Description

Position Overview

The Special Projects Coordinator is a community-facing role that supports NLCCC’s work as a trusted partner organization in North Lawndale. This position strengthens relationships among community-based organizations, residents, funders, and systems partners while coordinating neighborhood initiatives and supporting NLCCC’s strategic priorities.

The coordinator helps translate strategy into action by supporting committees, facilitating collaboration, tracking progress, and sharing insights that inform organizational decision-making. This role ensures community efforts are aligned, well-coordinated, and grounded in resident voice and lived experience.
This position is highly community-based and requires a consistent presence in North Lawndale, including attendance at partner meetings, events, convenings, site visits, and community activities, with clear and accurate documentation of all engagement.

Key Responsibilities

Neighborhood Network Coordination

• Serve as NLCCC’s primary coordinator for community outreach and engagement
• Align community partners, initiatives, and investments with NLCCC strategic priorities and the North Lawndale Quality of Life Plan
• Translate funder and systems-level initiatives into clear, neighborhood-appropriate actions
• Identify emerging trends(i.e. Changes in snap policy, increase in neighborhood crime, health epidemic) risks, gaps, and opportunities and elevate insights to leadership
• Support Steering Committee members with goal setting, implementation, and accountability
• Attend weekly check-ins with leadership and submit weekly status reports
• Produce quarterly committee reports and track progress toward goals and outcomes
• Support partners in using NLCCC templates, dashboards, and reporting tools
• Promote consistent, accurate, and timely data collection aligned with NLCCC standards

Relationship Building & Partner Engagement
     

• Build and maintain trust-based relationships with community-based organizations, residents, and local businesses
• Maintain a visible presence at partner-hosted events, meetings, and neighborhood gatherings
• Support cross-sector collaboration and reduce silos through shared planning and problem-solving
• Convening, coordinating and implementation of community events and programs
• Serve as a connector and facilitator among partners, residents, and systems stakeholders
• Organizational & Community Capacity Buildin
• Assess partner organizational readiness and capacity needs
• Provide hands-on technical assistance
• Adapt training and support to meet partners at varying levels of experience and capacity
• Facilitate peer learning opportunities related to data, reporting, and collaboration
• Support partners in strengthening documentation, tracking, and outcome reporting practices

Resident Engagement & Community Voice

•  Support resident engagement efforts that prioritize co-creation and shared leadership
•  Elevate community voice in planning, learning, communications, and storytelling
•  Ensure initiatives are culturally responsive, equitable, and grounded in lived experience
•  Administration, Documentation & Strategic Support
•  Document meetings, partner engagement, and neighborhood activity clearly and consistently 
•  Track participation, outputs, outcomes, and progress across initiatives and committees
•  Prepare summaries and insights to support leadership decision-making 
•  Support grant alignment and reporting by contributing data and narrative inputs
•  Review submissions for clarity, completeness, and alignment with NLCCC goals
•  Identify challenges in tool usage and provide follow-up training or support
•  Facilitation & External Initiative Support
•  Facilitate partner meetings, working groups, convenings, and trainings
•  Document decisions, action items, and follow-up responsibilities
•  Use facilitation techniques that promote participation, shared ownership, and accountability

Other Duties

•  Perform other duties as assigned in support of NLCCC’s organizational strategy and evolving community needs

Requirements

Position Expectations

• Exercises independent judgment in managing relationships and initiatives
• Works with minimal supervision while staying aligned with organizational priorities 
• Holds self and partners accountable for commitments, timelines, and deliverables
• Represents NLCCC professionally and respectfully in community, with funder, and partner spaces
• This is not a traditional 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. role; the position requires a flexible schedule that may include evenings and weekends to support community activities and partner needs.

Education & Experience

• Bachelor’s degree preferred, or 10+ years of relevant program development and implementation experience
• 3–5 years community engagement, coalition, or capacity-building experience
• Experience in North Lawndale or similar communities strongly preferred

Skills, Technology & Technical Proficiencies
Core Skills

•  Strong facilitation and meeting management skills 
•  Strong Clear and effective written and verbal communication
•  Ability to synthesize data, community input, and observations into actionable insights 
•  Strong organizational, time-management, and follow-through skills 
•  Project management skills with a task-oriented mindset
•  Ability to support adult learners with varied experience and comfort with technology

Technology & Data Skills

• Proficiency in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Project)
• Proficiency in Google Workspace (Docs, Sheets, Slides, Forms, Drive)
• Ability to create, and deliver professional presentations 
• Experience with utilizing data collection tools, including surveys, feedback forms, and qualitative data collection
• Ability to maintain data trackers, shared systems, and basic dashboards
• Ability to utilize AI software and programs to support productivity, documentation, and workflow efficiency
• Willingness and ability to learn, adapt, and expand knowledge of AI tools and emerging technologies over time