Open VISTA Positions

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Build professional nonprofit skills while building community! The Mercy Corps Northwest VISTA Program seeks applicants passionate about economic justice to join a cohort of AmeriCorps VISTA members that will begin a year of public service on March 16th 2020!

 

Mercy Corps Northwest VISTAs oversee projects that build the long-term capacity of their communities through financial education, job skills training, microenterprise & asset development, affordable housing, homeless services, food security, and disaster preparedness. While the programs VISTAs develop endure for years, VISTA members perform only indirect service; interaction with clients will be limited and the member will spend the majority of their time in an office setting. However, VISTA offers the opportunity to gain advanced project management skills and exercise creativity in implementing a program—skills highly desired by employers.

Please note: VISTAs serving with the Mercy Corps Northwest cohort are placed in different non-profits around Oregon & Washington. Most positions are located in the Portland Metro Area, but a few are located in Washington and Central Oregon. Please check the location of the specific position before applying and note that in some cases, rural sites may require that you have reliable transportation.

 

 

We are currently recruiting for 8 VISTA member positions to begin on March 16th, 2020. Please see descriptions of open positions below and click on the linked header of each position to apply! 

 

 

Eligibility and Qualifications for Service with our AmeriCorps VISTA Team:

To be eligible for VISTA service, a candidate must:

  • Be 18 years or older (no upper age limit)
  • Pass a national service criminal history check
  • Hold one of the following citizenship or legal residency statuses: US citizen, US National, Lawful Permanent Resident (i.e. Green Card status), and persons legally residing within a state. Examples of persons legally residing within a state may include those holding the following classifications: refugee, asylee, temporary protected status throughout VISTA service, and holding Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) status.

Desired Skills and Qualifications:

  • The ideal candidate will have a Bachelor’s degree, or 4 years of relevant work experience, or a combination thereof
  • Demonstrated commitment to community/public service
  • Intercultural communication skills and experience working within diverse communities
  • Preference given to those with experience in economically diverse environments 
  • Strong interpersonal, written and verbal communication skills 
  • Highly organized and detail-oriented
  • Proven ability to solve problems and be flexible
  • Demonstrated ability to collaborate and work well in a team environment 
  • Proficiency in Microsoft Office and Google Drive preferred

Please note: VISTA positions may have their own specific skills and qualifications not shown in the list above. Please see more details on skills and qualifications for specific VISTA positions in the listings above. 

Benefits:

AmeriCorps VISTAs serving with the Mercy Corps Northwest cohort receive several benefits, including:

  • A living allowance* paid bi-weekly (every 14 days) of:
    • $562.52 (or $14,665.70/year) for those serving in the Portland Metro Area
    • $479.08 (or $12,490.30/year) for the members serving in Warm Springs, OR 

*All living allowance amounts are pre-tax (both Federal and State taxes will be withheld in Oregon) and are paid to members by direct deposit every 14 days.

  • Upon completion of a service term, the choice of a $1,800 end of service stipend or a $6,095 Segal Education Award that can be used towards education, including eligible student loans. Certain universities will match this award with their own scholarships
  • A healthcare allowance or benefit plan to cover approved out-of-pocket (co-pay, co-insurance, deductible, etc.) medical expenses up to $7,900. Please note that this is not health insurance—members must secure their own health insurance.
  • Relocation assistance (if moving more than 50 miles to serve) of $750 and mileage reimbursement of $00.40/mile from home of record to the service site
  • Childcare assistance (if eligible)
  • A $4,000 supplemental benefit from Mercy Corps Northwest, consisting of:
    • $300 professional development stipend to use towards any opportunities (classes, conferences, trainings, etc.),
    • $3,700 to be used towards approved housing, transportation, food, and goods assistance during your year of service More on how to access and use this benefit will be provided during the onboarding process 
  • Training in topics such as communications, grant writing, and project management
  • Upon completion of a service term, one year of Noncompetitive Eligibility for employment with the Federal Government
  • Access to a network of VISTA members, nonprofits, and professionals to build your network and develop your skills
  • And more!
How to Apply:
  1. Review open positions below and click on the header of the position(s) you’re interested in to apply.
  2. You will be prompted to create an account on the MyAmeriCorps.gov portal before applying.
  3. Once your account in created, submit your application to the position(s) you’re interested in on the MyAmeriCorps.gov portal (you may submit your application to up to 10 positions in the portal).
  4. If you’re application is a match, the supervisor for the position will reach out within a few weeks for an interview.

Positions will be open until February 21st, 2020, unless filled sooner. Early applications strongly encouraged as selections are made on a rolling basis. Applicants must submit an application through the MyAmeriCorps.gov portal via the links provided in the job titles below. No other application materials will be accepted.

Open Positions:

We are currently recruiting for the following AmeriCorps VISTA positions:

 

 

Mercy Corps Northwest VISTA Leader—Mercy Corps Northwest (Portland, OR)

Based at Mercy Corps Northwest in Portland, OR, the VISTA Leader serves directly with the Mercy Corps Northwest (MCNW) VISTA Program—a team of 18 AmeriCorps VISTAs and 2 VISTA Leaders managed by MCNW and stationed at nonprofit organizations and public agencies across the state. The VISTA Leader supports the MCNW VISTA Team by coordinating & planning member trainings, mentoring members & resolving conflicts, coordinating/conducting site visits, collecting reports & managing data, and supporting outreach efforts & sharing program impact.

PLEASE NOTE: Individuals are eligible to serve as VISTA Leaders only if they have successfully completed at least one term of service with AmeriCorps VISTA, AmeriCorps State and National, AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC), or Peace Corps.

 

 

Employment Capacity Building Coordinator–The Arc of Multnomah-Clackamas (Portland, OR) 

As a VISTA member at The Arc of Multnomah-Clackamas you will help end poverty by expanding The Arc’s employment program that provides job readiness to adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD). The activities are to identify key funders, oversee a skill-based employment training pairing adults with I/DD and a job coach learning skills for competitive employment, and expand a network of employment providers and employers.

 

 

Metro Housing Bond Program Associate–Housing Authority of Washington County (HAWC) (Hillsboro, OR)

As a VISTA member at HAWC you will help end poverty by developing a community engagement framework to help ensure affordable housing projects funded by the Metro Affordable Housing Bond are welcoming to low-income households in communities of color. Major functions include: establishing partnerships with diverse community groups, establishing community feedback mechanisms, and building a toolkit of culturally specific engagement activities.

 

 

Online Education Associate–Mercy Corps Northwest (Portland, OR)

The Online Education Associate is a key member of the small business education team, building capacity within the MCNW Education Department and Women’s Business Center (WBC) to deliver small business training to rural and mobility-challenged entrepreneurs. Key focus areas include training and education, technology, stakeholder engagement, and community outreach. The Online Education Associate will pilot a customized online education platform with partner organizations, develop expanded resources to build out the class offerings, create connections with rural development organizations to support underserved entrepreneurs, and provide recommendations for future expansion of online offerings.

 

 

Outreach and Marketing Specialist–Warm Springs Community Action Team (WSCAT) (Warm Springs, OR) 

This VISTA will develop marketing and outreach strategies to recruit businesses into a small business incubator. The member will recruit small businesses and food truck businesses, organize trainings, and plan events in the incubator. They will research Warm Springs and learn about the history of the Old Commissary Building, where the incubator will be located and assist in asset mapping projects of the community. The VISTA will help build capacity by talking to local organizations and fundraising to support the incubator.

 

 

Outreach Coordinator–Mercy Corps, Community Investment Trust (Portland, OR)

The member will generate awareness of the CIT project’s goals and services among low-income residents of Portland’s 122nd neighborhood to facilitate community involvement, investment and training. Tasks will include conducting outreach to low income housing and developing a long-term marketing plan, participating in the creation of the design, monitoring, and evaluation plan, and supporting fundraising efforts.

 

 

Volunteer Coordinator–JOIN (Portland, OR)

As a VISTA member at JOIN, you will play an instrumental role in helping individuals and families who are experiencing homelessness end their homelessness and move into permanent housing by creating and implementing a Volunteer Program. In your role as Volunteer Coordinator, you will review and update volunteer needs and volunteer job descriptions, continue to develop a volunteer training guide and process, develop a volunteer stewardship plan, and recruit new volunteers.

 

 

Volunteer Coordinator–Stone Soup PDX (Portland, OR)

As a VISTA member at Stone Soup you will help end poverty by creating a volunteer system that connects individual or group volunteers to opportunities that support the training of low-income participants at risk of homelessness for employment in the hospitality and foodservice industry. Major functions will include expanding our volunteer base by creating volunteer systems and recruiting and training volunteers.