Community & Resident Engagement Coordinator

Community & Resident Engagement Coordinator

Spanish-Speaking

Full-Time in Washington, DC   

Starting Pay Range: $54,250 – $59,250 (DOE)                      

Communities Together Inc is a nonprofit charitable organization that provides community and resident engagement programs, activities, services, and resources to residents of low- and moderate-income communities (aka affordable housing). We support residents in achieving self-reliance and improving their community. To that end, we coordinate programs that build residents’ financial health, health and wellness, community collaboration, youth development, and educational and career development. We serve more than 8,750 residents in 26 communities across Maryland, the District of Columbia, and Virginia, and we have contracts guaranteeing growth to new communities throughout the region through 2027. 

We are well-funded, innovative, and growing at a managed pace. Opportunities to rise within the organization will accompany our steady, significant growth. We work hard, deliver excellent service,  and have fun as a team. We have built a culture of honesty, strong communication, good humor, support, and trust. In the past nine months, our current team members have said, “I will retire with Communities Together,” and “This is the best group I’ve ever worked for,” and “I feel so lucky to have found this team,” and “I want to work my way up to become the leader,” and other similar expressions of satisfaction. Before we hire new team members, we first promote a discussion in which all current team members can have a full, eyes-wide-open and honest conversation with the candidate.

Communities Together Inc has been named a Certified Organization for Residential Engagement Services (CORES) by SAHF (Stewards for Affordable Housing for the Future) – confirmation that we follow “best practices.” The Affordable Housing Conference of Montgomery County named Communities Together the winner of its 2024 Paul Sarbanes Excellence in Community Service Award. We received a 2024 Certificate of Special Congressional Recognition for our “passionate dedication to strengthening the vibrant communities living in affordable housing across the DMV through innovative and accessible services.”

The Community and Resident Engagement Coordinator, Spanish-Speaking supports affordable housing communities in Washington, DC and suburban Maryland.  The goals of the position include, but are not limited to, increased resident opportunities and self-reliance, strong resident voices and relationships, and community cohesion. Teamwork, working with community partners, programmatic planning, activity coordination, careful and consistent program evaluation, and reporting on results are critical to this position. The coordinator uses the FamilyMetrics data tracking system at a “flagship” community to evaluate, analyze, and report on programmatic results.

General responsibilities include program and activity planning, coordination, and execution; external partner collaboration; volunteer coordination; program monitoring, reporting, and evaluation; and relationship-building to support residents’ personal and community goals. The Coordinator works collegially with team members, providers, and external partners to ensure that all residents’ needs and goals are met and that residents with disabilities are integrated with the larger community, participating in activities, and receiving resources necessary to live independently. The Coordinator reports to a manager who is a native Spanish speaker. 

Essential Duties & Responsibilities:

• Develop, plan, and coordinate programs, services, and activities to help improve the lives of the residents (families), working in partnership with the community management firm’s on-site team. 
• Survey residents to seek their program preferences, goals, and needs. 
• Engage in community outreach to build civic community and a robust community resource guide. 
• Assist residents with personal and career goal development and attainment. 
• Learn and facilitate our core community building program.  
• Compile, monitor, analyze, report on, and evaluate the effectiveness of programs.
• Develop communications to reach residents and volunteers, partners, community management team members, ownership groups, and our own leadership team.
• Provide community referrals for social services, community services, rental assistance, enrichment, recreational, career, and educational activities. 
• Identify, establish, and implement improvements to provide efficient management of programs, goods, and services.
• Ensure that all written communications are provided equally in Spanish and in English. Communicate proficiently in conversational Spanish with residents whose first language is Spanish and fluently in English with English speakers. 
• Identify funding and grant sources and opportunities; assist the writing of grant proposals; solicit donations. 
• Serve as a supportive coordinator and provider for residents, the community management firm’s on-site team, other partners, and the Communities Together team.
• Uphold ethical standards and Communities Together policies. 
• Abide by the Mission and Values of Communities Together.
• Other duties may be assigned from time to time.

LICENSE: Valid driver's license and acceptable driving record. 

QUALIFICATIONS

Requirements:

• Proficient oral and written Spanish.  We will test this language ability. 
• Bachelor’s degree in social science, psychology, social work, counseling, education or human services related fields, the humanities, communications, or other liberal arts, or related fields. 
• Experience in residential or community engagement, social work, community organizing, grassroots politics, human services, education, or a related field is mandatory. 
• In lieu of a bachelor’s degree, a combination of education, training, and work experience may be considered equivalent.  
• Excellent communication skills: ability to write reports, professional correspondence, and procedures required. Ability to present information and respond to questions required. 
• Excellent team and organizational skills; ability to identify, rank, and organize actions toward a goal. 
• Effective communication skills – verbal, written, presentational – with audiences diverse in age, race, ethnicity, religion, and gender.
• Skilled in MS Office and common platforms and applications, including Excel and databases.
• A collegial, collaborative approach toward working with colleagues, the team, and partners. 
• Cultural competence – with an understanding of the roles and effects of race, culture, poverty, and education.
• Full vaccination against Covid-19 and other communicable diseases for which vaccines are widely available and affordable (e.g., polio, measles, whooping cough, and influenza).
• A passion for justice, human development, equity, and inclusion. 

Preferences:

• Experience working in a low-income community is highly desirable.
• Experience working with youth and/or seniors is highly desirable. 
• Knowledge of Washington, DC and Prince George’s County governmental and community programs would be desirable. 

WORK ENVIRONMENT:

          The Coordinator works full-time on-site at an affordable housing community in NE Washington, DC. The Coordinator is expected to attend Communities Together weekly team meetings virtually and occasionally in person at our offices in Silver Spring or Bethesda, Maryland and occasionally at other communities we serve.  

• Communities Together abides by the strictest Federal, State, and local health restrictions to combat the Covid-19 pandemic and requires proof of vaccination for employees working with residents. 
• The essential duties of this position require that the Coordinator be able to lift objects of up to thirty pounds, including unwieldy objects such as boxes and bins.  The Coordinator must be able to carry objects for distances of at least one city block. The coordinator must be able to operate a laptop and phone. The Coordinator must own and be able to drive a car, SUV, van, or pickup truck. 
• Communities Together has a diverse Board of Directors, and our staff team is likewise descended from Africa (predominantly) and also from Latin America, Asia, and Europe. 

COMPENSATION and BENEFITS: The starting pay range for this position is $54,250 to $59,250. The initial salary will be commensurate with applicable experience and expertise. Communities Together Inc offers bonuses for employees who have satisfactorily completed at least one month of work. Depending on funds available, bonuses range as high $2,000 for a full year of outstanding performance. Employees enjoy a competitive benefits package including a health insurance reimbursement, a SIMPLE individual retirement account (IRA) matching contribution of up to 3 percent, all 11 Federal holidays, 15 days of paid time off (PTO) for new employees, flexible leave (aka “flex time”) for employees who have worked more than normal fulltime hours over the course of a week or more, extensive and continuous professional development, and a supportive and fun-loving team culture of excellence, integrity, innovation, and the joy of service.  

HOW TO APPLY: Please submit your resume with a cover letter toour posting on Indeed.com. Successful candidates will be required to complete an employment application, provide references, and participate in more than one interview. We may require a writing sample.  

** We are hiring in November with an expedited process. The position will remain open until filled.

We conduct Federal and State Background Checks on finalists, at the finalist’s initial expense, with full reimbursement if successful, including checks of child maltreatment and abuse records and the Sexual Abuse Registry. 

We cannot answer questions until candidates are interviewed. We are unable to respond to applicants not selected for an interview.

Communities Together Inc is headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland with offices in Silver Spring, Maryland. It is entirely independent from all other organizations and has no relationship of any kind with other organizations called “Communities Together” or  other organizations with the initials “CTI”.  For further information, please see our website at CommTogether.org. 

Communities Together Inc is an EEO (equal employment opportunity) employer. Our Board of Directors is diverse, and our team members are diverse in race, ethnicity, age, gender, and religion. Equity, Inclusion, and Diversity are important principles in every decision and action we take.