Assistant Planner

Description

About the Organization 

Canal Alliance exists to break the generational cycle of poverty for Latino immigrants and their families by lifting barriers to their success. 

Canal Alliance is a nonprofit champion of immigrants who are challenged by a lack of resources and an unfamiliar environment. Every day, we educate, empower, support, and partner with motivated immigrants to best meet all their unique needs—from putting food on the table, to becoming American citizens, to learning English, to graduating from college. 

Canal Alliance strives for a trauma-informed collaborative and inclusive culture. We invest in high quality services, professional development, and work-life balance. 

 Position Summary 

The Assistant Planner provides critical support to Canal Alliance’s neighborhood planning initiative, Nuestro Canal, Nuestro Futuro, a Neighborhood Vision Plan that will document community priorities to reimagine the Canal as a climate-resilient, safe, healthy, and vibrant community for residents.  The Assistant Planner supports the coordination of community engagement and co-facilitates the Consejo de Residentes (Resident Advisory Council), the governing body of the NCNF initiative. The 20-member Consejo shapes and provides direction for the development and execution of our community engagement strategy for the Neighborhood Vision Plan. The Assistant Planner is the central point of contact for residents engaging in the Nuestro Canal, Nuestro Futuro initiative, and supports the engagement of nonprofit and government partners. The role contributes to Canal Alliance’s mission to address the root causes of inequity through our bold NCNF place-based initiative.  

Essential Functions

• Lead community outreach for the Nuestro Canal, Nuestro Futuro initiative, including developing content, organizing and staffing tabling, pop-ups, focus groups, workshops, community fairs, and more;  
• Manage and facilitate the Consejo de Residentes del Canal, including work planning; ensuring content is clear, accessible, and actionable; designing engaging relationship building and leadership development activities; coordinating logistics; and more;  
• Support the Senior Planner and Planner in the development of the Neighborhood Vision Plan, including analyzing community input, insights, and writing the strategies;  
• Coordinate the Cultural Preservation priority theme, including co-developing engagement materials, analyzing data, coordinating partner meetings, and proposed strategy development.  
• Co-design and administer surveys and other forms of community engagement;  
• Ensure the effective tracking and recording of key data points and metrics in the organization’s databases, as required;  
• Other duties as assigned by Supervisor. 

Other Responsibilities

• Recruit and train volunteer ambassadors for Canal Alliance’s advocacy and community leadership development work; 
• Mobilize and prepare residents and allies to make public comment at government agency public hearings and in other forums; 
• Write grant reports and support Planner in drafting articles for marketing and communications; 
• Co-develop and present materials to showcase the NCNF initiative at appropriate forums including conferences, summits, and convenings; 
• Provide event support, including the day-of event, to other team members on the PACE team for community events, trainings, and celebrations; 

Collaboration & Working Relationships

The Assistant Planner is one of the first points of contact for community members and partners interested in joining or supporting the Nuestro Canal, Nuestro Futuro initiative. With support from the Planner and Senior Planner, the Assistant Planner is responsible for maintaining communication and strong working relationships with both existing and new potential partners. The Assistant Planner role works closely with community members including NCNF Consejo members and NCNF ambassadors. 

The Assistant Planner role is on the Planning sub-team within the Planning, Advocacy, and Civic Engagement (PACE) Department. The role requires regular collaboration and communication with all other members of the department, including the Advocacy and Civic Engagement sub-teams. 

The PACE team collaborates regularly across departments on projects and initiatives to advance our organization’s vision and values to best serve Latinos across Marin. Currently, we have projects that require collaboration with the Economic Mobility, Education, and Social Services departments.  

This job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive list of activities, duties, or responsibilities. Duties may change, or new ones may be assigned as organizational needs evolve.  

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

• Knowledge and commitment to principles of community-based leadership, power-sharing, and restorative justice;?   
• Knowledge and commitment to equitable and community-driven planning processes, prior planning experience a plus.    
• Strong people skills, including listening, maintaining relationships, and following up;  
• Demonstrated experience working reciprocally with low-income communities; communities of color, immigrant communities, and other diverse stakeholders;  
• Demonstrated experience in community organizing and/or grassroots advocacy;  
• Experience and comfort with public speaking that inspires action and engagement, including group facilitation; in both English and Spanish;  
• Strong organization and communication skills, with excellent follow-through;  
• Demonstrated ability to translate English-language content and about climate justice into clear, accessible, and understandable Spanish  
• Strong project management skills, coupled with sharp attention to detail, solution orientation, and a demonstrated ability to manage competing and changing priorities effectively, prior Asana experience a plus;  
• Openness to ongoing learning and coaching from colleagues at every level, and a willingness to share your experience and expertise with colleagues;  
• Demonstrates a strong commitment to social justice and actively works to dismantle systems of oppression, including racism, sexism, misogyny, classism, ableism, homophobia, xenophobia, and other forms of discrimination;  
• Proficient with Microsoft programs;  
• Strong commitment to Canal Alliance’s mission;  
• Familiarity with environmental/climate justice, planning, and community resilience a strong plus;  
• Familiarity with the Canal neighborhood or Marin County is a strong plus; 

Requirements

• Bilingual in English and Spanish; comfortable presenting, writing, and communicating planning language in Spanish required.   
• 3 years of experience in community organizing, grassroots advocacy; including strong facilitation experience, and oral presentation skills.  
• Bachelor’s degree preferred in planning, political science, social justice, environmental studies, any closely related field, or equivalent combination of educational, professional and lived experience. ? ? 

Compensation

This is a full-time, non-exempt position with benefits. We offer a competitive hourly pay of $39/hr with a benefits package that includes: 

• 3 weeks paid vacation per year 
• 12 days of sick leave per year 
• Paid Birthday each year 
• 13 paid holidays per year 
• 100% paid employee medical & dental insurance, life insurance, LTD, and EAP 
• 403(b)-retirement plan with employer match of up to 4% after 3 months of employment 
• Voluntary benefits include FSA, vision, life, and pet insurance, as well as coverage for dependents 
• Telehealth for physical and mental health

We at Canal Alliance have a 4 Day Work Week, with typical hours Monday–Thursday, 9am-5pm.

Location 

This position is hybrid, requiring a minimum of 3 days onsite at our HQ at 711 Grand Ave., San Rafael, CA. Attendance at quarterly in-person staff retreats, and any other in-person trainings and meetings as needed, as well as occasional night and weekend events.