Milwaukee Succeeds is a collective impact, community-wide initiative that unites hundreds of individuals and organizations around a common purpose of improving outcomes for every child in every school, cradle to career. Our community’s goals are to improve kindergarten readiness, K12 school success, college and career completion, and the social and emotional health of our kids. Milwaukee Succeeds is one of 70 partnerships within the StriveTogether National Network all focused on better outcomes for children from cradle to career.

Our partners are educators, community leaders, philanthropic organizations, businesses, youth-serving organizations, families and public officials. They are committed to using data to tell us what practices achieve the greatest impact, continuously improving how we operate and rapidly and nimbly expanding what works to support learning and life options for our kids. As part of the Greater Milwaukee Foundation, Milwaukee Succeeds reflects the Foundation’s commitment to education, rooted in over 100 years of history in the Milwaukee region.

You can make a difference, as Milwaukee Succeeds is seeking a Community Mobilization Manager! This position is responsible for building the capacity and capabilities for authentic community engagement and mobilization in order to address systems-level barriers that prevent Wisconsin families from accessing high quality early childcare and education (birth to age 8). A specific focus for this project will be placed on creating more equitable outcomes for low-income families and people of color. Based in Milwaukee, this position will work with StriveTogether affiliated partnerships across Wisconsin including the City of Milwaukee, Brown County, Kenosha County and Racine County.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Develop Statewide Community Mobilization Infrastructure

• Work with partnerships and partnership staff to build a statewide coalition focused on community mobilization
• Identify barriers and help create solutions to engagement and mobilization within different communities
• Manage information sharing across partnerships, including facilitating in-person meetings, written reports and other methods of communication
• Work with partnerships, community members and external partners to develop and execute annual statewide action plans and policy agendas

• Working statewide, identify and build relationships with partners working in communities
• Attend and/or host community meetings, trainings and other events
• Develop and execute strategies to engage communities in improving early childhood outcomes
• Develop and execute strategies to build the capacity and capabilities of partner organizations and community members to mobilize advocacy campaigns and influence public policy
• Facilitate cooperative interactions between community members and policy makers

• Participate in a policy-focused community of practice with other partnerships
• Share partnership strategy, progress and results regularly with the broader Cradle to Career Network and field
• Manage project grants, including reports and grant renewals

• Bachelor's degree and a minimum of 3 years of relevant work experience required, preferably in the field of public policy, community engagement, community development, education, nonprofit, government or civic leadership; Master's degree preferred
• At least 1 year of experience in community engagement, community mobilization and/or coalition building required
• Experience in program development, evaluation, grant writing and/or management preferred
• Valid driver’s license, proof of auto insurance and reliable transportation required for local and state travel
• Strong knowledge of effective community engagement and mobilization practices
• Strong analytical thinking and decision-making skills, including problem anticipation and resolution
• Ability to create processes and systems, manage details and work independently
• Must be able to prioritize and balance competing demands across multiple communities
• Ability to facilitate collaboration among diverse groups and "translate" vocabulary/jargon across sectors
• Ability to interact effectively with people from diverse backgrounds; comfortable working in communities and areas with high concentrations of poverty and people of color

Equal Opportunity Employer