Start date: March 15, 2023  

End date: August 31, 2023

Compensation + Hours: 

March – April | $900 // part-time, 10 hrs/week

May – August | $2,500/month // Full-time (including four weekends, specific dates available here. Comp days following each weekend)

Work location: Hybrid. Although primarily virtual, some in-person work will be required during the summer for VAPLP program weekends and preparation (locations available here).  

Application deadline: Sunday, February 5th  

There is opportunity for this role to lead into a salaried position starting in September. 

The Mission for this Position

Overview

The program you’ll be focused on at VCET is the Virginia Progressive Leadership Program  (VAPLP). VAPLP is a four-month experiential learning & training program from May to August that provides community leaders and organizers the knowledge, skills, and connections they need to strengthen their work in advancing equity & social justice in Virginia. Participants who attend the program engage in four weekend-long trainings, each with its own area of focus: positionality + community, storytelling + narrative, grassroots organizing, and community-centric fundraising.

The Associate will work alongside and with supervision from the Leadership Development Manager and the Operations Manager in supporting leaders throughout all areas of programming – this will include logistics, event management, curriculum design, facilitation, and communication. Through that, you’ll also be able to craft this position to your own strengths and areas you want to grow or develop.

There is potential for this to grow into a full-time, salaried position that would support VCET programs across the organization, such as Election Protection, Data + Technology, VAPLP, and the Staff of Color Roundtable. 

Primary Responsibilities: 

• Generate materials for the VAPLP training weekends including, but not limited to participant pre-packets, participant binders, schedules, graphics, posters, and other documents
• Support logistics during training weekends alongside Operations Manager including, but not limited to: run of show development, event summaries, vendor management, community-building programming, meeting scheduling, room set-up, and more
• Manage database for applicant tracking, meeting attendance, and any other form submissions 
• Draft communication copy & graphics for recurring newsletters, participant and mentor messages, etc. 
• Maintain participant communication via email, phone, and social media 
• Compile and summarize weekend and program evaluations from each training weekend
• Co-facilitate workshops & groupbuilders and assist in curriculum development; participate in evaluative processes with VCET team following workshops and co-develop plan for improving facilitation skills over the course of the summer
• Support event planning of three-hour VAPLP Graduation including, but not limited to: run of show development, attendee outreach, catering, decoration, and other duties. 
• Build rapport and trust with program participants and other VCET stakeholders
• Develop and implement creative and liberatory approaches to supporting diverse community leaders that we might employ in future iterations 
• Set individual goals – personal & professional – to deepen your work, take care of yourself, and tailor the experience 
• Help with any and everything: this could be setting up tables & chairs to going on grocery or food runs – we’re a small (yet mighty) team and nobody (Executive Director included) considers themselves above any kind of work

Your Starting Point

VAPLP is a highly structured program that we are continually iterating on; you will not be creating a program from scratch and you won’t be doing it all on your own. However, we are also in a period of evolution and transformation having just completed our research + evaluation process, so we are not rigidly wedded to our “how”- we are looking for someone who is both eager to understand its history and current iteration and to push the quality of our work far beyond its current state. In the best case scenario, VAPLP will look different because of your contributions and our collaborative focus on creating the best experience possible for the leaders we work with. We are committed to everyone contributing where they feel the most fulfillment and have the strongest abilities – as a result, you will have the ability to shape the direction of this role based on your strengths. 

Who We Are

VCET Overview

Since 2008, VCET has been committed to building progressive power in Virginia that prioritizes economic, social, environmental, gender, and especially racial justice. VCET envisions a multi-racial democracy, where the full diversity of our Commonwealth is included, actively participating and represented.

VCET is guided by a key organizational strategy: fostering collective action around a common agenda. This creates the directional north star to build the large, sustained coalition needed to tackle challenges such as the 2020 Census, dismantling systemic white supremacy through strategic policy reform, and ensuring every voter has fair and free access to the ballot box. VCET is a statewide organization that serves a broad network of 46 partners across the Commonwealth with a concentration in Northern Virginia, greater Richmond, and the tidewater region (which includes Newport News, Hampton Roads, Virginia Beach). The work includes cultivating a diverse and progressive leadership pipeline in Virginia, driving collaboration through equitable and inclusive relationships, and growing shared capacity and resources for the progressive movement infrastructure in the Commonwealth.

Our Approach

Our way of working is highly collaborative. You will work especially close with the Leadership Development Manager and Operations Manager on all aspects of this position. You will also be closely supported in your goals and growth. If you find it difficult to openly and constantly explore and improve upon your areas of growth and reflect on equity & social justice (as a concept) and the manifestations of white supremacy (as a practice), this is not a good fit for you. Positional hierarchy and the “I have more experience doing X” argument hold no water here. Rooted in liberatory praxis, experiential learning, and critical reflection & dialogue, we aim to live out our values. The best ideas with the most rigorous justification come to the top – let your advocacy come through. If you are already stellar at what you do and want to continue your journey of growth with other smart people, this may be the place for you. Most importantly, we deeply care about the people we serve and work with. Relationships are the core of what we do, how we do, and who we are. From that, we believe that we are at our best when we can express our authentic selves. 

Who You Are

We don’t expect someone to have all these skills in their belt; this isn’t a gate of arrival. What we’re looking for is the capacity and active commitment of already being on the road of growing in these areas in your journey. 

• Highly organized – Spreadsheets and/or systems bring you joy. You hoe to the end of the row. You ask for help when needed. You leave things (and people) better than you found them. You are a duck in the water, cool in fast-paced environments with many moving parts. 

• Skilled problem-solver — You can do a lot with a little. You’re comfortable proposing ideas as solutions, even if they don’t alway stick. You toggle thinking in the present and five steps down the road anticipating problems. You value each step from ideation to implementation. 

• Relationship-builder – You love people, and the mosaic that makes up communities of people. You lean in to conversations; that doesn’t mean you’re an extrovert but you’re curious and care about people. You listen to understand and are comfortable leading with vulnerability. 

• Racial Equity + Justice Lens – Reflecting on window + mirror work is part of your everyday. You are aware and conscientious of the ways race and other identities intersect in the work. Your north star is systems and culture change that operationalizes equity. 
• Process as Product – You know “how we do” is just as important as “what we do.” You believe that the fruits of our labor will grow tomorrow from the seeds of today and are okay with that. You challenge existing ways of doing to realize our dreams today. 

This role is a great fit for someone who loves working with people just as much as they love logistics and is driven by a sense of purpose to create a more equitable and just Virginia.  

Next Steps

Step 01

Written Application – Please submit your resume and responses to the following questions in lieu of a cover letter directly here. We will accept responses shared in a written, visual, video, or audio form. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis with a deadline of Sunday, February 5th. 

• Why do you believe you would be successful in this position?
• What is your superpower? 
• One of the models we anchor our curriculum in is the Social Change Ecosystem. What would be your top three salient roles and why? 
• How do you approach building relationships across lines of difference and power? What aspects of your identity are more salient in your approach?
• What kind of workplace do you thrive in? What kind of workplace do you struggle in?

Step 02

Phone Screen – You will receive an email with a link to schedule a 15-minute phone call with one of the direct supervisors for this role. The purpose of this stage is to assess basic qualifications as outlined in the job description and follow up on any details from your resume or responses. Phone screens will take place on a rolling basis from your application submission until Friday, February 10th. 

Step 03

Work Activity + Scenario One-Way – This is a two-part stage. You will be provided a few questions and sample scenarios of what to expect in the day-to-day of the role and you will be asked to submit a recorded video response to the prompts. You will also be asked to complete a sample work activity of a task that would fall on your plate. You will be provided with resources and guidance for any necessary information. Submissions of both your recorded responses and the sample work activity will be due on Friday, February 17th. 

Step 04

Zoom Panel Interview – This is the official final round. You’ll join an interview with a panel of VCET staff for a 45-minute interview. These questions are intended to get to know you more and how you see yourself in this work, as well as compatibility with the culture & approach of VCET and VAPLP. Interview questions will be shared ahead of time. Interviews will take place Monday, February 27th – Friday, March 3rd. 

Step 05

Reference Check – We will call references of the final candidates Tuesday, March 7th – Thursday, March 9th. You will be asked to provide two to three references who can speak to your work experience and/or interest in social justice, civic engagement, and community-based work.  

Step 06

Offers – Final notifications will be sent out on Friday, March 10th. You’ll be asked to sign a copy of the offer letter, fill out a W-9, provide banking information for electronic payment, and fill out a schedule for March & April. 

Inclusion Statement

VCET is a nonpartisan, 501c3 organization dedicated to fostering greater civic engagement in Virginia that values equity and challenges historical inequity. We are an equal opportunity employer and are deeply committed to building an organization that works towards a more just society. We do not discriminate based on race, ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, physical and mental ability, religion, pregnancy, age, national origin, marital status, citizenship status, veteran other protected classes. We value diversity in lived experiences and perspectives; and we strive to build a workplace where everyone has an equally powerful voice. Applicants from minoritized groups (BIPOC, women/femmes, queer and trans folx, disabled folx, etc.) are strongly encouraged to apply. Research shows that people from minoritized groups apply to jobs only if they meet every single qualification. We encourage you to break that statistic and apply; no one meets every qualification. Our team values empathy & authenticity and is deeply interdependent – we believe it’s not just what we do but how we do. This position requires access to a computer, internet, and reliable transportation. If you do not have a computer or access to the internet, it will not affect your candidacy and we will provide necessary tools and equipment upon hiring.