NYC Capacity Building Coordinator

Founded in 1993, the National Harm Reduction Coalition (NHRC) is a leading advocacy and capacity-building organization dedicated to promoting the health and dignity of individuals and communities affected by drug use and structural violence. Our national organization is committed to advancing harm reduction policy and practice through our comprehensive programs. As a national organization we advance harm reduction policy and practice through six core programs:

1. Harm reduction policy, community mobilization, and advocacy.
2. Harm reduction resources including in-person and virtual training, self-paced online learning modules, publications, and maps to locate syringe service and naloxone programs.
3. National and regional convenings.
4. Grantmaking.
5. Fiscal sponsorship.
6. Technical assistance on overdose prevention education, hepatitis C prevention and treatment, syringe access expansion, linkages to MOUD treatment, and the US opioid crisis.

Our programs center racial equity as guided by our North Star: the National Harm Reduction Coalition creates spaces, dialogue, and action that help heal the harms of racialized drug policies.

Position Summary

The Capacity Building Coordinator will play a key role supporting our capacity-building services in the Northeast. This role will help improve the health and dignity of people who use drugs, engage in sex work, and identify as LGBTQIA+ by coordinating and delivering capacity building and technical assistance.

As part of the Lighthouse Learning Collective in NYC, this role brings together LGBTQIA+ and harm reduction service providers, community members, and advocates to tackle pressing issues impacting LGBTQIA+ people who use drugs and engage in sex work. Responsibilities include collaborating with local partners on policy and advocacy efforts, delivering training on overdose prevention, naloxone distribution, hepatitis C, safer injection practices, medication-assisted treatment, sexual health, and more.

Key Responsibilities

Training & Capacity Building

• Develop and deliver educational materials, training curricula, tools, and quality indicators on various topics relating to the health of LGBTQIA+ people and people who use drugs.
• Support all of our NYC work, including but not limited to providing training sessions for harm reduction and AIDS service organizations, supporting our hepatitis C peer training program, supporting our peer foundational training program, working with the North East team to provide training sessions primarily in NYC as well as across the country.
• Be proactive in keeping up with emerging program models, research, and epidemiologic data to update and refine educational materials, training curricula, and other communications.
• Collaborate with other Learning & Engagement staff to develop program materials and deliver training and technical assistance in relation to our wider capacity building services.
• Assist the LGBTQIA+ Health and Harm Reduction Manager in coordinating the Lighthouse Learning Series.

Lighthouse Learning Collective

• Coordinate the Lighthouse Learning Collective, a collective that brings together providers and participants from LGBTQIA+, harm reduction, and substance use treatment organizations to advance the health of LGBTQIA+ New Yorkers who use drugs.
• Lead recruitment efforts to engage diverse individuals and organizations in the Lighthouse Learning Collective, prioritizing LGBTQIA+, harm reduction, HIV/AIDS, housing, and mental health providers in NYC.
• Maintain consistent and proactive communication with Collective members, ensuring they feel supported and actively engaged in Collective activities and initiatives.
• Continuously assess and address gaps in knowledge, expertise, and resources within the Collective, ensuring members have access to the tools and support they need to grow and thrive.
• Identify and facilitate opportunities for community-building, including organizing events, discussions, and collaborations that foster stronger connections and shared learning among Collective members.

Meetings, Outreach & Advocacy

• Represent NHRC and Lighthouse at stakeholder meetings, ensuring the organization’s values and mission are effectively communicated and upheld.
• Attend meetings, events, and outreach activities relevant to the work.
• Engage with external partners, community organizations, and key stakeholders to build and maintain strong relationships that support program goals.
• Collaborate with LGBTQIA+ Health and Harm Reduction Manager and Associate Director of Capacity Building to Manage New York City/State policy and advocacy work with a particular focus and expertise in work relating to sex work and LGBTQIA+ movements as well as hepatitis C and other harm reduction issues

Social Media & Communications

• Assist the LGBTQIA+ Health and Harm Reduction Manager in creating engaging content for social media platforms, including Instagram, YouTube, Twitter/X, and others as appropriate.
• Monitor social media channels to track engagement, respond to inquiries, and ensure a consistent online presence.
• Collaborate with community partners to strengthen partnerships for social media initiatives and co-create content that aligns with harm reduction and LGBTQIA+ advocacy.
• Work with internal teams and Collective members to ensure messaging and strategies are aligned with program goals.

Additional Responsibilities

• Apply a racial justice lens to harm reduction and center the voices of people with lived experiences of drug use, HIV, hepatitis C, overdose, homelessness, incarceration, and sex work in all work.
• Collaborate across all departments and teams to align strategies, messaging, and priorities.
• Support the conference team on aspects of conceptualizing, planning, and coordinating our biannual National Harm Reduction Conference.

Required Education and Experience

• Minimum of 2 years of experience in non-profit program work, with a background in training delivery and/or technical assistance, coalition-building, and/or providing services to people who use drugs, LGBTQIA+ people, and similar communities.
• High School Diploma or equivalent experience.
• Familiarity with and experience with training curriculum design and facilitation.
• Passionate about using harm reduction principles and approaches to address the intersection of LGBTQIA+ health and drug use.
• Working knowledge of LGBTQIA+ health issues.
• Must be detail-oriented, possess excellent organizational skills, and have the ability to prioritize, multi-task, and meet aggressive deadlines.
• Comfort and proficiency with current technology tools including, but not limited to, G Suite, webinar software for training (Zoom), and project management systems (Asana).
• Self-starter with excellent communication skills.

Preferred education and experience:

• Associates/Bachelors
• Experience using Canva or similar design tools.
• Experience working with youth or young adults, preferably in social services supporting this population.
• Lived/living experience with one or more focus areas (drug use, queer/trans identity, sex work).

Supervisory responsibilities:

• None

Work environment:

• The work environment is typical of an office setting.

Physical demands:

• Sitting, Walking, Standing, Computer Use/Driving, Lifting (up to 25 lbs.).

Travel required:

• The position requires heavy local travel (NYC), approximately 4 - 8 days per month. Occasional domestic travel is required.