Uncommon Schools is a non-profit network of 53 outstanding public charter schools in grades K-12 across New York, New Jersey and Massachusetts. Our mission is to start and manage outstanding urban public charter schools that close the achievement gap and prepare students from low-income backgrounds for success in college and beyond. We are accomplishing that mission every day, with a college graduation rate that is well above the national average and thousands of stories of our students and alumni achieving their dreams.

The External Affairs Coordinator will organize and empower our parents and schools to ensure high quality schools for every family through local and state level advocacy. The Coordinator will establish and nurture relationships with key elected officials and community leaders to ensure that they know, support and protect our schools; as well as design and execute on programs and initiatives that deepen the relationships between the schools and the communities we serve. The Coordinator will also advance our external-facing communications and initiatives, including school tour management, website and social media oversight, logistical support of external events and board meetings, and other administrative responsibilities. The position will report directly to the Regional Senior Director for Boston.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES 

• Analyze and navigate the education and political landscape in Boston and Massachusetts.
• Develop and nurture relationships with elected representatives at the local, county and state level.
• Attend community events regularly in the communities we serve. 
• Educate community leaders, advocates and elected officials about our schools through relationship building, school visits, community events, etc.
• Manage and conduct outreach to Roxbury Prep families and communities associated with our schools regarding opportunities for advocacy and involvement.
• Lead non-partisan voter registration and get out the vote campaigns among families, in coordination with schools.
• Organize events and activities that provide families with an opportunity to have their voices heard in their community and by city, state, and national leadership.
• Identify and train parent leaders at each of our schools to engage with elected officials and community leaders, mobilize large groups of parents for advocacy events and initiatives, and lead school-based community engagement efforts.
• Design, initiate, and execute events and initiatives that deepen the connections between our schools and the communities our schools serve.
• Manage stakeholder database, ensuring data entry and data integrity in databases
• Track progress around all outreach efforts, analyze progress data, and design plans to adjust to real-time data.
• Manage monthly tour schedule for donors, educators and prospective parents
• Manage regional website updates, social media platforms and school and Board of Trustee newsletters
• Provide logistics support for events (e.g. advocacy rallies, professional development workshops for district partners, board meetings)
• Execute actions step for board meeting preparation (e.g. monthly communications, information gathering, packet creation, meeting minutes, etc.)
• Provide general administrative support
  • Manage purchasing and invoicing tasks and processes
  • Schedule meeting with various stakeholders
  • Capture and disseminate meeting notes

• Strong strategic, analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to create and maintain systems that enhance organization efficiency.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills (written and verbal).
• Ability to initiate and build relationship with various stakeholders.
• Team player who is a self-motivated "go-getter" with the ability to lead and motivate others.
• Comfortable with ambiguity, flexible and able to adapt quickly to changing priorities, and a sense of humor in the face of competing demands.
• Knowledge of Massachusetts and Boston public education, charter schools, and political landscape highly preferred.
• Self-awareness with the ability to reflect and adapt to diverse environments.
• Cultural competency and experience working with families from diverse ethnic and class backgrounds.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Outlook, Excel, PowerPoint), Google Applications and Social Media Platforms (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram).
• Flexibility of schedule for early morning, evening and weekend meetings and events.
• Fluency in Spanish preferred.
• Must have access to a personal vehicle to travel to our schools and community events. 

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE

• Bachelor’s degree required.
• Minimum three years of professional experience in organizing, community engagement or other relevant work with schools and families in communities similar to those we serve.
• Prior experience planning and managing large scale projects.
• Prior experience with grassroots field organizing, including experience in political or issues campaigns, or leading a field organizing team a plus.

Uncommon Schools offers competitive salaries commensurate with experience and a comprehensive benefits package.  Aside from extensive professional development, all our staff members are equipped with a laptop computer, email, and all necessary supplies.

Uncommon believes in the importance of being a diverse, equitable and inclusive organization that enables our students and staff to thrive. We are committed to building a talented team that reflects the diverse backgrounds and experiences of our students. At the same time, we work to ensure an inclusive community through creating a space for important dialogue about issues of race and identity for our staff and students.  As an equal opportunity employer, we hire without consideration to race, religion, creed, color, national origin, age, gender, sexual orientation, marital status, veteran status or disability.