Events and Program Associate

Description

About the California Coalition for Rural Housing (CCRH): CCRH is a statewide nonprofit organization that works to ensure affordable housing opportunities for low-income households in California. Formed in 1976, CCRH is one of the oldest state low-income housing coalitions in the country. Through advocacy, community organizing, technical assistance, leadership development, research and education, our goal is to make the case for rural housing improvement and strengthen the capacity of the nonprofit and public sectors to provide affordable housing and related facilities. 

Summary: The Events and Program Associate will serve as the internal lead for planning the California Coalition for Rural Housing’s annual multiday Rural Housing Summit (RHS), working closely with a contracted conference coordinator to bring the event to life. This role is primarily responsible for setting the strategic direction, developing compelling content, and ensuring that the RHS reflects the organization’s values, priorities, and impact in rural housing. This position will also provide administrative support to CCRH’s programmatic efforts, specifically to support our Leadership Development and Internship Programs, an affordable housing internship for underrepresented college students.  

This is a full-time, non-exempt position. This position reports to the Director of Operations.  

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:  

Strategic Event Planning (15% time) 

• Define the overall vision, goals, and desired outcomes of the Rural Housing Summit (RHS) and other organizational events in collaboration with internal leadership. 
• Develop and maintain the event theme, content framework, and audience experience. 
• Serve as the primary point of contact between internal stakeholders and the contracted conference planner.  
• In partnership with the conference planner, lead on-site event execution, focusing on content flow, speaker coordination, and attendee experience. 

Program Design & Content Development (20% time) 

• In partnership with other CCRH staff and stakeholders, lead the development of RHS programming, including keynote sessions, panels, workshops, and community-focused engagements. 
• Create and maintain the event website and mobile app experience using Whova, ensuring up-to-date and accurate content for attendees. 
• Coordinate speakers, facilitators, and partners whose work aligns with the RHS’s mission and goals. 
• Ensure content reflects rural housing trends, equity priorities, and community voices. 

Stakeholder Engagement (10% time) 

• Collaborate with CCRH staff to align messaging, sponsorship strategies, and outreach efforts. 
• Cultivate relationships with key partners, sponsors, and community leaders to support content and participation. 
• Ensure RHS is inclusive, accessible, and rooted in the lived experiences of rural, tribal, and farmworker communities. 

Programmatic Administration (45% time) 

• Provides logistical and administrative support to CCRH’s Leadership Development and Internship Programs under the guidance of the Director of Leadership Development. 
• Coordinate travel and logistics for virtual and in-person events related to the Leadership Development and Internship Programs, including Summer and Winter Retreats. 
• Support scheduling, calendaring, and communications for internal meetings, trainings, and planning calls with program staff, interns, and supervisors. 
• Track and maintain records related to intern placements, training activities, program expenses, and evaluation data. 
• Input, organize, and manage documentation related to the internship program, including reports, spreadsheets, surveys, and application materials. 
• Assist with preparation and delivery of digital materials and registration support for virtual Leadership Development and Internship Programs events. 
• Assist other CCRH Program Directors with event preparation, supply orders, and event operations – both in person and virtual. 

Shared Office and Communications Responsibilities (10% time) 

• Assist CCRH is accomplishing its overall mission 
• Assist CCRH in improving internal and external processes for greater efficiency and effectiveness 
• Other duties as assigned 
• Support with office organization and decoration 

Requirements

 Knowledge, Skills, Abilities: 

• Proven experience as an event planner or in a similar role supporting logistics 
• Demonstrated experience problem-solving in real time 
• Strong attention to detail 
• Experience in affordable housing, community development, rural/farmworker/tribal communities preferred. 
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Planner) and other relevant software applications. 
• Excellent communication skills, both verbal and written, with the ability to interact effectively with individuals at all levels. 
• Strong organizational and time management skills, with the ability to prioritize tasks and meet deadlines. 
• Ability to work independently with minimal supervision while also functioning effectively as part of a team. 

This position requires onsite event coordination at the Rural Housing Summit as well as other organizational events. Candidates located in the Sacramento area are preferred. The role is open to candidates from other locations, particularly those that are representative of the geographies that CCRH serves. 

Supervisory Responsibilities:  This position does not include any supervisory responsibilities.  

Hourly Wage Range: $36.38-$41.03/hr This is a non-exempt position.  

Benefits package includes: Health insurance (with vision and dental), retirement plan, and generous paid vacation and personal days. 

CCRH is an Equal Opportunity Employer and considers all employees and job applicants without regard to race, religion, color, gender, age, national origin, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation or marital status, or any other status protected by the law.   

NOTE TO CANDIDATES:  

Studies have shown that women and people of color are less likely to apply for jobs unless they believe they meet every single one of the qualifications as described in a job description. CCRH is committed to building a diverse and inclusive organization. We strongly encourage you to apply, even if you don’t believe you meet every one of the qualifications described or if you require reasonable accommodation to apply for or perform job duties. We strongly encourage black, indigenous, and people of color; people of diverse gender identities, women and LGBTQ+ persons to apply.

Physical and Emotional Demands: 

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is required to:

V – Very Often / F – Frequently / O   – Occasionally / R - Rarely

Sit: V

Use keyboard: V

Stoop, kneel, crouch   or crawl: R

Hear:V

Stand: O

Use hands to feel: R

Climb or balance: R

Talk: V

Walk:O

Reach with hands/arms: R

This job requires that the employee must occasionally lift or move up to 20 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and ability to adjust focus. The noise level in the work environment is usually quiet. 

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. The inability to cope with a stressful work environment does not constitute a protected disability.