Environmental Justice Program Manager

Asians for Collective Liberation in Spokane (ACL Spokane) is hiring an Environmental Justice Program Manager to coordinate and lead a series of workshops to help bring to life the promise of the HEAL Act here in Spokane. This role is grant-funded and will last until June 30, 2025 (unless more funding can be secured). This person will be a public representative of ACL Spokane, should have experience with convening partners towards a shared purpose, should have a basic understanding of the principles of Environmental Justice/The HEAL Act, and should see themselves in our Mission, Vision, and Values. They should possess strong intercultural and interpersonal communication skills and be able to build authentic community relationships. The Environmental Justice Program Manager will work independently, with staff, and with external partners to plan, implement, and evaluate workshops related to Environmental Justice and the HEAL Act.

Scope of Work (Percentages are approximate)

Program Management (75%)

• Lead the coordination and implementation of a variety of Environmental Justice (EJ) workshops that will connect college students and the Asian community with Washington State agency representatives responsible for administering the HEAL Act.
• In partnership with the communications team, develop relatable and engaging marketing materials to promote participation in the EJ workshops.
• Work with the community engagement organizer to do outreach about the workshops and to collaborate specifically on the Asian Community Group workshops.
• Build relationships with sustainability oriented students/groups on college campuses (Gonzaga, WSU, EWU, SFCC, and Whitworth) and environmental organizations in Spokane to partner on the College Campus workshops.
• Develop relationships and coordinate with representatives from Washington State Departments of Health, Agriculture, Ecology and/or Commerce, and Transportation to present at EJ Workshops.
• Attend Environmental Justice Council Meetings (mostly virtual, possibly in-person).
• Recruit up to 5 college students and Asian community members to attend EJ Council meetings.
• Supervise and delegate tasks to possible short-term interns.

Administration and Grant Management (15%)

• Support grant reporting, grant budgeting, and other grant compliance tasks in partnership with the operations director
• Maintain filing and recordkeeping systems
• Keep track of project hours on timesheet to be submitted bi-weekly 

Cross-team support (5%)

• Provide support to other team members for their projects that fall outside of your typical duties.

Advocacy (5%)

• Support advocacy activities, including possible legislative session attendance and signing on to local solidarity letters
• Should be prepared to occasionally provide testimony at legislative meetings and participate in other solidarity activities

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities Specific to this Position

No candidate will meet every requirement. If you're excited about the position and think you may be a good candidate, we encourage you to apply.

• Demonstrated commitment to anti-racism and environmental justice
• Lived experience within the Asian/Asian American community; fluency in an Asian language preferred
• 3 years of professional experience that includes meeting coordination and team collaboration.
• Some experience with managing people and delegating tasks within a project management framework
• Experience with tracking and monitoring a budget, including using related tools like Excel or Google Sheets. 
• Organization and time management skills, including ability to set own goals/timelines and meet deadlines independently
• Ability to collaborate and skillfully receive and integrate feedback from peers, partners, and the community
• Ability to recognize one’s own capacity, boundaries, and self-care needs and to seek support when needed
• Creative problem solving skills aimed toward supporting our communities and the ACL Spokane team
• Ability to write with concise and direct language and ability to clearly convey ideas verbally 
• Experience in engaging with people from a wide variety of backgrounds 
• Valid driver's license and reliable transportation for up to 33% travel around Spokane County.

Typical Work Environment and Physical Demands:

• Indoors, sedentary with 2-6 hours/day sitting or standing, working on a laptop, with possible additional hours on event days 
• Outdoors traveling or driving as needed
• Ability to lift up to 30 pounds when tabling and setting up events
• Ability to travel locally up to approximately 33% of the time. 
• Communication skills, patience, and grace to interact effectively with many different types of people to the best of your ability
• Comprehend and process verbal and/or written communication 
• Ability to type, file, and complete forms with or without accommodation
• A background check is required because of our work with vulnerable populations, but criminal history does not preclude employment and will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis as they relate to the duties of this role.
• COVID vaccination is required for this position. If you are in need of a reasonable accommodation, please contact us.

Physical requirements:

ACL Spokane is welcoming to individuals with physical disabilities and people who are neurodivergent. The physical demands and essential functions described here are representative of those that must be met, with or without reasonable accommodation. We continue to have a primarily remote work environment, but we also have an office in downtown Spokane. The office is on the fourth floor, accessible by stairs and elevator. There are two locked doors without accessibility buttons between the elevators and stairs and the office. There is another set of stairs in the interior of the office that leads to additional storage areas, the kitchenette, and other communal spaces.

To request reasonable accommodation, employees are encouraged to contact one of the Directors. Accommodations will be made to the best of our ability to empower individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of this role.

Benefits:

Asians for Collective Liberation in Spokane recognizes that the programs we offer wouldn’t be possible without our staff. The directors and board are committed to finding ways to honor the energy and labor of our employees beyond a competitive salary. Currently, we offer the following additional benefits for those working a minimum of 20 hours a week:

• Organization provided laptop and cell phone
• $500/mo health insurance stipend if employee has no other existing insurance
• $15/mo telecom stipend
• Monthly bus pass to staff who request it 
• $500 annually for professional development (term-limited staff not eligible)
• 100% of Vacation and Sick time front loaded at the beginning of the year (prorated at the start of employment). Other forms of leave also available and detailed in employee handbook
• 13 paid holidays, plus two personal holidays
• Two one-week office closures annually

Employment details

Position salary range: $40-50/hour

Hiring rate: $47/hr (non-negotiable as this rate is stipulated in our grant contract)

Hours: 30 hours per week

Classification: Full-time, Temporary, non-exempt (Contract will end on June 30, 2025 unless new funding can be secured)

Reports to: Executive Director

Location: Spokane, WA; primarily remote with some days in-person at our downtown Spokane office

Application Deadline: July 19, 2024 - applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis and candidates will be invited for interviews starting July 15.

Ideal Start Date: August 21, 2024

How do I submit an application?

** LinkedIn Applicants: You must send your resume and cover letter to the operations director April Dickinson adickinson@aclspokane.org to be considered for this position.**

In your cover letter, briefly describe:

1. Why you want to work with ACL Spokane on this short-term Environmental Justice project
2. An example of an event or large meeting that you helped coordinate
3. What collective liberation means to you

Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis with a final deadline of July 19, 2024. If you are interested in this role but need more time, please send us an email requesting an extension. Applications will be evaluated based on the following criteria: Experience relative to the position and alignment with our mission, vision, and values.

Please note that due to the sensitive nature of our work in communities, a background check will be conducted on the successful candidate. We welcome people of all backgrounds to work with us and will consider any background information inclusively, equitably, and on a case by case basis.

*ACL Spokane defines “experience” inclusive of lived experience, including but not limited to: Knowledge and skills gained through experiences related to identity, community, relationships, traditional knowledge, language, and other direct circumstances that may not be captured on a typical resume. 

Hiring timeline

This role is funded by a one-year grant from the Washington State Department of Health, so we are hiring on an accelerated timeline. Below is our anticipated process, which may be altered to accommodate any unforeseen circumstances.

July 1 - July 19: Job posted and applications reviewed on a rolling basis

July 15 - July 26: 1st round interviews (up to 1 hour virtual) with the supervisor (executive director) and the community engagement organizer.

July 31 - Aug 1: Up to 3 total candidates will be selected for a second interview (up to 1 hour virtual or in-person) with the executive and operations directors

Aug 2: Offer made to successful candidate

Aug 21: Preferred start date and beginning of onboarding