Team: Community Engagement
Reports to: Senior Director of Civic and Community Engagement
Location: New York State, based out of one of the NYIC’s offices: NYC, Hempstead, Albany, Syracuse, Rochester, or Buffalo
Overview of the Organization
The New York Immigration Coalition (NYIC) is an umbrella policy and advocacy organization for approximately 200 groups in New York State. We envision a New York state that is stronger because all people are welcome, treated fairly, and given the chance to pursue their dreams. Our mission is to unite immigrants, members, & allies so all New Yorkers can thrive. We represent the collective interests of New York’s diverse immigrant communities and organizations and devise solutions to advance them; advocate for laws, policies, and programs that lead to justice and opportunity for all immigrant groups; and build the power of immigrants and the organizations that serve them to ensure their sustainability, to improve people’s lives, and to strengthen our state.
Our organizational values: Inclusive & Representative; Fair & Just; Accountable & Trusted.
Summary of the Position
The Director of Community Engagement oversees the New York Immigration Coalition’s community education and outreach work in New York State. The Director manages and implements a wide range of projects to reflect NYIC’s policy and advocacy achievements. The Director works across departments to link community engagement, immigrant integration, and direct services to better evaluate and serve immigrant and refugee communities.
The Director of Community Engagement will manage the Community Engagement staff that will be directly responsible for conducting Know Your Rights and direct services, while ensuring coordination between statewide communities facing response. They will develop Welcome Navigators training on intake, legal related supports and troubleshoot local issues with regional staff. In addition, they will develop NYIC resources to orient and educate communities on how to navigate systems, self-help resources, and their new space.
This is a contract-funded position for a new rapid-response initiative that the NYIC is undertaking to support vulnerable migrants and asylum-seekers throughout New York State. This position will be for a period of one year (August 2023-August 2024) with the potential to extend for two more years, for a total of three years. The continuation of this position beyond three years is contingent upon available funding.
Key Responsibilities
Community Engagement, Education, and Organizing
- Develops and implements community engagement plans in coordination with the Senior Director of Civic and Community Engagement.
- Serves as an advisor to the Vice President of Advocacy and Executive Leadership team regarding best practices and opportunities to better engage and educate NYS’s immigrant communities.
- Oversees mechanisms for tracking community engagement initiatives.
- Provides general coordination support across the Advocacy Program to integrate and streamline different community-focused initiatives.
- Attends and supports community engagement events, forums, town halls on behalf of the NYIC.
- Oversees and manages grant deliverables.
- Manages the organizing of community education forums to address community needs/concerns.
- Leads NYIC’s community engagement and education rapid response efforts.
- Supervises the creation of new guides, trainings, booklets, and curriculums that are community facing, and coordinates their translation to main languages spoken by immigrant communities across New York State.
- Strong skills in community organizing, advocacy campaigns, community advocacy, and public speaking.
- Supports mobilization of partners and community members to advocate for policy changes relevant to NYIC’s mission and vision by providing logistical management.
Management
- Supervises Community Engagement staff, interns, volunteers and paraprofessionals across New York State.
- Develops and maintains systems to ensure work remains on target and demonstrates a flexible approach to attaining goals.
- Effectively conveys information; asks clarifying questions; listens actively; communicates expectations clearly.
- Delegates responsibilities and ensures that team tasks are completed by using online project management tools.
- Assists to recruit, interview, and select qualified, diverse staff.
Relationship Management
- Builds productive partnerships with the media, community leaders, government partners, and other nonprofits whose work complements and strengthens that of the NYIC.
- Fosters internal cross-departmental collaboration and intra-departmental collaboration within the Advocacy Team to achieve organizational goals.
- Seeks to engage diverse voices in developing and carrying out the organization’s priorities by implementing strategies that build upon the organization’s brand as a vital community partner.
- Look beyond the requirements of one’s own job to offer suggestions for improvements of overall organization operations.
- Demonstrates leadership internally and externally, comfortable taking initiative, and able to adapt as necessary to changing circumstances.
Leadership
- Approaches a complex task or problem by breaking it down into parts and considers each part in detail, drawing sound, fact-based conclusions, particularly when under pressure or faced with ambiguity.
- Cultural competence: Understands and is able to communicate with and effectively interact with people across cultures, races, nationalities, disabilities, ages and genders.
- Innovation: Explores new ideas, methodologies, different positions, and alternatives to reach outcomes. Seeks opportunities for growth and change.
- Assesses, manages and takes calculated risks to achieve goals.
- Change Management: Contributes to the problem-solving and creative-thinking processes leading to the development and implementation of new approaches, systems, structures, and methods.
- Political Savvy: Identifies when issues need to be escalated and opportunities leveraged and effectively engages appropriate actors. Perceives organizational and political sensitivities and acts accordingly. Ensures positive outcomes and mission achievement.
- Influences/motivates others to translate the vision into action.
Qualities Sought
- Five (5) to Seven (7) years of experience working with diverse, immigrant communities - work as a community and/or organizer within communities an asset.
- Comfort with public speaking and community presentation required.
- Develop strategies to successfully outreach New York State's AAPI and Black immigrant communities.
- Strong skills in community organizing, advocacy campaigns, and community advocacy, specifically with underserved & emerging communities and African and AAPI communities.
- Good team player, demonstrates leadership internally and externally, comfortable taking initiative, and able to adapt as necessary to changing circumstances.
- Experience with fast paced environments and juggling multiple tasks.
- Attention to detail and strong follow-through are required.
- Ability to speak other languages is a plus.
Important facts to know about this opportunity:
- This position is mostly on-site, with a requirement of being in the office 4 days per week and remote 1 day per week.
- The NYIC staff continues to mask while in the office.
- The NYIC has a staff-wide vaccine mandate. Staff must be fully vaccinated and provide proof of vaccination to HR before being onboarded.
Salary: $90,000**
In addition to a competitive salary, NYIC offers a full benefit plan, unlimited paid time off, commuter benefits and a comprehensive retirement plan.
**The NYIC has a transparent and equitable salary structure. Starting salaries for each position are set in advance with no room for negotiation.
To Apply: Interested candidates should send a resume and cover letter to hr@nyic.org. All emails must have “Director of Community Engagement” in the subject line.
Deadline: Friday, September 8, 2023
Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis and we are looking for someone to start as soon as possible. No phone calls or emails will be accepted for this position.