Join Our Team: Community Coaching Associate

The West Virginia Community Development Hub (The Hub) is seeking a Community Coaching Associate to advance our work to create transformation in local communities from the ground up. The ideal candidate will be a strong relationship-builder and have genuine optimism for West Virginia’s future, including the possibility of making change while working alongside residents who live in our communities today. 


The Hub’s leadership is expressly interested in diversifying our team of coaches so that the team reflects and reaches residents in West Virginia with many different viewpoints and backgrounds. We strongly encourage candidates with diverse backgrounds to apply for this position. Our entire Hub team is committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion in our workplace and in communities, and we have support systems in place to welcome new staff members. 

Submit your application by June 26, 2022 at midnight to be considered in the first round of review. Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis until the position is filled.

Please find the job description and information about how to apply on this page.

To download a PDF file with the job description, click here.

Who We Are

The Hub is a nonprofit organization that works annually with dozens of teams located across West Virginia to build local communities and economies. Hallmarks of our work are to spur on fresh momentum where little exists; to unite the forces of groups that have not considered – or even resisted – collaboration in the past; and to champion new, and sometimes unexpected, leaders.

About this job

Our team of community coaches walks alongside residents as they create and carry out a shared vision for positive changes in their area. The results may be anything from creating a community garden or putting on a festival to repurposing a vacant, historic building or building out a plan to transform a community.

With more than a decade of experience, The Hub has a unique approach to community-based coaching that includes centering residents as subject matter experts on what is best for their area; breaking down historic barriers to collaboration and unifying people from different backgrounds; and championing new, and many times historically underrepresented, community leaders. 

The person in this role will receive training and mentorship to coach residents using The Hub’s unique approach. Learn more on our History and Approach page.

what you'll do

The Community Coaching Associate is part of our team of community coaches led by The Hub’s Director of Community Engagement. You will be responsible for the following: 

  • You will coach teams of local residents – “community teams” – including, at minimum, communicating weekly with community-based leaders and traveling monthly to meet in person (in-person meetings are contingent upon The Hub’s COVID safety policies). 
  • You will lead public meetings and keep community teams accountable to their goals and program expectations. You will support individual team members to strengthen their leadership abilities.
  • You will manage current and build new relationships with partners who offer services to support community teams. You will regularly make connections between these partners and residents participating in community teams.
  • You will collaborate with The Hub’s team of community coaches to adapt services in response to needs as well as map out new community-based coaching programs.
  • You will build skills and expertise to become a lead community coach for one of our programs, working independently to coach communities and achieve program goals. 

Who You Are & Keys to Success (the must-haves)

To be successful in this job, you will excel in five areas:

  1. Relationship-Building: You develop strong, collaborative working relationships with a diverse group of people. You stay curious about people and are always seeking to understand more about their values and interests. You are an active listener. You genuinely care about helping people put their dreams into reality. You bring your authentic self into new spaces, and you show up for people.
  2. Patient Persistence: You have a track record of getting results even when there are obstacles. You are comfortable in gray areas and are able to flex your plans to meet people where they are; you understand that progress isn’t always about checking items off of a list. 
  3. Inclusive Leadership: You approach leadership with a mindset of “power with” rather than “power over” and regularly include others in decision-making. You know you don’t have all of the answers, and you’re willing to actively collaborate with others to find solutions. 
  4. Setting and Managing Priorities: You have experience managing competing demands of your time, and are able to build your own systems to keep tasks from slipping through the cracks. You are a self-starter and are driven to complete work independently within a supportive team environment.
  5. Commitment to Equity: You recognize the role of race, income, age, and other identities in addressing disparities. You recognize how your own identities show up in the work, and welcome, reflect on, and act on feedback with an eye toward continuous learning about race, ability, and other lines of difference.

If you were here right now, you would be...

  • Building relationships with dozens of local leaders from across West Virginia who are invested in making a difference in their community; 
  • Traveling highways and back roads to beautiful parts of the state to see community-led change in-person; 
  • Apprenticing with our team of Hub community coaches to gain the knowledge, mindset, and connections needed to support residents in creating transformational changes in their communities; and 
  • Learning the network of resource providers making community and economy building happen in West Virginia, and learning about both opportunities and challenges in the field.

What else you should know

The salary for this position will be negotiated with the applicant and will be based on qualifications and experience. The expected starting salary will be between $35,000 – $42,000.

This position is full-time. The location for this position is flexible, but applicants must reside in West Virginia. The Hub has offices in Charleston, WV and Buckhannon, WV, and the person in this role may be based out of either of these locations, work on a remote basis, or a combination of in-person and remote.

Willingness to travel and work flexible hours is required for this position. Extensive travel is expected for this position. Community meetings and events may happen during evenings or weekends but are scheduled in advance so that staff may coordinate their schedules accordingly. The Hub offers a flex-time policy to accommodate work completed outside a typical workday. All travel expenses are reimbursable and travel may often be done in coordination with other Hub staff. 

We are actively seeking to recruit diverse candidates for this position. We want The Hub to represent the diversity found in West Virginia communities accurately. We are seeking candidates that demonstrate diversity of perspective, experience, and culture. We strongly encourage applications from Black, Indigenous, and People of Color applicants as well as any applicants who are historically underrepresented in roles like this.

We strongly encourage applications from people who have a passion for this work, even if their professional experience does not align perfectly with the expectations listed. The Hub has a generous support system that includes a mix of paid professional development opportunities as well as training and support from fellow staff members.

The Hub is an equal opportunity employer. It is the policy of The Hub to create a favorable work environment in which all employees, regardless of race, color, ethnicity, sex, sexual orientation, gender expression, age, ability, or religious affiliation, can enjoy equal opportunities in their employment relationship with the organization.

How to Apply

Applications are due on/by midnight on Sunday, June 26th, 2022. Applications should be submitted via email to Katie Loudin at k.loudin@wvhub.org with the subject line “Community Coaching Associate Application” and the following documents attached:

  • Cover letter explaining your interest in this position and your relevant skills, expertise and experience
  • Resume
  • A writing sample that demonstrates your ability to develop program-related materials, or a writing sample (no more than 3 pages) that demonstrates your writing and critical thinking skills. Writing sample must be current (created within the past year).

Questions

If you have a question about qualifications or what is needed for this role, please contact Amanda Workman-Scott at a.workman@wvhub.org or 304-669-3050.

Hiring Process

All applicants will be notified via email if they are being considered for an interview. Expect to receive email communications from Katie Loudin at k.loudin@wvhub.org. There will be two rounds of interviews for select applicants, and all applicants participating in the interviews will receive questions in advance. This position is expected to start by September 2022.

Partner Feature:

Our work is made possible thanks to incredible partnerships with other community development organizations across the state. From local economic development authorities (EDAs) to state level nonprofits working to uplift communities, all of our partners are crucial in making West Virginia the best it can possibly be by working together.One partner that made our work truly profound this year is Coalfield Development. For years, Coalfield Development has worked to rebuild Appalachian communities by inspiring the courage to grow, activating the creativity to innovate, and cultivating communities of opportunity in central Appalachia.We are proud to be part of Coalfield Development’s ACT Now Coalition, a broad network of organizations working hand-in-hand to uplift communities throughout Southern West Virginia. The ACT Now Coalition is infusing more than $63 million into programs to help communities using business development, building revitalization, and so much more.The Hub is leading the Community and Business Resilience Initiative as part of the larger ACT Now Coalition to bring other partners with us to build up community and business resilience in the Coalition’s footprint.“For decades, we’ve known the economy of southern West Virginia needs diversification. Some progress has been made on this goal, but not nearly enough,” Brandon Dennison, CEO of Coalfield Development, said about the ACT Now Coalition. “ACT Now constitutes a tangible opportunity to take a major leap forward in this generational challenge to become a vibrant, growing, diversified economy. In the wake of continued coal-job losses, nothing could be more important for our region.”Our partnership with Coalfield Development is giving us a chance to take our work to new communities and to build upon our years of experience. Working alongside Coalfield Development in this large undertaking to bring $63.8 million to communities in Southern West Virginia is validation that the work happening to uplift West Virginia communities continues to grow.

Community Feature:

The Hub works alongside communities across West Virginia coaching community teams as they come together to make transformative changes in their towns. In 2022, one town stands out for its continued work and unwavering commitment to making its community a place where people want to live, work, play, and visit.Petersburg, located in Grant County at the northernmost point of the Mon Forest, is filled with community members who want to make their town a destination. Not only have businesses opened, and stayed open, the town has transformed the way they present to the world through rebranding and outdoor recreational development.As part of the HubCAP IV program, Petersburg utilized its technical assistance to push forward with projects to bring transformative change to its community. Part of the work Petersburg worked towards was creating plans to pave a hike and bike trail that runs along the Petersburg dike. The proposed trail will run approximately three miles along the Petersburg dike and will include multiple entrances for walkers and bikers. The group secured a $25,000 grant from Senator Hamilton, which was matched locally by the City of Petersburg, the County Commission, and the Board of Education, each adding an equal share to bring the total to $50,000.This year, Petersburg witnessed a major upgrade to one of the town’s most iconic and historic structures: The Hermitage Inn. The hotel, which dates back to 1841, has been renovated and once again welcomes guests to stay the night and have a nice dinner in the restaurant.The Hermitage Inn is the first project initiated and completed as part of the Downtown Appalachia: Revitalizing Recreational Economies (DARRE) program. Seeing the old hotel returned to its majesty has been an incredible development for Petersburg adding another jewel to the downtown area.Seeing Hub communities come together to create transformative change thrills us. Community members are the subject matter experts on what their towns need. Our commitment to accompaniment and walking alongside communities as they do the hard work guides us in our work. Celebrating their victories with them gives us a moment to uplift those making the work happen.

DEI Journey:

Since 2018, The Hub has been working diligently to bring Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion into our work. For years, the organization has been working internally to expand on one of our core values: “We believe diversity creates strength.”We believe that now is a time when we must work from the ground up to commit to long-term efforts to build power through leadership development, programmatic strategies, and partnerships that commit to building power and advancing racial equity.Looking back at our organizational history, we acknowledge that our work in rural communities with populations of less than 15,000 has not reached a diverse cross-section of people in West Virginia. Because of this, we began to ask, “Who isn’t here?” when examining our involvement in communities. The social unrest in 2020 led us to examine our role in white supremacy, ableism, classism, and gender discrimination, and the ways we have perpetuated unjust systems in our communities and across West Virginia.Since 2020, our equity journey has included a staff racial equity learning series, making internal commitments to increasing our hiring and retainment of diverse staff including creating full-time Racial Equity Fellowship and VISTA positions, committing to increased coaching for rural communities of color across the state, and tackling the inherent challenges of advancing equity across the community development field within a highly rural, majority white state where Black and brown leadership has been historically marginalized and under-invested.Our belief in the power of local people to see the value and the potential of their place, and of each other, is at the core of our belief in the potential we have to build power in West Virginia to advance racial equity, inclusion, and accessibility while disrupting systems that have historically excluded some communities.We are committed to engaging in conversations to uplift communities and leaders of color to move from talk to action on why race matters in West Virginia as we work to disrupt these systems. We will support investment in Black-led organizations and rural Black leadership. And we are committed to driving public and private investments into these spaces, both organizational and geographic.

Grafton

A core team led by Unleash Tygart, Inc participated in Opportunity Appalachia, receiving technical assistance to support a community development project located in an Opportunity Zone.

Huntington

Core teams led by Thundercloud, Inc. and the City of Huntington participated in Opportunity Appalachia, receiving technical assistance to support community development projects located in Opportunity Zones.

Charleston

A core team led by Crawford Holdings, LLC participated in Opportunity Appalachia, receiving technical assistance to support a community development project located in an Opportunity Zone.

White Sulphur Springs

Residents participated in round 4 of The Hub’s capstone Communities of Achievement program with a focus on building local recreational economies.

Petersburg

Residents participated in round 4 of The Hub’s capstone Communities of Achievement program with a focus on building local recreational economies.

Marlinton

Residents participated in round 4 of The Hub’s capstone Communities of Achievement program with a focus on building local recreational economies.

Franklin

Residents participated in round 4 of The Hub’s capstone Communities of Achievement program with a focus on building local recreational economies.

Elkins

Residents participated in round 4 of The Hub’s capstone Communities of Achievement program with a focus on building local recreational economies. 

A core team led by Woodlands Development Group also participated in Opportunity Appalachia, receiving technical assistance to support a community development project located in an Opportunity Zone.

Cowen

Residents participated in round 4 of The Hub’s capstone Communities of Achievement program with a focus on building local recreational economies. Read their community case study.

Parsons

Residents participated in the Blueprint Communities* program to engage their neighbors and co-create strategic plans for their future.

New Martinsville

Residents participated in the Blueprint Communities* program to engage their neighbors and co-create strategic plans for their future. Read their community case study.

Monticello Neighborhood of Clarksburg

Residents participated in the Blueprint Communities* program to engage their neighbors and co-create strategic plans for their future. Watch their community documentary.

Meadow River Valley Region

Residents participated in the Blueprint Communities* program to engage their neighbors and co-create strategic plans for their future. Read their community case study.

Lewis County

Residents participated in the Blueprint Communities* program to engage their neighbors and co-create strategic plans for their future.

Kingwood

Residents participated in the Blueprint Communities* program to engage their neighbors and co-create strategic plans for their future.

Smithers

Residents participated in the Cultivate WV program to kickstart community and economy building. Read their community case study.

Montgomery

Residents participated in the Cultivate WV program to kickstart community and economy building. Read their community case study.

Message from our Executive Leadership Team

It has been a year of abundant opportunities and partnerships across the state, and a year that has pushed all of us to work harder, faster, and smarter – together.At The Hub, we say that “the work works when you put in the work.” This means that our approach to community-based development, and individual leadership development, really does transform local communities, especially when we all work together for the same goal, and stay committed to working together for the long haul.In 2023, we continued to be amazed at the local leadership, drive and innovation we saw in communities throughout the state that are building locally-driven development from the ground up. Our network of community leaders, partners and opportunities keeps growing and shows no signs of slowing in 2024!

We extend our deepest gratitude to everyone for being part of the larger Hub community as we reflect on this year’s deep impact in West Virginia communities through our work. We are thrilled to have champions who believe in our mission that every community in West Virginia can achieve economic growth when they are supported with the tools and training they need to lead and spark positive change.

We believe strongly in the fact that putting in the work yourself to improve your neighborhood, your town, and our state is where true transformational change happens. With strategic partners and thought leaders like you in the work with us, we continue to be able to walk alongside community teams as they do the work to uplift their communities.Thank you to all of the community teams and leaders who are brave enough to keep showing up every day, and putting in thousands of hours of volunteer time to support your communities and the entire state. Your determination in the face of difficult work and far-off successes is something to applaud yourself for – and to celebrate.Whether you’re volunteering on the ground in your community, sharing our stories of hope with your friends and neighbors, or attending a virtual event with The Hub, your participation in our work is what keeps it going. Thank you for all your work and support this past year, and we are excited to continue in the work with you in 2024!In Continued Accompaniment,

– WV Community Development Hub
Executive Leadership Team

Stephanie Tyree

Executive Director

Amanda Workman Scott

Director of Community Engagement

Katie Loudin

Director of Strategic Development