EJ Community Advocate

Job Duties

Who We Are

COPAL, Communities Organizing Latine Power and Action, is a member-based organization established in 2018 to improve the quality of life of Latine families. Grounded in the Principles of Jemez, COPAL is committed to continue building meaningful relationships that transcend both identity and geographical boundaries. COPAL envisions a Minnesota where everyone lives with dignity and respect.

Why You’ll Love Working Here

Our greatest asset is the dedication and commitment of our board, staff, members, and interns, as well as our valued volunteers, partners, coalition members, and leaders of the Latine community. With a clear mission and vision of a better future for all, we can mobilize people to bring about transformation and lead social, political, and economic change.

Wages

$26.00 - $28.00 per hour depending on qualifications and level of experience

Benefits

Earned Sick and Safe Time (ESST)

COPAL sponsors a retirement plan with 6% employer contribution after 90 days of service and immediate vesting

Because COPAL is a member with Metropolitan Alliance of Connected Communities (MACC) who partners with St. Mary’s University, COPAL employees and their spouses are also eligible for the following benefits at St. Mary’s University:

Discounted tuition for Bachelor’s, Master’s, and Doctorate programs

Professional development opportunities

Access to advancement (internships, job placement, field practice)

Schedule

This is a temporary, full-time position that will work fully in-person. This position will require some travel throughout Minnesota and availability on occasional evenings and weekends as required by community meetings, public hearings, legislative activities, and other responsibilities.

Job Summary

COPAL is hiring a EJ Community Advocate to serve as a bridge between community members and the legislative, regulatory, and public decision-making processes that shape environmental conditions in Minnesota. The position supports meaningful community participation in Environmental Justice (EJ) advocacy while advancing key departmental priorities, including Just Energy Transition, Cumulative Impacts & Environmental Health, and Green Jobs & Workforce Justice.

Responsibilities

Build trusted relationships with Latine, immigrant, BIPOC, and historically underserved communities and support meaningful participation in environmental decision-making processes.

Build community members’ capacity to navigate and meaningfully participate in advocacy, legislative, and regulatory processes, including providing testimony, submitting public comments, and communicating their lived experiences and priorities to decision-makers.

Participate in relevant legislative, regulatory, agency, coalition, and public engagement processes in coordination with the Environmental Justice Policy Advocate.

Translate complex environmental policy, regulatory, scientific, and technical information into accessible and culturally relevant information for community audiences.

Facilitate community conversations, listening sessions, advocacy workshops, and educational activities related to COPAL’s Environmental Justice priorities.

Support community participation in key environmental justice priorities, including Just Energy Transition, Cumulative Impacts & Environmental Health, climate resilience, and other emerging environmental issues.

Lead or coordinate assigned Green Jobs & Workforce Justice initiatives, connecting community members with workforce training, career pathways, educational opportunities, and relevant resources.

Serve as a liaison among community members, COPAL, public agencies, coalition partners, and other stakeholders to strengthen meaningful community participation and ensure advocacy efforts remain informed by community priorities and lived experiences.

Track community participation, advocacy activities, outcomes, and qualitative impact information needed for departmental planning, evaluation, grants, and reporting.

Collaborate with the Environmental Justice team and other COPAL departments to advance shared departmental and organizational priorities.

What You Bring

A bachelor’s degree in environmental studies, public policy, political science, sociology, community development, social justice, or a related field; an equivalent combination of education and relevant experience may be considered.

A minimum of 2 years of relevant experience in community advocacy, public engagement, environmental justice, civic participation, policy-related community work, or a related field.

Being bilingual in Spanish and English is required.

Previous experience working with Latine, immigrant, BIPOC, or historically underserved communities is strongly preferred.

Previous experience with or demonstrated skills in engaging with legislative, regulatory, governmental, coalition, or public decision-making processes is preferred.

A strong commitment to environmental justice, social equity, community voice, and meaningful public participation.

The ability to understand environmental policy, regulatory, scientific, or technical information and communicate it clearly and accessibly to community audiences.

Strong relationship-building, facilitation, interpersonal communication, and community engagement skills.

The ability to support community members in developing and communicating their own perspectives and priorities within advocacy and decision-making spaces.

An understanding of culturally responsive and language-accessible community engagement.

Strong organizational and time-management skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities, maintain accurate documentation, and contribute to reporting and evaluation.

The ability to collaborate effectively with community members, policy staff, public agencies, coalition partners, educational institutions, workforce organizations, and other stakeholders.

The ability to travel throughout Minnesota and work occasional evenings and weekends as required by community meetings, public hearings, legislative activities, and other responsibilities.

A valid driver’s license, access to reliable transportation, and the ability to meet COPAL’s driving record requirements. Please note that if the license was not issued in the state of Minnesota, you have 60 days after becoming a Minnesota resident in which to apply for your Minnesota driver's license or permit.

Please go to COPAL’s Job Board to apply through our online applicant tracking system.

Diversity and open expression are fundamental to the work of COPAL. We are passionate about building and sustaining an inclusive and equitable working environment where everyone can belong. Every member of our team enriches our work by exposing us to a broad range of ways to understand and engage with the world, identify challenges, and to discover, design, and deliver solutions. We welcome everyone to apply, especially those individuals who are underrepresented in our sector: individuals who identify as BIPOC, Indigenous or people of culture, LGBTQI+ and gender fluid or gender nonconforming, individuals with disabilities (both seen and unseen), veterans, people of any age or family status. We encourage you to apply even if you feel like you don't fit 100% of the technical requirements. Equal Opportunity Employer: All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, creed, ancestry, religion, national origin, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, familial status, disability, age, marital status, membership or activity in a local human rights commission, status with regard to public assistance, criminal history (justice-impacted status), housing or homelessness status, height, or weight.

Our organization has a partnership with Metropolitan Alliance of Connected Communities (MACC) to provide administrative services including management of the hiring process. If you apply for this position, you may see references to MACC in some online materials.

COPAL participates in E-Verify and will provide the federal government with your Form I-9 information to confirm that you are authorized to work in the U.S. See E-Verify’s official poster at https://e-verify.uscis.gov/web/media/resourcesContents/E-Verify_Participation_Poster_ES.pdf. See E-Verify’s Right to Work poster at https://www.e-verify.gov/sites/default/files/everify/posters/IER_RightToWorkPoster%20Eng_Es.pdf.

Equal Opportunity Employer

This employer is required to notify all applicants of their rights pursuant to federal employment laws. For further information, please review the Know Your Rights notice from the Department of Labor.

Minimum Education Required

See job duties

Minimum Experience Required

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Shift

First (Day)

Number of Openings

1

Compensation

$26.00 - $28.00 / Hourly

Postal Code

55406

Job Type

Full Time

Place of Work

On-site

Requisition ID

82863

Job Benefits

See job duties