Posted: February 22, 2012

Community Organizer, Freret Neighborhood Center

The Freret Neighborhood Center of Neighborhood Housing Services seeks a Community Organizer to organize residents in the Freret and Milan areas to address community concerns and build resident leadership. The Community Organizer will train residents to take on leadership roles, identify priority concerns, and develop/implement action plans to address those concerns. The Organizer will report directly to the Freret Neighborhood Center Director, and work in concert with existing Freret Neighborhood Center programs, projects and events to provide support services and ensure continuity and inclusiveness. The Organizer will work with a diverse population and build new relationships with stakeholders and partners using an asset based approach to community organizing. Competitive salary; commensurate with experience.

Responsibilities:
1 Organize community members to take direct action to address community concerns such as property, safety, and housing
2 Train community members to design and implement appropriate surveying, mapping, and door-to-door work to run and manage their own organizing campaigns
3 Provide staff support for the Center advisory committee and Center events and programs
4 Foster relationships with neighborhood residents and local stakeholders to enhance the development of the Center
5 Assist in development of ongoing community organizing activities to build healthy relationships with residents and develop community leadership
6 Manage volunteers and train resident leaders using the resident-led model of the Center’s organizing work
7 Recruit community members into activities and motivate neighborhood involvement
8 Report activities regularly to Center Director and Center advisory council
9 Assist in general Center maintenance and safety

Qualifications:
Personal / Professional –
Qualifications include a Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience and knowledge in the area of community development (minimum 2 years). Applicant must have experience working with residents at the neighborhood level. Applicant must be able to promote model of sustainable, resident-driven neighborhood center. Applicant must have desire to work on resident-driven activities to improve the quality of life in communities. The following are additional qualifications:
1 Ability to articulate a vision for neighborhood development to the community
2 Highly positive and enthusiastic style capable of motivating and welcoming others
3 Skills and energies to develop community leaders
4 A commitment to improving economic and social conditions in the Freret neighborhood of New Orleans
5 Patience, compassion and flexibility

Experience –
1 Experience training volunteers in the areas of leadership and advocacy and civic engagement
2 Experience working with people of all ages from youth to seniors
3 Relationship-management skills and experience
4 Experience with creative resource development and volunteer recruitment
5 Able to create an action plan as part of a team
6 Excellent verbal, listening, computer and written communication skills
7 Must demonstrate ability to exercise initiative, judgment, and follow-through
8 Experience working with diverse, disabled, elderly and low-income communities
9 Comfortable working in the community, in groups, and one-on-one
10 Experience with conducting research and program evaluation

To Apply
Email as attachments: a cover letter addressing how your skills meet our needs, a copy of your resume, and 3 professional references to Eva Sohl, Interim Director, evasohl@nhsnola.org.

Deadline to submit these materials is Monday, March 5th at 5:00pm.