Operations Specialist, Affiliate Engagement

ABOUT US

UnidosUS, previously known as NCLR (National Council of La Raza), is the nation’s largest Hispanic civil rights and advocacy organization. Through its unique combination of expert research, advocacy, programs, and an Affiliate Network of nearly 300 community-based organizations across the United States and Puerto Rico, UnidosUS simultaneously challenges the social, economic, and political barriers that affect Latinos at the national and local levels. For more than 50 years, UnidosUS has united communities and different groups seeking common ground through collaboration, and that share a desire to make our community stronger. For more information on UnidosUS, visit www.unidosus.org or follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

SUMMARY

UnidosUS’s active and productive relationships with its network of almost 300 Affiliate organizations are at the heart of UnidosUS’s work and key to its ability to fulfill its mission to improve opportunities for Latinos throughout the country. The purpose of the Affiliate Engagement component is to contribute to the advancement of the organization’s strategic goals by stewarding relationships with Affiliates, identifying opportunities for strategic engagement, and coordinating support that strengthens their organizational development. This position is part of a team that is responsible for the day-to-day communications with UnidosUS’ Affiliates across the United States and Puerto Rico; promoting active participation; ensuring appropriate documentation and record-keeping of Affiliate relationships and engagement; and handle other related duties to support the work of UnidosUS.

The Operations Specialist mainly supports the management of the national network while at the same time supporting the advancement of the organization’s strategic direction in a specific regional portfolio. Success in this role requires initiative to take on diverse tasks, openness to work with a variety of colleagues across the organization in a fast-paced environment, and ability to use the organization’s various data collecting systems.

The ideal candidate will have experience with CRM database and project management systems, administrative support, and a high degree of interpersonal skills. The candidate is resourceful and has acute attention to detail. This position reports to the Director of Affiliate Engagement; however, specific work may be assigned and monitored by other staff project leads. As such, comfort reporting to multiple team members is a must.

This position is hybrid, and will be based in Washington, DC.

Salary: $66,200-$69,700

Essential Functions:

Operations and Technical Support

• Provide timely operations support to the Affiliate Engagement team, including coordinating logistics for team meetings, synthesizing project outcomes, maintaining correspondence such as meeting notes, filing, flagging follow-up/action items, tracking project status, and closing out pending items.
• Maintain and update the Affiliate Engagement data collection systems, in collaboration with the Affiliate Engagement team conducting frequent system updates, manipulation of dashboards and reports.
• Conduct day-to-day data maintenance, merging of large complex data sets, manipulation, and migration from a variety of sources inclusive of other components across the organization, and with Affiliates.
• Track and report on responses to surveys, requests for proposals, and evaluations launched by the Affiliate Engagement team providing ad-hoc briefings, charts, data visualizations, meeting materials, etc.
• Maintain and update Affiliate Engagement listservs on a recurring basis and update team project management systems in a timely manner.
• Support the maintenance and distribution of the weekly digital Affiliate newsletter, including organizing content and drafting the outline in an email marketing system.
• Recommend appropriate workflows within project management systems to support team initiatives and goals.
• In collaboration with the Affiliate Engagement team support the compliance of contracts, invoicing, generating payment requests, and maintaining project files.
• Track, organize, and analyze data for the Affiliate Engagement team to inform decisions for outreach, communications, and capacity-building efforts. This includes using UUS data sources to create reports and other materials for use by colleagues across the organization.
• Working closely with the Digital Services team, assisting with the improvement of the Affiliate Engagement team’s database, providing recommendations on data collecting strategies that optimize statistical efficiency and data quality.
• Collaborate with other components in the organization to ensure that data collection efforts are consistent and timely.
• Provide timely troubleshooting support to Affiliates and internal staff on database access and reporting.

Strategy Implementation Support

• Provide timely and professional support to Affiliates, including courteous management of incoming calls and requests when necessary.
• Help identify trends in Affiliate participation and identify challenges and opportunities to provide recommendations that maximize engagement of Affiliates.
• Support outreach efforts to Affiliates on key UnidosUS events such as the Changemakers Summit, the Annual Conference, and the Fall Regional Convenings.
• Support the management and strategic engagement of Affiliates in an average regional portfolio of 65 organizations, including monitoring needs and assets and offering recommendations to maximize their engagement.
• Understand the organization’s core areas of work and how these may intersect with the interests and capacity of the general regional portfolio.
• Support the development and execution of the UnidosUS strategic direction, including engagement of existing Affiliates, onboarding of new Affiliates, and identification of additional partners to advance the strategy.
• Collaborate with colleagues from other teams and external partners to facilitate meetings, connections and/or convenings with Affiliates.
• Provide AE perspective on cross-component collaborations and other organizational initiatives to elevate Affiliates when needed.
• Support new staff orientations to inform colleagues of the Affiliate Network and how to engage AE on leveraging the Network.

Required Qualifications

Education & Experience

• Bachelor's Degree.
• Minimum of two (2) years of experience in Non-profit organizations, network-based membership management, network governance, and event coordination.
• Minimum of two (2) years of experience with databases or association management software.
• Demonstrated experience with and knowledge of the Latino community.

Desired Qualifications

• Advanced skills of Microsoft 365 suite of programs, SharePoint, and project management tools such as Asana or Monday.com
• High level of CRM database experience that includes the ability to use spreadsheets, develop graphing, tables, calculations, and automation efficiently to process large quantities of data.
• Familiarity with QuickBase.
• Bilingual (English/Spanish) fluency.

Skills and Abilities

• Steadfast commitment to UnidosUS mission, vision, and values: Excellence, Accountability, Respeto.
• Commitment to U.S. Latino community, Latino nonprofit organizations, and the Latino market.
• Grasps new concepts and ideas quickly; willing to test technical system capabilities and recommend operating solutions.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills. Demonstrate the ability to ask questions and be a self-starter with assignments.
• Ability to manage multiple tasks and goals, prioritize among assignments, and problem- solve.
• Ability to recognize opportunities to assist within a project or team meetings.
• Ability to maintain attention to deadlines, and function effectively under pressure and communicate clearly and effectively about workload/priorities.
• Ability to communicate well across all members of the team, collaborates effectively to get things done to building and nurturing strong relationships.
• Solid understanding of the history and context of current social, political, and economic factors affecting the Latino community in the US.
• Demonstrated commitment to Latino civil rights issues and awareness of the policies that impact Latinos and their families.

Competencies

• Analytical-Synthesizes complex or diverse information; Collects and researches data; Uses intuition and experience to complement data; Designs workflows and procedures.
• Written Communication--Writes clearly and informatively; Edits work for spelling and grammar; Varies writing style to meet needs; Presents numerical data effectively; Able to read and interpret written information.
• Teamwork--Balances team and individual responsibilities; Exhibits objectivity and openness to others' views; Gives and welcomes feedback; Contributes to building a positive team spirit; Puts success of team above own interests; Able to build morale and group commitments to goals and objectives; Supports everyone's efforts to succeed.
• Initiative--Volunteers readily; Undertakes self-development activities; Seeks increased responsibilities; Takes independent actions and calculated risks; Looks for and takes advantage of opportunities; Asks for and offers help when needed.
• Quality Management--Looks for ways to improve and promote quality; Demonstrates accuracy and thoroughness.
• Strategic Thinking--Develops strategies to achieve organizational goals; Understands organization's strengths & weaknesses; Analyzes market and competition; Identifies external threats and opportunities; Adapts strategy to changing conditions.
• Adaptability--Adapts to changes in the work environment; Manages competing demands; Changes approach or method to best fit the situation; Able to deal with frequent change, delays, or unexpected events.

Physical Demands and Work Environment

• Accurately complete detailed forms and reports.
• Coordinate multiple tasks simultaneously
• Perform some repetitive motion activities
• Sit for long periods of time
• Frequently/Continually required to talk or hear
• Occasionally required to lift/push light weights up to 25 pounds
• Specific vision abilities required for this job include [close vision, distance vision, peripheral, depth, and ability to adjust or focus]
• The noise level in the work environment usually is quiet to moderately loud
• Travel in the U.S. and onsite presence for media events and activities
• Occasional evening/weekend events, with advance notice

COVID-19 Considerations:

• All employees are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID - 19.

The above is intended to describe the general content of and requirements for the performance of this job. It is not to be construed as an exhaustive statement of duties, responsibilities or physical requirements. Nothing in this job description restricts management’s right to assign or reassign duties and responsibilities to this job at any time. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Employment with UnidosUS is contingent upon the successful completion of a background screen.

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER. All qualified applicants will receive consideration without regard to race, color, national origin, marital status, religion, gender, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, personal appearance, family responsibilities, political affiliation, or enrollment in a college, university, technical school, or adult education.