ancestry, religion, age, sex, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, pregnancy, medical condition or genetic information, veteran status, national origin, disability, marital or other protected status. SHCS will conform to the spirit, as well as the letter of all applicable laws and regulations.

Keywords

La Mesa VerdeOrganizing Managerprogram managementleadership developmentanti-racismanti-oppressionpovertyurban gardenershealthy foodlow-income communitiesmutual support networksstrategic prioritiesgoalsprogram budgetsprofessional developmentcoachingpolitical educationcommunity organizingracial and economic justicegrant administrationcontract compliancebilingualSpanishorganic gardeningpopular educationoutcomes-based planningevaluationprogram development