Director of Community Engagement

United Neighborhood Houses (UNH) is a policy and social change organization representing neighborhood settlement houses that reach 825,000 New Yorkers from all walks of life. We mobilize our members and their communities to advocate for good public policies and promote strong organizations and practices that keep neighborhoods resilient and thriving for all New Yorkers. UNH and settlement houses believe that nonjudgemental, multi-generational, holistic services–alongside civic engagement and community power-building–are the path towards resilient and thriving communities. UNH’s ultimate purpose is to advance that shared vision by driving public policy, offering peer learning and professional development, and supporting innovative practices.

UNH seeks a Director of Community Engagement to support our settlement house members to embed civic engagement and community power-building practices in their programs towards the goal of strengthening and augmenting the settlement house movement’s advocacy and collective power. Reporting to UNH’s Executive Director, the Director will collaborate with settlement houses to define this new role, first determining how UNH can best support settlement house staff to engage their communities through organizing and mobilizing techniques to drive progressive change, and then developing and leading this new body of work.

The Director of Community Engagement will work closely with UNH’s Policy & Advocacy team to understand the movement’s policy and advocacy priorities and identify where mobilization of settlement house staff and communities could best advance key policy goals. They will also coordinate with our Member Services team as well as with settlement houses themselves to identify training and professional development opportunities that support settlement house staff as they seek to increase their organizing power. Ultimately, the Director will work with UNH’s executive team to develop and implement strategies across the organization to motivate and empower the settlement house network.

The Director of Community Engagement will be responsible for:

• Collaborating with UNH leadership and staff across the settlement house network to develop and shape strategies to increase community involvement;
• Coaching and supporting settlement houses on strategies/ways to engage their staff and community members in addressing local issues;
• Increasing the visibility of UNH as a force for building and mobilizing community power in non-partisan ways;
• Working in close partnership with UNH’s Policy and Advocacy department and executive staff to identify opportunities to involve staff and community members in advocacy campaigns through training and mobilization;
• Developing and leading training and conferences for settlement house staff to engage in advocacy and embed it within their organizational culture;
• Remaining current and knowledgeable about UNH’s advocacy priorities and proactively identify ways to more deeply engage settlement house staff and community members;
• Working in partnership with UNH’s research and data analysis staff, develop and implement ways to track the impact of UNH’s civic engagement and community power-building efforts;
• Acting as an ambassador for the settlement house model of community building and engagement;
• Representing the settlement house model of community building and engagement; and
• Supporting and contributing to the overall advocacy and goals of the Policy and Advocacy Department and UNH’s organizational work at large.

Qualifications important for a successful candidate include:

• 7+ years of experience successfully organizing and mobilizing constituencies toward a shared goal;
• Creative thinking with a commitment to racial, gender and economic equity;
• Interest in inclusive civic life, voting rights and education, volunteerism and community service, and policy advocacy;
• Comfort presenting to and working with diverse audiences, including settlement house leadership and workers, and community members in both individual and group settings;
• Strong public speaking, written and verbal communication skills, experience in delivering presentations to a variety of audiences;
• Strong management skills and the ability to remain flexible and adaptable in regard to work assignments;
• Understanding of and experience with relational organizing;
• Knowledge of New York City and state political systems and governance is required, and knowledge of settlement houses is a plus;
• Comfortable working in diverse, multicultural communities; and
• Ability to work independently and advance the development of this new role, while work collaboratively across UNH departments.

UNH is currently operating on a hybrid schedule though there will be considerable travel to settlement house members, with occasional travel to Albany and other parts of New York State.

UNH recognizes that by adopting a racial equity framework, and by openly acknowledging and challenging racial inequity through our work, we can play a more deliberate and intentional role in combating explicit and implicit racial biases as well as systemic racism. We believe diversity and inclusion enrich our work so that we may better strengthen our communities. Therefore, every UNH job description includes the following:

Each UNH employee is encouraged to seek ways in their work to thoughtfully act towards our long-term goal of ensuring that race no longer predicts the quality and trajectory of an individual’s life nor the quality of life in the communities where we live and where settlement houses operate.

Depending on skills and seniority, this position pays a salary of $130,000 – 135,000 per year. UNH offers a competitive benefits package with excellent medical, dental and retirement plans, and is committed to growth within the organization.

We value diversity, equity, and inclusion, and welcome applicants of diverse backgrounds including race, ethnic culture, gender expression, age, sexual orientation, and physical abilities.

How to Apply:

To apply, email a cover letter, resume, and writing sample to: unhjobs@unhny.org.

Cover letters must address the following questions:

• Describe your interest in community engagement.
• Describe your interest in working with New York’s settlement house movement; and
• Any relevant skills or experiences that you believe will help you in this role.

No inquiries please; only successful candidates will be contacted.