JSC Program Director

Johnson Service Corps

https://johnsonservicecorps.org/

Position Description: Program Director

Reports to Executive Director

Applications will be considered as received and will be accepted until the position is filled.

We’re looking for a people person who loves personal growth, intentional community, spiritual exploration, the nonprofit sector, and program facilitation. We’re looking for someone who wants to be part of a dynamic, small organization, supporting young adults to grow towards their best, strongest, and spiritual self. This is a perfect job for someone looking for community-centered, meaningful, part-time work.

About Johnson Service Corps

Johnson Service Corps (JSC) is a 10.5 month program for young adults, ages 21 to 28, engage in justice work, and grow professionally, spiritually and personally in Durham, NC. Over the course of the year, our young adult “Fellows” live together in a shared house in Durham. They volunteer at local nonprofits 32 hours each week, mid-August through June. They engage in daily and weekly spiritual practices, biweekly group therapy, holistic health practices, quarterly spiritual retreats, and intensive professional skills and leadership development training.

JSC has served young adults and local nonprofits in the triangle for the last 24 years. We have a strong track record of serving marginalized communities, including economically disadvantaged communities, communities of color, women and children, our LGBTQIA community, and immigrants and refugees. Over these 24 years, we have partnered with over 40 local non-profits engaged in community service, organizing, policy advocacy, and social justice, such as the Pauli Murray Center, SECU Family Housing, Code the Dream, Families Moving Forward, L'Arche, Center for Responsible Lending, Urban Ministries, Habitat for Humanity, Compass Center, Reality Ministries, and Book Harvest.

The Opportunity

This is an opportunity to help young adults mature, listen to their calling, and to grow towards their best, strongest, most authentic, and spiritual selves. This is an opportunity to be part of a devoted and joyful staff and Board team who serve these budding young people. This is an opportunity to support relationships across lines of difference, including race, gender, socioeconomic background, age, religion, and politics.

After a year in JSC, our young adult Fellows have built life-long relationships with each other, with their spiritual mentors, with their professional supervisors, with diverse faith communities, with us as staff, Board, and volunteers. Bolstered up by these relationships, our alum have gone on to become amazing, moral leaders in governmental, nonprofit, private, and religious sectors. This position is an opportunity to be part of the great work coming out of this spirit-centered program.

The Person

JSC seeks a Program Director who is aligned with JSC’s values of equity, justice and beloved community. We seek a Program Director who is committed to supporting the personal and professional growth of our group of diverse young adults. We need a person with fantastic social skills, who understands group dynamics, and who has experience working in nonprofits or churches.

There is a weekly and seasonal rhythm to the workflow. On a weekly basis, Fellows serve Mondays-Thursdays at their nonprofit, and Fridays are their days together with the Program Director for faith and leadership development, known as Friday Formation. Fridays are typically the most intensive day for the Program Director, as they are coordinating and facilitating in-person formation opportunities all day for the fellows.

On a seasonal basis, work assignments vary depending on the time of year. For example, during the fall, the Program Director will be supporting Fellows as they orient to each other, their house, the city of Durham, and their nonprofit placements. Over the winter recruitment season, significantly more of the Program Director’s time will be committed to recruitment as well as mid-year reviews between nonprofit supervisors and Fellows. In the spring, the Program Director will support Fellows as they reflect on their service year experience and prepare for their next vocational steps.

While there are a number of predictable work assignments, JSC is a small nonprofit, so there are a number of “all other duties as assigned” projects as well. We need someone who brings a positive, “can-do” attitude and can support the Executive Director with a wide variety of work.

The Role

Program Support for JSC Faith and Leadership Formation:

• ● Plan and facilitate Friday formation trainings, including “Call and Money” curriculum, “Sacred Ground” training, and personal, spiritual and professional development modules
• ● Coordinate weekly special guest “vocational discernment” community dinners with partner congregations, rectors, and local community heroes
• ● Pray regularly with fellows and develop their leadership in interfaith spiritual practices, as well as provide opportunities for fellows to learn about the Episcopal faith tradition
• ● With OM, plan and support fellows in hosting the annual Housewarming Party, JSC Mentor Dinner, and Christmas Party
• ● With OM, plan and facilitate 3 retreats each year, including mentor retreat at Avila, Ripple Conference at Elon University, and annual 4 day JSC trip to Washington DC
• ● Support fellows in the development of their Praxis grant proposal and project
• ● Plan End of Year Presentation of Learning and Service event with ED and OM and
• support development of fellow presentations
• ● Meet individually with fellows on a monthly basis
• ● Meet with fellows and group therapist on Fridays for weekly group check-in
• ● Stay updated with various justice movements in the Triangle and connect fellows with
• opportunities to engage
• ● Develop required and suggested reading materials
• ● Plan and implement community gathering events with wider JSC community, including
• partner congregations, alums, donors, and JSC Board members and partner organizations

Nonprofit Service and Partnership Support:

• ● With ED, initiate and sustain relationships with nonprofit partner organizations
• ● With ED, match fellows with supervisors
• ● Work with supervisors to plan fellows’ orientation
• ● See that the professional needs of both fellows and nonprofits are being met
• ● Model and teach professional skills and behaviors for fellows
• ● Develop fellows’ leadership maturity and capacity
• ● Coordinate presentations by fellows of weekly reports to group on Fridays
• ● Review and follow up with fellows and supervisors on weekly reports as needed
• ● Conduct 6 week, mid-year and end of year evaluations between fellows and supervisors

Intentional Community Support

• ● Plan and facilitate 2 week opening orientation with Fellows, including values discernment, covenant formation, intentional community living rhythms of life, expectations, responsibilities, and house roles
• ● Facilitate and mediate concerns within the intentional community, in partnership with the JSC Group Therapist
• ● Support Operations Manager with logistics related to housing for Fellows
• ● Nurture a culture of belovedness and belonging within the community

Recruitment Support:

• ● Manage all recruitment communications and outreach
• ● Oversee recruitment events such as college career fairs and online networking platforms
• ● Check applicant references
• ● Interview candidates with volunteers and other staff
• ● Contribute to JSC communications, including website, newsletter and social media
• ● Develop and maintain relationships with institutions (colleges, universities, campus
• ministries, leadership and character programs, community engagement offices) where prospective fellows can be recruited

Skill Sets:

• ● Be proactive and responsive
• ● Be relationship-focused
• ● Have experience working with or for nonprofit organizations
• ● Have strong listening, written, and verbal communication skills
• ● Must be a self-starter and able to work independently
• ● Self-initiated problem solver
• ● Be able to juggle multiple priorities
• ● Align and exhibit clear commitment to JSC values of equity and justice
• ● Must be able to travel and attend occasional meetings and events outside of the office
• ● Requires flexible schedule; willingness to work weekends and evenings
• ● Be familiar with Mailchimp, Surveymonkey, Wordpress and willing to learn new
• technology
• ● Sense of humor and ability to give and take feedback

Compensation:

• ❖ Hourly wage: $25/hr, 20 hrs/week, 11 month position (August 1- June 30)
• ❖ Benefits: $2500 annual health insurance stipend
• ❖ 2 weeks of paid vacation/sick leave/family leave
• ❖ Paid holidays: Labor Day, Indigenous People’s Day, Wednesday-Friday of Thanksgiving
• week, MLK Day, Good Friday, Memorial Day, Juneteenth (9 days) plus December
• 24-January 2 (JSC Office is closed)
• ❖ Commitment to supporting staff professional development, including racial equity
• consciousness and training
• The Program Director is a part-time hourly wage position, and is paid once a month. This work happens primarily in-person, including meetings with the Fellows, Board of Directors, Operations Manager, and Executive Director. The JSC Office is located at St. Luke’s Epsicopal Church in Durham. While the majority of work happens during business hours, there are evenings and weekends when we need the Program Director to be available for multi-day retreats, trainings, or special events. The Program Director needs to be available from 9am-5pm on Fridays. The other 12 hours/week are flexible. The weekly and annual schedule will be agreed upon in conversation with the Executive Director.

To Apply:

• To apply, please send a resume and cover letter to julia@johnsonservicecorps.org.

We are aware of the impact of structural racism on hiring practices and how they disproportionately hurt the most marginalized people in society- including people of color, women, persons with disabilities, and LGBTQIA people. We strongly encourage applications from people with these identities or who are members of other marginalized communities to apply for this position.