ABOUT WEPOWER

We partner with Black and Latinx communities to build power to re-design education, health, economic, and justice systems to be just and equitable for all. We envision a future where we all have the power to lead, so every community prospers. One of the ways we do this is by training community members to create new policy solutions, organize, and lead change. We invest in early-stage companies ready for scale and provide curriculum, coaching, and connections as they spark wealth-creating job growth in communities with whom we partner. We engage the community, facilitating meaningful connections, and amplifying resident voices to inform critical decisions that impact their lives. 

ABOUT CHISHOLM'S CHAIR

_“You don't make progress by standing on the sidelines, whimpering and complaining. You make progress by implementing ideas.”  _- Congresswoman Shirley Chisholm 

Chisholm's Chair (CC) is an initiative for Black and Latinx women that identify as champions of equity. Women that are unbought, unbossed, bold, and unapologetic leaders, remaining connected to and inspired by a transformative vision for their communities, para la gente. Chisholm's Chair is for women that are ready to work hard and fight systems of oppression in the St. Louis region so that their community's most vulnerable can no longer survive, but THRIVE. Chisholm's Chair is for women that see elected and appointed office as a lever for effecting policy change - a means to an end, not the end in and of itself. Chisholm's Chair is for women that are willing to work across lines of difference, listen deeply to others, and lead with humility, integrity, and love.

_Learn more about the Chisholm's Chair Fellowship by reading the Chisholm's Chair Fact Sheet here. _

ABOUT THE OPPORTUNITY

Working with the Director of Public Leadership, the Program Assistant of Public Leadership (PAPL) programming will support the curriculum design, recruitment, and Fellowship management efforts for WEPOWER's second Chisholm's Chair Fellowship cohort. The Chisholm's Chair Fellowship is a multi-month program for Black and Latinx women who are committed to exploring public leadership as appointed or elected officials. 

BY FEBRUARY 2022, WE WILL CELEBRATE… 

1. Recruitment and selection of a diverse and robust pool of 15 community members to the Fellowship. 
2. Smooth operations and logistics for Chisholm's Chair recruitment activities, interviews, selection, and program launch. 
3. The design of a set of solid curricula and supplementary materials that are both engaging and accessible to Fellows.

YOU WILL…

_CO-LEAD THE RECRUITMENT AND SELECTION OF CHISHOLM'S CHAIR FELLOWS FOR 2021 (35%) _

• Work with the Director of Public Leadership to implement a strong recruitment and selection process for the Fellowship. 
• Support outreach and recruitment efforts for the Fellowship by utilizing WEPOWER's organizing and 1:1 framework.
• Support the implementation of strategies and processes to identify, recruit, and vet residents from prioritized partner communities to join the Fellowship.
• Implement structures and processes to ensure smooth and effective operations and logistics for the recruitment and selection process. 
• Oversee the creation and distribution of marketing materials to attract a robust pool of applicants to the fellowship

SUPPORT CONTENT CREATION FOR CHISHOLM'S CHAIR FELLOWSHIP 2021 (35%)

• Help produce content for the Fellowship in the form of presentation decks, worksheets,  handouts, checks for understanding, and assessments that support Fellow learning. 
• Develop evaluation questionnaires to survey Fellows after the completion of a session. 
• Serve as a thought partner to the Director of Public Leadership when developing content, curriculum, and other materials for the Fellowship. 
• Able to do research and data analysis and entry.

_MANAGE INTERNAL COMMUNICATION, OPERATIONS, AND LOGISTICS OF CHISHOLM'S CHAIR FELLOWSHIP (30%) _

• Maintain Fellow communications, track engagement, and leverage technology to support Fellow success. 
• Track and analyze evaluation data. 
• Coordinate fellow virtual learning sessions and related communications. 
• Coordinate fellow in-person learning sessions and related communications. 
• Manage the learning management system used to build Fellows' public leadership capacity leading up to, during, and post the Fellowship.

YOU ARE... 

1. THOROUGH. You ensure that one's own and others' work and information are complete and accurate; carefully preparing for meetings and presentations; following up with others to ensure that agreements and commitments have been fulfilled. You set up procedures to ensure high quality of work. You monitor the quality of work and verify the information. You check the accuracy of your own and others' work. You develop and use systems to organize and keep track of information or work progress. You carefully prepare for meetings and presentations. You carefully review and check the accuracy of the information in work reports (e.g., production, sales, financial performance) that you create or provided by other management, management information systems, or other individuals and groups.
2. A STRATEGIC LEADER. You are constantly vigilant, honing your ability to anticipate by scanning the environment for signals of change. You challenge your own and others' assumptions and encourage divergent points of view. You take decisive action after careful reflection and examination of a problem through many lenses. Because you challenge in the right way you invariably elicit complex and conflicting information. You are also able to interpret. Instead of reflexively seeing or hearing what you expect, you synthesize all the input you have. You recognize patterns, push through ambiguity, and seek new insights. In uncertain times, you make tough calls through insistence on multiple options at the outset and you don't get prematurely locked into simplistic go/no-go choices. You have the courage of your convictions–informed by a robust decision process. You find common ground and achieve buy-in among stakeholders who have disparate views and agendas. You promote a culture of inquiry and search for the lessons in both successful and unsuccessful outcomes. (Source) 
3. A CHAMPION OF RACIAL & CULTURAL IDENTITY DEVELOPMENT. You are self-aware including consciousness of your social identities, cultures, biases, and perspectives. You are aware of your internalized superiority and/or internalized inferiorly.  You also have knowledge and appreciation of the social identities, cultures, and worldviews of other people. You consider the larger socio-political and historical context of which we are part. You have a grasp of different forms of privilege and oppression and how they affect people's experiences, opportunities, and access to social power. You have the ability to adapt to and work collaboratively with diverse people in a range of situations. You understand that people's social identities affect their interpersonal, communication, and work styles, as well as their views of conflict, notions of leadership, and sense of time (among many other things). You are also able to identify and address inequities and choose appropriate interventions to create environments, policies, and practices to ensure diversity, equity, justice, and fairness. (Source) 
4. RESULTS-ORIENTED. You have the ability to take direct action in order to attain or exceed objectives. You set high standards and define challenging yet feasible objectives. You evaluate regularly what the situation is regarding your objectives. You take directive action when objectives are in danger of not being attained. You look for alternatives when certain actions have not led to the desired result. You look actively for the best way to achieve goals and consider your options carefully. You mobilize means and people, even when others need to be persuaded of its necessity. You redirect processes regularly, focusing on objectives. You do not give in, and you look actively for alternative possibilities when confronted with adversity.

YOUR EDUCATION & EXPERIENCES INCLUDE...

• Partnering with communities of color and communities harmed by poverty while applying a racial equity lens. 
• Strong project management. 
• Comfortable using technologies such as Slack, Asana, Google Drive. Experience managing learning management systems such as Canvas, Teachable or Thinkific a plus. 
• Designing and creating new things. 
• Community outreach or organizing. 
• Successfully working on teams to bring complex plans to life.

WORK ENVIRONMENT 

Fun. Fast. Focused. Values-driven. Community-centered. Collaborative. Innovative. Lots of brainstorming and imagining what's possible and then chasing each possibility until it is reality!

WEPOWER is a startup with ambitious goals and impact plans that will demand extreme commitment and agility, AND we value each team member's personal life circumstances and priorities. Work schedules will be flexible and respectful of those circumstances and priorities. We will work together to ensure the organization prioritizes the health, social-emotional wellbeing, and morale of each team member! Some evening and weekend work will be expected. 

As a startup, WEPOWER demands extreme commitment and agility, AND we value each team member's personal life circumstances and priorities. We will work together to ensure the organization prioritizes the health, social-emotional wellbeing, and morale of each team member! Some evening and weekend work will be expected.

There will be 24-hour access to a co-working space with printing, conference rooms, phone booths, snacks, drinks, and the opportunity to be in the community with other innovators, entrepreneurs, and entrepreneur support organizations.

COMPENSATION

This is a part-time, hourly position.  The Program Assistant will receive $20 per hour for 15-20 hours per week.  

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

At WEPOWER, we don't just accept difference — we celebrate it, we support it, and we thrive on it for the benefit of our team, our programs, and our community. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, ancestry, age, disability, veteran status, political affiliation or belief, or genetic information.

This position description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties, or responsibilities that are required of the employee. Other duties, responsibilities, and activities may change or be assigned at any time with or without notice.

PROCESS

• Step 1: Submit an application to Breezy by July 29th at 11:59CST. 
• Step 2: Interview and performance activity the week of August 2nd. 
• Step 3: Reference checks and offer the week of August 9th.
• Start: Week of August 16th.