ALA-MA Program Coordinator

South Coastal Counties Legal Services, Inc. (SCCLS) is a growing non-profit legal aid program providing free civil legal assistance to eligible low-income residents of Southeastern MA, Cape Cod, and the Islands. SCCLS and its subsidiary, the Justice Center of Southeast Massachusetts (JCSM), has a staff of nearly 80 and 4 offices in Brockton, Fall River, New Bedford and Hyannis. SCCLS’ core mission is to achieve justice for eligible clients through community-based advocacy.

Since 2005, South Coastal Counties Legal Services (SCCLS) has sponsored AmeriCorps Legal Advocates of Massachusetts (ALA-MA). The mission of ALA-MA is to open doors to justice for clients, invigorate partner sites, and cultivate the next generation of public leaders. ALA-MA accomplishes these goals by embedding 36 national service members each year in organizations around the Commonwealth to provide civil legal assistance to low-income individuals and families. 

The ALA-MA Program Coordinator is a staff member of SCCLS or its subsidiaries, and reports to the ALA-MA Program Director. Together, the Director and Coordinator work to provide oversight, support, guidance and supervision for all aspects of the program. The position is an excellent opportunity to explore all aspects of nonprofit management. The Program Coordinator has the opportunity to adopt primary responsibility for some activities, depending on their interests and skills.

ALA-MA Program Coordinator Duties and Responsibilities:

·        Assist the Program Director with federal grant administration, including contributing to progress reports, developing and recording systems and policies, collecting data, and maintaining records.

·        Support all activities related to recruiting for AmeriCorps service members and partners on a yearly basis, including determining placements, broadcasting the position widely, circulating applications, and pre-enrollment vetting.

·        Create, gather, track and update information related to onboarding, exiting, and monitoring the progress of service members throughout the program year.

·        Create, schedule, and staff training and teambuilding events state-wide.

·        Develop training materials for AmeriCorps members and onsite supervisors.

·        Foster and manage relationships with AmeriCorps members, site partners, applicants, and alumni through communications, training, and mentoring.

·        Implement program evaluation activities to ensure ALA-MA is meeting proposed outcomes for clients served by the service members.

• Implement fiscal systems, including purchase orders, to ensure proper administration of the program.

·        Foster the impact and growth of the program’s social media presence.

• Handle personal data and information discretely.

·        Working with the Program Director, create accommodation plans for members with disabilities and with other needs to support access to the program.

·        Troubleshoot and problem-solve as needed.

Qualifications and Experience:

The ideal candidate for the ALA-MA Program Coordinator will:

·        possess an interest in and commitment to developing excellent nonprofit management;

·        have strong oral and written communications skills, especially in engaging effectively with people from diverse cultures, with diverse opinions and values;

·        be able to keep multiple tasks organized and still attend to details;

·        be ready to learn new tasks and skills in the context of a fast paced environment;

·        cultivate a sense of humility and curiosity for the work;

·        have a demonstrated commitment to anti-racism, gender justice and economic justice;

·        embrace the mindset of taking concrete action to ensure a culture of learning, inclusivity and equity for each AmeriCorps participant.

Experience in fundraising, events planning, human resources, social media engagement, data collection, or delivering trainings will be beneficial and relevant to the position. Alums of AmeriCorps and other national service programs are encouraged to apply.