Community Building Coordinator, SEAMAAC

Posted by SEAMAAC on January 29, 2018

SEAMAAC welcomes applications for the full-time position of Community Building Coordinator (“Coordinator”). SEAMAAC (a nonprofit organization founded in 1984, as the Southeast Asian Mutual Assistance Associations Coalition, Inc.) has 34 years of experience serving and advocating for Philadelphia’s immigrants and refugees. Our mission is “to support and serve immigrants and refugees and other politically, socially and economically marginalized communities, as they seek to advance the condition of their lives in the United States” Throughout our history, SEAMAAC has worked to bring issues affecting immigrants/refugees to the forefront for policy makers and other service providers, while offering a variety of programs to meet the needs of community members. Currently, our programs include English as a Second Language (ESL) and computer literacy classes, afterschool and summer camps, truancy prevention, domestic violence prevention, elderly services, health insurance and public benefits enrollment assistance, health education, civic engagement, refugee services, community development, neighborhood building, and women’s health.

Primary Function:
SEAMAAC seeks to hire a dynamic and creative organizer to engage a diverse set of communities around Neighborhood Planning and Building.
The South Philadelphia East (SoPhiE) Mifflin Square Park Engagement, Planning and Implementation Project (EPIP) will build civic dialogue, engagement and a vision for shared community ownership through improving the largest green asset in the diverse Southeastern Philadelphia neighborhood that is connected to and uses Mifflin Square Park. The role of the Coordinator in this project is to manage the completion of the Mifflin Square Park and Neighborhood Plan, which will cover all aspects of the area (current status, assets, challenges, opportunities and potential support for implementation) with short and long term goals/implementation steps. The Coordinator will work along with other SEAMAAC leadership and planning consultants to ensure that the Plan identifies all of the properties, uses and zoning in the area as part of an assessment of potential ownership and usage changes. The key product will be a physical plan along with documents outlining costs and implementation requirements for improving the Park accomplished by the planning consultants in conjunction with the Coordinator along with community and City input. The Coordinator will also facilitate the completion of early action items, which may include seating and garden areas, new pedestrian lighting, art projects, wayfinding signage to and from the 7th Street corridor to the Park, and working with food and other vendors to facilitate an active “Vendor Village” space that will activate the Park and engage many more users. and the Coordinator will develop various brochures and documents, both paper and electronic, highlighting the process and the Park assets in various languages. This will include a Survey that documenting the change in peoples’ perceptions of the Park.

Qualification Requirements:
To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Education and/or Experience:
 Bachelor’s Degree in City Planning, Social Policy, Public Health, Political Science, Community Organizing, Social Work or related field.
 Minimum one-year, specific social service or community organizing experience

Language Requirement:
 Preference will be given to candidates who are bilingual in English and either Vietnamese, Mandarin, Cantonese, Khmer, Laotian, Indonesian, Burmese, Spanish or Nepali.

Duties/Responsibilities/Expectations:
Mifflin Square Park Engagement, Planning and Implementation Project (EPIP)
 Develop strong relationships with community stakeholders from diverse racial, ethnic, linguistic, gender, immigration, and socioeconmic backgrounds including but limited to residents, businesses, community organizations, civic associations, friends groups, and political and neighborhood leaders.
 Coordinate a neighborhood planning process with stakeholders and residents including surveys, focus groups, key informant interviews, and meetings.
 Develop, coordinate, and facilitate a stakeholder coalition to lead the Neighborhood and Park Planning and implementation process.
 Support the development of the Vendor Village work by helping to coordinate vendors, events, permits and other support as needed
 Represent SEAMAAC at appropriate meetings, presentations, and community events
 Collaboratively develop and implement time specific plans to resolve identified community issues
 Ensure that goals, deliverables, outcomes, reports, and evaluations for project grants are completed on schedule.
 Assist with the creation and distribution of communications on project activities and issues, including website, social media, flyers, and newsletters
 Serve as the point person communications regarding EPIP
 Provide project supervision to project staff, interns, and volunteers.
 Build knowledge of appropriate community services and resources to make appropriate referrals for residents.
 Contribute to maintenance of organizational and community calendar of events, organizational databases, and records.

General:
 Participate in Management Team, All Staff, Department, Program, and Supervision Meetings
 Actively participate in organization and community work efforts and events.
 Provide translation/interpretation as required.
 Other duties may be assigned from time to time.

Essential Functions/Competencies:
 Excellent multi-tasking skills, and experience coordinating multiple events and volunteers
 Attention to detail, and ability to create, collect, and analyze data collection tools
 Excellent public speaking, negotiation and group facilitation skills
 Excellent computer skills
 Experience maintaining program databases, ensuring program deliverables are met, and conducting program evaluations
 Ability to mobilize communities and building coalitions around sensitive social issues
 Experience supporting individuals and communities to grow in their leadership
 Demonstrated experience in planning staff professional development and program quality assurance.
 Ability to work with diverse staff as well as a strong commitment to supporting the collective efforts of the team in accomplishing program objectives and goals.
 Experience managing coalitions
 Knowledgeable about the issues facing Asian, African, and Caribbean refugee/immigrant communities and/or urban immigrant/refugee communities in general
 Excellent organizational and planning skills
 Demonstrated ability to work well with people from diverse backgrounds
 Demonstrated ability to influence key stakeholders
 A strong Team Player and the ability to interact positively with a wide range of people at different levels including those on opposite sides of sensitive and controversial issues.
 Grant writing, fundraising, and reporting experience desirable
 Self-motivated

PHYSICAL DEMANDS:
The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to talk or hear. The employee regularly is required to stand, walk, sit, use hand to finger, handle or feel objects, tools, or controls; and reach with hands and arms. The employee frequently lifts and/or moves up to 10 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision and the ability to adjust focus

WORK ENVIRONMENT:
The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. Potential for unpredictable and violent clients. Inside and outside work with exposure to weather conditions

Comments:
This description is intended to describe the essential job functions. It is not an exhaustive list of all duties, responsibilities and requirements. Other functions may be assigned and management retains the right to add or change the duties at any time.

Hours: Flexible, and primarily during business hours, but some weekend and evening work as necessary. This position may require some travel, nighttime or weekend assignments.
Salary: Commensurate with Experience
Benefits: This position offers health insurance, paid vacation, sick and personal leave

SEAMAAC is an Equal Opportunity Employer Interested applicants should submit a resume and detailed cover letter to:
Theresa Gaskin
Human Resources Coordinator
SEAMAAC, Inc.
1711 S. Broad Street
Philadelphia, PA 19148
P: (215) 467-0690
F: (215) 467-5301
E-mail: tgaskin@seamaac.org
http://www.seamaac.org