JOBS AVAILABLE

Position Title:

Coordinator

Reports To:

Board of Directors

Summary:

The Coordinator works collaboratively with the Board of Directors and staff to support and fulfill the 7 key activities of Macon/Bibb Citizen Advocacy: Protégé Recruitment, Advocate Recruitment, Orientation, Matching, Follow Along, Support, and Ongoing Learning. With a focus on new citizen advocacy matches and supporting new matches as they grow into relationships, the Coordinator develops and fosters networks of people in our community who will offer support for protégé and advocate recruitment.

Employee Expectations:

Every member of the Macon/Bibb Citizen Advocacy team is expected to uphold and demonstrate the mission of the organization and the following principles in all they do: Advocate Independence, Clarity of Staff Function to support matches, Diversity of Relationships, Positive Imagery, and Program Independence.

Position Requirements:

• Alignment with and dedication to supporting the belief that citizen advocacy is built on a one-to-one, freely given personal relationship between two people—one is a person with a developmental disability who has often been excluded from typical community life, and the other is a person who is living a good, ordinary life here in our community.
• Computer literacy and proficiency with Microsoft Suite of tools, particularly Word and PowerPoint.
• Some professional experience relevant to the tasks and duties described in this job description.
• Valid driver’s license and safe driving record.
• Ability to provide personal transport to travel between local locations; willingness to transport others preferred. Occasionally requires physically assisting others with various levels of mobility (e.g., safe lift/assist of people that use a wheelchair). Safe lift/assist training provided as needed.
• Experience and proven ability to tell compelling stories that speak to the mission in a thought-provoking yet professional, sensitive way.
• Comfortable with capturing digital photos and videos (i.e., with a smartphone) for storytelling purposes.
• Periodic availability early mornings and evenings as needed.
• Periodic travel required for training, up to 25% of the time.
• Knowledge and understanding of the Macon community, with networks of diverse connections preferred.
• Mastery of the English language, with the ability to read, write, and speak fluently and correctly.
• Ability to engage with all people with various disabilities in various environments, including those in group homes, nursing homes, jails, low-income housing/neighborhoods, and other environments that may be unfamiliar.
• Education: Bachelor’s Degree and/or 3-5 years of non-profit work experience.

Key Responsibilities:

Protégé – Advocate Matching

• Leverages community relationship networks to assist in matching people with developmental disabilities with a volunteer citizen advocate.
• Tracks outreach efforts and monitors match progress to report status updates and achieve goals.
• Maintains regular and intentional communication with protégés and advocates, as appropriate, to understand the status of initial matches.

Ongoing Learning

• Demonstrates curiosity in understanding others and pursuing ongoing learning. Creates learning opportunities for others, sharing perspectives and insights with clarity and sensitivity.
• Attends ongoing training and workshops related to Social Role Valorization, CAPE, the 7 Key Activities, and other topics related to the work of citizen advocacy.

Community Engagement

• Thoughtfully and intentionally collaborates with the Macon/Bibb Citizen Advocacy team to strive to achieve the long-term vision of what citizen advocacy can be in Macon.
• Works with the Board of Directors to bring people with provocative insights to Macon and have them help us be conscious and creative in our work.
• Identifies ways to engage local people in deepening their understanding and insights into the rationale, mission, and techniques that surround citizen advocacy.

Operations

• Oversees a small office. Collaborates with staff and board to prepare yearly goals and objectives based on the 7 Key Activities.
• Reviews the status of goals and objectives quarterly and annually.
• Performs other tasks as needed in support of the work of the organization.

Traits & Distinguishing Characteristics:

• A demonstrated belief in the value of all people, and comfort with a wide variety of people and places.
• A willingness and ability to invite people to do hard things.
• Strong listening skills and the ability to read people and discern character and talent.
• Awareness of and willingness to set aside one’s own biases and prejudices.
• Great written and oral communication skills with all people from a variety of backgrounds, including the ability to compel others to hear and consider the concept of citizen advocacy.
• Well-developed organizational and time management skills, and the ability to plan and strategize tasks to meet goals.
• Exceptionally high standards of integrity and confidentiality.
• Ownership of work and demonstrated willingness to accept responsibility for decisions and actions, and feedback that enhances outcomes.

Physical Demands:

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• The majority of the work of this position is completed out and about in the community in a variety of physical locations. Requires talking, hearing, and visual acuity sufficient to perform major functions in a safe manner, including independently transporting oneself between locations and physically navigating a variety of environments and spaces.
• Occasionally requires safe lifting and assisting of individuals with various levels of physical abilities (e.g., people that use a wheelchair) for transportation purposes. Safe lift/assist provided as needed.
• Much of the work of the position is completed while seated at a desk and working on a computer, requiring visual and hearing acuity to complete self-directed work.

Status:

Exempt/Salaried

Preference: Education – Bachelor’s Degree and/or 3-5 years work experience with a non-profit or grassroots organization.