Employment & Internship Opportunities

Program Manager (Spring Maternity Leave)

The mission of Common Threads is to educate children on the importance of nutrition and physical well-being, and to foster an appreciation of cultural diversity through cooking.  We teach at-risk children the knowledge and skills they need to choose and prepare nutritious food, build healthier families, and empower children and families to make healthy food decisions and advocate for better food access.

Based in Chicago and having operations in Washington, D.C., Miami, and Los Angeles, Common Threads has rapidly grown into a $3.5 million organization with 15 employees and more than 580 volunteers.  The organization provides programs to 1,100 children annually at 28 program sites, and has received national recognition for its innovative and effective programs.

Program Manager Responsibilities:

-    Manage school partner relationships in designated region – 6+ sites (including student recruitment, schedule, agreements, on-going communication)
-    Hire, train, and manage Chef Instructors at designated sites (including evaluation and mid-session meetings)
-    Manage kitchen relationships with partner sites (schedule, agreements, communication about classes)
-    Continue outreach to schools and kitchens for future partnerships, and create a waiting list of schools
-    Oversee quality of after-school classes regarding chef instructors, curriculum, school relationship, and kitchen relationship and problem-solve when/if needed (frequent class visits are required)
-    Coordinate and schedule Manners Matter field trips with other Program Managers
-    Lead parent outreach meetings at designated sites including outreach to parents to encourage attendance and involvement
-    Collaborate with other Program Managers regarding curriculum revisions (lesson plans, recipes, structure of class)
-    Coordinate and do demonstrations at special events at schools, centers, community organizing activities, and other fundraising events representing and being an advocate for Common Threads
-    Collaborate with Program Managers on newsletters for families, etc.
-    Work with Volunteer Coordinator to ensure volunteer sustainability at designated sites
-    Co-Director of Summer Camp: Hire staff, oversee staff, develop curriculum and program, outreach to schools to coordinate student enrollment, coordinate fieldtrips and World Festival days
-    Implement program enhancements at site locations as needed
-    Assist at fundraising events as needed
-    Manage storage by coordinating with Program Assistant, who will be in charge of driving equipment to sites and keeping an up to date inventory. Coordinate purchase of new equipment and inventory for new sites, including aprons, hats, chef jackets and purchasing all equipment.

Qualifications

-    Master’s degree strongly preferred, Education/Social Work background preferred
-    Knowledge of food and cooking preferred
-    Ability to work within a mission-driven environment to develop professional and respectful relationships with people both internal and external to Common Threads
-    Be self -motivated, confident and have outstanding communication skills, both verbal and written
-    Strong organizational, time management and logical thinking skills; must be task-oriented
-    Ability to create innovative solutions
-    Be innovative regarding programming activities/pilots
-    Solid analytical and problem-solving skill set
-    Possess positive, upbeat energy and a passion for wellness, food access, tolerance and awareness, and making a positive impact on society
-    Comfortable multi-tasking and adapting his/her roles and communication style depending on the task
-    A team player that works well collaboratively and independently
-    Must have access to a dependable car

The above statements are intended to describe the essential job functions of this role and are not an exhaustive list of all duties performed by personnel occupying this position

For immediate, confidential consideration, qualified applicants should e-mail a cover letter and resume to Amelia Tonkin at atonkin@commonthreads.org. 

Executive Assistant (Chicago)

Operations/Administration
•    Manage Executive Director’s schedule
•    Answer and respond to telephone inquiries for the Executive Director; communicating with a wide variety of internal and external contacts
•    Provide back-up administrative support to other staff  members

Research
•    Work with the development team researching, maintaining, and briefing the ED and team on current issues and players pertaining to food, health, school lunch programs, nutritional education, and public policy.
•    Conduct special research projects, follow ‘in the know’ blogs and compile information, statistics, and reports on current news, grants, and trends and be required to participate in a weekly debriefing with the Executive Director and Director of National Programs on various topics and areas researched

Fundraising
•    Work with Development Team to input and track prospects in Raiser’s Edge

Accounting
•    Make deposits at bank utilized by Common Threads
•    Monitoring use of debit/credit card
•    Oversee filing for financial and vendor records as well as archiving past files
•    Creating expense sheets for Executive Director

Office Administration
•    Manage office supply purchasing
•    Coordinate with vendors regarding technical support for printers, copiers, computers, phones and the website; serve as office contact for these technical support issues
•    Manually process website credit card transactions
•    Responsible for organization of the office including the conference room and the communal area
•    Manage ‘Common Threads General Information’ phone line

HR Operations
•    Oversee filing and tracking for employee records and contractor records
•    Post job descriptions, screen candidates, manage hiring documents and packets
•    Execute new hire set-up and orientation, coordinating with outsourced IT support

Qualifications
•    Ability to work within a mission-driven environment to develop professional and respectful relationships with people both internal and external to Common Threads
•    Strong organizational, time management and logical thinking skills
•    Be self motivated, confident and have outstanding communication skills, both verbal and written
•    Must be able to effectively prioritize and execute multiple assignments and consult as necessary during execution
•    Detail-oriented, ability to work in a fast-paced environment

The above statements are intended to describe the essential job functions of this role and are not an exhaustive list of all duties performed by personnel occupying this position. 

If interested, please e-mail resumes with a statement of interest to kristen@commonthreads.org

Director of Finance & Administration
Chicago, IL
Based in Chicago and having operations in Washington, D.C., Miami, and Los Angeles, Common Threads has rapidly-grown into a $3.5 million organization having 15 employees and more than 580 volunteers.  Providing programs to 1,100 children annually at 28 program sites, Common Threads has received national recognition for its innovative and effective programs and the demand for its services is growing rapidly.

Opportunity

Due to its expansion, Common Threads has an outstanding opportunity for a proven professional to manage all aspects of finance/accounting as well as the operations function.  Reporting to the Executive Director, the successful candidate will be a key member of the organization.  Among the position’s responsibilities are: 

•    Preparing financial statements and then developing accurate and timely financial information that adds value to the decision-making process.   Preparing forecasts and reconciliations. Maximizing cash utilization, manage banking relationships, and assisting with securing capital project funding.
•    Directing the human resources function including working with the Executive Director on personnel matters.   Processing payroll and maintaining employee records. 
•    Directing office support services 
•    Maintaining the organization’s compliance with all governmental laws and guidelines
•    Drafting and reviewing vendor contracts and managing vendor relationships as needed
•    Interfacing closely with Common Threads’ board committees, volunteers, and legal and accounting firms and providing support services as needed

Qualifications

Qualifications and experience of the ideal candidate include:
•    B.S. in business and/or accounting.  CPA or advanced degree highly-preferred.
•    Five years accounting/finance experience
•    Expertise in QuickBooks including its use in preparing monthly financial reports (e.g., A/R, A/P, Budget updates, reconciliation)
•    Demonstrated leadership and management experience 
•    Proficiency with Microsoft Office highly-preferred
•    Previous not-for-profit experience preferred
•    Effective oral, written, and interpersonal communication skills necessary

For immediate, confidential consideration, qualified applicants should e-mail a cover letter, resume, salary history to:  direct2012@aol.com.  All the aforementioned documents/information must be received in order to be considered.  Work history, education, and salary will be confirmed.  References will be required. Phone calls are strongly discouraged.

CHEF INSTRUCTORS (Chicago, DC, LA, Miami)