South Bay & Peninsula Community Organizer

El Tímpano, an award-winning local journalism and civic engagement organization, is seeking a part-time, 7-month South Bay & Peninsula Community Organizer responsible for expanding and deepening relationships with community leaders and residents within the region’s Latino immigrant communities, and conducting an extensive listening and relationship-building process. By building relationships with churches, schools, businesses, community-based organizations, and others, the Community Organizer identifies opportunities to meet community members where they’re at and map gaps in journalism and information access, which will shape El Tímpano’s work in the region.

The Community Organizer will conduct an information ecosystem assessment by identifying and meeting with community leaders, surveying and listening to hundreds of residents, organizing and facilitating workshops in partnership with community organizations, and gathering insights and community-rooted data on the issues and information of greatest importance to Latino immigrant communities in East San Jose, Redwood City, North Fair Oaks, and Half Moon Bay. They will be supported by El Tímpano’s team, which has conducted similar assessments in Oakland and East Contra Costa County using the Listening Post Collective model and playbook.

This role involves extensive on-the-ground activities, occasionally taking place in the evenings or on weekends. Candidates must be based in Santa Clara or San Mateo County, and must have access to a car. El Tímpano is fiscally sponsored by Mission Edge San Diego and the Community Organizer will be an employee of Mission Edge.

Duties & Responsibilities

• Identify and cultivate relationships with 20-30 community leaders and institutions in East San Jose, Redwood City, North Fair Oaks, and Half Moon Bay that are from and/or serve Latino immigrants
• Coordinate and lead in-person outreach to survey and speak with 300 Latino immigrants to learn of their information needs and issues of interest; regular weekend and evening work to accommodate community outreach opportunities
• Organize and facilitate 3-5 of El Tímpano’s information needs workshops to gain more insights on the issues and information of importance to Latino immigrant communities
• Organize and facilitate 3-5 of El Tímpano’s disinformation defense workshops to train Latino immigrants on how to recognize and halt the spread of disinformation
• Collaborate with El Tímpano’s outreach team to build relationships with and hear from the region’s Mayan immigrant residents
• Track activities, relationships, community resources, and survey results into a database
• Document insights surfaced from community conversations, surveys, and workshops; meet with Director of Programs once a month to discuss findings, and collaborate to synthesize findings into a report and present them to local stakeholders

You’re a great fit if you have…

• Fluency in English and Spanish, with significant experience working with Latino immigrant communities
• Familiarity with San Jose’s and San Mateo County’s Latino immigrant communities, gathering spaces, and local organizations
• 2+ years experience conducting community organizing or outreach, or similar activities and facilitating workshops; skilled in conveying information and communicating with a diverse audience
• Highly organized self-starter
• Excellent interpersonal communication, including the ability to communicate respectfully and inclusively in diverse environments with colleagues, community members, and external peers
• Adept at problem-solving, communicating, and adapting when iteration is needed
• Ability to travel to/from various community locations across Santa Clara and San Mateo Counties. (Approximately half of the activities will take place in San Jose.) Must have access to a vehicle and driver’s license. The use of a personal vehicle for work will be reimbursed at the current federal government rate.
• Computer competency with Google Workplace products (email, Google docs), and ability to use or learn Airtable, Slack, and Asana; access to a computer

The duties listed above are intended only as illustrations of the various types of work that may be performed. The omission of specific statements of duties does not exclude them from the position if the work is similar, related or a logical assignment to the position.

This is a grant-funded position. Extending the role will depend on demonstrated success and the organization’s ability to secure additional funding.

Some great candidates may not check all the boxes above, and may have valuable skills not included here. If that’s you, please don’t hesitate to apply and tell us why you would thrive in this role. If you have any questions in advance of applying for this position, we encourage you to reach out to El Tímpano’s Co-ED, Deana Balinton, dbalinton@eltimpano.org, to address your questions via email or a brief call.

Mission Edge San Diego provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, gender, sex, gender identity or expression, age, medical condition, sexual orientation, marital status, citizenship, pregnancy, physical or mental disability, genetic information, veteran status, military status, caregiver status or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.

Benefits include:

• Paid Sick Leave, Jury Duty Leave, and Bereavement Leave
• Cell phone and internet stipend
• 401(k) retirement plan with employer match
• Flexible work hours
• Professional development opportunities

As a fiscally sponsored project of Mission Edge San Diego, all El Tímpano staff are employees of Mission Edge.

Command of spoken Spanish is a requirement for the role