HELP FAMILIES ACHIEVE THE DREAM OF HOMEOWNERSHIP!

Habitat for Humanity of Jacksonville, Inc. (HabiJax) is currently seeking a Family Engagement Specialist who can use their energy and talents to help families in need of a hand up to build or improve a place they can call home. HabiJax is the local affiliate of Habitat for Humanity International, a global nonprofit housing organization seeking to put God’s love into action by bringing people together to build safe, affordable homes, communities and hope.

Job Summary

The Family Engagement Specialist under the direction of the Family Engagement Director coordinates and supports processes for the HabiJax Homeownership Program including family recruitment, family selection, mortgage loan application, loan closing, homeowner education, and post-closing family engagement. This position requires excellent interpersonal skills, ability to use professional values and ethics to effectively interact with people of diverse backgrounds, sound time management and organizational skills, the ability to prioritize multiple tasks, and a commitment to HabiJax’s mission, vision, and values.

Essential Job Duties and Responsibilities

• Review, log, and route incoming phone, email, and in-person communications received by the Family Engagement department
• Provide information, support, and resources to current and potential HabiJax homeowners
• Act as family advocate with internal and external parties though the mortgage, homebuying and construction processes
• Provide coordination and support for the Family Selection process
• Provide coordination and support for home selection and purchasing process
• Provide coordination and support for the home closing process
• Provide coordination and support to homebuyer for third-party mortgage loan application process
• Identify and communicate internally potential homebuyer/homeowner stories and testimonies.
• Maintain post-closing relationship with HabiJax Homeowners to monitor family strength and stability
• Coordinate and conduct family recruitment strategy to attract and identify potential HabiJax homebuyers
• Coordinate and lead Information Sessions to inform potential homebuyers about the HabiJax Homeownership Program
• Develop and maintain relationship with city entities for Down Payment Assistance and other city-led programs that benefit homebuyers
• Coordinate and collaborate with department and HabiJax staff
• Be aware of and advocate for the mission, vision, and values of HabiJax and Habitat for Humanity.
• Perform additional duties as required and directed

Essential Job Competencies

• Communicating Effectively – Respectfully listens to others to gain a full understanding of issues, comprehends written material, and presents information in a clear and concise manner orally and in writing to ensure others understand ideas. Appropriately adapts message, style, and tone to accommodate a variety of audiences. Delivers information in a manner that is interesting and compelling to the listener. Selects and uses appropriate communication methods. Keeps others adequately informed. Ensures that important information from management is shared with employees and others as appropriate. Knows that listening is essential to understanding. Ensures that regular consistent communication takes place within area of responsibility. Gives and receives constructive feedback.
• Demonstrating Initiative – Proactively identifies ways to contribute to the organization’s goals and mission. Takes action on own to address problems and opportunities without being prompted. Able to achieve results and resolve issues without relying on extensive help from others. Does more than is expected or asked. Demonstrates a sense of urgency, motivation, and tenacity in achieving objectives. Pursues increased challenge and accountability in tasks. Takes responsibility for personal development and the realization of objectives. Remains determined in the face of obstacles or pressure.
• Planning & Organizing – Coordinates ideas and resources to achieve goals. Identifies the sequence of tasks and the resources needed to achieve a goal and prioritizes key action steps. Anticipates the impacts and risks of decisions and actions. Seeks and uses others’ input about critical actions, timelines, sequencing, scope, methodology, expected outcomes, and priorities. Sees potential challenges and opportunities, and adjusts plans based on input. Creates realistic schedules for projects and follows them. Evaluates progress against schedule and goal. Monitors and evaluates social, fiscal, and political trends that affect the plan. Prepares strategies to deal with problems or drastic changes. Evaluates proposed actions and timelines against organizational mission and values. Integrates the current plan with other plans as needed to achieve the overall mission.
• Service Excellence & Customer Focus – Provides helpful, courteous, accessible, responsive, and knowledgeable services and information. Works with customers to understand needs and ensure that products and services meet their needs. Meets needs by acting professionally and applying a good working knowledge of available services and information. Addresses customer questions and concerns in a timely and responsive manner. Does what can be done to resolve issues, gets the customer to someone who can help if needed, and follows up to ensure there is resolution. Handles the situation in a conscientious and customer-focused way.
• Teamwork & Collaboration – Promotes cooperation and commitment within a team to achieve goals and deliverables. Knows and supports teammates’ work and deliverables. Helps teammates who need or ask for support or assistance. Acknowledges and celebrates the achievements of teammates. Praises the team and its achievement to others. Encourages team unity through sharing information or expertise, working together to solve problems, and putting team success first. Helps remove barriers to team productivity and success. Ensures joint ownership of goal setting, commitments, and accomplishments. Involves everyone on the team. Participates in the development of team goals and plans. Keeps team members abreast of individual progress. Addresses conflicts within the group without the help from the team leader. Makes contributions that are valued by team members.

Education, Experience, and Job Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience.
• 3+ years experience in family/community engagement and process coordination.
• Excellent communication, public speaking, and presentation skills. Willingness to attend public functions and networking events.
• Strong interpersonal skills and ability to comfortably interact with people of diverse socio-economic backgrounds
• Strong collaborative skills with the ability to work independently and as part of a team
• High ethical standards, good judgment, and demonstrated diplomacy and tact
• Achievement and goal oriented with excellent planning and organizational skills. Ability to set priorities and meet deadlines.
• Ability to work a flexible schedule to accommodate external events and meetings
• Attention to detail, persistence in follow up, and a strong sense of urgency
• Computer proficiency to include the use of Microsoft Office and other software applications
• Experience with manipulating data and an understanding of database software. Proficiency in Raiser’s Edge preferred.
• Valid Driver’s License insurable by HabiJax’s insurance carrier
• Able to successfully pass a background and drug screening

Work Location and Environment

The HabiJax office is located at 2404 Hubbard St. in Jacksonville, Florida. This position operates in a professional office environment and may require local travel to HabiJax work locations, and various meeting and event sites. This position routinely uses standard office equipment such as computers, phones, and photocopiers. This position requires extended periods of sitting and standing and may require working in various weather conditions. The employee in this position must also occasionally lift and move up to 25 pounds.

Expected Hours of Work

The standard work hours for this position are Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. with flexibility to work occasional evenings and weekends as needed. Some work may be completed remotely with supervisor approval.

Pay Rate:

The starting pay rate for this position is $18-$20 per hour commensurate with experience.

Benefits Offered:

• Health Insurance – Medical, Dental, and Vision
• Life Insurance
• Personal Accident Insurance
• Disability Insurance
• 401(k) with 50% match up to 6%
• Paid Time Off – Vacation, Sick, and Holidays

Disclaimers

The statements in this position description are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by people assigned to this position. They are not to be construed as an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties, and skills required of personnel so assigned. All personnel may be required to perform duties outside of their normal responsibilities from time to time, as needed. Habitat for Humanity of Jacksonville, Inc. is an equal opportunity employer and seeks to employ and assign the best qualified personnel for all our positions in a manner that does not unlawfully discriminate against any person because of race, color, religion, gender, marital status, age, national origin, physical or mental disability, sexual orientation, veteran/reserve national guard status, or any other status or characteristic protected by law.