Community Organizer

About the Waterfront Alliance 

The Waterfront Alliance, founded in 2007, is a civic organization that brings together a diverse alliance of more than 1,100 partners with ties to the New York–New Jersey waterways.  Together, we build, transform, revitalize, and protect accessible waterfronts for all communities.  Key programs and advocacy areas include climate resilience, public access to the waterfront, the working waterfront, and climate education. 

About the Position 

The Community Organizer will be a critical part of the Waterfront Alliance team, leading community engagement to strengthen climate adaptation within frontline communities in New York City and New Jersey. The Community Organizer will work closely with many stakeholders throughout the region, including, but not limited to, historically underinvested and environmental justice communities, Rise to Resilience Coalition members, and elected officials. The Community Organizer will also manage the Climate Informed Communities program that brings emergency preparedness resources around climate hazards to local stakeholders in key neighborhoods.  

The Community Organizer will come to the team with a commitment to environmental justice and community organizing, strong experience in relationship building, solid project management skills, and a strong capacity for empathy and humility. The Community Organizer will report to the director of programs and climate initiatives.  Working together with the broader Waterfront Alliance team, the Community Organizer will develop partnerships and direct community relationships in historically disinvested communities facing the greatest climate impacts including heat, flooding, extreme weather, and sea level rise.  The position will work in partnership with the director of resilience to translate on-the-ground experiences of community members into policy development and political action.  The Community Organizer will also work with the chief waterfront design officer to participate in resilience and development planning and engagement efforts in the region.

This position will require travel throughout New York City and Northern New Jersey, as well as attending evening and weekend meetings with time compensated throughout the work week.  

Classification: Fulltime, exempt 

Salary and Benefits: Salary is $63,000-$68,000. Waterfront Alliance offers a comprehensive benefits package, including employer paid medical, dental, and vision insurances; life insurance; 401K retirement plan with employer match; paid sabbatical after five years of continuous employment; commuter and FSA benefits, paid time off, professional development opportunities, and more. Our telecommuting policy allows staff the flexibility to work from home in a hybrid capacity. 

Location: New York, NY 

Reports To: Director of Programs and Climate Initiatives 

Major Responsibilities 

• Develop and implement strategies to work with local community leaders to improve their resilience to climate change. 
• Use existing public resources -  such as the Ready NY program, NotifyNYC, Waterfront Alliance’s Climate Resilience Literacy Handbook,  Flood Disclosure Training Series, WEDG ® (Waterfront Edge Design Guidelines) and other resilience resources as they are developed -- to help empower communities to prepare for impacts from climate change with a focus on short- and medium-term, non-infrastructure based measures that protect lives and property. 
• Build relationships with community groups and leaders in New York City and northern New Jersey.  
• Provide thorough reporting of community meetings, organizing activities and outcomes for internal and external audiences. 
• Collaborate with teams across the Waterfront Alliance education team where advocacy and community engagement align with Waterfront Alliance programmatic objectives. 
• Collaborate with education team on public-facing materials.
• Supporting community engagement in Waterfront Alliance resilience planning and design projects. 

Required Skills and Attributes 

• Three-five years of professional experience. 
• Completed an undergraduate degree in a related area. 
• Experience in community engagement/community organizing in environmental justice  communities. 
• Strong commitment to environmental justice. 
• Proven ability to build and manage relationships and programs with diverse stakeholders. 
• Excellent in-person, verbal, and written communications skills. 
• Enthusiasm, sense of humor, and a can-do, entrepreneurial approach to nonprofit work in a fast-paced environment. 
• Aptitude for emotional intelligence, humility, empathy, and ability to manage difficult conversations, even when no consensus can be met. 
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively. 
• Ability to serve as a representative of Waterfront Alliance to Alliance Partners and others. 
• Familiarity with Salesforce and/or CRM databases is preferred, with training available upon hire. 
• Familiarity with New York City neighborhoods is a plus. 
• Fluency in multiple languages is a plus. 

Waterfront Alliance offers a comprehensive benefits package, including employer paid medical, dental, and vision insurances; life insurance; 401K retirement plan with employer match; paid sabbatical after five years of continuous employment; commuter and FSA benefits, paid time off, professional development opportunities, and more. Our telecommuting policy allows staff the flexibility to work from home in a hybrid capacity. 

Submit your resume and the answers to the prompted questions.  Applicants must be legally authorized to work fulltime in the U.S. and should not require employment sponsorship now or in the future. Only complete applications will be considered. Position open until filled. No phone calls please.  

As an equal opportunity employer, Waterfront Alliance encourages applications from all individuals regardless of age, gender, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, marital status, physical ability or any other legally protected basis.