About the Community Economic Defense Project (CEDP)

The COVID-19 pandemic triggered unprecedented eviction risk for U.S. renters. We formed the Community Economic Defense Project (CEDP) in April 2020 as a direct response. Over the past few years, our community organizing project has evolved into a large housing stability organization that operates a continuum of care model focused on stopping eviction and displacement.

Serving over 1,000 households per month, we bring together housing lawyers, economists, data analysts, policy-experts, organizers, and technologists to provide four services:

• Rental Assistance: through the Colorado Stability Fund, we leverage public funds to pay back and future rent, reinstate leases, and avert evictions through rental debt settlements.

• Legal Services: For complicated cases with additional legal issues or difficult landlords, CEDP offers eviction defense services, paired with rental assistance dollars, to encourage settlement or stabilize tenancies and represent tenants in court when negotiation does not work.

• Rehousing and Case Management: Where legal services do not work, we provide rehousing support services through ERA funding and agency referrals.

• Policy: More broadly, we go case to cause. We work with our clients to tell their stories and amplify their voices into policy change. For example, In the 2020-2021 legislative session, for example, we drafted and, in coalition with other stakeholders and community organizations, passed the renters’ rights legislation that caps late fees, penalizes abusive landlords, and gives Coloradans access to the warranty of habitability without paying a bond.

Our model has been cited as a best practice by the White House, HUD, the Urban Institute, and in the media.

As COVID moves from pandemic to endemic, CEDP is working to stabilize families who have been left behind and fight community wealth stripping through a broader Community Economic Defense model. As our team continues to scale our services at risk of eviction, we are also beginning to build a comprehensive economic, legal, and policy response to mortgage foreclosure, debt, and predatory towing across Colorado. Similar to CEDP’s work on rental housing, these efforts will offer a continuum of care that includes navigation and advisory services, targeted payments, legal support, and the ability to participate in advocacy.

As our team continues to scale our services for those at risk of eviction, we are also beginning to build a comprehensive economic, legal, and policy response to foreclosure across Colorado. Similar to CEDP’s work on rental housing, this effort will seek to provide homeowners at risk of foreclosure with a continuum of care that includes navigation and advisory services, targeted payments, legal support, and the ability to participate in advocacy.

More about the Head of People Position

We are seeking an experienced leader to oversee multiple facets of CEDP’s day to day operations. This person will wear a number of different hats and should be adept at human resources management and team leadership.

A successful candidate will have experience leading non-profit teams in diverse environments. The best-fit candidate for this role will have five or more years of experience managing teams and people operations in a non-profit environment with a diverse team. We are not looking for traditional HR. Instead, we’re looking for someone who has done the work and is passionate about people, frontline service work, training and development, and serving as a neutral problem solver for interpersonal and organizational needs. Our team is our most important asset as an organization and is the reason we can provide high-quality service to our community.

To further ensure success, candidates are expected to work comfortably under pressure with tight deadlines in a fast-paced environment. You must exercise sound judgment and have strong written and verbal skills as well as the ability to collaborate with peers and managers to adapt and improve new processes.

In This Role You Will:

• Build and implement the vision for CEDP’s people, including internal culture, training & development, human resources, and diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging

• Help design CEDP’s social contract and expectations of frontline staff and managers

• Serve as a trusted and independent advisor for CEDP’s people, working with individuals and teams to resolve conflicts, problematic issues or concerns, and bringing systemic concerns to the attention of the organization for resolution.

• Help establish and communicate organizational culture norms, boundaries and expectations of communication

• Train and coach leaders in the organization to manage hard processes, conversations, and service delivery work alongside their teams

• Be a strategic people operations leader who can collaborate with executive and senior management to adapt existing policy/process and manage a complex people operations ecosystem into its next iteration

• Develop a people strategy and implement People and Culture initiatives related to Organizational Design, Performance Management and Talent Development, Operational Culture, Hiring, Management-Employee collaboration, Risk Management, and HR Information Systems and Tools

• Lead a People and HR Team of 3 (including this role)

• Initiate and champion opportunities to further diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging

• Build and implement wellness, second-hand trauma support, and stress management processes for a team that is regularly interacting with clients experiencing trauma

• Empower and leverage the strengths of the team members to exceed departmental objectives

• Field inquiries from employees regarding benefits, compensation, performance management tools, diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging

• Collaborate with senior managers to develop and implement progressive success plans while assessing risk and balancing the needs of the organization

• Interact with Payroll / Finance team regarding compensation and payroll

• Be comfortable being a “doer” and a “planner” – we are still small enough that, while this is a leadership role, the day-to-day will require someone with the attention to detail and passion to serve both on the ground and in a leadership capacity.

Requirements:

• A creative, self-driven attitude and proven ability to build something new from scratch

• A strong desire to work in a collaborative environment centered on social justice and equity

• Ability to work collaboratively with people of diverse personal and professional backgrounds

• Openness and adaptability to new environments

• A process-oriented mindset

• Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, evolving organization

• Excellent interpersonal communication skills

• Strong organizational abilities

• Knowledge of MS Office suite, specifically Excel, CLIO or other case management systems, and payment processing systems.

• Familiarity and knowledge of Google Suite desired

To Apply:

Interested candidates should apply by clicking the button to apply linked on this page.

Equal Opportunity

The Community Economic Defense Project is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.

Benefits & Compensation

• Salary range is $85,000 to $100,000 per year, based on experience.

• Benefits include health, vision, dental, unlimited paid vacation, short-term and long-term disability, and 401K.

• As in-person work is sometimes required, all employees at CEDP are expected to maintain current vaccination status in keeping with CDC recommendations.