Opportunity Neighborhood Community Organizer
POSITION: Opportunity Neighborhood Community Organizer (Annandale, VA)
REPORTS TO: Opportunity Neighborhood Strategy Manager
CATEGORY: Full-Time/Exempt/Permanent
LOCATION: Fairfax, Annandale, or Centreville, VA
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. FACETS is the lead organization for ON-Annandale and ON-Centreville and has open positions in both. ON-Annandale is an established initiative (3 years old) while ON-Centreville is brand new. Candidates for the Opportunity Neighborhood Community Organizer position will be considered for both locations. The Community Organizer will work in partnership with the Strategy Manager for that area and will have primary responsibility for engaging, building and growing intentional relationships with residents. The person must be fluent in both Spanish and English. The Community Organizer is a critical member of the ON team charged with engaging residents to create a community where—from cradle to career—every child and youth has the opportunity to access the resources needed to thrive.
About the Organization:
FACETS is a non-profit organization that opens doors by helping parents, their children, and individuals who suffer the effects of poverty in Fairfax County. We meet their emergency needs through our wrap around services and community partnerships, and help individuals and families experience safe and stable housing after years of uncertainty and instability. We strive to ensure that every person in our community has a place they can call home. Here at FACETS, every team member plays a role in making a difference in the lives of our most vulnerable neighbors.
Duties and Responsibilities:
Community Organizing
- Participates in community events—often in the evening or on weekends—to get to know residents and build trust with them.
- Develops and maintains a list of residents of identified neighborhoods and organizes outreach to that list.
- Develops, implements, and updates outreach strategy as new needs emerge.
- Establishes a Residents’ Council made up of residents of identified neighborhoods and coordinates their work.
- Plans Residents’ Council meetings to follow trauma-informed guidelines, provides language equity, and respects the contributions of all participants as equal members, regardless of differences in income or education.
- Recruits and provides oversight for community leaders (Neighborhood Ambassadors), including identifying potential leaders, training them, offering the support they need to complete their terms, and keeping all related administrative records.
- Maintain records on Neighborhood Ambassadors’ attendance at Council meetings and outreach work, as well as records on stipends for completing ten hours of outreach work per month.
Coordination with Partners
- Represents the Opportunity Neighborhood initiative at appropriate meetings and presentations.
- Builds knowledge of community services/resources to make appropriate referrals for residents, and works closely with the larger FACETS team for any needed follow-up.
- Contributes to maintenance of ON calendar of events and organizational databases, and supports the Strategy Manager in collecting/developing monthly data reports for internal and external distribution.
- Coordinates with initiative partners to align actions and minimize redundancies, especially in conducting individual or collaborative outreach and education.
- Coordinates with FACETS Volunteer Manager and Development department on needed volunteer and in-kind supports.
Required Skills/Abilities:
- Possess a bachelor’s degree in social work, community development, or a related field, or have equivalent experience in community development or organizing.
- Demonstrated commitment to community issues and organizing, and achieving racial and social equity.
- Advanced group facilitation, outreach and interpersonal/communication skills (written and verbal).
- Fluent in Spanish and English; experience as an interpreter or willingness to develop interpretation skills through training.
- Demonstrated success building effective relationships, ideally in a network or collective impact model.
- Good analytical, negotiation, conflict resolution and problem-solving skills.
- Enthusiastic self-starter.
- Strong time and task management skills.
- Demonstrated experience supporting and working with diverse groups of people.
- Must be able to work some weekends and evenings and have reliable transportation.
- Knowledge of and familiarity with the Annandale or Centreville area is highly desirable.
- Strong computer, Microsoft Office Suite, and other standard office equipment skills.
- Must pass criminal and Child Protective Services background checks
Physical Requirements:
- Prolonged periods of sitting at a desk and working on a computer.
- Must be able to lift 15 pounds at times.
- While this position is partially performed in a standard office environment, it requires significant community outreach in other locations as well. Job duties may be completed from home if community health conditions require it.
- Must be able to attend occasional meetings at other FACETS office locations within Fairfax County, including 3 annual organization-wide fundraising events each year.
Work Environment:
While this position is partially performed in a standard office environment, it requires significant community outreach in other locations as well. Job duties may be completed from home if community health conditions require it.
Salary Range:
$40,000 – $50,000 annually
FACETS offers a competitive salary commensurate with qualification/experience.
Benefits:
- Paid medical, dental, and vision insurance for full-time employees with competitive family rates and 3 medical plan options.
- Paid Basic Life Insurance with an option to buy additional coverage
- 403(b) retirement plan options with generous matching
- Generous leave package for full-time employees: paid annual vacation and sick leave, 11 paid holidays per calendar year plus 3 floating holidays to use within the fiscal year; 12 weeks of maternity leave; paid bereavement leave
- Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs) for healthcare and dependent care
- Long-Term Disability, Short-Term Disability 100% employer paid
- Free Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
- Reimbursement of work-related expenses including portions of mileage, cell phone and data expenses
- On-going professional development and training; reimbursement for portions of tuition, training, or (re)certification in areas related to current position
Everyone at FACETS is driven to make a difference in the lives of our neighbors experiencing homelessness, hunger, and poverty. FACETS is committed to fostering, cultivating, and preserving a culture of diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging. FACETS is an equal opportunity employer with a culturally diverse work environment. Our welcoming community encourages collaboration across programs for our rewarding work.
How to Apply:
Interested candidates may apply by sending