Community Organizer

Job Opportunity

Community Organizer

Description of Employer

The Community Development Partnership leads the Lower Cape in building a diverse year-round community of people who can afford to live, work and thrive here.  To accomplish our mission, we promote, develop and manage affordable housing; nurture the launch and growth of small businesses; and facilitate collaboration with business, non-profit and government partners.

Achieving our mission requires several strategies and a range of programs. Our work starts with creating affordable homes—so essential to a healthy economy, but a real challenge in communities like ours where seasonal and vacation dynamics drive the market beyond the reach of many who live and work locally all year round.

We also work to launch entrepreneurs and strengthen local businesses. We believe a vibrant future depends on sustaining traditional industries and inspiring new ones—especially when they’re based on renewable natural resources such as fishing and farming.

Since 1992, the CDP has been a leader in developing and delivering innovative programs that foster an economically and environmentally sustainable Lower Cape Cod community.  As a community development corporation, we value economic diversity and are committed to the inclusion and participation of local area residents, business owners and leaders in setting our priorities.

Based in Eastham, MA, the CDP has an annual budget of $3.9 Million funded through government and foundation grants, contributions from individuals and businesses, and earned revenue.  A staff of seventeen professionals is charged with delivering the organization’s programs and the organization is governed by a 16-member Board of Directors comprised of business and community leaders.

Job Opening:     Community Organizer

Status:  Full-time Exempt Position (37.5 hours/week)

Time Frame:  Review begins December 8 2021, position open until filled

DESCRIPTION

The Community Organizer will work closely with our Director of Housing Advocacy to conduct outreach, base building, training, education and leadership development among our Lower Cape community. The Community Organizer will work with our housing development team to assist with community engagement, as needed. Additionally, the Community Organizer will work with our Chief Development & Communications Officer to assist with the design of our in-house campaign to build public support for housing.

The Community Organizer reports to the Director of Housing Advocacy. The Community Organizer will work from the CDP’s office located at 3 Main Street Mercantile, Eastham, Massachusetts and there is an opportunity to work remotely up to 3 days per week. 

Our Ideal Candidate:

Our ideal candidate will be an energetic, collaborative and dependable team player who is passionate about the work and enjoys coming up with new ideas as well as overseeing existing initiatives.  Candidates should be able to relate well to multiple stakeholders and be a strong writer and communicator.  In addition, they should be creative, flexible, able to think outside the box, and able to transition creative solutions into a reality.

Specific duties will include but not necessarily be limited to:

• Design and implement community engagement strategies to support housing development projects.
• Manage the Lower Cape Housing Advocacy Program
• Launch and nurture town coalitions that advocate for the needs of year-round residents, especially regarding housing opportunities.
• Identify and develop community leaders who advocate for LMI (low-to-moderate income) year-round residents.
• Develop and implement campaigns in coordination with the Housing Advocacy team
• Provide staff support to a group of core leaders, known as Housing Champions, which is comprised of representatives from all eight towns and is tasked with advising the Housing Advocacy department to ensure organizational programming is responsive to the needs of our communities;
• Work with the Housing Advocacy Program Manager and Chief Development & Communications Officer to manage external communications including monthly newsletters, website, social media, press releases, and printed communications.
• Build leadership capacity of Lower Cape residents by conducting one-on-one’s, strategy meetings, and connecting residents with leadership opportunities.
• Participate in Lower Cape organizations and coalitions with compatible goals and values, including planning and advocacy for the preservation and development of affordable housing.

• Build connections between the CDP and the communities we serve, with special focus on developing relationships with communities of color and immigrants.
• Network with other groups that are organizing pro-housing campaigns on the Cape and in MA.
• Maintain updated statistics about resident involvement in advocacy using our online database.
• Collaborate with other CDP departments such as property management and housing development to ensure overlapping initiatives are strategically aligned.

Skills and Experience

There are innumerable ways to learn, grow and excel professionally. We respect this when we review applications and take a broad look at the experience of each applicant. We want to get to know you and the unique strengths you will bring to the work. We are most likely to be interested in your candidacy if you can demonstrate a majority of the qualifications and experiences listed below.

Ideal

• 1-3 years of experience in community organizing, leadership development, or affordable housing.
• Ability to develop leadership skills, particularly within communities of color and new immigrants.
• Deep commitment to social justice and anti-oppressive practices.
• Experience with community engagement.
• Sense of humor, integrity, personal sense of accountability.

Required

• Must have a valid driver’s license.
• A passion for the CDP’s mission along with knowledge of affordable housing and community development issues on Cape Cod.
• Flexibility to work some evening and weekend hours;
• Strong written and verbal/public speaking skills;
• Self-directed, organized, and ability to work efficiently and meet deadlines while working remote and on multiple projects concurrently;
• Highly personable, enjoys talking to people, has great listening skills, builds trust
• Able to assess and navigate formal and informal power systems to build community power.
• Strong organization, prioritization, and tracking skills.
• Bachelor’s Degree preferred; minimum Associate’s Degree required.
• Excellent computer skills and a high level of proficiency in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Power Point, Outlook 365), Zoom video conferencing

Compensation:  Salary range is $55,000 to $60,000 annually. The CDP also provides a generous package of benefits including vacation, sick time, and retirement benefits.

The CDP is an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. The CDP is committed to building a diverse staff and strongly encourages applications from minority candidates.

To Apply:  Please submit a cover letter summarizing your professional experience as it relates to the job description, followed by a resume, combined into a single PDF. In your cover letter please describe your experience working as a community organizer, what you learned from that experience, and your philosophy of community organizing among low-income people. Cover letters that do not specifically address these three points will not be considered. Email your PDF to Andrea Aldana, E: Andrea@capecdp.org.  References may be requested.  Review begins December 8, 2021. Position open until filled.        

Please include “Community Organizer” in the subject line.