CPTnet
21 April 2008
CHICAGO: Call for Expressions of Interest in and Nominations for Christian Peacemaker Teams (CPT) Chicago Office Coordinator

CPT has a full time opening for someone to provide office coordination and administrative support for the work that takes place in the Christian Peacemaker Team (CPT) Chicago office starting by September 2008. Responsibilities, necessary qualities, experiences and skills are listed in the following job description following. Compensation is a subsistence stipend based on need.

Persons with the required experience and skills who have not been members of CPT are welcome to apply. See www.cpt.org for background on CPT. If chosen as the most promising applicant, such an individual will be invited to participate in a CPT delegation followed by a month-long training and discernment process in July/August 2008 prior to finalizing appointment to this position.

CPT is engaged in the process of deepening organization-wide commitment and action to undo racism and is working towards becoming a more diverse community. As with every Support Team position, factors other than job-specific skills and experience may be taken into account to meet these goals. Members of indigenous or racialized groups are encouraged to apply.

Contact Carol Rose at carolr [at] cpt [dot] org or 773-277-0253 with expressions of interest. She will respond with application materials. Interviews will begin after May 10, 2008.

We encourage you to share this message widely and to pray for Gods work through this appointment process.


JOB DESCRIPTION for CPT Chicago Office Coordinator

Position:

The Office Coordinator is a full-time position providing administrative support (glue, ground, support, and warp--as in weaving threads that are the constant) for the work of Christian Peacemaker Team (CPT) Chicago office. This work is vital for supporting CPT’s violence reduction work around the world.

Work Expectations:
The Office Coordinator is a full time position with the expectation of forty hours per week during normal times and more during stints on team or in occasional times of high need. This job is one of the few CPT positions in which being in the office from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. is important. Weekend work and evening work will happen occasionally. Compensation is a subsistence stipend based on need. The appointment will be for a period of three years, to start in September 2008.

Responsibilities:

Coordination of Chicago Office and Administrative Volunteers

• Recruit, orient and support the work of office/administrative volunteers. (Note that volunteers could do much of the actual work listed in the job responsibilities below. It is the office coordinator’s responsibility to assure that that work is done well. Starred items below are areas where current volunteers are likely to continue significant support.)
• Hosting/Welcoming (The goal being that those who contact CPT feel welcome, grow in confidence and understanding of CPT.)
• First responder to the phone with friendly, organized and informed reply, consistent message sharing or transfer of calls.
• Extend welcome and hospitality to the those who appear at our door.
• Respond articulately and from the heart to requests for information regarding delegations, personnel and general interest, or for materials* and displays. 

Information and Communication Systems Nurture

• Database maintenance and development: add and update entries for delegation members,* donors,* mailing list, * personnel; work with other support team members to develop database to track information.
• Email lists/groups maintenance: Subscribe/unsubscribe addresses, monitor accounts, monitor CPTnet and internal CPT list serve.
• Organize and archive print pictures and digital images.
• Maintain and coordinate CPT's filing system.
• Maintain the schedule for use of the CPT Chicago based equipment, display, and the conference call line.
• Coordinate pick up,* processing, and sending of mail,* respond or forward/pass on the mail or give a heads up to others as appropriate (both electronic received at cpt [at] peacemakers [dot] org* and snail mail to the Chicago office)

Finances

• Process donations, send thank-you letters,* and make deposits
• Develop and maintain system for tracking delegation and reservist financial support.

Maintenance of Literature and Supplies

• Help update flyers, packets, forms, handbooks.
• Prepare delegation orientation packets.*
• Maintain on-hand supply of literature.
• Maintain office supplies and storage.
• Occasionally order supplies for teams. Facilitate deliveries to teams.

Bulk Mailing Coordination and Publication Support
 

• Manage bulk mailings (print mailing labels, organize the preparation of mailings, coordinate and participate in mailing parties, coordinate delivery* of mailing to postal services)
• Participate in team process of editing publications (includes assisting in pulling together the newsletter, monthly “Signposts”…)
• Coordinate printing with the Publications Coordinator (various brochures, remittance envelopes, CPT directories, quarterly newsletters, annual calendar/fund raising appeal, congregational appeal, and “Year in Review”).

Other Misc. Support

• Pitch in with all Chicago staff on what is needed as able.
• Logistical and administrative support for work coordinated by others in CPT including Peacemaker Congress, Biannual Retreat, Trainings (2+ times/year).

Participation as a member of CPT and of the CPT Support Team
 

• Chicago office team life: participate in weekly office meetings, share responsibilities in the cleaning and cooking rotation, participate in and join the rotation for leading prayers and undoing oppression sessions, participate in occasional evening potlucks and team building fun…
• Occasional speaking or other sharing about CPT, spreading the word from our work and partners in the field, recruiting and fund raising.
• Keep up to date on CPT’s work around the world.
• Option to occasionally participate in local CPT nonviolent direct action for peace.
• Option to spend time on project once a year as a CPTer responding to lethal conflict through active nonviolence.
• Option to participate in gathered Support Team meetings, and, when needed and as desired, in phone Support Team meetings.

Needed Qualities, Experience and Skill
(as demonstrated either in CPT work, through interview, or through other references):

Christian:
· Articulate in presenting CPT's Christian vision for gutsy nonviolence.
· Grounded in Christian faith, rooted in a worshiping community and committed to the biblical and historic Christian understanding of peacemaking.

Peacemaker:
· Commitment to and ability to articulately present the practice of nonviolent peacemaking.
· Commitment to dismantling racism and other oppressions.
· Sensitive in cross-cultural interaction.
· Experienced in and/or willing to participate in nonviolent direct action and/or CPT project work.

Team member:
· Good interpersonal skills, ability to listen and share with sensitivity, tact, humor, and humility.
· Demonstrated success in building and maintaining positive interpersonal relationships.
· Trustworthiness.
· Ability both to take initiative and do effective teamwork.
· Ability to navigate appropriately among conflicting needs for openness, teamwork, and confidentiality

Position Specific:
· Administrative skills, including the ability to organize and prioritize competing demands.
· Good verbal and written communication skills in English and ability to adapt to ever-changing communication technology.
· Skills in organizing and maintaining orderly physical workspace.
· Ability to carry out ongoing works in a context of frequent interruptions.
· Familiarity with CPT's supporting churches and organizations or willingness to grow in this area.
· Ability to represent positively CPT as an organization in speaking and in writing.
· Facility and/or willingness to develop skill with database and list serve processes.
· A strong sense of the importance of administrative minutiae to the overall mission of CPT.