Job Opportunity: Fahe Research and Outreach Coordinator

PLEASE NOTE: This opportunity is listed for reference only. The deadline to apply has passed.

This is a paid employment opportunity from outside the Rockefeller Center.

Position Type: Employment - paid

Location: Lexington, KY

Sector: Economic/Public Policy/Government

Start Date: 8/27/18

Wage or benefits: Funded for one year through the Americorps VISTA program with additional stipend from Fahe, with option to extend for an additional two years with current funding, and possible further extension

Time Commitment: Full time (40 hours per week)

Desired Class Year: Senior, Graduate Students, Other Alum, Thayer Alum, Thayer Grad Student, 5th yr B.E

Desired Major or Interest: Open to all majors (preferably those with backgrounds in economics and public policy)

Application Deadline: 6/4/2018

Organization website: www.fahe.org

Brief Description of the organization:

Want to make a difference? Fahe is on a mission to eliminate persistent poverty in Appalachia. Our unique collaborative model connects a Network of local, regional, and national leaders, working together to overcome the economic insecurity grasping at our communities and get them working again. Since 1980, Fahe has reached over 450,000 people with over $700 million in direct investment. The impact achieved by our Network of local leadership combined with our record of proposing policy and boots-on-the-ground program design expertise gives us a nationally-recognized perspective on turning back the grinding job losses and community struggles throughout Appalachia and the country. In our vision, our communities and economies work—with jobs, choices, and a good life for each of us, in our region and in this great country. Join us to make it happen.

Our ability to achieve this vision depends upon us being able to hire amazing people. This position will work with the team to lead initiatives on prosperity in Appalachia. The Coordinator will work with smart, dedicated, big-thinking colleagues on making a difference in this country, receiving meaningful feedback and mentorship. The position will have a view from a leading national voice located at the foot of the Appalachian Mountains that is effective in the Washington, DC policy environment (for example, our President, who the Coordinator would also work with, is Board Chair of the Opportunity Finance Network, the leading national organization of community development financial institutions).

Brief Description of the Intern's responsibilities:

Help Us Build Something

• Fahe is building on our ability to combine best practices in community development and cutting-edge on-the-ground work to reach that vision of our region and country. Overall, the position would participate in helping build that capacity as a key member of the team, working alongside communications, research, and programmatic efforts.
• The position would collaborate with our Member organizations located around the beautiful mountains of Appalachia, learning how they combine housing, employment, and economic programs and what works and what doesn't. Employment plans could take the form of putting coal miners to work in new fields, in building broadband, and more.

Research

• Perform research on best practices nationwide around community development, especially focused on economic opportunity and employment, that is happening outside of the major metro areas
• Reach out to our 50+ Member organizations to engage with them about the strategies they are employing in Appalachia
• Compare national trends to see what might work, and be creative about ideas for new initiatives to bring investment into Appalachia

Outreach

• Work with Communications and Membership functions to reach our Member organizations about opportunities that they see or we see for them to pioneer new strategies
• Outreach to potential new partners / practitioners to learn about their best practices and explore opportunities to collaborate
• Keep an eye out for/ identify media opportunities to broaden our reach and help produce content for those opportunities
• With the Opioid crisis raging throughout our region and the necessity of moving recovering persons into meaningful employment, some amount of connection with an existing Fahe Opioid Task Force to glean best practices would benefit and facilitate this work

Programmatic Work

• Working with our Research team, build a storehouse of best practices around community economic development practices that our members can draw on.
• Creatively consider what makes a best practice in the community development work in which we engage.
• This work will lay the groundwork for a case study or two on the innovative practices combining employment and housing work.

Brief Description of the Intern's qualifications:

• A belief that people should have a good job, good choices, and a good life, whether they're born in New York City, Knoxville, or Hazard, Kentucky
• Interest in considering the broad economic structural transitions affecting our country such as automation and de-industrialization, and the desire to see the economy work for all people
• Skill at building relationships and cultivating collaboration
• Strong written and oral communication skills
• Ability to work well as part of a team and with a diverse group of people and settings
• Self-starter, able to initiate and juggle multiple projects and work independently
• Proficiency with Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint
• College graduate with 3.0 minimum GPA

How to apply:

Please submit a resume directly to adadok@fahe.org