Job Abstract

The Sorensen Institute for Political Leadership seeks applications for a Program Recruitment and Community Relations Assistant to join their team. The Sorensen Institute is a unit within the Weldon Cooper for Public Service and part of the Karsh Institute of Democracy at the University of Virginia. The Program Recruitment and Community Relations Assistant will report to the Director of the Sorensen Institute. 

The Sorensen Institute was founded in 1993 to bring together diverse individuals from the public, private, and nonprofit sectors who have a wide variety of viewpoints and backgrounds but want to work together for the common good. Our non-partisan educational mission is to develop leaders who can strengthen and enhance the quality of government, politics, and civic engagement at all levels throughout Virginia. 

Through a variety of programs-for high school and college leaders to emerging young adult leaders to leaders with experience in the public or private sector -- the Sorensen Institute has established itself as a powerful and effective force for restoring public confidence in our political system. 

At the heart of every Sorensen program are three central themes: ethics in public service, the power of bipartisanship, and a concentrated study of public policy issues. 

The role of the Program Recruitment and Community Relations Assistant is a varied one that combines elements of promoting participation in Sorensen’s programs, outreach to various communities and organizations, relationship building, volunteer coordination, and stakeholder management. The primary objective is to nurture meaningful relationships with key members of the Sorensen Institute community, encourage people to apply to participate in Sorensen programs, build awareness about Sorensen with communities around the Commonwealth of Virginia, and support engagement with individuals and organizations able to support Sorensen's work. There will also be opportunities to engage with the participants in our programs, especially Sorensen’s High School Leaders Program. The person in this position will be an important ambassador for the Institute with responsibilities for promoting Sorensen's mission, vision, and programs. 

Key program recruitment and community relations areas of responsibility include: 

• Ability to implement and help develop a strategic recruiting plan for attracting program applicants 

• Engage with leaders in communities underrepresented in Sorensen programs 

• Assist Sorensen's Director with outreach to the Sorensen Advisory Board, donors, program speakers, and public officials 

• Expand and measure Sorensen's recruiting effectiveness and impact in communities 

• Create and manage databases; presentation modes; submissions by applicants to Sorensen programs, and event platforms 

• Event planning, logistics, marketing, and production related to program recruitment and community relations 

• Monitor and provide recommendations re diversity efforts 

The competencies required for the Program Recruitment and Community Relations Assistant include: 

• Associate degree is required, bachelor’s degree preferred. Relevant internship, volunteer work, or community-based roles will be considered in the selection process 

• Excellent written, oral communication, and presentation skills 

• Excellent interpersonal skills 

• Proficiency with Microsoft Office suite, presentation software, and databases; experience with Salesforce is helpful 

• Ability to build rapport with organizations, constituency, and community groups 

• Interest in civic engagement, politics, governing, and adult education 

• Event planning skills 

The attributes of the ideal applicant will include being self-motivated and able to thrive in a collegial environment among people strongly committed to Sorensen's mission, work independently as part of a team focused on institutional priorities, work calmly and professionally, especially during those occasional times when the team finds itself in pressure situations, and uphold ethical standards generally and, particularly, with respect to handling confidential information. 

Work Location: Charlottesville, Virginia. Occasional remote location work may be possible. This position will require some in-state travel and occasional weekend and evening work consistent with Sorensen's programming that includes some evening and weekend hours. A valid driver’s license and access to reliable transportation is preferred. 

Non-discrimination: The University of Virginia, including the Sorensen Institute, is fundamentally committed to the diversity of our faculty and staff. We believe diversity is excellence expressing itself through every person's perspectives and lived experiences. We are equal opportunity and affirmative action employers. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, color, disability, gender identity or expression, marital status, national or ethnic origin, political affiliation, race, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, veteran status, and family medical or genetic information. 

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion: Over its first two hundred years, the University of Virginia has been at the forefront of producing global citizen leaders, groundbreaking research and scholarship, and world-class patient care. As the University enters its third century, it continuously seeks to define and redefine itself, motivated by its shared passion for discovery, innovation, community, service, and social justice. One of the University's top priorities is to create a living, learning, and work environment that supports - and challenges - its academic community. To achieve its mission, the University must be a place in which all faculty, students, and staff are active participants in its work, where those groups historically excluded from participation in University life are present in numbers that prevent isolation of the spirit and of the mind, and where each individual is conscious of how they contribute to the creation and dissemination of knowledge that enhances the well-being of the community, the state, the nation, and the world. Committed to attracting and retaining a diverse staff, University Advancement honors your experiences, perspectives, and unique identity. It strives to create and maintain working environments that are inclusive, equitable, and welcoming so it can best achieve its mission of supporting its broadly diverse partners, schools, and networks of engaged alumni, parents, and friends of the University. 

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, color, disability, gender identity or expression, marital status, national or ethnic origin, political affiliation, race, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, veteran status, and family medical or genetic information.