Associate Director of Advocacy- Lake County

Check you match the skill requirements for this role, as well as associated experience, then apply with your CV below.

Summary of Position : Connections for the Homeless serves and catalyzes our community to end homelessness, one person at a time.

Our advocacy program, Joining Forces for Affordable Housing (Joining Forces), has united organizational and individual members in northern Cook County to bring attention to the affordable housing crisis, educate our community on the impact of systemic racism on housing, and offer a platform for community partnerships.

Joining Forces is now extending its work into Lake County.

Joining Forces forms relationships with individuals who have experienced housing instability, as well as the organizations that support them, to build an advocacy voice that supports municipal and county changes in favor of affordability.

The Associate Director of Advocacy for Lake County will lead the effort to establish these relationships and organize collective advocacy action beyond Connections’ hometown of Evanston into Lake County.

Specific Duties :

Start-Up of Regional Advocacy Program :

• Collaborate with the Director of Advocacy and external partners to begin framing out the scope of work for Lake County advocacy efforts.
• Conduct an initial needs assessment of potential partners, opportunities, assets and barriers related to affordable housing advocacy in Lake County.
• Lead the planning, development and implementation of Lake County advocacy programming.
• Establish collaborative relationships with Lake County organizations that have a stake in affordable housing.
• Form an advisory committee(s) that can help to define County-wide advocacy needs and housing hot spots and opportunities for grass roots organizing and advocacy campaigns.

Infrastructure for Advocate Support

• Lead the effort to create a scalable model for extending Joining Forces geographically through a regional chapter / committee structure.
• Support the Community Organizing Coordinator in continued development of a communications and member management infrastructure to provide support for regional work, as well as municipal-level sub-committees and campaigns.
• Work with the Advocacy team to develop a database structure to provide key demographic and housing / advocacy-related information on all municipalities and unincorporated areas in the regions we are advocating in.
• Develop a strategy to recruit members through networking, town-halls, housing forums, one-on-one’s, etc.

Ongoing (and overlapping with Start-Up)

• Monitor regional housing policies and developments and mobilize community support.
• Responsible for the strategic development of a permanent Lake County chapter of Joining Forces.
• Responsible for developing, hiring, and leading a team as needed in the future to carry out this chapter's ongoing work.
• Serve as the region’s point of contact for affordable housing advocacy.

Collaboration with Advocacy Team

• Collaborate with the Communications and Education Coordinators to develop effective communications channels and vehicles and tailored educational content for regional audiences and provide support in providing such content in Spanish as well as English.
• Collaborate with the Policy Coordinator to create policy campaigns applicable to regional needs both at the municipal and county levels.
• Collaborate with the Community Organizing Coordinator to cultivate relationships with people throughout the region with lived experience to get their input into and participation in advocacy and campaigns
• Collaborate with the Community Outreach Coordinator to convene information sharing and educational sessions and workshops.

The following qualifications are requirements for the position :

• At least 5 years of experience in a community-facing public engagement or community organizing position; a degree is not required if applicable experience is substantial
• Experience in community organizing in low-income, disenfranchised, and / or Spanish-speaking communities preferred
• Knowledge of Lake County geography and community preferred
• Must speak and write in English and Spanish fluently
• Must be able to drive
• Must be able to work some evenings and weekends to accommodate variability of assignments

Other Requirements :

• High-level strategic planning skills
• Excellent communications skills, including interpersonal, presentations, and writing
• Ability to organize meetings and events and recruit attendees
• Project management and implementation skills with strong attention to detail
• Ability to work independently
• Creativity and willingness to try new things
• Must submit to a criminal background check and submit to or provide evidence of a recent test for tuberculosis.

For nearly 40 years, Connections for the Homeless has served and catalyzed our community to end homelessness, one person at a time.

Each year we provide eviction prevention, shelter, and housing services to 4,000 people from across north suburban Cook County.

Beyond providing direct services we also operate a robust advocacy and community organizing program to address the root causes of homelessness.

The COVID pandemic accelerated our growth in the depth and breadth of services we offer and the organizational infrastructure to sustain this highly impactful organization.

Connections is a radically reshaped organization deeply committed to demonstrating our core values in all relationships with participants, colleagues, donors, partners, and volunteers.

Join our dedicated team at Connections for the Homeless, where we blend a commitment to making a difference with a competitive rewards package.

Our full-time employees enjoy a range of benefits, consciously crafted through an equitable lens, to support their well-being and professional growth.

At Connections for the Homeless, we recognize that supporting our employees is essential in achieving our mission. We are ready to invest in you as you make a difference in our community.

We can't wait for you to join us!

Job Type : Full-time

Pay : $80,000.00 per year

J-18808-Ljbffr