JOB TITLE: Community Associate
ORGANIZATION: Kounkuey Design Initiative (KDI)
LOCATIONS: Los Angeles County OR Eastern Coachella Valley (California)
START DATE: TBD
CLOSING DATE: When Filled
KDI, an urban planning, design, and community development non-profit, seeks a Community Associate in our Los Angeles or Coachella office, for its projects to advance racial, environmental, economic, and physical equity in neighborhoods and cities across Southern California. We’re looking for a “people-person” who is passionate about community-driven design and development, and eager to work with residents to create positive change in their communities.
The Community Associate will build long-term relationships with residents in under-resourced communities, develop and facilitate planning and design workshops, help establish community-based programs such as women’s food collectives or youth research teams, and identify and cultivate local resident leaders. The Community Associate will work closely with our Design and Planning teams, and a wide range of stakeholders to carry out built projects like temporary and permanent parks and street improvements, policy projects on environmental justice, and training initiatives to grow decision-making power among residents.
We’re committed to the health and safety of our staff and all of the people we work with, many of whom have been disproportionately affected by the pandemic. We’re including the Duties and Responsibilities below to show what the position would have required before the pandemic. We will work with the Community Associate to develop a revised list that limits engagement to safe activities based on the latest public health guidelines.
DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
- Meet and develop relationships with local residents: go door-knocking, attend meetings, schedule one-on-one follow ups, etc.
- Create and lead innovative outreach strategies to encourage people to attend planning and design workshops, events, or other activities: pass out flyers, make phone calls, post on social media, coordinate outreach efforts among residents and other project partners
- Assist the KDI design and planning teams to develop, organize, facilitate, and document community engagement for our planning and design project
- Conduct mobile engagements or surveys at laundromats, strip malls, churches, schools or other locations where people congregate
- Support or lead meaningful, sit-down workshops to generate ideas and bring residents into decision-making processes for design and planning projects
- Help develop and sustain community-led recreation, economic, or leadership programs
- Help develop community leadership groups, and support trainings on community organizing, conflict resolution, and local politics
- Collect and manage data from engagement processes: contacts from sign-in sheets, survey responses, ideas from workshops, and other project data and information
- If capable, translate materials between Spanish and English
- Attend project-related and coalition building meetings in the Los Angeles region, as needed.
- Lead a group of community members or volunteers to produce community events.
QUALIFICATIONS:
- 1-3 years’ experience doing community engagement, facilitation, or organizing in low income, immigrant and other communities of color and/or with community-based organizations.
- Comfortable leading or supporting community workshops, meeting and building relationships with people of all backgrounds
- Excellent time-management and organizational skills
- Proven ability to solve problems creatively and resourcefully
- Available to work flexible hours, including weekends and after 6pm, as needed
- Driver’s license required; must be willing and able to travel by car to meetings, events, etc.
- Must be willing and able to perform some light physical labor and be outdoors for extended periods of time for community events
- Have existing relationships with residents and organizations in either LA County or the Eastern Coachella Valley
- Familiarity with critical race theory, political theory, ethnic studies, grassroots organizing, or other similar fields a plus
APPLY:Send an electronic copy of your cover letter and resume to Jerome Chou at lajobs@kounkuey.org
KDI is a multi-ethnic, inclusive, anti-racist organization, that reflects the countries and communities in which we work. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to their race, religion, ancestry, national origin, sexual orientation, gender expression, age, disability, marital status or medical condition.
Salary commensurate with experience.