Serve Philadelphia VISTA Member Experience Coordinator

A best-in-class city that attracts best-in-class talent, Philadelphia is an incredible place to build a career. From our thriving arts scene and rich history to our culture of passion and grit, there are countless reasons to love living and working here. With a workforce of over 30,000 people, and more than 1,000 different job categories, the City of Philadelphia offers boundless opportunities to make an impact.

As an employer, the City of Philadelphia values inclusion, integrity, innovation, empowerment, and hard work above all else. We offer a vibrant work environment, comprehensive health care and benefits, and the experience you need to grow and excel. If you’re interested in working with a passionate team of people who care about the future of Philadelphia, start here.

What we offer

• Impact - The work you do here matters to millions. 
• Growth - Philadelphia is growing, why not grow with it? 
• Diversity & Inclusion - Find a career in a place where everyone belongs.
• Benefits - We care about your well-being.

Agency Description

The Office of Community Empowerment and Opportunity (CEO) provides leadership on issues of economic justice by advancing racial equity and inclusive growth to ensure that all Philadelphians share in the city’s prosperous future and by alleviating the immediate impact of poverty on individuals, families and communities.  CEO is Philadelphia’s Community Action Agency (CAA); CAAs are private or public agencies created by the 1964 Economic Opportunity Act and federally designated to receive Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) funding.

Guiding Principles (We believe…)

• The people of Philadelphia deserve the opportunity to live happy, healthy, full lives. 
• City Government should both recognize its culpability in creating and sustaining inequity and aspire to its responsibility to provide opportunities, represent the best interests, and promote the well-being of all residents. 
• People can offer meaningful insights into both personal experiences and how systems around them function. 
• Poverty is a deliberately created systemic issue and city government can lead in calling for justice and dismantling the barriers that often prevent opportunities. 

Values (How we work)

• Dignity: We actively respect our individual colleagues and people in the community.
• Inclusivity: Our work is more beneficial, valuable, and valid when our full range of experiences, knowledge, and skills can contribute.
• Persistence: We recognize the challenges inherent in this work, and when we get discouraged, we find ways to be resilient, lift each other up, and push forward.
• Accountability: We are transparent and honest about our plans, our actions, and our results.
• Honesty: We create a space to have healthy, honest dialogues about systems, people, and misconceptions and then communicate truthfully.

Position Summary

The Serve Philadelphia VISTA Program places 30+ full-time AmeriCorps service members across 20+ City Departments for one year to address the root causes and impacts of poverty for Philadelphians. The VISTA Member Experience Coordinator will be responsible for onboarding and providing ongoing support to Serve Philadelphia VISTA Corps Members throughout their year-long service term. This critical role will ensure that VISTAs are supported in completing their term of service and are provided with the tools they need to succeed during and after service. They will work closely with the VISTA Sub-site Coordinator, Outreach & Recruitment Coordinator, and VISTA Program Director to ensure overall project success.

Essential Functions

The duties of the Serve Philadelphia VISTA Member Experience Coordinator include:

• Manage VISTA monthly reporting
• Compile and produce quarterly, annual and other reports to the federal grant funder
• Support Outreach & Recruitment Coordinator in the logistics of member enrollment
• Manage pre-service support and communication with incoming VISTA members once they are selected and enrolled
• Coordinate logistics for the VISTA member onboarding process including a week-long orientation for incoming VISTA members
• Plan and coordinate VISTA lifecycle experiences, including, but not limited to monthly professional development and team building workshops, retreats, trimester check-ins, Lightning Talks, and End of Service celebration.
• Support creation and operation of VISTA Committees, Affinity Groups and other community-enhancing initiatives
• Build and maintain relationships with internal and external trainers and workshop facilitators to support professional development for the VISTA Corps
• Develop and maintain a program to support member career pipelines and post-service opportunities
• Assist in the administration of the Serve Philadelphia VISTA Program
• Support program expansion through relationships, training and innovative tactics
• Act as a representative of Serve Philadelphia on the National Service Task Force
• Support the Serve Philadelphia VISTA team’s strategic efforts to increase the diversity of VISTA applicants and decrease barriers to service
• Onboard VISTA Leaders, may supervise at least 1 VISTA Leader
• Other duties as assigned

Competencies, Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Strong critical thinking and problem-solving skills
• Clear understanding of best practices in event planning, learning & development, and/or volunteer engagement/retention.
• Experience with instructional design, coaching/and or advising; Ability to empathize with, create solutions, and coach others towards meeting goals
• Track record of fruitful collaborative teamwork, as well as the ability to execute work independently
• Effective oral and written communication with diverse audiences
• Action oriented; an individual not afraid to roll up their sleeves and get into the details of the operation.
• Exceptional time management skills with capacity to work simultaneously on multiple tasks and projects and deliver on deadline.
• Excited about identifying opportunities to strengthen existing systems, creating and/or enhancing implementation strategies, taking calculated risks, and working with a team to implement action plans.
• Commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion values.
• Comfort working with data and digital systems.
• Excellent people-centered customer service skills
• Able to build new and steward existing collaborative relationships with stakeholders.

• At least 2-3 years of experience in program coordination
• AmeriCorps service experience is preferred, but not required

TO APPLY: Interested candidates must submit a cover letter and resume.

Salary: $62,500

Discover the Perks of Being a City of Philadelphia Employee:

• Transportation: City employees get unlimited FREE public transportation all year long through SEPTA’s Key Advantage program. Employees can ride on SEPTA buses, subways, trolleys, and regional rail for their daily commute and more.
• Parental Benefits: The City offers its employees 8 weeks of paid parental leave.
• We offer Comprehensive health coverage for employees and their eligible dependents.
• Our wellness program offers eligibility into the discounted medical plan
• Employees receive paid vacation, sick leave, and holidays
• Generous retirement savings options are available
• Pay off your student loans faster - As a qualifying employer, City of Philadelphia employees are eligible to participate in the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program. Join the ranks of hundreds of employees who have already benefited from this program and achieved student loan forgiveness.
• Unlock Tuition Discounts and Scholarships - The City of Philadelphia has forged partnerships with over a dozen esteemed colleges and universities in the area, ensuring that our employees have access to a wide range of tuition discounts and scholarships. Experience savings of 10% to 40% on your educational expenses, extending not only to City employees but in some cases, spouse and dependents too!

Join the City of Philadelphia team today and seize these incredible benefits designed to enhance your financial well-being and personal growth!

*The successful candidate must be a city of Philadelphia resident within six months of hire

Effective May 22, 2023, vaccinations are no longer required for new employees that work in non-medical, non-emergency or patient facing positions with the City of Philadelphia. As a result, only employees in positions providing services that are patient-facing medical care (ex: Nurses, doctors, emergency medical personnel), must be fully vaccinated.

The City of Philadelphia is an Equal Opportunity employer and does not permit discrimination based on race, ethnicity, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, national origin, ancestry, age, disability, marital status, source of income, familial status, genetic information or domestic or sexual violence victim status. If you believe you were discriminated against, call the Philadelphia Commission on Human Relations at 215-686-4670 or send an email to [email protected].

For more information, go to: Human Relations Website: http://www.phila.gov/humanrelations/Pages/default.aspx