Full Time Contract Position: Community Schools Liaison

Contract Position: Community Schools Liaison

Oakland Promise’s (“OP”) mission is to engage the Oakland community to advance equity and economic mobility through cradle-to-career achievement. OP is available to young learners (from newborns to college students) and their families who reside in Oakland. We offer every child the financial resources, educational programming, mentorship, and supportive community they need to help them and their families seek out and thrive in higher education and the career of their choosing. OP achieves its work through four key programs: Brilliant Baby, Kindergarten to College, College Access, and College Completion. 

About This Role:

We are seeking a collaborative and community-driven individual to serve as a vital connector for the East Oakland Community Schools Initiative, working in alignment with Oakland Promise’s mission and unity principles of Equity, Community, and Integrity. In this role, you will foster strong partnerships and seamless communication between Community School Managers (CSMs), Principals, and key stakeholders across three East Oakland pipeline schools. As a bridge between school site CSMs, external community-based organizations (CBOs), Oakland Unified School District (OUSD), students, and families, you will champion efforts that drive equitable outcomes for East Oakland’s youth. This position is tied to specific grant funding.  It is currently funded for one year and is subject to an annual renewal process.

The Community Schools Liaison will work closely with program delivery partners, ensuring that all school, student, and family needs are met while maintaining compliance with grant requirements. Serving as the primary point of contact and project manager for this initiative, you will ensure successful collaboration and execution of all goals and objectives. 

The ideal candidate will exemplify Oakland Promise’s core values by being exceedingly well-organized, flexible, and committed to maintaining our community agreements. You must be able to uphold professionalism, confidentiality, and integrity while interacting with internal and external stakeholders. Adaptability, proactive problem-solving, resourcefulness, and an unwavering dedication to the success of East Oakland students and families are essential for this role.

Position Description: 

We are seeking a collaborative individual to serve as a liaison for the East Oakland Community Schools Initiative, connecting and collaborating efforts with Community Schools Managers and Principals across three East Oakland pipeline schools. You will provide a bridge between school site CSMs, external CBOs, OUSD, students, and families. The Community Schools Liaison will also work closely with program delivery partners to ensure partners are meeting school, student, and family expectations while also ensuring grant compliance. The Community Schools Liaison will serve as the main point of contact and project manager for all requirements and needs of this initiative.

This person must be exceedingly well-organized, flexible and able to uphold the mission, guiding principles, community agreements, and values of the Oakland Promise in every aspect of the work. The ability to maintain a high level of professionalism and confidentiality while interacting with internal and external stakeholders while remaining adaptable, proactive, resourceful, and efficient is crucial to this role.

Duties and Responsibilities 

• Serve as the primary liaison for Community Schools Managers (CSMs) and Principals across three East Oakland schools to implement East Oakland Community Schools Initiative (EOCSI) and East Oakland Promise Neighborhoods (EOPN) deliverables.
• Regularly update school site leadership on partner Scopes of Work, and provide annual reports to OUSD Network Superintendents.
• Develop a toolkit of research-based resources for CSMs to support and monitor partners, including best practices in agenda setting, facilitation, program delivery, and accountability.
• Enhance communication between community partners and schools to better coordinate services across EOCSI/EOPN schools and the East Oakland community.
• Oversee and evaluate the integration and quality of services delivered by community-based organizations at EOCSI schools.
• Build the capacity of small organizations to meet the service needs of EOCSI/EOPN schools.
• Provide onsite support to service providers, ensuring alignment with school missions and visions.
• Coordinate and facilitate partner meetings in accordance with Scopes of Work, contracts, OUSD protocols, and partner agency guidelines.
• Assist partner organizations in aligning their work with federal grant requirements.
• Collaborate with CSMs and community partners to align resources with EOCSI/EOPN program goals across schools.
• Organize and support EOCSI/EOPN community events that engage students, families, and school leadership.
• Develop a communication plan for all EOCSI/EOPN grant partners.
• Support data collection and program evaluation for the EOCSI/EOPN collaborative.
• Assist staff in building strong relationships with students, families, and the community.
•  Ensure EOCSI/EOPN program delivery aligns with Oakland Promise’s mission, values, and core program elements.
• Integrate EOCSI/EOPN programming with Oakland Promise’s existing initiatives.
• Facilitate community agreements among program partners and stakeholders.
• Support the implementation of shared measurement systems to track outcomes and inform continuous improvement.
• Provide detailed status updates to all stakeholders.
• Collaborate with Principals, CSMs, and program partners to support implementation plans.
• Attend Coordination of Services Team (COST) meetings at EOCSI pipeline schools, as needed.
• Execute other duties assigned by Oakland Promise

Required Qualifications: 

• Bachelor’s degree with some advance training or education in administrative functions required and previous experience working in a fast-paced environment preferred.
• Strong project management experience 
• Strong relationship-builder with strong change management experience 
• Experience in managing other to results and outcomes-based accountability
• Experience maintaining effective working relationships with staff, community, and other stakeholders 
• Willingness to accommodate requests for support outside of regular business hours on occasion, with appropriate notice.
• Background and health screening are required for this position

Compensation and Benefits: 

• Full time contractor position. 
• Competitive benefits package, which includes dental / health/ vision, paid vacations and sick days and a 401k match up to 3%.
• Salary for this position is $80,000 commensurate with experience and qualifications.
• Oakland Promise currently has a hybrid work policy. Employees work in the office 3 days/week. 
• The ability to learn and grow within a supportive team environment. 
• An opportunity to network and interact with leaders in the community.
• Some evening and weekend hours may be required.

To Apply: 

Send a single PDF (NOT a Microsoft Word document) of a resume and thoughtful cover letter to [email protected] with “Job Name – [Your Name]” in the subject line. Please use your last name and first initial (ex: Doe_J) as the filename of your PDF containing your resume and cover letter. Failure to follow these instructions may delay the review of your application. Applications will be reviewed immediately and candidates with the best fit will be contacted for interviews. Unfortunately, the volume of applications will prevent us from responding to all applications received. 

Oakland Promise is a place-based organization located in Oakland, California. Oakland Promise requires that employees work in person at various engagements. It is a requirement that all staff reside within commuting distance to the main office, located at 484 9th Street, Oakland, CA 94607. Please note that at any time, a full in-person work plan may be required, and it is of utmost importance that all staff are able to meet this requirement. 

Oakland Promise is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. Oakland Promise is committed to providing a work environment free of harassment, discrimination, retaliation, and disrespectful or other unprofessional conduct based on sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding or related medical conditions), sex stereotype, race, religion (including religious dress and grooming practices), color, gender (including gender identity, gender expression, and transgender), national origin (including language use restrictions and possession of a driver’s license issued under Vehicle Code section 12801.9), ancestry, physical or mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, marital status, registered domestic partner status, age, sexual orientation, military, and veteran status or any other basis protected by federal, state or local law or ordinance or regulation. It also prohibits discrimination, harassment, disrespectful or unprofessional conduct based on the perception that anyone has any of those characteristics, or is associated with a person who has or is perceived as having any of those characteristics.