Community Organizer

ORGANIZATIONAL OVERVIEW

Mission

For over 30 years, the Minneapolis Highrise Representative Council (MHRC) has worked to improve the quality of life in the Minneapolis Public Housing Highrise buildings by organizing residents to advocate for their collective interests. MHRC aims to build resident leaders and empower them to engage in their community by addressing issues within individual highrises and across the entire Minneapolis public housing highrise community. A key aspect of the work is developing and supporting resident leaders to organize and manage resident councils and the city-wide tenant organization – the MHRC. These councils and the MHRC, in turn, collectively advocate for issues related to public safety, building maintenance and management, health and wellbeing, community building, and capital improvements in the highrises. The MHRC acts as a bridge between residents and the housing authority and advocates for policy changes at the city level and leverages community-wide resources through collaboration with other organizations for the good of residents.

POSITION OVERVIEW

Lead Community Organizer
To lead activities that advance MHRC’s programs and initiatives in collaboration with resident leaders. The Lead Community Organizer plays a critical role in supporting the success of resident councils by developing resident leaders, training them, and empowering them to organize and advocate for their interests. With over 35 resident councils and six standing committees, the organizing demands are significant. It is the responsibility of the Lead Organizer to ensure activities are well organized, compliant with funding requirements, and achieve positive impact for the highrise community.

Job Duties and Responsibilities
The Lead Organizer will:

· Supervise, direct, and evaluate the work of community organizers who support Project Lookout (resident security) programs and highrise resident councils;

· Provide direct support to Project Lookout programs and resident councils

· Ensure program integrity by developing, reviewing, evaluating, and updating program policies, procedures, and work plans;

· Provide quarterly reports on program activities;

· In consultation with the MHRC Executive Director, community organizers, and resident leaders, develop and implement training programs for resident council officers, Project Lookout volunteers, MHRC Board and standing committee members;

· Provide staff support at MHRC committee meetings to ensure that resident concerns are being communicated and responded to effectively by Minneapolis Public Housing Authority (MPHA) staff and other partners;

· In consultation with the Executive Director and resident leaders plan and implement recognition events for Project Lookout volunteers, resident council officers, MHRC Board members, and standing committees;

· When appropriate, serve as a liaison to the Minneapolis Public Housing Authority (MPHA), Volunteers of America MN, government entities, and other organizations to represent the concerns and interests of MPHA highrise residents;

· Support the Executive Director in the production of a monthly newsletter highlighting resident and MHRC initiatives and topics of importance to highrise residents; and

· Perform other duties as assigned by the Executive Director.

EXPERIENCE & QUALIFICATIONS

The person selected will meet the following minimum requirements:

Knowledge:

· Experience in grassroots community organizing and commitment to resident empowerment;

· Understanding of city government and the ecosystem of nonprofit community organizations;

· Meeting management, event planning, and collaborative organizing;

· Communication systems; and

· Leading teams and community collaboration.

Skills:

· Ability to mobilize and energize staff and diverse groups of people in meeting programmatic goals and responding to actions that impact highrise residents;

· Ability to manage projects, provide leadership, and problem solve (multi-tasking and problem solving);

· Experience in meeting, event planning, and communication systems;

· Excellent writing, communication, and public relation skills;

· Effective communications before audiences, large groups, and in one-on-one situations;

· Ability to create reports and presentations that are well-organized and easily understood by the reader or audience;

· Ability to mediate difficult situations and possess excellent facilitation skills; and

· Strong computer skills.

Other preferred qualities include:

· At least 5 years of experience working in the nonprofit sector;

· At least 5 years of supervisory experience;

· Experience working with and leading coalitions;

· Knowledge of public housing systems and operations;

· Social media skills as it relates to highlighting and supporting organizational activities;

· Bilingual-Somali speaker;

· B.A. or equivalent experience; and

· Ability to travel easily around the city and neighboring communities.

WORKING CONDITIONS/PHYSICAL DEMANDS

· Requires frequent use of a telephone, speaking in a clear and understandable manner;

· Requires frequent participation in repetitive motion activities including typing on a computer keyboard; and

· Frequently requires the ability to work for several hours at a time at a desk and computer keyboard.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Reports to: Executive Director
Classification: Regular, Full-time (40 hours/week), exempt
Location: Cora McCorvey Health and Wellness Center, 1015 Fourth Avenue North, Suite 203, Minneapolis (combination of in-person and remote work possible)
Salary & Compensation: The salary for this position is$58,000-72,000 depending on experience. The MHRC offers a competitive benefits package including health and dental insurance, retirement plan, and vacation plus major holidays.

MHRC is committed to providing equal opportunity for all employees and applicants. We value diversity, equity, and inclusion as essential to our mission. While our employees possess different strengths, experiences, and backgrounds, they share a passion for improving people's lives.

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: $58,000.00 - $72,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• Dental insurance
• Health insurance
• Paid time off
• Retirement plan

Schedule:

• Monday to Friday

Education:

• Bachelor's (Preferred)

Experience:

• Supervisory: 5 years (Preferred)
• nonprofit sector: 5 years (Preferred)
• grassroots community organizing: 3 years (Preferred)
• knowledge of city gov't: 3 years (Preferred)

Ability to Commute:

• Minneapolis, MN 55405 (Required)

Ability to Relocate:

• Minneapolis, MN 55405: Relocate before starting work (Required)

Work Location: Hybrid remote in Minneapolis, MN 55405

Salary : $58,000 - $72,000