MAP Engagement Coordinator

About the Organization

The Center for Justice Innovation is a nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing community safety and racial justice. Since 1996, we’ve worked alongside communities, courts, and those most directly affected by the justice system to build stronger, healthier, and more equitable neighborhoods. With a team of over 900 staff and an annual budget of $130 million, the Center carries out its mission through three core strategies:

• Operating Programs that pilot new ideas and address local challenges;
• Conducting original research to evaluate what works—and what doesn’t; and
• Providing expert assistance and policy guidance to reformers across the country and beyond.

Backed by decades of on-the-ground experience and nationally recognized expertise, we bring innovative, practical, and lasting solutions to justice systems nationwide.

About the Role

The Neighborhood Safety Initiative is seeking a MAP Engagement Coordinator for Brownsville and Van Dyke Houses to support a resident-driven community organizing initiative in partnership with the Mayor’s Action Plan for Neighborhood Safety (MAP). Underway since 2015, MAP is a comprehensive strategy to enhance public safety and strengthen community well-being in 15 public housing developments across New York City. The initiative aims to enhance safety and overall quality of life by strengthening collaboration and capacity among public housing residents.

NeighborhoodStat (NSTAT), the operational centerpiece of MAP, is a community-based, problem-solving process grounded in the belief that public safety cannot exist without the public. It employs a series of local meetings that engage residents and MAP partners in sharing, analyzing, and using data to identify public safety priorities and implement solutions. The MAP Engagement Coordinator will lead the planning and implementation of NeighborhoodStat at their designated site, supporting residents, community partners, and local city agency representatives in identifying and solving issues that create vulnerabilities in community safety and well-being.

Responsibilities

• Recruit and retain a team of local residents and support building their capacity in policy and placemaking, organizing and advocacy, and other relevant competencies;
• Facilitate the implementation of resident-led community-building projects;
• Work in partnership with the Program Administrators to coordinate city agencies to respond to community needs via all aspects of the NeighborhoodStat process;
• Promote positive cultural norms around behavioral change to maintain community-led public safety;
• Use data to inform resident-led strategies that promote community safety;
• Recruit and manage a diverse resident team representative of the development’s diverse subgroups, including religious affiliations, ethnic identities, cultures, languages, age groups, and histories of community organizing and civic engagement;
• Develop and retain a comprehensive engagement plan, with a clear strategy, benchmarks, and outcomes, to create partnerships and gain a solid understanding of key community priorities;
• Attend in-person, teleconference, virtual meetings, and community events, including precinct council meetings, community board meetings, and Tenant Association meetings;
• Conduct research and engage experts to create meeting and action agendas that introduce residents to a variety of intervention strategies and/or frameworks for community organizing and problem-solving;
• Facilitate resident and stakeholder planning meetings that support engagement, problem identification, problem-solving, practice and action steps, and memorialize plans in a centralized, digital platform;
• Lead facilitation of resident team meetings and manage meeting invites, agendas, note taking, and resident task support and execution;
• Plan, lead, and co-facilitate public community meetings and direct action organizing activities, as appropriate with MAP Initiative Managers; meet regularly with Initiative Managers to organize and strategize resident action items for MAP Initiative Managers to address with city agencies;
• Co-facilitate and co-organize, with MAP Initiative Managers, city agency, and community partner meetings, and represent resident concerns and proposed solutions;
• Track action steps by recording, consolidating, and sharing meeting notes with key strategic partners, including government partners, NYCHA representatives, local partners, elected officials, team members, and the resident public;
• Host an annual resident-led development-wide community participatory process with support from key organizational staff and government partners by engaging residents in idea generation and voting; and, subsequently, informing the public of chosen projects and engaging residents in project design and implementation;
• Champion ongoing community outreach and communications to raise awareness of residents’ priorities, placekeeping projects, and policy recommendations;
• Work with the Communications Manager to leverage traditional media, social media, and public education campaign strategies to share updates, action steps, and resident priorities and activities;
• Support resident voice and resident advocacy for policy change by defining challenges and identifying opportunities to practice or voice solutions;
• Support the recruitment of youth council members, provide community context for policy recommendations, and incorporate the youth agenda into resident meetings, when relevant;
• Support resident teams in the development and execution of maintenance plans for existing placekeeping projects;
• Co-develop an annual resident-led project (social program or placekeeping project) with support from key organization staff;
• Plan, coordinate, and execute placekeeping activities, community events/meetings, and direct action activities to address and advocate for community needs and concerns;
• Track and evaluate ongoing organizing strategies by completing Weekly Activity Logs;
• Complete a comprehensive, monthly narrative report detailing strategies, problem-solving approaches, setbacks, and outcomes;
• Ensure continuity and progress of resident organizing goals through the consistent creation, filing, and distribution of meeting agendas and meeting minutes in a digital, designated, and centralized location;
• Collaborate with other staff and team members to implement systems that support effective project planning and data collection;
• Build knowledgebase and relationships with local social service providers, and NYCHA and City resources to create a strong referral network;
• Recruit and inform the resident team, resident public, and local partners of the Community Resiliency seminars in a timely manner while polling for interest and feedback and answering questions about training logic and content;
• Work and communicate closely with organization staff and the Mayor’s Office of Criminal Justice to support and advance all project tasks and timelines;
• Support in the collection, input, and processing of all necessary documents for resident and volunteer stipends by completing and maintaining stipend agreements, stipend logs, and tracking attendance;
• Submit resident stipend payments to organization staff for processing;
• Work with organization staff to plan and purchase for engagement and project activities; and
• Other duties, as necessary.

Qualifications

The candidate will have a Bachelor’s degree or a minimum of 3 years in a related area, preferably community engagement/organizing and/or community development. The candidate will be passionate, skilled, and experienced in working with communities to promote health and safety. Other requirements include:

• Demonstrated success leading logistics, identifying and achieving project goals quickly, effectively, and successfully in a fast-paced, high-pressure environment;
• Ability to work effectively in an interdisciplinary environment, create collaborative relationships with colleagues, and work/communicate well with multiple department leaders;
• Superb facilitation skills to identify community issues, needs, feedback, and preferences in a timely manner;
• Superior project and time management skills, highly organized, detail-oriented, and meticulous about quality, accuracy, and timeliness;
• A dynamic personality with a strong desire to lead and public speaking skills;
• Exceptional analytical, written and oral communication, presentation, and writing skills;
• Demonstrated ability to develop and maintain strong relationships with governmental and community agencies, non-profit organizations, and community groups;
• Demonstrated success in community organizing, grassroots/neighborhood advocacy, and lobbying campaigns;
• Professional experience engaging multiple public housing communities;
• Strong aptitude for interpreting data and data trends;
• In-depth knowledge and familiarity in and around assigned site locations;
• Sound ability to work with diverse communities in an empathetic, comfortable, and non-judgmental manner;
• Flexible schedule with the ability to work some weekends and evenings; and
• Proficient in Microsoft Office, Excel, PowerPoint, Google Suite.

Pay

The compensation range for this position is $38.46 - $41.76 per hour, annually equivalent to $70,000 - $76,000 based on a 35-hour work week and is commensurate with experience.

Benefits

The Center for Justice Innovation offers an excellent benefits package including:

• Comprehensive healthcare with a national network;
• Free basic dental coverage;
• Vision insurance;
• Short-term and long-term disability;
• Life insurance;
• Flexible spending accounts including commuter FSA;
• Mental health care services like Talkspace and Ginger through healthcare plans;
• A 403(b) retirement plan with a two-to-one employer contribution up to 5%.