Title: Community Advocate 

Position Status:  Full time (37.5 hrs. per week)  

Reports to:   Program Director 

Pay rate: $22/hour ($42,900 annually) 

Benefits: Our Voice provides competitive benefits include 7.38 hours of PTO accrued each pay period, 12 paid holidays, access to the Employee Assistance Network, paid weekly wellness hours, 100% of employee premiums for health and dental insurance, 403(b) retirement plan, and wellness stipends. 

POSITION SUMMARY: 

Join the dynamic team at Our Voice, Buncombe County’s rape crisis and prevention center, supporting people in our community ages 13+ who have been impacted by sexual violence and/or human trafficking. Our program serves sexual violence survivors in Buncombe County, and human trafficking survivors in Buncombe, McDowell, and Transylvania counties. This position provides advocacy in the community to ensure access to Our Voice and Buncombe County Family Justice Center services is robust by providing outreach and advocacy directly in the community and connecting with the most vulnerable survivors in our community as a part of our commitment to centering the most marginalized survivors. 

QUALIFICATIONS: 

• Embrace the mission of Our Voice and a commitment to equity and inclusion 
• Previous experience in outreach and/or community engagement 
• Commitment to anti-oppression principles in all areas of our internal and external work as well as commitment to self-growth in this area 
• Demonstrated ability to communicate and work effectively with people experiencing trauma, external community partners, and across lines of difference.  
• Knowledge of sexual violence and human trafficking related issues and the systemic root causes and intersections 
• Considerable knowledge of community resources and structures 
• Adaptability to, and understanding of, local community needs and systems 
• Ability to demonstrate initiative and collaboration; ability to maintain workload and work both independently and as a team 
• Ability to work a flexible schedule (occasional evening or weekend crisis line shifts and events) 

• Ability to travel to counties in service area with a reliable vehicle to carry out job tasks. 
• Basic computer skills and knowledge of Microsoft Office Suite 
• Applicants must live within 60 minutes driving distance of Mission Hospital (509 Biltmore Ave, Asheville, NC, 28801) 
• Applicants must complete a background check after an offer is made, prior to the start of work.  
• Ties with the local community preferred, but not required  
• Experience with collecting, monitoring, and evaluating data preferred, but not required 

JOB RESPONSIBILITIES: 

GENERAL 

• Prepare for, attend, and participate in regular all-staff, team, and supervisory meetings.  
• Proactively attend required training courses to stay up to date on best practices in the field.  
• Work flexibly with the agency schedule and prioritize tasks appropriately. 
• Maintain a solution-focused demeanor while working in unpredictable environments and high-stress situations.  
• Adhere to the values and policies of Our Voice by complying with all written procedures and policies, and embodying our core values: believe all survivors, promote dignity, support individual agency, shift paradigms, and create a culture of care and honesty, in all decisions and actions.  
• Maintain appropriate boundaries, and open, clear, respectful lines of communication with co-workers, clients, and partners.  
• Take a minimum of 2 evening or weekend on-call shifts for the crisis line each month. 
• Other duties as assigned. 

COMMUNITY ADVOCACY 

• Help create and facilitate strategic vision for community engagement of survivors in the community. 
• Table events in the community with the goal of reaching survivors. 

• Facilitate presentations in the community about Our Voice and the Buncombe County Family Justice Center services. 
• Build relationships with community stakeholders to enhance broad community-based anti-violence efforts through networking and linking community resources.  
• Provide outreach and education to the general community about sexual violence and human trafficking.  
• Provide advocacy in the community as survivors disclose and seek services, and connect them with the appropriate Our Voice or the Buncombe County Family Justice Center program.  
• Maintain relationships and communicate respectfully and competently with partner agencies. 
• Serve as agency representative on committees and task forces as requested. 
• Attend community events to support advocacy and education efforts as requested. 
• Coordinate with Volunteer Coordinator and Development & Communications Coordinator to ensure that there is cohesive outreach and community advocacy. 
• Provide presentations to businesses and other interested entities on the PorchLight program through the Buncombe County Family Justice Center, as well as recruiting interested businesses. 

Applicants are encouraged to apply even if they don’t meet every single requirement listed in this posting. Our Voice values lived experience and we are dedicated to building a diverse, inclusive, and authentic workplace. If you are excited about this role and believe you would be able to meet these responsibilities, and your experience does not align perfectly, we encourage you to apply.  

Our Voice seeks to engage our whole community in the work of supporting survivors and preventing sexual violence and human trafficking; this is done through a diverse group of volunteer advocates, board members and staff. Our Voice is committed to providing equal opportunity for all employees and applicants without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, marital status, sexual orientation, disability, political affiliation, personal appearance, family responsibilities, matriculation, gender identification, and any other characteristic protected under federal, state, or local law. 

To apply: Please email your resume and either a video or written cover letter explaining why you are interested and qualified for this position to rvoice@ourvoicenc.org with the subject line: Community Advocate Application