Position Title: Director

Organization: Community Action for Safe Apartments (CASA) - New Settlement

Reports to: Guided by the Director of Organizing at New Settlement

Position: Full-Time, On-site, Exempt

Location: Bronx, New York

Salary: $85,000 - $95,000 depending on experience

About Community Action for Safe Apartments (CASA) - New Settlement

A pioneering not-for-profit affordable housing developer and community programs initiator in New York City, Settlement Housing Fund, Inc. has worked since 1969 to create more than 8,700 apartments through 64 affordable rental and homeownership development projects. Settlement Housing Fund presently owns and maintains 36 buildings containing 1,979 apartments in various locations, with concentrations of housing and programs in the Mt. Eden section of the Bronx, Crown Heights, Brooklyn, the Two Bridges neighborhood on the Lower East Side, as well as at other sites throughout Manhattan. We expect that our portfolio will continue to grow.

The Settlement Housing Fund is equally committed to bringing amenities, programs and services to communities we serve through the development and operation of affordable housing. Settlement Housing Fund is the parent organization of The Crenulated Company, LTD dba New Settlement which was created in 1989 with the acquisition of 14 abandoned buildings from the City of New York. New Settlement has evolved into a robust social service organization offering a range of community-based services in education, college access, youth development, arts, workforce development, community organizing, wellness and other key services that provide important resources to the neighborhood's youth and families.

New Settlement's success has been achieved through close collaboration with a wide range of educational institutions, housing and community development organizations, businesses, youth development and social service agencies - in the neighborhood, Bronx-wide, across New York and nationally. The programs at New Settlement are supported by local, state and federal government agencies, as well as foundations, corporations, organizations and individuals.

The Role

Guided by the Director of Organizing at New Settlement, the Director will work to strengthen and lead CASA’s Tenant Organizing team, CASA’s campaigns and coalitions, develop and sustain organizational relationships with allies and stakeholders locally in the Bronx, coordinate with the CASA Leadership team, and develop the leadership of campaign members, who are committed to housing justice, understand what it takes to build a movement and are prepared to take bold action to transform the quality and affordability of housing in the Southwest Bronx.

Supports and enhances a culture that respects and honors diversity, invests in professional development, and encourages self-care.

Overall Supervision of CASA and Staff Development

• Provides direct supervision to senior staff (can include but not limited to Deputy Director, Lead Organizer, Outreach Coordinator), provides regular supervision support with work planning, feedback on organizing strategies, holding organizers accountable to meeting goals and providing professional development opportunities and trainings as needed
• Plan, develop agendas, and facilitate quarterly staff retreats
• Meet regularly with supervision team (Deputy Director and Lead Organizer) to evaluate and plan for overall work
• Weekly staff-wide meetings
• Provide vision and help plan meeting content and trainings as necessary
• Give guidance on overall strategy for CASA’s Tenant Organizing work by providing feedback and regular meetings to coordinate with Deputy Director and Lead Organizer
• Interviews, trains, supervises and evaluates all CASA staff

Coordinate and Manage CASA Leader’s Team

• Plan, develop, and facilitate monthly CASA Leaders’ meetings to set, plan, and evaluate organizational goals, decide on campaign strategy, and create space for discussion and decision-making on CASA’s overall work and program
• Plan, prep Leaders, help write agendas for the CASA General Membership Meeting
• Provide leadership development for each CASA Leader by recruiting new leaders and setting goals
• Provide support, training, and coordinate two retreats to plan and evaluate overall work

Coalition Leadership and Coordination

• Eviction Free Bronx Campaign: Coordinate monthly campaign meetings, recruit campaign members, and manage campaign strategy with members
• Right to Counsel: Support Housing Courts Must Change campaign which includes bi-monthly meetings, lobby state elected officials to pass Statewide legislation, and represent the Coalition in national work at conferences, trainings, convenings, and more
• Stabilizing NYC Steering Committee: Attend monthly Director’s meetings, coalition meetings, and other meetings as necessary. Provide feedback and help advocate to ensure City Council continues to fund a $3.7 million city-wide initiative to provide funds for tenant organizing work

Manage CASA’s Funding, Administration, and Deliverables

• Identify new potential sources of funding, work on maintaining relationships with existing funders, build grassroots donor base and expand monthly sustainers
• Keep track of all CASA’s work to ensure CASA is on track to meet and surpass deliverables for City contracts, Foundation contracts, and Banks
• Review and manage CASA budget with CASA Leaders to manage the overall budget and ensure deliverables are met

Oversee CASA Communications

• Creating regular content such as sending regular emails to listservs and cultivating a daily social media presence for CASA on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram
• Oversee media/press requests and ensure proper messaging

New Settlement Organizational Participation and Administration

• Prepare reports, and share notes
• Attend regular supervision meetings with the Direct Supervisor
• Attend and actively participate in New Settlement Meeting which include Directors Meeting and more

Administrative

• Oversee CASA’s overall documentation and reporting systems to ensure proper management of contracts
• Uses effective and secure practices in data collection and management to contribute to accurate reporting and protect the confidentiality of staff and participant’s information
• Coordinating and maintaining relationships with consultants such as interpreters
• Perform other duties as reasonably requested

Skills, Knowledge and Abilities

• Ability to relate to persons of diverse backgrounds
• 5 years of community organizing, specifically experience with supervision, organizational development, base-building and recruitment, leadership development; Tenant organizing experience is a plus Strong track record of a commitment to social justice; demonstrated commitment to leadership development, community building, and community organizing as strategies for social change; direct communication and conflict resolution, listen and motivate people to action from diverse backgrounds
• High School diploma or HSE or GED required, bachelors, or associates degree preferred
• Ability to facilitate, train, and develop leaders
• Excellent writing and public speaking skills
• Ability to give and receive direct feedback from both members and staff
• Speak, read, and write in Spanish

Employment is at will and employees will undergo 45- and 90-day check-ins during their 90-day probationary period.

This is a full-time exempt salaried position. The salary range is $85,000 - $95,000 and is commensurate with experience.

Physical Demands and Work Environment

Physical Demands: The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations will be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of this job.

• The ability to sit, stand, walk and use hands and fingers to operate a computer keyboard, mouse, and telephone to talk and hear.
• The ability to frequently sit and reach with hands and arms.
• The ability to occasionally lift and/or move up to 20 pounds.

Working Conditions: The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of the job. Reasonable accommodations will be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the job.

• Must be able to utilize office equipment such as desktop/notebook computers, copiers, printers, scanners, telephones, and calculators.
• The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of the job. Reasonable accommodations will be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the job. The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of the job. Reasonable accommodations will be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the job.

New Settlement is an equal opportunity employer. We prohibit unlawful discrimination against any employee or applicant for employment based on race, color, religion, sex, gender identity, age, national origin, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation and/or identity, criminal record, marital status, or any other basis prohibited by law.

How to Apply

New Settlement has retained the services of Charity Search Group to coordinate the search for this position. To apply, please complete this online application. If you have questions or need accommodations, please contact Angela-Jo Touza Medina at angela@charitysearchgroup.com or visit www.charitysearchgroup.com