Job Description

PROGRAM ASSOCIATE, LEGAL SERVICES DEPARTMENT

Make the Road New York (MRNY) builds the power of immigrant and working-class communities to achieve dignity and justice through organizing, policy innovation, transformative education, and survival services. Make the Road New York operates community centers in Bushwick, Brooklyn; Jackson Heights, Queens; Port Richmond, Staten Island; Brentwood, Long Island and White Plains, Westchester County. With a membership of 24,000, MRNY tackles the critical issues facing our communities, including workplace justice, tenants’ rights, immigrant rights and civil rights, TGNCIQ justice, public education, health care access, and immigration reform. (TGNCIQ = transgender, gender non-conforming, intersex and queer).

MRNY is a multi-service organization. Our member-led organizing committees -- which work on the issues named above -- implement strategies to combat shared problems, and develop leadership and the capacity for civic participation. We also provide an array of high-quality bilingual services: We offer English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL), Spanish-language literacy, computer literacy, citizenship preparation, and in-school and after-school youth programs. We have a robust legal program that offers direct representation across a spectrum of practice areas, including employment law, immigration law, housing and benefits, and TGNCIQ civil rights; we also take on impact litigation as a strategy for achieving broad change. Our health program offers facilitated enrollment into health insurance programs and SNAP benefits, a community health worker home visit program, nutrition education and emergency food pantries, health care navigation, and more.

LEGAL AND SUPPORT SERVICES AT MAKE THE ROAD NY :

The Department of Legal and Support Services at MRNY works to strengthen the organization’s organizing work by (1) providing legal and support services to meet the immediate needs of the community members who MRNY serves; (2) providing technical legal support for policy work; and (3) helping to envision and implement leverage strategies (including strategic litigation) that support our organizing campaigns. The Department currently employs approximately 45 attorneys, advocates and case managers. Our legal team is integrated into all aspects of the organization’s work. 

CURRENT OPENING:

Make the Road New York (MRNY) seeks a Program Associate to work within our Legal Services Department. The position will be based in our Brooklyn office when that office reopens. All of MRNY’s offices have been open only for limited purposes during the COVID-19 pandemic in accordance with public health guidance. The Program Associate will work closely with our Legal Grants Manager and Legal Department leadership to help with key aspects of program management, evaluation, reporting to funders and data integrity. This role includes overseeing maintenance and organization of our legal records archives based in our Jackson Heights office, and will require periodic travel and visits to that office. This is an entry-level position with room for growth, and is a good fit for an individual interested in nonprofit management, grants management, and all aspects of data management - creating systems and training others in order to produce grant reports and maintain consistent and accurate data. The ideal candidate will demonstrate impeccable attention to detail, a proven track record of meeting deadlines, have excellent writing skills, thrive on working in a fast-paced, dynamic work environment, is already comfortable using technology and learning new applications, and demonstrate a commitment to social justice issues.

JOB RESPONSIBILITIES INCLUDED BUT NOT LIMITED TO:

• Monitor programmatic progress on key grants, produce monthly data reports, coordinate funder site visits, and gather data and narrative text for quarterly and annual grant reports 
• Monitor and evaluate data in government databases for various government grants
• Train new staff on Salesforce case management database
• Coordinate data management and quality control of data entry to ensure that data is complete, accurate and up to date
• Lead production of bi-annual Legal Department newsletter
• Manage legal case record file management and archiving
• Participate in the management and organization of digital files
• Develop guides for the Legal Department on protocols for file and data management
• Provide administrative support on various projects for the Legal Department as needed, including professional certifications for the Legal Department, as well as data requests from other departments.

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS:

• Eligibility to work in the US
• A bachelor’s degree or some college experience
• Familiarity with numbers and ability to analyze data critically to ensure accuracy and identify trends

PREFERRED BUT NOT REQUIRED:

• Experience working in a nonprofit or community setting 
• Spanish fluency and ability to translate writing to/from English and Spanish 
• Database management experience, including work with Salesforce or a similar database
• Advanced Excel skills
• Enthusiasm for working with data and numbers

JOB COMPETENCIES:

• Excellent computer skills (experience using Word, Excel, etc.)
• Excellent writing skills and ability to proofread documents
• Flexibility and ability to be responsive in a fast-paced work environment
• Flexibility and ability to travel to other offices, as needed
• Careful attention to detail and strong organizational skills
• Skills working in groups and the ability to work collaboratively
• Creative problem-solving skills

SALARY AND BENEFITS: Starting salary is based on a scale set by a democratically-elected personnel committee and will depend on factors such as experience and education. MRNY offers an excellent benefit package including health insurance, 401K, and generous paid vacation, sick, personal days.

HOW TO APPLY:  Please apply with a resume and a cover letter in Make The Road Career Center by February 15th,2021

MRNY is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to a diverse staff. Women, LGBTQ, people with disabilities and people of color strongly encouraged to apply. All qualified applicants will be afforded equal employment opportunities without discrimination because of race, creed, color, national origin, sex, age, genetic information, disability or marital status.