Community Engagement Coordinator

Reports to: Program Associate 

Level: Coordinator

Location:  Harris County, TX. We are unable to sponsor or take over sponsorship of employment Visas in the U.S. or U.K. at this time.

Travel Requirement: This position requires local travel within Harris County, and may require limited domestic travel

Compensation: $25.00 hourly. This is a part-time, project-based position, which means it is contingent upon funding. This position will have a fixed term of 3-4 months.

Priority Application Deadline: November 13th 

About the Role:

Since 2017, GiveDirectly has provided cash relief to low-income Americans affected by disasters. Between 2020 and 2021, we distributed $200M to 200,000 households in response to the COVID-19 crisis - 100% remotely. In 2021, GiveDirectly launched a permanent U.S. team to implement cash programs in disaster response and guaranteed income. As part of this effort, we launched the largest guaranteed income program focused on Black women in the U.S., and administer two of the largest government-funded GI programs in the country in Chicago, IL and Cook County, IL.

GiveDirectly has been selected as the program administrator for the Uplift Harris County Guaranteed Income Pilot. The pilot is the county’s first publicly funded guaranteed income initiative at $20 million. The Harris County Uplift Guaranteed Income Pilot will send monthly payments of $500 to around 1,900 residents for 18 months. Applications to participate in the pilot will open this winter.

Community Engagement Coordinator (CECs) will support GiveDirectly’s work with Uplift Harris County Guaranteed Income Pilot. As a member of the Harris County-based team, you will verify applicant eligibility for the program, directly support applicants in enrollment, use tools to help applicants make an informed decision about participating in the program, and support program staff in engaging applicants throughout the application and enrollment process. 

The CEC position will be part time, the number of hours will vary from week to week, and will average approximately 30 hours per week. We’re looking for candidates who will be based in Harris County, Illinois. While some work may be done remotely, throughout January and February you will be required to support in-person enrollment events throughout the city of Houston and Harris County. 
 

What you'll do:

• Clearly communicate complex information
• Maintain confidentiality
• Conduct phone/email outreach to applicants
• Provide high quality customer service to all applicants you interact with
• Answer questions and provide information to assist applicants in submitting required documentation, making an informed decision about participating in the program, and enrolling in the program
• Review documentation from applicants to confirm their eligibility for the program 
• Assist with scheduled in person enrollment events throughout Harris County, TX
• Use a benefits counseling tool to help recipients understand any potential effect on their benefits
• Conduct other programmatic/logistical tasks, where required
• Collaborate with the team on ways to improve processes for applicants

What you'll bring:

• Alignment with GiveDirectly Values and active demonstration of our core competencies: emotional intelligence, problem solving, project management, follow-through, and fostering inclusivity. We welcome and strongly encourage applications from candidates who have personal or professional experience in the low-income and/or historically marginalized communities that we serve.
• Language Requirement:  English Proficiency 
• Language Preferences: We encourage candidates who are bilingual in any of Harris County’s commonly used languages (including Spanish and Vietnamese) to apply
• Proficiency in Excel
• Residency in Harris County, TX for the duration of the contract (relocation reimbursement is not available)
• Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to show respect and openness toward someone whose social and cultural background is different from one’s own – CEOs will be the face of our program for recipients and will need to approach all communications and interactions with an eye toward delivering the best possible experience for recipients.
• Great communication skills – CEOs will explain the program and process to recipients and collect and discuss potentially sensitive information about income and government benefits. Discretion and good judgment are paramount.
• Technological literacy – CEOs will need fluency and comfort using computers and tablets.
• Fast learner – CEOs must learn the complexities of our operations, and communicate those to applicants.
• Ability to work both independently and as a team member with personal enthusiasm, optimism, humility, and a sense of humor.
• Candidates who have personal or professional experience in the low-income and/or historically marginalized communities that we serve are encouraged to apply.
• Experience with customer service or in a client-facing role is a plus
• Ability to travel locally

About GiveDirectly

GiveDirectly (GD) provides cash grants directly to people living in extreme poverty. GD has raised over $800M since launching in 2011, delivered cash to more than 1.2 million recipients, and launched offices in 11 countries. We’re continuing expansion across the Global South. Over the past decade, GD has also supported large-scale, experimental research, expanding the evidence that cash has a positive short and long-term impact on  recipients. As a result, GD has been celebrated as one of the most innovative non-profit companies byFast Company, while the growing cash transfer movement (and GD’s leading role within it) has been featured in theNew York Times Magazine,This American Life,Foreign Affairs, andThe Economist.

Across our global offices, our culture is candid, analytical, non-hierarchical, and agile. We work alongside 750+ individuals who come from 21 different countries and speak 69 different languages. Team members at GiveDirectly attest that diversity, equity, and inclusion are not just buzzwords, but a fundamental part of our culture and values. We actively seek to recruit individuals from the communities we serve, and use DEI as a lens in our hiring practices, programs, and initiatives. Our goal is to maintain a workplace where everyone can bring their authentic selves to work, and feel valued and respected for who they are. We continue to grapple with balancing inclusivity of all cultures and experiences while maintaining cohesion in our values. While there is much that we are still learning, we take care of one another, have fun, as well as provide flexible working hours wherever possible. We are proud to be an equal opportunity employer, and we do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, or any other status protected by law.