Local recruitment: Coordinator, Policy & Sector-Building

Position: Coordinator, Policy & Sector-Building

Location: Remote; Los Angeles (Hybrid); Travel required

Employment Type: Full-time, Hourly, Nonexempt

Compensation Range: $26.50/hour – $31.25/hour DOE

Level: Coordinator I

Reports To: Manager, The Vessel Collective

Manages: None

Supported By: Sector-Building & Policy team, Program teams, Development team, Operations team

Education/Experience Preferences: Bachelor’s Degree preferred with relevant professional experience

Start Date: ASAP, open until filled

We Are DigDeep  

The DigDeep Right to Water Project is a WASH (water, sanitation, and hygiene) organization committed to closing the water access gap for the 2 million + people in the U.S. who still don’t have a tap or a toilet at home. 

DigDeep believes access to clean water is a human right. We run several nationally recognized programs that empower communities to build their own water and sanitation systems. We won the 2018 US Water Prize for our Navajo Water Project, which has brought clean, running water to hundreds of Native families across New Mexico, Arizona, and Utah. DigDeep launched the Appalachia Water Project in 2020, in McDowell County, WV. It has since brought clean, sustainable running water to hundreds of families in Southern West Virginia through public – private partnerships with the McDowell County PSD and East Logan PSD in Wyoming County. In addition to clean running water, the project is installing septic systems and connecting households to centralized sewer. The AWP is now expanding into neighboring states of Kentucky and Virginia to continue its quest of clean water for every Appalachian family. Our water projects expanded in 2022 when we launched our Colonias Water Project. This project works to bring clean, running water to the residents living in communities along the Texas-Mexico border. The Texas colonias are largely unincorporated, low-income communities that fall just outside city limits and often lack basic infrastructure. Our work began in Cochran colonia near El Paso. DigDeep partnered with residents, housing nonprofits, and county officials to innovate a new model for public-private-partnership that brings these basic services to families for the first time. Now we’re getting the water flowing in 5 more communities. 

The Opportunity

Reporting to the Manager, Vessel Collective, the Coordinator, Policy & Sector-Building will support DigDeep’s work on coalition-building and sector development, as well as Congressional, Tribal, state, and federal policy priorities. Collaboration is central to this role: the Coordinator works closely with the Manager and partners nationwide, often virtually, and must be able to work effectively in a remote environment to advance shared initiatives. The work is both detail-oriented and visionary, and requires flexibility, forward-thinking, creativity, humility, patience, a discerning-eye, and efficiency. With a focus on relationship building, as-needed travel is expected. The ideal candidate has a passion for writing, researching, and synthesizing information, with demonstrated skills in relationship maintenance and event coordination. An interest in policy and advocacy, and ability to analyze and clearly communicate complex issues, is essential.

Key Responsibilities

This is what you’ll do once you join the team:

Coalition and Sector-Building

• Coordinate with various external partners, particularly Tribal government and organization representatives, Vessel Collective members, and U.S. WASH Sector organizations. 
• Aid in the management and development of key coalitions, working groups, and learning cohorts hosted by DigDeep and Vessel. 
• Support the Manager in organizing a large-scale conference & convening-building process (U.S. WASH Convening). 
• Assist in identifying, establishing, managing, and maintaining relationships with key officials, policy organizations, think tanks, foundations, and civil society organizations on DigDeep’s behalf. 
• Help engage policymakers in state legislatures or Congress and/or state or federal agencies.
• With guidance, contribute to policy projects such as drafting briefs, legislation, and supporting state and Tribal policy initiatives.

Administrative and Internal Support

• Assist the Executive Director and Manager of the Vessel Collective with day-to-day operations and project implementation. 
• Provide logistical and administrative support for Vessel Collective activities, including coordinating virtual meetings and events, preparing and distributing agendas and invitations, maintaining contact lists, and taking and sharing meeting notes.
• Conduct high-level research, track developments, and report on WASH issues to identify and assess potential impacts to DigDeep’s work.
• Draft fact sheets, briefing memos, and other materials as requested.
• Attend webinars, conferences, government information sessions, and other events on water access, wastewater issues, and other policy priorities. 
• Collaborate with internal DigDeep teams, including executive, research, programs, communications, and operations, on cross-cutting projects.
• Assist with ad-hoc projects and support other tasks/duties as assigned.

This job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties, or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. As the organization continues to evolve, duties or tasks may change without impacting the overall job description. 

Competencies 

• Analytical Thinking: Begins to analyze information for related trends, patterns, and gaps. Makes logical deductions from information. Identifies and proposes workable options and solutions for any problems and inconsistencies. Gather information needed to address problems and inconsistencies. Prioritize between multiple issues and tasks. Investigates to define problems more accurately. With guidance, determines importance and priorities for action.
• Collaborative Working: Actively solicits ideas and opinions from others to efficiently and effectively accomplish specific objectives targeted at defined organization outcomes. Often expresses an interest in others’ experiences, ideas, and roles. Always remains respectful in communications and approach where disagreement exists. Proactively sources feedback and integrates it into approach. Takes an interest in cross-functional teams and fosters relationships outside of individual scope.
• Initiative: Begins deeper questioning of processes in order to improve them. Able to focus in the face of pressure, deliver against timelines and not be intimidated by tasks/time limitations. Identifies person, resource, or technology that can provide support and procures their input. Identifies problems/challenges and collaborates with management towards a solution.
• Innovation: Actively seeks opportunities to try out new experiences. Beginning to generate innovative responses to current problems. Displays open mindedness and is willing to try new approaches. Adapts readily to changes and needs. Is able to shift attention and priorities in own work in response to needs of their work. Offers suggestions to improve the ways things are done.
• Personal Development: Displays commitment to improving and learning by seeking opportunities for development. Proposes ideas for own development. Independently reviews own progress. Reflects, analyzes and learns from past performance of self and others, both successes and mistakes. Responds well to new situations that require a stretch/growth.
• Professional Communication: Professional presence, strong written and verbal communications skills, with the ability to express oneself clearly and effectively in conversations and interactions with others (both internal and external). Ability to effectively determine and use appropriate written and visual communications, graphics, statistics, presentations, and language in such a way as to have maximum impact on the intended audience. Handles conflict empathetically. Converses and writes in ways that support both transactional and administrative activities. Seeks and shares relevant information, opinions, and judgments. Explains the context of interrelated situations, asks probing questions, and solicits multiple resources of advice prior to taking action when appropriate. Practices active listening, repeats message back to speaker in a way that it is clear that the message is understood.
• Technical Expertise: Has demonstrated ability and depth of knowledge with the technology in the desired technical area. Effectively uses and applies technical knowledge, and uses knowledge to identify solutions to existing problems.  Basic understanding of data security best practices.

Skills and Qualifications

We want to hear from you if you have:

• Bachelor’s degree with relevant professional experience (preferred)
• At least 3 years of relevant professional experience, including coalition- or sector-building, relationship development, and/or coordinating events or convenings (required)
• Experience engaging with Tribal governments, community organizations, and/or U.S. WASH sector stakeholders (preferred)
• Experience in the WASH (water, sanitation, and hygiene) sector (preferred)
• Demonstrated experience providing logistical and administrative support for multi-stakeholder initiatives, including coordinating several virtual meetings or events simultaneously, maintaining multiple contact and distribution lists, preparing and distributing agendas and invitations, and taking and sharing meeting notes (required)
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to synthesize complex information for reports, briefing materials, presentations, and other stakeholder-facing documents (required)
• Demonstrated ability to build, maintain relationships across diverse stakeholders and communities (required)
• Ability to respond effectively and sensitively to inquiries or complaints (required)
• Organized, trustworthy, dependable, and detail oriented (required)
• Comfortable with both close collaboration and autonomy, able to work independently and complete assigned tasks within established time frames (required)
• Experience/Willingness to work across various cultural contexts and communicating across cultural differences (required)
• Able to focus in the face of pressure, deliver against timelines and not be intimidated by tasks/time limitations (required)
• Proficiency in MS Office Suite, Google Workspace, and Zoom (required)
• High computer literacy, and tech savviness (required)
• Experience with Slack and Asana (preferred)
• Knowledge base of topics including, but not limited to, water poverty in the United States and internationally, and the WASH sector, with a specific focus on Tribal territories/lands (preferred)

• Fluency/strong proficiency in the Navajo language (preferred)
• Understanding of data security best practices (preferred)
• Willingness to travel, including but not limited to: Navajo Nation (AZ/NM/UT); West Virginia; Texas; DigDeep HQ; Washington, DC; and additional locations as needed (required)

Compensation and Benefits

At DigDeep, we believe that great work requires a great job. We understand that people thrive with rest and holistic support, which is crucial for our long-term success. We take pride in offering top-notch benefits to our team across the United States, prioritizing their health and wellbeing, as well as providing additional support for our employees’ families. If you join us, here’s how we’ll support you in your work:

• Competitive wage to commensurate with level of position
• Generous vacation and sick leave
• 23 weeks paid Parental Leave
• Annual Professional Development Stipend
• Annual Wellbeing Reimbursement
• BrightPlan membership (Financial Wellness Benefit)

• Health Benefits
  • Employee Offering: Medical, dental, vision insurance, 100% employer paid
  • Spouse/Children/Family Offering: Employer covers up to $500 of the monthly cost for medical insurance for spouse/children/family; Employer covers 100% of the cost for dental and vision insurance for spouse/children/family
• One Medical membership 
• Life insurance, 100% employer paid
• Work laptop
• Monthly cell phone use allowance
• Monthly internet use allowance
• 15 paid holidays (including one week closure for Labor Day)
• Domestic travel 
• 401k retirement plan, with employer match 

Interested? 

When applying, please submit a thoughtful cover letter and resume. References should be available upon request. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. No office visits. No calls please. Thank you.

In an effort to promote pay equity and transparency, DigDeep does not negotiate compensation outside of posted compensation ranges. DigDeep’s compensation is based on a variety of factors including, but not limited to: internal budget analysis, external market value, internal pay alignment, and annual merit increases. A candidate’s compensation history will not be used in determining compensation at DigDeep.

Please note that DigDeep cannot provide immigration sponsorship for this position.

DigDeep is deeply committed to diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging. We believe social change happens when people with a wide range of backgrounds, experiences, and identities come together with a common purpose. DigDeep is built on the principles of equity, transparency and the power of human experience. Your work will improve the daily lives of real people. We believe everybody should have the clean, running water they need to thrive. Join us, and we’ll close the US water gap in our lifetimes.

DigDeep is a certified Great Place to Work®