ABOUT THE ORGANIZATION: California Youth Connection (CYC) was founded in 1988 by foster youth and adult supporters. It has evolved into a vibrant statewide youth leadership, advocacy, and training organization with county-based chapters throughout California, satellite offices, and a budget close to $2.1 million. CYC empowers and educates current and former foster youth, providing them with leadership and advocacy opportunities to be the lead agents of change for system improvements throughout the state through legislative, policy, and practice change.
We believe outstanding people are the key to our success. As an equal opportunity employer, we recruit individuals without regard to race, national origin, religion, gender (including gender identity), sexual orientation, prior conviction, arrest history, disability, marital status, veteran status, or age.
POSITION SUMMARY: The Community Advocacy Coordinators are responsible for providing the foundational resources for youth-led advocacy and leadership development activities in county-based chapters throughout California. They do this by building and expanding the membership base and volunteers, developing sound organizing strategies specific to the chapters they serve in collaboration with members, assisting with fundraising, supporting members to run chapter meetings and strengthen engagement, facilitating community outreach and advocacy efforts, and developing and facilitating curriculum and training that support member leadership. Each Community Advocacy Coordinator supervises members and performs a variety of complex administrative and technical functions related to overseeing programs, projects, and committees.
WORK LOCATION AND CONDITIONS: This Community Advocacy Coordinator position is responsible for our Central Valley region, which includes (Fresno, Kings, Madera, Merced, San Louis Obispo, and Stanislaus). This is a Hybrid California-based position that will involve working from home and fieldwork in the Central Valley region, which will be scheduled between the employee and the Statewide Community Advocacy Manager. Regular work hours are Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Some weekend and evening work will be required.
CLASSIFICATION: The Community Advocacy Coordinator is a full-time, non-exempt employee of CYC, is employed at-will, and reports directly to the Statewide Community Advocacy Manager. As a non-exempt employee, the Community Advocacy Coordinator must receive pre-approval in writing to work more than 40 hours in any given week and 8 hours on any given day. As an employee of CYC, the Community Advocacy Coordinator is subject to the policies and procedures outlined in the Employee Handbook.
RATE OF PAY: The Community Advocacy Coordinator is a non-exempt salaried position and receives a salary of $62,400 annually, with an overtime rate based on $30 per hour.
ESSENTIAL RESPONSIBILITIES AND DUTIES
YOUTH LEADERSHIP AND CHAPTER DEVELOPMENT TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE
- Provide guidance to members in specific regions of CYC’s youth-led chapters to identify local policy, practice, and challenges youth in foster care face in their community and to identify goals and strategies for systems transformation.
- Provide creative and innovative ways to engage youth and increase member participation.
- Assist chapters to develop goals for training, fundraising, and member and supporter outreach and engagement as needed.
- Meet the unique needs of each chapter through regular chapter visits (monthly at a minimum), general support, training, and one-on-one preparation work for CYC activities and community advocacy meetings.
- Identify and prepare members for leadership opportunities involving connection to statewide policy issues (e.g., public hearings, presentations, workshops at conferences, CYC committees, and projects) by helping members develop their talking points and presentation skills.
- Provide leadership and practical skill development for members to participate in statewide policy advocacy and leadership opportunities, including SMC members, chapter chairs, committee members, and facilitators.
- Coordinate and transport youth to regional and statewide events on an as-needed basis.
- Work closely with the Member Engagement Manager to recruit and train supporters for new and rebuilding chapters.
- Provide mediation and conflict resolution support and assistance to chapter members and supporters.
- Support curriculum development, T4T, and conferences, including recruiting and training members to be trainers at regional meetings, annual conferences, statewide policy, and within chapters.
- Integrate work with the organizational goals in collaboration with other departments.
COMMUNITY ADVOCACY
- Build relationships with county-level decision-makers and participate in community meetings (including member preparation/feedback and participation) related to CYC’s policy agenda and expansion of local chapter work.
- Develop and implement strategies for outreach and communication to build and maintain the chapter base.
- Engage CYC members in community stakeholder meetings by preparing members to participate in meetings and working with them to draw connections between community work and chapter work, including quarterly director meetings.
- Maintain and expand CYC’s visibility and represent CYC at community events.
- Partner with CYC program staff to share resources and best practices, communicate local chapter work, and build connections between chapters and members across the state.
- Listen, guide, and skillfully motivate members to learn and identify their own needs.
MANAGEMENT
- Carry out supervisory responsibility in accordance with policies and procedures, including recruiting, interviewing, hiring, and training members; planning, assigning, scheduling, and directing work; evaluating progress; approving time sheets; and addressing conflicts and resolving issues.
- Plan, coordinate, assign, and monitor performance and coaches; counsel, mentor, train, and advise members in meeting program, workshop, or project goals and assisting in completing assigned tasks.
- Supervise and support chapter chairs.
- Make decisions in collaboration with Member Engagement Manager and members for chapter and leadership development at the local chapter level.
- Track participation by members/supporters and update the database with attendance/participant information.
ADMINISTRATIVE
- Prepares and submits program and expense reports in a timely manner in accordance with CYC policy.
- Assists in the development of operational policies and procedures.
- Collects, analyzes, and manages chapter-level data to measure the impact of various strategies.
GENERAL DUTIES
- Additional duties as assigned.
PHYSICAL DEMANDS AND WORK ENVIRONMENT
While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently required to remain in a stationary position for long periods while operating a computer to create documents, conducting Internet research, sending and receiving emails and participating in meetings, communicating on a telephone and in-person; read and write, apply logic and focus attention in the presence of distractions. Occasional requirements are to move about the office to access file cabinets and office equipment, pack and move boxes, luggage, and training supplies up to 50 pounds, etc.
REQUIRED SKILLS & COMPETENCIES
- Ability to build and oversee campaigns, programs, projects, and committees and supervise members.
- Ability to select and motivate staff and provide training and development of members.
- Ability to plan, organize, assign, direct, review, and evaluate the members.
- Ability to lead group facilitation and training with the ability to effectively present information to youth, volunteers, staff, and community stakeholders.
- Ability to read, analyze, and interpret state and local legislation, including effectively communicating complicated policies and ideas in a youth-friendly format.
- Proficient knowledge of the Child Welfare and Juvenile Justice Systems.
- Excellent time management skills with the ability to prioritize and implement a work plan.
- Positive attitude and excellent interpersonal skills.
- Excellent judgment and sound decision-making skills.
- Motivated self-starter who can identify initial and next steps needed and performs well with minimal day-to-day oversight.
- Ability to demonstrate use of clear boundaries working with young adults and stakeholders.
- Practical knowledge and understanding of resolving conflicts in individual and group settings.
- Willingness and ability to travel, including frequent travel within the assigned region and occasional travel throughout California and other locations, including overnight travel.
- Able to attend conferences, events, and meetings with multiple-day and overnight stays.
- Proficiency in using personal computers and various office software packages, including word processing, spreadsheets, presentations, Google calendaring, and email and data management.
REQUIRED EDUCATION/EXPERIENCE
- Associate's Degree, or equivalent from an accredited two-year college.
- At least three years experience working directly with youth and adult volunteers and a love for working with teenagers and young adults, preferably within foster care.
- Experience with foster care issues, community organizing, state legislation, policies, and working with government agencies.
- Experience and understanding of the K-12 school system and the Child Welfare and Juvenile Justice systems as they relate to youth from foster care.
- Hold a current driver’s license with at least three years driving experience, reliable transportation, and the ability to drive long distances on occasion.