Thistle – ROC Program Specialist (4 day – 36 hour week)

THE COMPANY

The Mission of Thistle Community Housing is to create, manage and preserve quality, permanently affordable homes for working families, seniors, and people with disabilities. We are a nonprofit affiliate of ROC USA, a national non-profit (ROC – Resident Owned Communities). Thistle is a Certified Technical Assistance Provider (CTAP) for ROC USA and helps residents of mobile home communities purchase their mobile home park.

ROC USA is a national, established, successful program with a network of organizations that help mobile home community residents form cooperatives and purchase their mobile home park. Cooperatives own a business operation rooted in democratic principles. This position supports members within the Cooperative. Thistle ROC, LLC is the sole representative of the program in Colorado.

SUMMARY OF THE JOB

This is a full-time (36 hours/week), salaried with benefits in support of Thistle ROC. This position provides support to established and developing resident-owned cooperatives (ROC) who manage their mobile home communities in Colorado.

This is a Colorado-based position which will require the applicant to live in Colorado’s “Western Slope” region either prior or upon hire. Thistle does not cover any moving costs. Frequent statewide and occasional national travel required. This role frequently includes evenings, nights, and occasional weekends. This is mainly remote; however, a successful candidate would be expected to be in the office (Denver-metro area) a minimum of once a quarter, with potential for additional required organization events.

A ROC Program Specialist provides technical assistance to manufactured home communities around Colorado. Within this role you will need to develop and refine a comprehensive understanding the ROC Model in order to successfully coach, guide, and train cooperative boards with an overarching goal to advance the self-sufficiency of ROC communities.

SALARY: $65,000-$68,000 per year

SUPERVISOR: ROC Impact & External Business Manager

DIRECT REPORTS: None

REQUIRED JOB SKILLS:

• Training: Uses initiative, creativity, and resourcefulness to develop comprehensive trainings based on individual cooperative needs. Uses public speaking and facilitation skills to deliver those trainings in-person and virtually to existing and developing ROCs. Demonstrates ability to adapt to various community needs, learning styles, skill levels, and lived experiences of residents.
• Adaptability: Demonstrates ability to adjust strategy in order to respond quickly to changes in demands, priorities, and timelines. Capacity to simultaneously balance needs of multiple communities.
• Organization and attention to detail: Uses organizational skills and attention to detail to manage multiple communities within portfolio on tasks that include but are not limited to: data entry, financial reporting, compliance, preparation and follow-up for board meetings.
• Rapport-building: Uses written and oral communication skills & active listening to cultivate relationships (virtually and in-person) with ROC communities and a variety of partners including but not limited to: attorneys, bookkeepers, community organizations, property managers, and ROC USA network.
• Critical Thinking: Uses critical thinking to accurately enter and analyze financials, identify and resolve problems within portfolio of ROCs, ensure compliance, build & structure effective trainings, and manage complex projects and timelines.
• Bilingual literacy in English/Spanish: Able to perform the aforementioned required skills in both English and Spanish, displaying fluency in both languages.

To be successful in this role, expect some of the following:

On a daily basis, you’ll be:

• Coaching and engaging with board members during board and community meetings
• Collecting and filing financials and other key community documents
• Creating, reviewing, and interpreting community governing documents
• Determining community needs, identifying resources, and facilitating connections
• Emailing community residents, colleagues, and network partners
• Preparing for, attending, and following-up on community board meetings

On a monthly basis, you’ll be:

• Developing and delivering trainings on topics that include but are not limited to: cooperative leadership, business practices, financial planning, goal setting, and relationship management
• Monitoring budgets, identifying trends, and providing insight to support decision-making
• Receiving, reviewing, and accurately entering financial information into Salesforce, interpreting and reporting on variances
• Supporting and overseeing community project timelines and preparing progress reports

A few times a year, you’ll be:

• Assisting cooperatives with annual business registration and financial requirements
• Guiding struggling cooperatives, identifying problems, and developing plans for improvement
• Liaising with attorneys to ensure ROC compliance with relevant laws
• Preparing requests for proposals for professional services
• Participating in professional development opportunities
• Preparing comprehensive reports on ROCs in portfolio
• Supporting the creation of annual budget for ROCs
• Supporting successful conversion of manufactured home communities to resident owned communities (ROC)

*While the above task list covers a wide range of responsibilities, the nature of this role may entail additional duties to support to various facets of the team and organization’s goals.

PREFERRED COMPETENCIES

• Working with diverse, adult populations
• Understanding of financial statements, budgeting, and reporting

OCCUPATIONAL REQUIREMENTS

• In-person community visits across Colorado are required several times per year.
• Access to reliable transportation. Candidate must have valid driver’s license, current auto insurance, vehicle registration, and a clean driving record.
• Competency in Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc.
• College Degree preferred, but not required. Equivalent experience will be considered.
• Database Usage (Salesforce, Monday.com, Box).

WORKING CONDITIONS AND PHYSICAL DEMANDS

The work environment characteristics and physical demands described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to stand, walk, sit, use hands to finger, handle, or feel, reach with hands and arms, stoop, kneel, crouch or crawl, and smell, talk and hear.

• Employee must be able to drive and must have their own vehicle to travel for work purposes
• Employee must have valid driver’s license, current auto insurance, and vehicle registration and a clean driving record
• The employee must have the ability to speak on the telephone, and communicate and exchange information via email and other forms of communication
• The employee may be exposed to fumes and/or airborne particles. The employee is occasionally exposed to wet and/or humid conditions, extreme cold or heat
• The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 15 pounds

COMPETENCIES

• Project Management –
  • Develops project plans; Coordinates projects; Communicates changes and progress; Completes projects on time and budget; Manages project team activities.
• Problem Solving –
  • Identifies and resolves problems in a timely manner; Gathers and analyzes information skillfully; Develops alternative solutions; Works well in group problem solving situations; Uses reason even when dealing with emotional topics.
• Strategic Thinking –
  • Develops strategies to achieve organizational goals; Understands organization’s strengths & weaknesses; Analyzes market and competition; Identifies external threats and opportunities; Adapts strategy to changing conditions.
• Customer Service –
  • Manages difficult or emotional customer situations; Responds promptly to customer needs; Solicits customer feedback to improve service; Responds to requests for service and assistance; Meets commitments.
• Interpersonal Skills –
  • ROM uses on solving conflict, not blaming; Maintains confidentiality; Listens to others without interrupting; Keeps emotions under control; Remains open to others’ ideas and tries new things.
• Oral Communication –
  • Speaks clearly and persuasively in positive or negative situations; listens and gets clarification; Responds well to questions; Demonstrates group presentation skills; Participates in meetings.
• Written Communication –
  • Writes clearly and informatively; Edits work for spelling and grammar; Varies writing style to meet needs; Presents numerical data effectively; Able to read and interpret written information.
• Quality Management –
  • Demonstrates accuracy and thoroughness; Looks for ways to improve and promote quality; Applies feedback to improve performance; Monitors own work to ensure quality.
• Diversity –
  • Shows respect and sensitivity for cultural differences; promotes a harassment-free environment; Demonstrates knowledge of EEO policies.
• Ethics –
  • Treats people with respect; Keeps commitments; inspires the trust of others; Works with integrity and ethically; Upholds organizational values.
• Organizational Support –
  • Follows policies and procedures; Completes administrative tasks correctly and on time; supports organization’s goals and values; Supports affirmative action and respects diversity.
• Judgment –
  • Displays willingness to make decisions; Exhibits sound and accurate judgment; Supports and explains reasoning for decisions; Includes appropriate people in decision-making process; Makes timely decisions.
• Motivation –
  • Sets and achieves challenging goals; Demonstrates persistence and overcomes obstacles; Measures self against standard of excellence; Takes calculated risks to accomplish goals.
• Planning/Organizing –
  • Prioritizes and plans work activities; Uses time efficiently; Plans for additional resources; Sets goals and objectives; Organizes or schedules other people and their tasks; Develops realistic action plans.
• Professionalism –
  • Approaches others in a tactful manner; Reacts well under pressure; Treats others with respect and consideration regardless of their status or position; Accepts responsibility for own actions; Follows through on commitments.
• Safety and Security –
  • Observes safety and security procedures; Determines appropriate action beyond guidelines; Reports potentially unsafe conditions.
• Adaptability –
  • Adapts to changes in the work environment; Manages competing demands; Changes approach or method to best fit the situation; Able to deal with frequent change, delays, or unexpected events.
• Attendance/Punctuality –
  • Is consistently at work and on time; Ensures work responsibilities are covered when absent; Arrives at meetings and appointments on time.
• Dependability –
  • Follows instructions, responds to management direction; Takes responsibility for own actions; Keeps commitments; Commits to long hours of work when necessary to reach goals; Completes tasks on time or notifies appropriate person with an alternate plan
• Initiative –
  • Volunteers readily; Undertakes self-development activities; Seeks increased responsibilities; Takes independent actions and calculated risks; Looks for and takes advantage of opportunities; Asks for and offers help when needed.
• Teamwork –
  • Balances team and individual responsibilities; Exhibits objectivity and openness to others’ views; Gives and welcomes feedback; Contributes to building a positive team spirit; Puts success of team above own interests; Able to build morale and group commitments to goals and objectives; Supports everyone’s efforts to succeed.
• Change Management –
  • Develops workable implementation plans; Communicates changes effectively; Builds commitment and overcomes resistance; Prepares and supports those affected by change; Monitors transition and evaluates results.
• Delegation –
  • Delegates work assignments; Matches the responsibility to the person; Gives authority to work independently; Sets expectations and monitors delegated activities; Provides recognition for results.
• Leadership –
  • Exhibits confidence in self and others; Inspires and motivates others to perform well; Effectively influences actions and opinions of others; Accepts feedback from others; Gives appropriate recognition to others.
• Business Acumen –
  • Understands business implications of decisions; Displays orientation to profitability; Demonstrates knowledge of market and competition; Aligns work with strategic goals.
• Cost Consciousness –
  • Works within approved budget; Develops and implements cost saving measures; Contributes to profits and revenue; Conserves organizational resources.
• Motivation –
  • Sets and achieves challenging goals; Demonstrates persistence and overcomes obstacles.
• Quantity –
  • Completes work in timely manner; Works quickly.
  • Meets productivity standards; Completes work in timely manner; Strives to increase productivity; Works quickly.
• Innovation –
  • Displays original thinking and creativity; Meets challenges with resourcefulness; Generates suggestions for improving work; Develops innovative approaches and ideas; Presents ideas and information in a manner that gets others’ attention

* ROC USA is a national, established, successful program with a network of organizations that help mobile home community residents form cooperatives and purchase their mobile home park. Cooperatives own a business operation rooted in democratic principles. This position supports members within the Cooperative. Thistle ROC, LLC is the sole representative of the program in Colorado.

HOW TO APPLY FOR THIS JOB

Please send your resume and cover letter to Alexander Meyer – Portfolio Impact Manager, Western Slope – ameyerroc@thistle.us by Monday November 17th.