Community Relations and Program Recruiting Assistant

---

Job description

The Sorensen Institute for Political Leadership seeks applications for a Community Relations and Program Recruiting Assistant to join their team within the Weldon Cooper Center at the University of Virginia.

Sorensen Institute for Political Leadership was founded in 1993 to bring together diverse individuals with a passion for politics and public service who have a wide variety of viewpoints and backgrounds but want to work together for the common good. Our non-partisan educational mission is to develop leaders who can strengthen and enhance the quality of government, politics, and civic engagement at all levels throughout Virginia.

The role of the community relations and program recruiting assistant is a varied one that combines elements of relationship building, promoting participation in programs, volunteer coordination, and stakeholder management. The primary objective is to nurture meaningful relationships with key members of the Sorensen Institute community, encourage people to apply to participate in Sorensen programs, build awareness about Sorensen with audiences around the Commonwealth of Virginia, and support engagement with individuals and organizations able to support Sorensen's work. The community relations and program recruiting assistant will be an important ambassador for the Institute with responsibilities for promoting Sorensen's mission and vision to various relevant communities and individuals.

The person in this position will report to the Director of the Sorensen Institute, which is a unit within the Weldon Cooper for Public Service at the University of Virginia.

Through a variety of programs-for high school and college leaders to first-time political candidates to emerging leaders to leaders with experience in the public or private sector the Sorensen Institute has established itself as a powerful and effective force for restoring public confidence in our political system.

At the heart of every Sorensen program are three central themes: ethics in public service, the power of bipartisanship, and a concentrated study of public policy issues.

The Sorensen Institute staff operates as a team within the Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service at the University of Virginia. The Cooper Center serves leaders and communities throughout the Commonwealth of Virginia by providing top quality research, innovative leadership development programs, and locality support and engagement.

The Community Relations and Program Recruiting Assistant will provide Sorensen with skills and capacity in the areas of: community engagement; strengthening regional ties; enhancing Sorensen's diversity, equity and inclusion efforts; increasing public awareness of Sorensen and support for its mission; broadening Sorensen's public engagement about its programs and their positive impact in communities; developing partnerships; incorporating volunteer efforts; and generating and facilitating public appearances by Sorensen's Director and staff to build public awareness of Sorensen's impact and needs. While each of the areas of responsibility is important, the prioritization for each area will vary during different parts of the year.

Key community relations and program recruiting areas of responsibility include:

• Ability to implement and help develop a strategic recruiting program for applicants
• Engage with leaders in communities underrepresented in Sorensen programs
• Assist Sorensen's Director with outreach to the Sorensen Advisory Board, donors, program speakers, and public officials
• Expand and measure Sorensen's recruiting effectiveness and impact in communities
• Use applications and programs to support database management; presentation modes; submissions by applicants to Sorensen programs, and event platforms
• Recruiting and community engagement event planning, logistics, marketing, and production
• Monitor and provide recommendations re diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts

Competencies, Attributes, and Skills:

The competencies required for the new Community Relations and Program Recruiting Assistant include:

• Associates degree is required, Bachelor's degree preferred. Relevant internship, volunteer work, or community-based roles
• Excellent written, oral communication, and presentation skills
• Excellent interpersonal skills
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office suite, presentation software, and databases
• Ability to build rapport with organizations and community groups
• Interest in civic engagement, politics, governing, and adult education
• Experience in working and building constructive relations with constituency groups
• Demonstrated proficiency in promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion
• Event planning skills

The attributes of the ideal applicant will include being self-motivated and able to: thrive in a collegial environment among people strongly committed to Sorensen's mission; work independently as part of a team focused on institutional priorities; work calmly and professionally, especially during those occasional times when the team finds itself in pressure situations; and uphold ethical standards generally and, particularly, with respect to handling confidential information.

The skills associated with the position will include the ability to: work in a collaborative environment; adjust priorities over the course of the year; manage multiple projects simultaneously and effectively; engage in productive oral and written conversations with team and community members; identify areas for follow up and respond accordingly; communicate results effectively to the Director and other staff members, as appropriate, primarily via email; focus on opportunities to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion; participate effectively in daily staff meetings conducted principally via Zoom to help coordinate assignments; learn methods and processes and watch for opportunities to recommend ways to improve those methods and processes; work effectively with Microsoft office tools and presentation software; and help maintain and update shared databases.

Salary And Benefits: The salary for the position will be commensurate with education and experience with a maximum salary of $38,000. The University of Virginia offers a competitive benefits package. For more information on the benefits at UVA, visit hr.virginia.edu/benefits.

Preferred Work Location: Charlottesville, Virginia. Some remote location work may be possible. This position will require some in-state travel and occasional weekend and evening work consistent with Sorensen's programming that includes some evening and weekend hours. Driver's license and access to reliable transportation is preferred.

Non-discrimination: The University of Virginia, including the Sorensen Institute, is fundamentally committed to the diversity of our faculty and staff. We believe diversity is excellence expressing itself through every person's perspectives and lived experiences. We are equal opportunity and affirmative action employers. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, color, disability, gender identity or expression, marital status, national or ethnic origin, political affiliation, race, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, veteran status, and family medical or genetic information.

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion: Over its first two hundred years, the University of Virginia has been at the forefront of producing global citizen leaders, groundbreaking research and scholarship, and world-class patient care. As the University enters its third century, it continuously seeks to define and redefine itself, motivated by its shared passion for discovery, innovation, community, service, and social justice. One of the University's top priorities is to create a living, learning, and work environment that supports - and challenges - its academic community. To achieve its mission, the University must be a place in which all faculty, students, and staff are active participants in its work, where those groups historically excluded from participation in University life are present in numbers that prevent isolation of the spirit and of the mind, and where each individual is conscious of how they contribute to the creation and dissemination of knowledge that enhances the well-being of the community, the state, the nation, and the world. Committed to attracting and retaining a diverse staff, University Advancement honors your experiences, perspectives, and unique identity. It strives to create and maintain working environments that are inclusive, equitable, and welcoming so it can best achieve its mission of supporting its broadly diverse partners, schools, and networks of engaged alumni, parents, and friends of the University.

To nominate a candidate, please contact Lawrence Roberts, Director of the Sorensen Institute:

Application Instructions: All applications must be accompanied by a cover letter and rsum. Cover letters should be responsive to the mission and vision of the Sorensen Institute as well as the responsibilities and qualifications stated above. Review of applications will begin immediately and continue until the successful candidate has been selected. All inquiries will be held in confidence. To apply for this position through Workday.

For additional information about the application process please contact Ashley Cochran, Senior Recruiter at .

For more information about UVA and the Charlottesville community please see and

..... click apply for full job details