Culture Resource Coordinator

Rural Community Assistance Corporation (RCAC) seeks an energetic and creative Culture Resource Coordinator (CRC) to coordinate and support a variety of RCAC staff cultural initiatives, including Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), Wellness and Staff Operations (Human Resources). Staff cultural initiatives support RCAC’s greatest assets – our people - advancing our mission to create vibrant, healthy, and enduring rural communities by providing training, technical assistance, financial resources, and advocacy so rural and Indigenous communities can achieve their goals and visions.

The Organization Founded in 1978, RCAC seeks to collaboratively build the capacity of organizations that serve low-income people living in the rural West (13 states including Alaska and Hawaii). RCAC works in partnership with small rural and Indigenous communities and other local agencies to provide tools and resources necessary to improve their quality of life. RCAC offers a wide range of services to communities with fewer than 50,000 people including technical assistance and training for environmental infrastructure; affordable housing development; economic and leadership development; and financing to support community development. Since its inception, RCAC’s dedicated staff and active board have helped affect positive change in rural and Indigenous communities across the West.

RCAC’s program and services are informed by its strategic directions and core values:

Strategic Directions

• Core Competencies: Ensure rural communities have culturally appropriate access to resources by prioritizing community-identified needs and advocating on behalf of these communities with public- and private-sector partners. Increased Investment: Strengthen the economies of rural communities through increased capital investment that supports small businesses and community development. Indigenous Communities: Collaborate with grassroots and Indigenous-led organizations that provide infrastructure, housing, lending and other essential services in Indigenous communities. Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion: Grow inclusive practices by improving organizational awareness, positioning, and approaches, which embrace Indigenous knowledge and are mindful of historical contexts, to better serve internal stakeholders and external partners and communities. Capacity Building and Innovation: Strengthen RCAC’s operations by exploring innovative strategies, improving internal infrastructure, and promoting staff development so that RCAC can continue to build the capacity of organizations. Outcome Measurement: Transition RCAC measurement to an outcome-based model that effectively articulates the narrative of its work, increases learning opportunities to refine its programmatic approach, and expands the metrics the organization can share with diverse funding sources.

Core Values

• Leadership: Identify innovative strategies to further rural community and economic development and inspires partners to achieve great outcomes. Collaboration: Achieve superior results by respectfully and inclusively identifying and working with partners. Commitment: Work with passion and dedication to improve rural communities and the lives of their low-income residents. Quality: Produce exceptional work products to help RCAC partners meet their goals. Integrity: Practice the highest professional standards and cultural competency in RCAC’s work.

RCAC has expanded and elevated its DEI platform and work. The organization added a dedicated committee and focus groups, bi-monthly listening sessions offered by diverse representatives, and tools and assessments to inform the learning and experiential journey of all staff, key stakeholders, and board members as a reference to guide all internal and external communications.

Live Well, Work Well is a wellness initiative that the organization has spent the last year developing. With consultant leadership, a dedicated steering and staff committee cultivated input through a series of surveys and facilitated discussions with leadership, committees and staff. The initiative represents RCAC’s commitment to the ongoing development of practices and policies that promote a culture of wellbeing.

Headquartered in West Sacramento in a building it owns, RCAC has an estimated annual budget exceeding $30 million (excluding the Vector Fund budget); more than $200 million in total assets and net assets of more than $80 million; and received a $20 million unrestricted grant in late 2020 which seeded the Vector Fund. Approximately two thirds of the annual budget come from grants and contracts. Governed by a  twelve-person diverse Board of Directors from eight different states, RCAC employs more than 170 staff, most of which currently work remotely across RCAC’s 13-state footprint, with plans for a corporate hybrid work model. The CRC will be a part of Staff Operations and report to the Staff Operations Assistant Director. Benefits and additional HR services are provided through a PEO (Professional Employment Organization). For more information, please visit RCAC’s website at https://www.rcac.org/ .

The Position The newly created position is full-time. The CRC, working closely with the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) and Wellness Committees, will serve as the backbone and coordinator of these staff volunteer led initiatives, which are critical to RCAC staff culture, engagement and implementation. The CRC will report to the Staff Operations Assistant Director and will  collaborate with  Staff Operations staff and our OTTER (Outstanding Trainers Training Other RCACers) team in designing and leading quality and consistent onboarding tools and plans for new RCAC staff. Our people are key to achieving our mission and vision. RCAC is committed to recruiting, supporting and retaining high performing staff members through the integration of DEI and Live Well, Work Well principles to help keep our staff effective, motivated and engaged.

The CRC will provide administrative support and coordination for the implementation of Live Well, Work Well plan and key responsibility for supporting the staff volunteer led committees, listening sessions and the various activities and goals of both DEI and Wellness Committees. The CRC will have the capacity to ensure consistent communication among committees and the larger RCAC staff; leadership; scheduling committee meetings, listening sessions and other activities.

Key Responsibilities

Staff the DEI and Wellness Committees:

• Set and document committee meetings , provide strategic planning, Key Performance Indicator (KPI) updates Coordinate internal and external communications Draft reports for quarterly RCAC Board of Director meetings for committee chairs Manage committee/subcommittee processes Act as contract lead for consultants engaged by RCAC for DEI and Wellness work Assist CEO and Senior Leadership team in promoting DEI and Wellness values throughout the corporation Assist with creation of improved RCAC staff onboarding  and ongoing staff development process

• Work with Information Technology, Staff Operations and OTTER to improve and enhance RCAC new staff onboarding process and resources Coordinate with Staff Operations and Otter around professional development access, processes and tracking Be a resource for recruiting diverse talent in regular RCAC recruitment process and other programs designed to create a pipeline of diverse talent, including internships,  fellowships and volunteer programs such as Americorps,  VISTA and Jesuit Volunteer Corps. Work with Events to integrate Wellbeing and DEI values and activities into key organizational events.

Experience and Attributes

Highly qualified candidates will bring the following experience and attributes:

• At least five years management, program and/or project experience in a nonprofit and/or CDFI  organization. Knowledge of general communication principles and practices. Knowledge of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion best practices and at least two years’ experience implementing DEI programs. Commitment to understanding evolving workplace wellbeing best practices. Demonstrated experience in operational and programmatic planning, data analysis, budgeting, and business operations management. Collaborative and transparent working style with a strength in developing alignment across the organization and influencing at all levels. Commitment to understanding the rural and Indigenous West and its diversity of needs, and a passion for helping to build operational capacity in service of rural communities.   Working knowledge of accounting, budgeting and project financial management. Demonstrated resourcefulness in setting priorities and guiding programs and projects to completion. Ability to demonstrate a high level of integrity, strong interpersonal skills, responsibility and accountability.

• An excellent and active listener who can quickly gather, synthesize, and act on feedback from diverse sources. Ability to facilitate and mediate meetings.

The strongly preferred location for this position is in the West Sacramento corporate office. West Sacramento staff are currently working remotely but will return to office using a hybrid model of three days working in the office and two days working remotely.

RCAC employees are federally mandated to be vaccinated against COVID-19 as a condition of employment, subject to reasonable accommodation as required by law.

Application Process To apply, visit www.rcac.org/careers. For other inquiries, contact RCAC Staff Operations at hrmail@rcac.org. .