Community Organizer

Description

Newtown Creek Alliance (NCA) is a community-based non-profit organization with the mission to Reveal, Restore, and Revitalize Newtown Creek, a Superfund waterway that borders Brooklyn and Queens. Community engagement and environmental education are central to our mission and day to day work, as we seek to advance local awareness, stewardship, and advocacy for the waterway and surrounding communities. 

NCA is hiring a full-time Community Organizer (CO) to support our community engagement efforts. There are nine neighborhoods surrounding Newtown Creek, both in Queens (Hunters Point, Long Island City, Sunnyside, Maspeth, Ridgewood) and Brooklyn (Greenpoin, Williamsburg, East Williamsburg, and Bushwick). This position serves to connect communities in these neighborhoods to Newtown Creek and raise awareness about the environmental concerns and environmental justice issues. By hosting events and workshops, the CO works to inform neighbors about environmental burdens, fostering meaningful engagement, stewardship and community-led action. The CO will work closely with NCA’s staff and project partners, and report to the Community Engagement Coordinator.

Job duties:

Outreach and Community Engagement

• Develop and implement outreach strategies to engage residents, local organizations, schools, businesses, and stakeholders.
• Meet regularly with community members and stakeholders, attending local events and meetings to build relationships, as well as develop networks for communication and feedback between community members and decision-makers.
• Represent NCA at public hearings, coalition meetings, local events, and community boards.

Program Development and Delivery

• Design and deliver programming at local events, community boards, and CBO gatherings, focusing on environmental justice issues impacting Newtown Creek and its neighborhoods.
• Facilitate workshops, seminars, focus groups, and educational events for residents on environmental justice topics of concern.

Coalition Building and Support

• Liaise with and support coalitions of community groups and non-profit organizations, including facilitation, event planning, and consensus-building. 
• Assist with community organizing efforts to support NCA advocacy projects.
• Confer with stakeholders to clarify concerns, identify needs, and develop mutual understanding of interests.

General Responsibilities

• Maintain active communication with supervisors, providing regular updates and work plans.
• Collaborate with NCA teams on priority projects such as Superfund, public access, and restoration.

Qualifications

• 2 years of experience in community organizing, education, or advocacy, with a focus on Environmental Justice issues (e.g., water quality, air quality, green infrastructure, Superfund remediation, green industry, public access).
• Experience developing clear, accessible communications materials that translate complex documents, data, and policy into easy-to-understand language and visualizations.
• Ability to travel within the Newtown Creek watershed.
• Experience working with diverse communities and demographics in NYC or similar areas.
• Clear and patient communicator with the general public and very comfortable with public speaking in various settings.
• Flexibility to work events on evenings and weekends.

Extra Qualifications (not required, but very helpful)

• Fluency in Spanish (written and speaking).
• Prior knowledge about and familiarity with the communities surrounding Newtown Creek.

Compensation and Schedule 

• This is a full-time, salaried position. The salary range is $58,000 to $60,500 commensurate with skills and experience. 
• NCA offers new full-time employees 10 days paid vacation; 7 sick/personal days; 12 paid holidays.
• NCA contributes $900/month towards a health care plan, including dental/vision.
• Required flexibility to work evenings and weekends, as well as travel to community meetings/events (approximately 5 to 10 evening/weekend events per month).
• NCA’s offices are located at the Kingsland Wildflowers building in Greenpoint, Brooklyn.
• Opportunities to participate in additional NCA programs, professional development, and events based on organizational needs. 

Newtown Creek Alliance is committed to workplace diversity and inclusion. It is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, ethnicity, age, religion, gender, marital status, sexual orientation, disability, veteran status, political orientation or any other characteristic protected by federal state or local law.

To Apply, Please Submit:

1. Cover letter (.pdf) with at least two references included

2. Resume (.pdf)  

to sandy@newtowncreekalliance.org with ‘Community Organizer’ in the subject line. 

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis; early applications are encouraged. 

Job Posting: February 19, 2025

Application Deadline: March 30, 2025 (11:59 p.m.)

Start Date: Mid April 2025