Program Coordinator, Community & Economic Advisory Program

Since 1968, Build Up Justice NYC has provided free legal services for low-income residents of Brooklyn, pursuing neighborhood-based mission of justice, empowerment, and community development. For over half a century, we have utilized an array of legal and advocacy strategies—community organizing, affirmative civil rights litigation, and eviction defense to defend the rights of individuals and families. Collaboration with the city, state, and federal officials to enforce housing laws and develop legislative solutions is also an integral part of our strategy.  Build Up Justice NYC has three core programs—Preserving Affordable Housing (PAH) Program, Consumer & Economic Advocacy (CEA) Program, and Community & Economic Development (CED) Program—each of which has unique initiatives and plays a vital community role to ensure basic needs are met and fundamental rights affirmed.

The CEA Program uses civil legal remedies in the state and federal courts such as representing clients in foreclosure litigation, homeowners against deed theft and modification scams through affirmative litigation and assists homeowners with loan modifications and tax and water liens. The CEA Program also provides non-legal advocacy such as town hall meetings, providing referrals, and working with coalitions for legislative policy changes to protect economic equity of low-and moderate-income families. The Program goal is to strive to ensure that economically vulnerable groups have strong safeguards in place to help them build and maintain assets throughout their financial lives. The CEA Program manages the Low-Income Taxpayer Clinic that represents low-income taxpayers in tax disputes with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and New York State Department of Taxation and Finance and educates low-income and ESL taxpayers about taxpayer rights and responsibilities and advocate on their behalf. Build Up Justice NYC is currently one of the few not-for-profit legal service organizations in the country handling from inception to end in-depth and complex Chapter 13 and Chapter 11 bankruptcies.

Position Summary:

The Program Coordinator will be responsible for providing administrative support, intake screenings, data entry and reporting, and participating in community outreach and educational activities. They will work directly with clients by performing intake interviews, managing the team calendar and attend meetings with internal and external program stakeholders. 

Job Responsibilities:

• Perform intake and screening, and provide advocacy and informational services to potential clients by phone, email and at clinical programs in the community and community events;  

• Maintain program data in case management systems and assist with gathering and monitoring data for grant reporting; 

• Create and prepare program collateral materials for outreach initiatives such as webinars, workshops; training sessions and other outreach activities;  

• Work directly with external stakeholders to coordinate, support, and attend webinars, events, and clinics for low-income taxpayer participants in targeted neighborhoods; 

• Manage program director and team calendar and scheduling to include client contact and meeting follow-up;  

• Maintain paper and electronic file system to ensure all information is accounted for complete;  

• Maintain up-to-date client information in BUJNYC’s and funder’s data management systems to ensure accurate data collection and statistical tracking for report preparation; 

• Track intern and volunteer time and manage participation in workshops, trainings, etc.; 

• Collaborate as needed with program director and development team to write narrative reports for grant and contracts; 

• Attend meetings and perform administrative tasks related to the work, such scanning, filing, note taking and preparing minutes of meetings, responding to emails/voice messages, etc.;  

• Assist with onboarding and training new team members on Legal Server and CEA procedures;  

• Schedule Pro Bono CEA projects and maintaining timekeeping records for all interns and volunteers;  

• Other duties as assigned.  

Qualifications:

• A Bachelor’s Degree, preferred and a minimum 4 years’ experience working in an adminstrative/project coordinator function, preferably in the nonprofit sector
• Prior experience working with low-income communities, community organizations and/or coalitions, a plus;

• Excellent interpersonal skills and demonstrated ability to effectively communicate with individuals from diverse backgrounds, local organizations and people in desperate crisis; 

• Demonstrated ability to interact with client/tenants of different races, ethnicities, ages, and sexual orientations in a multicultural environment and a commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion; 

• Excellent writing in English, bi-lingual Spanish preferred; 

• Proficiency with MS Word, Excel and PowerPoint and other standard data management systems required, related certifications a plus; 

• Strong reporting and recordkeeping skills, including the ability to synthesize lots of quantifiable and qualitative data into clear, plain language and readable charts and checklists;  

• Must be able to work strategically within a team structure as well as independently, multi-task and work under tight deadlines; 

• Dependability, good time management and organizational skills and be attentive to detail;  

• Thorough commitment to Build Up Justice NYC’s mission. 

Compensation & Benefits

Annual salary $68.900—82,300, dependent on years of experience. Benefits highlights - 27 days vacation; employer paid health, dental and vision insurance; employer contribution to 401(k); and paid parental leave.

To apply

If you are interested in this position, you must submit your resume and a cover letter telling us why your experiences would make you a good applicant for this role. This Brooklyn-based position is hybrid -- in-office 3 days/remote work 2 days.  

Build Up Justice NYC is a diverse team that is committed to recruiting, supporting, retaining, and promoting a talented staff with diverse backgrounds and experiences that share the organization's commitment to racial, economic and social justice. At Build Up Justice NYC diversity encompasses a variety of characteristics, lifestyles, and perspectives, including race, ethnicity, national origin, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, education, disability, socio-economic status, and family status. We firmly believe that a diverse, equitable and inclusive environment is essential to both the quality of our client services and the personal satisfaction of our staff. 

We encourage applicants of diverse backgrounds to apply, including women, people of color, immigrants, people with disabilities, LGBTQ people, people from low-income backgrounds, and with lived experiences in the communities we serve.  All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, age, physical disability, or length of time spent unemployed.