Specialist, Youth Engagement

Center for Justice Innovation • New York, NY

2d • $52,000 - $59,900 • Onsite

About The Position

Launched in 1993, the award-winning Midtown Community Justice Center is one of the country’s first problem-solving courts. It provides alternatives to fines and jail as a response to low-level crime. Seeking to reduce crime and incarceration, and increase public trust in justice, the Midtown Community Justice Center works with neighborhood stakeholders to improve Midtown Manhattan, and to serve the vibrant Midtown community, specifically those in need of services. The Justice Center’s court responds creatively to low-level offending, seeking sentences that are restorative to the defendant and community. In addition, the Justice Center works upstream and outside the courtroom through diversion initiatives, street outreach, and community engagement.

The Midtown Community Justice Center is seeking a Temporary Youth Engagement Specialist to lead the Justice Center’s work with young people from Amsterdam Houses and the surrounding community. Reporting to the Community Partnerships Coordinator, the Youth Engagement Specialist will play a key role in both developing and overseeing youth programming at Amsterdam Houses and supporting the Justice Center’s broader community engagement initiatives across the borough of Manhattan. By working with community stakeholders, local leaders, community-based organizations, and the young people themselves, the Youth Engagement Specialist will seek to understand quality of life and public safety challenges for the community then co-lead the Justice Center’s programming built in response to those findings. This role will, among other things, provide tangible support and coaching to the program members, and will support residents, community partners and local city agency representatives through the process of identifying and solving issues that create vulnerabilities in community safety and well-being. The Youth Engagement Specialist will also be principally tasked with supporting the Justice Center’s Youth Advisory Board. The Youth Advisory Board is comprised of a group of young people dedicated to providing feedback and helping inform the Center’s programming to remain responsive to community trends.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree or a minimum of 3-4 years’ experience in a related area, preferably community engagement/organizing and/or community development.
• The candidate should be passionate, skilled, and experienced in working with communities to promote health and safety.
• Experience with young adult social services or youth development programming required
• Demonstrates success leading logistics, identifying and achieving project goals, quickly, effectively, and successfully in a fast-paced, high-pressure environment
• Flexible schedule with the ability to work afternoons and evenings, some weekends required
• Ability to work effectively in an interdisciplinary environment, create collaborative relationships with colleagues, and work/communicate well with multiple department leaders
• Superb facilitation skills to identify community issues, needs, feedback, and preferences in a timely manner
• Superior project and time management skills, highly organized, detail-oriented and meticulous about quality, accuracy, and timeliness
• A dynamic personality with a strong desire to lead and public speaking skills
• Demonstrated ability to develop and maintain strong relationships with governmental and community agencies, non-profit organizations, and community groups
• A strong connection, familiarity, and in-depth knowledge and familiarity of Amsterdam Houses
• Sound ability to work with diverse communities in an empathetic, comfortable and non-judgmental manner
• Experience with harm reduction, trauma-informed and anti-oppressive practice required
• Strong interpersonal, verbal, and written communication skills
• Knowledge of community-based resources throughout New York City
• Experience and commitment to creating, promoting, and maintaining a respectful, inclusive, and anti-racist work environment

Responsibilities

• Recruit and retain a diverse team of residents from across Amsterdam Houses and the local community to facilitate the implementation of resident-led community-building projects
• Support the use of data to inform resident-led strategies that promote community safety
• Facilitate resident and stakeholder planning meetings that support engagement, problem identification, problem-solving, practice and action steps, and memorialize plans in a centralized, digital platform
• Promote positive cultural norms around behavioral change to maintain community-led public safety
• Support the development of a comprehensive engagement plan, with a clear strategy, benchmarks, and outcomes, to create partnerships and gain a solid understanding of key community priorities
• Assist with planning, hosting and attending in-person and virtual community meetings and events, including; community based workshops, resource fairs, family days, precinct council meetings, community board meetings, and Tenant Association meetings
• Lead the exploration of new community partnerships across a variety of fields, including but not limited to criminal justice, economic development, recreation, arts, and social services
• Work with Justice Center staff to build out volunteer opportunities for local community members, residents, professionals, and stakeholders
• Liaise across Center for Justice Innovation projects to coordinate collaborative community engagement initiatives as appropriate
• Facilitate groups and workshops as necessary
• Champion ongoing community outreach and communications to raise awareness of residents’ priorities and place-keeping projects
• Plan, coordinate, and execute place-keeping activities, community events/meetings, and direct-action activities to address and advocate for community needs and concerns
• Collaborate with other staff and team members to implement systems that support effective project planning and data collection
• Support in the collection, input, and processing of all necessary documents for resident and volunteer stipends by completing and maintaining stipend agreements, stipend logs, and tracking attendance
• Participate in staff meetings, team-building exercises, trainings, and site visits
• Participate in evening and weekend community meetings, events, and programming, as needed
• Perform other relevant duties, including coverage and support, as needed to support the Midtown Community Justice Center and Center for Justice Innovation

Benefits

• The Center for Justice Innovation offers an excellent benefits package including comprehensive healthcare with a national network after 90 days of employment.
• We prioritize mental health care for our staff and offer services like Talkspace and Ginger through our healthcare plans.
• We also offer a 403(b) retirement plan with a two-to-one employer contribution up to 5%.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level