Position Opening: Program Assistant
Classification: Part-Time (25 hours/week), Temporary
Location: Boston area, primarily work from home with occasional travel
Posted: August 2021
JOIN for Justice, the Jewish Organizing Institute and Network, is building a powerful field of Jewish leaders capable of effectively organizing for justice, both inside and outside Jewish communities in the US. We organize because, in the words of Emma Lazarus, “Until we are all free, we are none of us free”—our destinies are bound up as one. We train and mentor rabbis, community leaders and community organizers through a variety of intensive organizing training programs, in person and online.
This part-time position will be 25 hours/ week until early May 2022. The primary task of the position is to provide critical support to our programs team, across multiple training programs. Currently our programs have all moved online but some will be returning to in-person events in Boston and elsewhere in January 2022. The ideal candidate is very detail oriented, completing many important administrative and technical tasks to ensure our programs’ success.
Primary responsibilities include:
- Manage the registrations process for multiple programs. Includes tracking fees & scholarships, answering participant inquiries and doing database entry. Produce reports on registration status as needed.
- Responsible for coordinating and scheduling meetings between staff, participants and consultants (trainers/facilitators).
- Responsible for arranging for services to assist with participants’ access needs, including arranging for American Sign Language interpreters, closed captioning or other disability accommodations as required. Prepare transcripts from closed-captioned Zoom events.
- Learn our online course software program, help set up sections, update records, assist with troubleshooting participant tech questions.
- Zoom event technical support: Support trainers and facilitators by hosting Zoom meetings with multiple breakout rooms & screen shares. Also recruit, schedule, train & oversee other Zoom meeting technical support as needed.
- Provide in person administrative and logistical support for weekly sessions of the Jewish Organizing Fellowship in Boston.
- Manage in-person event and retreat logistics: schedule meetings, book meeting space, coordinate with trainers, make travel arrangements, plan & arrange for meals (accommodating an array of complex dietary restrictions), prepare needed printed training materials. NOTE – US Travel Required – attend each retreat as support staff. (Estimated 4 days away from home for each retreat. Estimated two retreats during tenure, one in Greater Boston, one in Greater Baltimore).
- Pick up and process organizational mail.
- Administrative tasks to support the back end of programs, such as designing training handouts, entering updates for course materials on our learning platform and sending evaluation surveys.
- If the program assistant is interested, there may be opportunities to expand their work to be more involved with organizing programming.
Skills needed:
- Ability to track multiple projects with multiple needs at the same time.
- Be accountable to colleagues for completing tasks and meeting deadlines.
- General customer service skills for supporting program participants and responding to their questions.
- Comfort with computer software and learning new systems, like our specialized online training program and database system. Expected technical skills include Microsoft Office or Google docs, plus Gmail and Zoom meeting hosting experience.
- Event planning/running experience (either paid or volunteer).
- Familiarity with community organizing is a plus.
The pay range for this position is $21 – 24/ hour for 25 hours/week. It has full access to all employee benefits, including health insurance, at a part-time employee-paid rate. This temporary position is expected to expire in April.
Work Location:
This position will be primarily work from home, with commuting into Boston as needed to pick up the mail and for in-person event support and meetings. JOIN currently has no physical office space, though it is exploring the possibility by the end of the year. If we do reopen a physical office, the person holding this position may be asked to spend some time there.
How to Apply:
A cover letter is required. In your cover letter, please explain your interest in this position and JOIN’s social justice work. Because one important part of the job will be assisting with people’s access needs so that they can fully participate in our training, please share any experience with supporting people’s access needs.
Please send your cover letter & resume to jobs@joinforjustice.org.
JOIN for Justice is an equal opportunity employer. We carefully consider applicants for all positions without regard to race, color, religion, creed, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, marital or veteran status, or any other legally protected status.