Partner, Community Initiatives (Remote)

World Education Services•New York, NY

14h•Remote

About The Position

Reporting to the Lead, Ecosystem Partnerships & Convening, the Community Initiatives Partner is responsible for planning and delivering capacity-sharing and convening activities that strengthen partner readiness and collective action to participate equally in systems change. This role turns strategy into well-run, high-quality learning experiences and convenings as well as acts as a bridge, through partnering closely with the Community Centering and Partnerships team to ensure partners insights, that can inform decisions, priorities, and broader strategy are shared with internal teams. This role works closely with partners and internal teams to ensure capacity sharing and convening activities are practical, inclusive, and aligned with community priorities, while continuously improving based on feedback and learning.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Community Development, Social Justice & Community Engagement, Adult Education & Community Development, or equivalent of education and experience.
5 + years of track record experience designing and delivering convenings, learning experiences, or multi-stakeholder initiatives, preferably in the nonprofit, philanthropy, or international development sector(s).
3+ years of strong project management, planning, and execution skills, with the ability to manage multiple initiatives, timelines, and stakeholders while delivering high-quality outputs.
Exceptional leadership, conflict resolution, time management, and adaptability in high-pressure, fast-paced environments.
Demonstrated expertise in adult learning principles and inclusive facilitation, including agenda design, run-of-show development, and post-event follow-through that supports shared decisions and results.
Experience in designing participatory, culturally aware co-creation processes with community-based partners, centering lived experience and power-aware practices.
Proven ability to synthesize qualitative insights (partner feedback, field sensing, learning capture) into clear recommendations that support problem solving, decision making, and actionable internal briefs.
Exceptional written and verbal communication skills with an ability to translate complex ideas into accessible materials (templates, briefs, facilitation guides).
Excellent relationship building and teamwork skills; proven ability to collaborate across diverse partners and internal teams and operate effectively as a “bridge” across functions.
Demonstrated commitment to inclusion, equity, and accessibility in program delivery (e.g., language access, participant care, strength-based, trauma-aware and culturally responsive practices as appropriate).
Oversite the operational and logistical planning experience for events/convenings, including vendor/consultant relationships.
Adaptability and learning orientation: ability to work in ambiguity, building feedback loops, and iterating based on learning to improve quality, consistency, and outcomes over time.
Experience supporting collective impact efforts or cross-sector coalitions (shared measurement, aligned activities, continuous communication), with an ability to influence without formal authority.
Knowledge and ability to use evaluation and learning frameworks/tools (developmental evaluation and impact evaluation, learning and monitoring dashboards, participation data, pulse surveys) to inform continuous improvement.
Competence with common collaboration and project tools and virtual convening platforms (e.g., Teams, Zoom, Miro/Mural) to support planning and coordinated delivery.

Nice To Haves

Experience working across the US and Canada and/or with geographically distributed partners; able to adapt approaches to local context and cultural considerations.
Bilingual or multilingual communication skills relevant to partner communities (e.g., French/English or other languages).

Responsibilities

Support the team’s leadership, who are responsible for translating community intelligence into concrete priorities, that inform the team decisions about partner pathways, through strong planning, collaborative decision making, and clear communication.
Work closely with internal teams in the Systems Change division to ensure partnerships’ coordination and alignment with other Systems Change teams across WES.
Manage logistical and operational readiness for activities and convenings (timelines, facilitation prep, vendor/consultant coordination as applicable), anticipating risks and removing barriers through proactive problem solving.
Plan and manage the delivery of high-quality capacity-sharing agendas and learning experiences that equip partners with tools and technical skills to sustain engagement in systems change, with clear outcomes and measures of progress.
Design and manage convening agendas and collective action experiences that align diverse actors around a shared vision and practices, strengthening teamwork, collaboration, and mission-aligned action.
Co-create facilitation plans, run-of-show documents, and post-convening follow-through that turn dialogue into commitments, decisions, next steps, and shared learning centering inclusion, cultural awareness, and participant voice.
Develop simple, repeatable templates (agenda design, partner follow-up, learning capture) that strengthen planning, process improvement, and consistent delivery across geographies.
Establish an inclusive participant care and accessibility approach for convenings in collaboration with the Lead and Co-lead Ecosystem Partnerships and Convening (language access, stipends/compensation norms, and trauma-aware or culturally responsive facilitation as appropriate), adapting delivery to partner needs.
Manage relationships, initiatives’ documentation, implementation, and track progress of both capacity sharing and partners convening activities
Help develop and maintain trust-based and long-term relationships with immigrant-led organizations/groups/coalitions.
Partner closely with the Lead Community Power to oversee the operational link between the Community Power team and the internal Community Centering and Partnership Lead, ensuring active communication, timely coordination, and strong relationship maintenance.
Lead internal alignment activities (briefs, Intentional learning, decision points, co-planning sessions) that translate partner insights into clear, influence-ready recommendations and mission-aligned inputs for WES’ strategic bets, supported by excellent writing and synthesis.
Capture and synthesize ground-truth intelligence from activities and partner interactions, using a learning orientation to surface patterns, clarify priorities, and inform problem solving for the team’s Co-Leads and Lead.
Use feedback loops (partner feedback, participation data, observed barriers) to iterate agendas, formats, and support pathways over time, strengthening results orientation, adaptability, and continuous improvement.
Contribute to external thought leadership by translating insights from convenings and partner engagement into clear lessons, examples, and materials that inform broader field conversations.