Job posting for a data specialist at SWOP

1. Page 1 of 2
Data Specialist, Part-time 20 hour staff position
Job Description Nov 2014
Contact: David McDowell, Senior Organizer, Southwest Organizing Project
Phone: 773-471-8208 ext. 111
email: david.organizing@sbcglobal.net
This position is for a Data Specialist working with Southwest Organizing Project’s (SWOP) Reclaim
Southwest Chicago Housing Campaign, which focuses on the acquisition and rehabbing of vacant
properties in a targeted 3-square mile area of Southwest Chicago and the development of a pool of
homebuyers, resident investors and qualified tenants who have the capacity to purchase and rent
properties in and around the target area. SWOP is seeking to build our capacity to collect and analyze
data related to the Reclaiming Southwest Chicago Campaign, including tracking the progress of local
residents as they move through the pool of homebuyers, and tracking resident participation and both
individual and institutional development in the parallel organizing campaign. SWOP is an organization
that regularly collects and uses data in narrative and story form to develop strategy, plan action and
evaluate success, as well as developing ongoing power analyses of issues, institutions and individuals in
our organizing work. We are seeking to develop new ways to institutionalize data-gathering and analysis
in our work. SWOP’s Reclaim Southwest Chicago Housing Campaign is a part of the Chicago Local
Initiative Support Corporation’s (LISC) Testing The Model initiative (TTM), which is an effort to use
data to inform and evaluate comprehensive community development in four communities across Chicago.
The ideal candidate would have an interest in community-based organizing, a willingness and capacity
to build and sustain relationships with SWOP staff and institutional and resident leaders who want to
build their lives on the southwest side and in being an active part of a multi-organizational effort to
reclaim the southwest side from the recent foreclosure crisis and the flood of vacant properties.
The Data Specialist will
· Work closely with SWOP leaders and staff organizers; other allies including schools, faith
institutions, banks, developers, housing agencies and community groups; and technical
assistance providers like LISC and Open Tech Strategies
· Assist in collecting and analyzing data related to homeownership and the Reclaiming SW
Chicago campaign
· Provide regular updates on TTM database to SWOP Staff
· Manage the TTM database provided by LISC, communicating with the tech support staff,
colleagues, and community partners
· Assist with program evaluation based on information in the database and other sources
· Assist with both quantitative and qualitative research as needed; write reports of findings
· Assist with the preparation of reports for funders that support TTM
· Contribute to the grant-writing process for applications relevant to TTM
· Attend monthly TTM cohort meetings convened by LISC Chicago
· Share reflections on a regular basis with executive director or senior staff regarding the
Reclaiming SW Chicago campaign, community organizing, and professional development issues
· Perform other responsibilities as identified with the Executive Director and senior staff
Southwest Organizing Project ▪ 2558 W 63rd St ▪ Chicago, IL 60629 ▪ www.swopchicago.org 773-471-8208

2. Page 2 of 2
Qualifications:
· A willingness to learn the requisite skills necessary for effective participation in public life with
a community organizing focus
· Strong written and verbal skills
· Strong computer, spreadsheet and database skills
· Attention to detail and accuracy
· A respect for and understanding of diverse faith traditions
· An ability to work effectively in a multicultural setting
· A willingness to work flexible hours with occasional meetings in the community outside of
regular business hours
· Attention to detail and accuracy
· Bilingual Spanish and English a plus but not required
The Southwest Organizing Project (SWOP) is a broad-based community organization whose members
include 35 Christian, Muslim and Jewish faith institutions, public and private schools and other
institutions in Southwest Chicago, which will enable families to exercise common values, determine
their own future and connect with each other to improve life in their neighborhoods. To this end, leaders
of SWOP have dedicated themselves to building relationships across racial, ethnic, generational and
faith differences and to bringing the common concerns of their institutions into the public life of the
community as they develop the capacity to act collectively and "stand for the whole." SWOP works in
five major issue areas: housing, anti-violence, immigration, education, and access to quality affordable
health care for all.
SWOP was honored in 2013 with The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation’s MacArthur
Award for Creative and Effective Institutions.
Southwest Organizing Project ▪ 2558 W 63rd St ▪ Chicago, IL 60629 ▪ www.swopchicago.org 773-471-8208