Community Engagement and Internal Operations Coordinator

Job Title: 

Community Engagement and Internal Operations Coordinator, The Black Response and Cambridge HEART

Overview: 

In response to the long history of police violence against Black, Brown, and other marginalized people, The Black Response (TBR) works to replace policing with community-centered, non-carceral options, while building and strengthening the state- and nation-wide movement toward abolition. We particularly advocate for resources and 911 calls to be allocated to the Cambridge Holistic Emergency Alternative Response Team (Cambridge HEART), our partner organization which TBR designed to create a positive, community driven alternative to police crisis response. Centering marginalized people, Cambridge HEART builds local capacity to disrupt cycles of harm by responding to crises, conducting research, and facilitating community cohesion. We are looking for someone to strengthen outreach and advocacy work of TBR, while also supporting the internal coordination and administration of Cambridge HEART as a way to continue to develop concrete and effective non-carceral options for our communities.

Focus: 

General communications, outreach, and social media coordinator, communications support for HEART and TBR campaigns; community events planner and office support coordinator, popular education and skills/need based training for the community, coalition and endorsement builder through partnership development, database management and General Administration. 

Job Description: 

The Community Engagement and Internal Operations Coordinator supports the everyday logistical needs of Cambridge HEART while also supporting the work of TBR through engaging the general Cambridge community, particularly marginalized community members, and coordinating regular communications, outreach, and social media campaigns with the public. This position works to coordinate events and training for the general public as a way to foster political awareness about abolitionist values and build community capacity to prevent and address crises. Additionally, the Community Engagement and Internal Operations Coordinator keeps a political pulse of the community as a way to ensure that TBR and Cambridge HEART ’s approaches and strategies address community issues and concerns. To that end, this position builds strategic relationships with other organizations, hosts events to support the community, and supports the daily operations of Cambridge HEART as a way to offer community members an alternative response option. Daily operational support includes event planning, office space and software management, and participation in HEART all- staff meetings and discussions. 

Responsibilities: 

• Support the maintenance of HEART databases, websites, and communications platforms (TBR)
• Maintain and develop strategic relationships with other organizations to build support for Cambridge HEART’s work on a local, state, and national level (TBR)
• Restructure a regular political education series connected to skill development and education that is accessible to the Cambridge community and centers the most marginalized community members. (TBR)
• Participate in HEART staff meetings and discussions
• Stay informed about the various HEART programs and activities (TBR)
• Liaison with Democracy Center, the organization that houses HEART’s office 
• Support and coordination of the office space for HEART and TBR 
• Act as a liaison between HEART and TBR regarding data collection (TBR)
• Supports management of organizational software for HEART and TBR
• Coordination of events including ordering food, supplies, etc. (TBR)
• Running advocacy HEART coalition meetings that support community participation and engagement with HEART
• Contribute communications and outreach related information to proposals and reports for TBR
• Represent TBR at external meetings and events, as requested, to advance priorities.
• Share infrastructure, sustainability and administrative responsibilities with other TBR and HEART members.
• Collaborate in the creation of budgets for office space, events coordination and other needs with HEART and TBR members. 

Background/Experience:

• Commitment to Transformative Justice and abolitionist values, principles, and strategies 
• Knowledge of local social justice organizing efforts in Cambridge, MA 
• Experience developing strategic partnerships
• Experience in coordinating pressure campaigns 
• Experience and ability to use social media as an organizing strategy 
• Ability to work collaboratively, self-reflect, and receive and give feedback 
• Public speaking, convening, facilitation skills
• Excellent organizational skills 
• Excellent communications skills
• Excellent interpersonal skills
• Well versed in softwares and computer programs including Google Suite, Microsoft Office, etc. 
• Ability to learn new softwares 

Preferred: 

• Cambridge resident and Cambridge community member 
• Bilingual (spoken or written/spoken)
• Member of marginalized communities 
• Lived experience of being directly impacted by carceral systems 
• Interest in traveling within the US and international
• Budget development experience

Employment Details:

• Full time schedule (40 hours per week)
• Salary: $65,000/year
• Based in Cambridge, MA and requires in-person work at least four days a week, with some flexibility for remote work one day per week
• Includes health and dental benefits subsidized at 75%
• Paid Time off: 10 sick days, 10 vacation days, 12 paid holidays, professional development
• Can contribute to an employer sponsored retirement plan; no match by employer
• Reports to Cambridge HEART Co-Director of Political and Relational Infrastructure, Strategic Partnerships as well as TBR’s Core Team
• Must complete CORI/SORI as requested by the agency. (Please note: a criminal record doesn’t inherently disqualify someone from this role and lived experience with carceral systems is welcome on our team.)
• This is a grant funded position. Current grant funding ends June 30, 2024. Employment contingent upon the additional approval of funds.

To Apply: Send a cover letter, resume and contact information for three references to apply@cambridge-heart.org

Please note that The Black Response and Cambridge HEART in partnership with its fiscal sponsor the Community Service Care is proud to be an equal employment workplace. We welcome and encourage job applicants who are motivated to work with us in addressing social injustice and those who have personal experience with injustice. We prohibit discrimination and harassment of any kind based on any of the follow factors; race, color, religion (including religious dress and grooming practices), age, sex/gender (including pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding and/ or related medical conditions), gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, marital status, medical condition (genetic characteristics, cancer or a record or history of cancer), military or veteran status, national origin, ancestry, disability (mental and physical including HIV/AIDS, cancer, and genetic characteristics), and genetic information.

Applications are due by August 7, 2023