community coordinator

Job Title: Community Coordinator
Location: Los Angeles
Organization: Kounkuey Design Initiative (KDI)
Salary Range: $64,500 to $75,000
Start Date: January 2023
Closing Date: When Filled

Kounkuey Design Initiative (KDI) is a collective of diverse urbanists—architects, landscape architects, urban planners, community organizers, and engineers—united by our shared commitment to building equity, justice, and resilience in communities through design. A BIPOC and woman-led firm founded in 2006, KDI comprises nearly 50 professionals working from four offices: Los Angeles, Eastern Coachella Valley, Nairobi, and Stockholm.

Job Description
KDI is seeking a Community Coordinator to help lead projects to advance racial, environmental, economic, and physical equity in neighborhoods and cities across Southern California. We’re looking for someone who is passionate about building community power in low-income communities of color, and is interested in working with residents on design, planning, and policy projects to create positive change in their neighborhoods and beyond.

The Community Coordinator will establish long-term relationships, develop and facilitate planning and design workshops, create community-based programs such as women’s food collectives or youth research teams, and identify and support local resident leaders. The Community Coordinator will work closely with our Design and Planning teams, and a wide range of stakeholders, to engage residents to create parks, street improvements, shade structures, and many other elements of the built environment; to develop environmental justice and anti-displacement campaigns, and to lead initiatives that build 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 will work with the Community Coordinator to revise the Duties and Responsibilities listed below as needed, so they can be carried out safely 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 projects
• 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 programs related to recreation, economic opportunity, environmental justice, or other priorities identified by residents
• 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
• Translate materials between Spanish and English as needed

Qualifications

• 1-3 years’ experience with 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
• Fluent in Spanish and English
• Driver’s license required; must be willing and able to travel by car to meetings, events, etc.

How to Apply
Send an electronic copy of your cover letter and resume with three references to lajobs@kounkuey.org.
Subject heading: Community Coordinator: Your Name

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.