Sopo Bicycle Cooperative Hiring For Two Posts

Sopo Bicycle Cooperative in Grant Park is looking to hire a part-time volunteer coordinator and a full-time executive director.

Individuals who are interested should e-mail their résumé plus cover letter, as well as any inquiries, to tito@sopobikes.org.

Applications are due on July 27 for the volunteer coordinator position and on August 24 for the executive director position.

The specifics:

• Volunteer Coordinator:
  • Part-Time (average 20-25 hours/week)
  • Salary: $14,000
  • Description: The Volunteer Coordinator is responsible for recruiting, training, placing and coordinating volunteers for the Sopo shop, special events, and other activities. The Volunteer Coordinator is also responsible for coordinating shop and event logistics, maintaining volunteer lists and shop statistics, and for communicating with volunteers.
  • Duties:
    • Develops and implements methods for coordination and retention of volunteers;
    • Ensures all programs are fully staffed with volunteers: Open Shop Hours, Summer Youth program, Bike There!, Charity Bikes, Bike 101 classes;
    • Schedules and advertises Bike 101 classes and other classes;
    • Recruits and screens volunteers for appropriate role placement; Identifies key volunteer roles and places volunteers in these roles; Identifies strong volunteers for shop manager role and other roles;
    • Organizes and facilitates monthly new volunteer orientations;
    • Creates and maintains relative volunteer signage and documents;
    • Provides leadership in volunteer opportunity development; Bikes 201; Volunteer Orientation 2.0;
    • Publicizes volunteer needs for special events; Organizes and supervises volunteers for special events (i.e., Artbikes, BHBP);
    • Ensures that expenditures are within budget guidelines (created by board) and reflect sound financial practices;
    • Manages and resolves conflicts as needed; Removes problem visitors as appropriate and consistent with Sopo policies and principles;
    • Maintains regular and timely communication with volunteers, Board and the Executive Director;
    • Maintains volunteer sign-in book, volunteer newsletter, volunteer information data base (contact, skills, commitment, etc.);
    • Develops and hosts volunteer appreciation activities;
    • Maintains a climate in the Shop and at Sopo events that attracts, keeps, and motivates a diverse crew of top quality staff and volunteers (shared with ED); and
    • Sees that an effective shop management team, with appropriate provision for succession, is in place (shared with ED).
  • Required skills and experience: Bicycle maintenance skills, 2 years of significant volunteer experience at Sopo, excellent communication skills, experience in conflict resolution, experience in personnel management, and a deep commitment to Sopo's values. Bilingual Spanish/English is a plus.

• Executive Director:
  • Full-Time
  • Salary: $28,000 (+ stipend for benefits)
  • Description: The Executive Director is the Chief Executive Officer of Sopo Bicycle Cooperative. The Executive Director reports to the Board of Directors, and is responsible for the organization's consistent achievement of its mission and financial objectives.
  • Duties:
    • Serve as the public face of the organization along with Board members; attend local community meetings, participate in local bike politics, represent organization at regional and national conferences;
    • Work with the staff, Finance Committee, and the board in preparing a budget; see that the organization operates within budget guidelines; Be responsible for developing and maintaining sound financial practices;
    • Assure that the organization effectively implements its long-range strategy which achieves its mission, and toward which it makes consistent and timely progress;
    • Develop and implement fundraising regime; engage funds providers and sustain beneficial partnerships, organize fundraising events; submit grants; ensure that adequate funds are available to permit the organization to carry out its work (in coordination w/Board);
    • Maintain program oversight; provide support for Volunteer Coordinator, ensure programs are sustainable by providing organizational support for Programs;
    • Provide leadership in program development; explore means to better provide equitable, practical and affordable [bicycle repair and education] services;
    • Demonstrate continuity of community engagement through internal and external communication; participate in monthly meetings; keep Board informed on a timely basis of all information relevant to the governance of Sopo; publicize events and programs;
    • Provide organizational stability by maintaining official records and documents, and ensure compliance with federal, state and local regulations; create bi-annual reports for Board;
    • Jointly, with the president and secretary of the board of directors, conduct official correspondence of the organization, and jointly, with designated officers, execute legal documents;
    • Maintain a climate in the Shop and at Sopo events that attracts, keeps, and motivates a diverse crew of top quality staff and volunteers (shared with Volunteer Coordinator); and
    • See that an effective shop management team, with appropriate provision for succession, is in place (shared with Volunteer Coordinator).
  • Required skills and experience: Basic bicycle maintenance skills, 2 years of significant volunteer experience at Sopo or another local focused nonprofit service based organization, excellent communication skills, social media skills, intermediate computer skills, experience in conflict resolution, experience in personnel management, budgeting skills, fundraising experience, grant writing experience and a deep commitment to Sopo's values. Bilingual Spanish/English is a plus.

Sopo Bicycle Cooperative is a 501(c)3 nonprofit bicycle repair workshop.  Sopo's mission is to create equitable access to bicycling by providing affordable bicycle maintenance services and education.

All donations to Sopo are tax deductible. The shop is located at 586 Woodward Ave. SE.  Operating hours are Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday nights from 7 p.m. until 10 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday afternoons from 2 p.m. until 5 p.m.  Visit www.sopobikes.org for more information.