JCUA IS hiring!

Manager of Youth Engagement

Position Description February 2019
To apply, please email resume and cover letter to jobs@jcua.org.
Resumes and cover letters will be accepted through March 12, 2019.  

ABOUT JCUA                              

The Jewish Council on Urban Affairs (JCUA) is the Jewish social justice voice in Chicago, combating poverty, racism, and antisemitism in partnership with Chicago’s diverse communities. Inspired by core Jewish values, we organize a Jewish constituency to collaborate with communities directly impacted by poverty and racism toward realizing a shared vision of justice.  In the context of our ongoing work to build bridges and deepen connections with communities across the city, our work in 2019 calls for three main areas of priority impact: 1) Issue-based Campaigns and Community Organizing; 2) Youth Leadership and Engagement; and 3.) Community Investment. To achieve our mission, JCUA develops and mobilizes a base of individuals from the Chicago Jewish community who become engaged in a variety of ways as leaders, donors, and participants in campaigns, activities, and programs.


ABOUT YOUTH ENGAGEMENT

JCUA runs two programs focused on youth — the Or Tzedek Teen program and the JCUA College Fellows program:

Since 2007, JCUA has been training Jewish high school teens using a unique JCUA curriculum, bringing young people together to learn about the root causes of social inequality, gain community organizing skills, and strengthen their Jewish identities through hands-on engagement in critical local and statewide social justice issues. In a previous program iteration, Or Tzedek was a summer experiential immersion program. Beginning in the fall of 2019, Or Tzedek will be modeled after JCUA’s College Fellows program, engaging teens in a Jewish social justice learning cohort throughout the academic year.

JCUA’s College Fellows program was started in 2017 to educate and train area college-aged young adults to: understand systemic inequality; value community organizing as an important method for social change, and work on local issues through a Jewish lens. Now in its second year, the program has successfully engaged students from seven local campuses to learn and grow together and to help build JCUA’s power and impact in the campaigns in which we work.

 

ABOUT THE POSITION:

The Manager of Youth Engagement has two main roles: to manage JCUA’s youth programs and to connect youth to JCUA’s organizing work. The person in this role is responsible for all aspects of program development and implementation including recruitment, budgeting, curriculum development and facilitation, hiring and collaborating with trainers, and scheduling of the youth programs described above.

In addition to oversight and implementation of JCUA’s youth programs, the person in this role will be a core member of JCUA’s organizing team along with JCUA’s community organizers. As part of the organizing team, they will both help lead and support the issue campaign and base building work carried out by the team. In addition, they will be expected to participate in the creation of member trainings and leadership development initiatives pertaining to JCUA’s membership at large. The Manager of Youth Programs reports to JCUA’s Associate Director / Dir. of Organizing and is supported by the entire staff.

As part of JCUA’s strategic plan, JCUA is pursuing a racial equity framework for all aspects of our work. The person in this position will be expected to help translate this priority into actionable items that help to make JCUA a model organization for antiracism and equity.  Successful candidates will demonstrate the ability to successfully build relationships and work with people who hold a range of marginalized identities and experiences.

JCUA is a small dynamic organization where the staff is highly collaborative and committed to supporting each other’s work and goals.  

SPECIFIC RESPONSIBILITIES:

  • Facilitate programming for high school and college-aged Jews on identity and privilege, systemic oppression, intersectionality, methods of social change, allyship, and power analysis.
  • Design and implement new curricula on the above topics (and beyond) to support program and organizational growth. This includes working with fellow staff to develop and facilitate training in racial justice and community organizing concepts & methodology.
  • Cultivate relationships with involved youth to support their engagement and leadership development.
  • Coordinate with organizing staff to facilitate opportunities for youth to play a meaningful role in organizing campaigns.
  • Build relationships with JCUA’s Congregation Partners and other Jewish and social justice professionals and community members (including but not limited to clergy, educators, youth group leaders, organizers, parents, lay leaders) to recruit for programs and strengthen community engagement with JCUA.
  • Take the lead role in recruitment for both programs to ensure strong cohorts at the start of each academic year program.
  • Manage all aspects of program implementation and development, including scheduling, communications, marketing (in partnership with JCUA’s Communications Director), budgeting, participant tracking, materials and documentation, administrative needs, etc.
  • Assist staff in fundraising and resource development when appropriate; complete funding proposals and applications for JCUA’s youth programs in partnership with JCUA’s Development Director.


GENERAL RESPONSIBILITIES:

  • Serve as an ambassador and public spokesperson for JCUA in Jewish community settings and in the larger community.
  • Assist with JCUA programming and events when needed/requested.
  • Support and help facilitate organizing events and programs when needed.
  • Other duties as assigned.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

  • 2 years of experience working with teens in Jewish settings, 3+ years preferred.
  • Bachelor’s degree or higher educational background.
  • Strong desire to work for social justice and connecting it to Jewish values; understanding of root-cause analysis of structural discrimination.
  • Experience with formal and informal youth programming & teaching; passion for working with youth
  • Ability to work weekends and evenings as needed (note: much of the youth programming and recruitment takes place on the weekends).
  • Basic computer skills, including Google Drive and Microsoft Office.
  • Proficiency using online social media platforms.
  • Commitment to team-building and effective communication with colleagues.


PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

  • Knowledge of Jewish communal life and Chicago neighborhoods.
  • Strong writer, good communicator, comfortable with public speaking.
  • Knowledge of basic community organizing principles and organizing as a method for social change.
  • Experience facilitating Racial Justice and Antisemitism training and education.
  • Well organized, ability to oversee multiple projects, and comfortable in diverse settings
  • Track record of creative program planning and implementation.

 

 BENEFITS :

  • Salary is commensurate with experience.
  • Medical, dental, and vision coverage.
  • Two weeks paid vacation (with an increase over time), and three weeks paid sick days.
  • Days off for major Jewish holidays.
  • A supportive work environment with people committed to positive social change and to bring out the best in each other

HOW TO APPLY

The Jewish Council on Urban Affairs believes that personnel diversity is an organizational strength, and recognizes and values the intersecting identities that staff members bring to our organization. People of color are strongly encouraged to apply. JCUA is committed to providing equal employment consideration without discrimination on the basis of race, gender, disability, religion, national origin, marital status, sexual orientation, or any other protected status.

To apply, please email resume and cover letter to jobs@jcua.org.  Resumes and cover letters will be accepted through March 12, 2019.