Program Officer – Workforce & Financial Prosperity

Background

Rural LISC’s Workforce and Financial Prosperity team supports a network of more than 100+ nonprofit partners in deploying an inclusive economic development framework that expands the ability of people, places, and businesses to contribute to equitable prosperity, so that all can thrive. This pillar takes an integrated approach by forging unique public-private partnerships and leveraging a range of strategies (including Rural Works collaboratives, Financial Opportunity Centers (FOC), and the Digital Navigator model) to address community needs.

Summary

Position Overview:

Rural LISC creates accessible opportunities for people to find jobs that increase their income and assets, and at the same time, it grows businesses and rebuilds neighborhood economies through integrated strategies that develop people, places, and businesses. The Program Officer will support these efforts, reporting to the Senior Program Officer of Workforce & Financial Prosperity, and will focus on Rural LISC’s work in workforce development, financial capability, business development, and safety & justice efforts.

The core program this position will support are Rural LISC’s Rural Works program and the Rural Financial Opportunity Center network. The Program Officer will work closely with the Senior Program Officer to build our capacity to assist rural workforce-facing nonprofits, post-secondary institutions of higher learning, and employer partners in national best practices, employment and financial capability technical assistance, and justice and equity outcomes.

Responsibilities

• Assist with research and prospecting for potential funding opportunities for workforce and financial prosperity program support, support grant writing, and grant reporting.
• Helping craft materials and language for website, collateral, social media, and slide decks for workforce and financial prosperity programming.
• Stay up to date and share best practices in workforce, financial prosperity, and safety & justice issues.
• Lead research and technical consultants to provide timely, high-quality deliverables to further the national discussion on rural investment and impact.
• Develop safety and justice strategies to be integrated in existing workforce and financial capability programming.
• Support the development and facilitation of webinars and training sessions for partners.
• Assist and oversee special projects on an as-needed basis.

Program Responsibilities: 

• Program Management & Implementation: support grant and program administration functions for all workforce, financial prosperity, small business, and safety & justice programs operating at Rural LISC.
• Capacity Building & Technical Assistance: assess needs, identify opportunities, and provide tailored TA to rural workforce-facing nonprofits, post-secondary institutions of higher learning, employer partners, employment and financial coaching organizations, and safety & justice program partners in Rural LISC’s network.
• Relationship Management: build and maintain strong relationships with local, regional and national stakeholders for collaborative rural development efforts, including public, private and nonprofit partners. Serve as a lead technical assistance provider and relationship manager for a portfolio of Rural LISC partners.
• Support Financial Opportunity Centers (FOC) in their efforts in monitoring and improving their customer outcomes in the LISC Salesforce platform, leveraging local and national funding to increase their capacity, and providing technical assistance in deepening their service delivery and financial and employment coaching.
• Gather and report on best practices and success stories of program partners to be incorporated into Rural LISC’s communication plan.
• Collaborate closely with Rural LISC’s other programming pillars to deploy and/or scale promising intersectional strategies.

Requirements

Qualifications:

The ideal candidate should have knowledge of financial capability, workforce development, community development, training and certification curriculum creation, data management, partnership relationships, and/or private and public funding.

• Minimum of 3 years of relevant experience in economic development, financial coaching, community development, safety & justice, and/or workforce development.
• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university, or significant relevant experience.
• Experience with capacity-building, training and credentialing, skills-based hiring and coaching, financial education and literacy, and/or apprenticeship and on-the-job training programming.
• Working knowledge of the economic, political, and social environments in rural communities, especially lower-income neighborhoods, organizations, and community development efforts strongly preferred.
• Ability to communicate effectively with team members and partners with varying levels of technical knowledge and expertise.
• Ability to communicate through verbal and written methods, with research, analysis and relationship skills.
• Fluent Spanish-speaker a high priority.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office suite required. Advanced knowledge of Microsoft Excel, Salesforce, Form Assembly, SmartSheets, and other database systems preferred.
• Experience working in a remote work environment is a plus.

This position has flexibility in terms of location, as long as it is in the United States or its territories. Comfort in a second language is a plus. Approximately 15-20% travel will be required for site visits, conferences, and pillar strategy sessions.

Compensation and Benefits

LISC offers a competitive salary ($62,300 – $77,900) and excellent fringe benefits.

How to Apply

To apply please submit your application using this LINK