Community Engagement Organizer

Company Description

A best-in-class city that attracts best-in-class talent, Philadelphia is an incredible place to build a career. From our thriving arts scene and rich history to our culture of passion and grit, there are countless reasons to love living and working here. With a workforce of over 30,000 people, and more than 1,000 different job categories, the City of Philadelphia offers boundless opportunities to make an impact.

As an employer, the City of Philadelphia values inclusion, integrity, innovation, empowerment, and hard work above all else. We offer a vibrant work environment, comprehensive health care and benefits, and the experience you need to grow and excel. If you’re interested in working with a passionate team of people who care about the future of Philadelphia, start here.

What we offer

• Impact - The work you do here matters to millions. 
• Growth - Philadelphia is growing, why not grow with it? 
• Diversity & Inclusion - Find a career in a place where everyone belongs.
• Benefits - We care about your well-being.

Agency Description

The Office of Community Empowerment and Opportunity (CEO) provides leadership on issues of economic justice by advancing racial equity and inclusive growth to ensure that all Philadelphians share in the city’s prosperous future and by alleviating the immediate impact of poverty on individuals, families and communities.  CEO is Philadelphia’s Community Action Agency (CAA); CAAs are private or public agencies created by the 1964 Economic Opportunity Act and federally designated to receive Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) funding.

Guiding Principles (We believe…)

• The people of Philadelphia deserve the opportunity to live happy, healthy, full lives. 
• City Government should both recognize its culpability in creating and sustaining inequity and aspire to its responsibility to provide opportunities, represent the best interests, and promote the well-being of all residents. 
• People can offer meaningful insights into both personal experiences and how systems around them function. 
• Poverty is a deliberately created systemic issue and city government can lead in calling for justice and dismantling the barriers that often prevent opportunities. 

Values (How we work)

• Dignity: We actively respect our individual colleagues and people in the community.
• Inclusivity: Our work is more beneficial, valuable, and valid when our full range of experiences, knowledge, and skills can contribute.
• Persistence: We recognize the challenges inherent in this work, and when we get discouraged, we find ways to be resilient, lift each other up, and push forward.
• Accountability: We are transparent and honest about our plans, our actions, and our results.
• Honesty: We create a space to have healthy, honest dialogues about systems, people, and misconceptions and then communicate truthfully.

Job Description

The Community Organizer will be charged with building neighborhood coalitions, coordinating meetings and collective engagement activities, canvassing, phone banking, and general administrative duties. In coordination with the Community Engagement supervisor and broader Place-Based Initiatives team, the Neighborhood Organizer will oversee the creation and execution of individualized plans for a set of neighborhoods through the CLEAR organizing model. They will be responsible for meeting goals related to collective engagement efforts. The ideal team member is idealistic yet practical, collaborative, maintains a positive attitude, and is able to adapt to changes and setbacks. This position reports directly to the Community Engagement Supervisor and is part of the broader Place-Based Initiatives Unit. All team members are responsible for identifying best practices that could be applied across CEO and collaborating with cross-functional teams.

Essential Functions

Community Engagement Organizers are responsible for working collaboratively with the Place-Based Initiatives Unit staff to identify neighborhoods throughout Philadelphia that could benefit from additional resources and supports through deep engagement and relationship building. Organizers will be expected to:

• Collaborate with staff to identify neighborhoods/areas of focus through data-driven processes.
• Initiate outreach efforts to establish a strong connection with the community.
• Conduct needs based assessments and asset-mapping processes in conjunction with community members and leaders.
• Conduct surveys, interviews, and focus groups to understand the specific needs, concerns, and challenges of the community.
• Recruit and build