Rural Projects Coordinator

*PLEASE NOTE THAT ONLY APPLICATIONS SUBMITTED THROUGH OUR WEBSITE WILL BE CONSIDERED*

***The job says the site is Eugene, but successful applicants will be embedded in rural communities across the state of Oregon***

WHO WE ARE 

Serving rural Oregon for over 30 years, the RARE AmeriCorps Program builds the capacity of rural communities to improve their economic, social, and environmental conditions, through the assistance of trained graduate-level members who live and work in communities for 11 months. Our members assist communities and agencies in the development and implementation of plans for achieving a sustainable natural resource base and improving rural economic conditions while gaining community building and leadership skills. 

WHAT WE’RE LOOKING FOR 

We are looking for enthusiastic candidates with a strong desire to utilize and develop interpersonal skills for community outreach and group facilitation, serve rural areas, and make a difference! 

• Skills: Demonstrated competence in the following skill areas, either through course work, work/volunteer experience, or lived experience:
• Relationships: Inter-personal relationship management (ability to maintain good relationships and work through conflict)
• Teamwork: Working effectively in a team environment
• Project/Process Management: Project and/or process management (ability to remain organized and on track with projects or processes)
• Technical Skills: Technical skills, including but not limited to the following: data collection, analysis, and representation; large document creation; grant writing; website development; policy analysis (Note: the technical skills needed vary greatly depending on the placement, but in general, these are the most common technical skills we see represented in placements)
• Communication ability: Demonstrated competence in the following communication skill areas, either through course work, work/volunteer experience, or lived experience:
• Written Communication: Ability to convey messages clearly and succinctly through a variety of written formats, including longer reports, shorter memos, and social media
• Verbal Communication: Ability to convey messages clearly and compellingly through speaking)
• Graphic Communication: Ability to convey messages clearly and compellingly through pictures, drawings, diagrams, etc.)
• Service motivation: Demonstrated commitment to volunteerism and service to communities, either through course work, work experience, formal and informal volunteer experience, or lived experience.
• Ability to create inclusive spaces: Demonstrated ability to work effectively with diverse groups of people in a variety of settings in such a way that all perspectives, but particularly the perspectives of those who have been historically marginalized, feel included.
• Commitment to rural community development: Demonstrated commitment or desire to support and elevate rural communities to foster resilience and sustained economic, social, and environmental vitality.
• Ability to match community placement needs: The needs of RARE’s community placements change each year (based on the communities who apply to host RARE members). Therefore, part of our member selection process each year considers alignment between our applicants’ skills, abilities, and interests, and our communities’ specific needs for the upcoming service year.

WHAT YOU’LL DO 

RARE AmeriCorps projects typically fall into three broad categories: 

Community and Economic Development 

• Assisting rural entrepreneurs in the development of business plans
• Completing economic development plans for local, county, and regional governmental entities
• Coordinating the development of a downtown master plan
• Completing parks and recreation master plan
• Promoting health and wellness initiatives by creating community resources and programming
• Engaging a community in creative placemaking and installing murals
• Developing recreation assets to support economic recovery in wildfire-impacted communities

Environmental and Sustainability Planning 

• Coordinating an array of watershed enhancement projects
• Designing a citizen involvement program for a watershed council
• Creating a rural solar outreach strategy
• Developing a Climate Action Plan for regional tourism organizations

Community Food Security/Food Systems 

• Creating community food assessments and tribal food sovereignty assessments
• Enhancing local farmers’ markets and food related business activities
• Developing regional agritourism food trails
• Coordinating partners in creation of a regional food hub
• Conducting community engagement and outreach regarding nutrition and local food sourcing