Collaboration Support Partner

Invest STL is seeking a new team member to support cross-team and community partner collaborations. Applications will be accepted through May 5, 2024.

Background

Invest STL facilitates investment in the power of people and their neighborhoods to create communities of justice and opportunity in places that continue to endure the legacy of systemic anti-Black racism. We seek to do this by generating trust-based, community-driven, neighborhood-based investments; investing in the regional community and economic development system; influencing policies and decision-making that advance equitable development; and reframing prevailing narratives in our region about predominantly Black neighborhoods and the people, power, challenges and dreams that they hold. Catch a glimpse of who we are and how we work here.

The Collaboration Support Partner will provide coordination, consistency, and continuity across multiple efforts. Internally, this role will collaborate closely with our Neighborhood Solidarity Partners and System Design + Investment  Team to shape and and support on-the-ground efforts with neighborhood investees, residents and broader community partners.

The Collaboration Support Partner will embrace our emerging mindsets of stepping down

from the paternalistic hilltop of traditional philanthropy that knows what’s best and rigidly

dictating terms; stepping back to watch, learn and take direction from our investment recipient partners as we support their vision for neighborhood transformation; and lifting up the will, work and wonderment of our partners to our regional community.

While not required, candidates with professional or lived experience in community organizing, coalition-building, movement-building or power-building are highly encouraged to apply. This position is similar to an assistant project manager role and may more typically be conducive to someone in the early phases of exploring community and economic development movement work.

Position Responsibilities

Nurture Partnerships

• Establish and maintain open, honest, dignity-filled relationships with neighborhood partners and consultants.

• Observe and support accountability of all partners, including Invest STL, to ensure collectively established expectations are met or adjusted when needed for the benefit of investees and the focus neighborhoods.

• Support designing facilitating meetings with partners, as needed.  

Build Relationships in Focus Neighborhoods

• Conduct outreach to community through various in-person and remote methods as specific efforts require.

• Contribute to designing and using methods and tools for gathering deep insight with residents and neighborhood stakeholders.

• Embrace the process of getting to know people and their community simply for nurturing mutually meaningful connection and curiosity.

Contribute to Investment Implementation and Evaluation

• Support awareness building for partnership efforts and investments by co-creating distributable materials (physical and electronic).

• Provide continuous communications to focus neighborhood and partners on ongoing efforts, milestones, and learnings.

• Assist with creating and implementing methods for tracking resident and partner participation in ongoing efforts.

• Support other project-specific data and story collection when needed.

• Support research on and adaptation of emerging practices.

Other Duties

• Be available for occasional night and weekend work with partners.

• Contribute to building out the team and culture of Invest STL in collaboration with the team.

• Serve as a thought partner by informing and contributing to Invest STL’s evolving ways of working and commitment to embracing our guiding principles – and calling us in when intent and impact are not aligned.

• Carry out special projects as organizational needs and individual interest/expertise align.

Required Qualifications and Critical Qualities

While the chosen candidate may have experience with many of the responsibilities of this role, we are specifically looking for a team member to expand their learning in this work and grow with us. To start, the candidate is competent in and has the mindset for:

• Prioritizing responsibilities across multiple projects. 

• Independently managing their own tasks and schedule.

• Being motivated vs. halted by complexity in systems, relationships, and work products. 

• Building on their experience that includes some combination of community organizing, community power building, movement building, community engagement or outreach.

• Communicating clearly and in a compelling manner to multiple audiences.

• Building relationships with humility, a listening/learning posture, and discretion.

• Facilitating productive discourse with diverse and not always aligned participants.

• Exercising sound judgment, initiative, and tact when interacting with colleagues, our community, partners, and elected officials.

Compensation and Benefits

The salary range is $57,000-63,000. The starting salary range is $57,000-62,400. To support pay equity, the starting salary will be our highest and best offer based on experience, qualifications, and record of achievement without negotiations. Medical, dental, vision, unlimited PTO, 401k, an individual professional development budget, and additional benefits are part of the total compensation package.

Team Culture

We are a small team growing from startup to stand out. We do our best, and sometimes we fall short. We aim to be thoughtful and courageous in our work. We relish a work environment that inspires and supports us to grow personally and professionally. We understand that our work, which we are deeply committed to, is but one component of our multifaceted lives.

We maintain a hybrid work schedule, operating from our office, homes, and elsewhere as the work permits. We meet as a full team in person on Thursdays. We are a highly collaborative team. Our culture is best suited for team members who are able to receive direction on work scope and expectations, then enjoy having the space to design, manage, and be accountable for their own approach to meeting expectations within an agreed upon timeline. We use Trello, Google Workspace, Outlook, and Teams to manage workflows and progress towards quarterly and annual work plans.

Application and Additional Information

Applications will be accepted through May 5, 2024.

Please submit:

• A resume or statement of qualifications

• A personal narrative on your commitment and practice towards racial equity, justice, and healing, particularly through the field of community building/development.

We will evaluate candidates in three rounds from May 8- June 4 with the most aligned candidates for our needs progressing each round. An initial blind review of all applications will occur, followed by two rounds of interviews. We anticipate our new team members to start on, or near, June 24th.

Invest STL prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type and affords equal employment opportunities to team members and applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability status, gender identity or expression, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. Invest STL conforms to the spirit as well as to the letter of all applicable laws and regulations. Invest STL prioritizes diversity in many forms in the workplace and celebrates it in our community.