Advocacy Engagement Coordinator at Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank – Duquesne, Pennsylvania

Organized, detail-oriented team player with passion for building relationships and elevating the voices of those who care about food insecurity.

Supports the development and execution of Government Affairs team efforts to engage internal and external stakeholders in advocacy to mobilize the community around addressing hunger and its root causes. Stakeholders include but are not limited to neighbors experiencing food insecurity, staff, board members, community partners, volunteers and donors. Engagement efforts include educating stakeholders on anti-hunger policies, coordinating grassroots advocacy efforts, organizing meetings and events, directly supporting neighbors to share their experiences with food insecurity, and other duties as assigned.

Advocacy Engagement Coordinator will directly support the Neighbor Leadership Council, a group of 8-15 neighbors with recent lived experience in food insecurity, to advocate on federal, state and local policies impacting hunger in the region. This will include facilitating skill and confidence building with neighbors as well as completing administrative tasks, such as organizing logistics for the meetings, including arranging transportation, food, and supplies and coordinating with council members individually to provide support as needed.

Key Responsibilities:

Neighbor Engagement

• Communicates directly with neighbors who are food insecure to recruit, support, and retain enrollment on the Neighbor Leadership Council
• Supports neighbors to share their stories through direct and indirect engagement with elected officials and media with guidance from Government Affairs Director
• Ensures timely communication with neighbors before and after meetings and events to coordinate logistics including food, transportation, payment, and other needs as necessary.
• Facilitates structured activities with the council and supports council members to take on progressive leadership opportunities.
• Supports the overall operations of Neighbor Leadership Council and other neighbor advocacy engagement efforts.
• Communicates with former neighbor council alumni to participate in advocacy opportunities as they arise.

Stakeholder Engagement

• Supports development and implementation of strategies to engage a broad array of stakeholders, including staff, volunteers, partners and donors in grassroots advocacy.
• Designs and presents advocacy related educational information to volunteer groups, staff members, the Board of Directors, civic organizations, political groups, college groups, and others.
• Collaborates with Communications & Government Affairs team to develop and share advocacy content through social media, blog, internal SharePoint page, and other communication channels, focusing on tailoring messages to engage diverse stakeholders.
• Directly communicates advocacy opportunities to stakeholders in person and electronically through meetings, events and online communications.
• Gathers stories from people we serve and agency representatives to use in advocacy materials and efforts with elected officials and/or staff
• Identifies neighbors, volunteers, staff, and/or agency representatives for advocacy opportunities (including presentation of testimony, writing letters to the editor or op/eds, and district office visits)
• Travels to communities to engage stakeholders across our service area.
• Coordinates across departments, particularly with the Collective Impact working groups, to engage stakeholders in advocacy efforts.

Administrative

• Coordinates communication and shared processes across internal departments to ensure collaboration with staff who manage external relationships, such as volunteers, donors, and partners.
• Supports the Director to track and manage relationships with existing and new coalition partners around food insecurity and root cause issues.
• Maintains accurate and regular record of activities, including tracking engagements with individuals and groups on internal data tracking tools including the Neighbor CRM, a shared database of neighbors engaging in activities across departments.
• Supports tracking of government relations activities through Politico Pro and other tools as directed.
• Supports broader Government Affairs department goals, including but not limited to organizing and attending events, tracking data and preparing materials as needed.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience in Social Work, Community Engagement, Community Organizing or other relevant field.
• At least two years of experience in a nonprofit work environment, preferably with a record of successful relationship management or community organizing experience. Direct experience working with people who have experienced food insecurity or other poverty-related concerns preferred.
• Excellent organizational, communication and writing skills; strong interpersonal skills; ability to work both independently and as part of a team.
• Ability to maintain positive attitude and work environment; ability to work with a diverse group of people
• Working knowledge of Microsoft Office, including Excel, Word and PowerPoint, and experience with basic online software tools necessary. Prior experience with Canva or other design software a plus.
• Experience with data tracking software or CRMs a plus.
• Excellent planning/organizing skills, prioritizes and plans activities, uses time efficiently and completes work on-time and with minimal errors.
• Excellent problem-solving skills with the ability to identify and resolve problems in a timely manner.
• Demonstrates accuracy, thoroughness and monitors own work to ensure excellent quality.
• Excellent written, verbal, interpersonal and customer service skills.
• Comfortable with presenting or facilitating in group settings.
• Willing to work flexible schedule with occasional evening and weekend events.
• Valid drivers’ license.
• Act 33 & 34 Clearances

Disclaimer:

The preceding job description has been designed to indicate the general nature and level of work performed by employees within this classification. It is not designed to contain or be interpreted as a comprehensive inventory of all responsibilities, duties, and qualifications required of employees assigned to this job.