Catholic Ethical Purchasing Alliance Coordinator
The Catholic Ethical Purchasing Alliance Coordinator is responsible for cultivating the “Catholic Ethical Purchasing Alliance,” Ignatian Solidarity Network’s ethical purchasing initiative to bring the values of Catholic Social Teaching—particularly those that address the dignity of work and care for creation—into alignment with real-world purchasing decisions of Catholic organizations and individuals. The Coordinator will work hand-in-hand with our institutional members and ethical purchasing partners, particularly Ethix Merch.
ABOUT CEPA
The Coordinator will oversee the development of the Catholic Ethical Purchasing Alliance (CEPA). This initiative is intended to provide support to Catholic institutions seeking to integrate the Church’s social teachings into their purchasing through educational resources and immersive formational opportunities, networking, and mentorship to support efforts to institutionalize ethical purchasing policies and procedures. CEPA also provides greater access to ethical products for individual Catholics.
POSITION FUNDING
This position is currently funded through a corporate-nonprofit partnership for 12-months. It is the intention of the Ignatian Solidarity Network to sustain the position through future funding partnerships or other funding sources.
LOCATION
The ISN national office is located in Cleveland, Ohio. Local, relocating, and remote candidates will be considered. Candidates located in Northeast Ohio or willing to relocate, or candidates within two driving hours of Morganton, North Carolina (creating proximity to one of the CEPA ethical purchasing partners) will be given preferential consideration. The candidate’s intentions should be clearly stated in their cover letter.
PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES
Networking and CEPA Cultivation
- Cultivate and manage relationships with a range of stakeholders (students, faculty, and staff in a range of campus positions, parish staff, parishioners, etc.) at ISN member and related institutions seeking to deepen their commitment to ethical purchasing;
- Manage data and track alliance members and other contacts to create continuity and opportunities for cross-pollination with other ISN projects and initiatives;
- Create opportunities for institutional partners to learn from each other through networking calls, events, and in-person interactions at ISN events and related programs;
- Provide mentorship and support to stakeholders as they seek to make incremental changes within their institutions with regards to purchasing decisions, as well as systemic changes to policies and behaviors;
- Serve as a liaison to ethical purchasing and production partners as well as other organizations engaged in the ethical purchasing field.
Programming and Education
- Develop resources that deepen individuals’ understanding of the relationship between Catholic Social Teaching and ethical purchasing as it relates to the rights and dignity of workers and care for creation;
- Create opportunities for ethical producers to educate and lead conversations about the impacts of ethical purchasing through virtual and in-person programming;
- Manage ISN’s ethical purchasing digital presence, including related web pages, toolkits, etc.;
- Represent ISN at speaking engagements related to ethical purchasing virtually, and in-person, where possible;
- In partnership with ethical partners, develop and coordinate short-term immersions for student groups from partner schools and organizations;
- Develop and coordinate short-term immersions for institutional partners to deepen their relationship with ethical producers;
- Work in partnership with ISN staff to articulate the role that ethical purchasing plays in the larger ISN portfolio, including finding points of synergy with migration, ecology, and racial justice-related programming and initiatives.
Marketing and Communication
- Work in partnership with ISN’s Director of Integrated Marketing, Director of Communications and Digital Media Coordinator, and other staff to promote a culture of ethical purchasing through ISN communications (e-mail, print, and social media).
Assessment
- Develop and monitor benchmarks for increases in ethical purchases, the establishment of ethical purchasing policies, and other key indicators of ethical purchasing growth across the Ignatian network.
Project Funding
- Work in partnership with ISN’s Director of Development and ethical partner staff to prepare funding proposals and provide project data and reporting to funders.
Other Responsibilities
- Oversee student interns engaged with CEPA;
- Coordinate ISN’s conference store at the Ignatian Family Teach-In for Justice.
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS
- Minimum 1 year of professional or similar experience with social justice education, advocacy, or community organizing, ideally in a faith-based setting;
- B.A./B.S. in social sciences, humanities, business, or a related field;
- Capacity to articulate Catholic Social Teaching values as they relate to economic justice and ecology issues in written and spoken formats;
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
- Understanding of the spirituality of Saint Ignatius of Loyola and is spirituality and pedagogical application in an educational and social ministry context;
- Familiarity with the Catholic Church and the network of Ignatian/Jesuit institutions across the U.S. and internationally;
SKILLS
- Attention to detail, commitment to accuracy, and ability to produce high-quality work;
- Demonstrated project management skills with the ability to self-direct and prioritize among competing goals.
- Professional writing and editing skills, including flexibility to write in different styles for various audiences;
- Effective written and oral communication skills;
- Strong public speaking and presentation skills;
- Excellent interpersonal skills and proven ability to work in a multi-level context;
- Ability to communicate and work with a wide range of constituencies;
- Experience with Salesforce or similar database software
- Experience with WordPress or other website content management systems
- Experience with MailChimp or other e-mail marketing tools
ADDITIONAL CHARACTERISTICS
- Committed to collaboration with both fellow staff members and other constituencies;
- Comfortable with working in a fast-paced, entrepreneurial environment;
- Interest in continuing to develop skills and learn from others;
- Flexibility and willingness to contribute when necessary on projects outside of own responsibility;
- Demonstrated ability to work well with others and build relationships;
- Sense of humor
TRAVEL
10%-15%, including required travel to Ignatian Family Teach-In for Justice and at least one visit to an ethical purchasing partner community (ie. North Carolina) each year, and being present to immersion experiences with producer communities as necessary. If based outside of Northeast Ohio, additional travel may be required.
PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS
Primary functions require sufficient physical ability and mobility to work in an office setting; to stand or sit for prolonged periods of time; to occasionally stoop, bend, kneel, crouch, reach, and twist; to lift, carry, push, and/or pull light to moderate amounts of weight; to operate office equipment requiring repetitive hand movement and fine coordination including use of a computer keyboard; to travel to other office locations and to verbally communicate to exchange information.
COMPENSATION & BENEFITS
The salary range for this position is $44,000 – $48,000 and is dependent on experience and geographic location.
Full-time staff members have access to benefits such as:
- Medical, dental, and vision coverage, generous employer contribution;
- Employer-paid life and accidental death & dismemberment insurance;
- 401(k) plan including 6% employer contribution, including access to a retirement/financial adviser;
- Flexible spending accounts – medical and dependent care;
- Vacation, sick, and personal time and the ability to carry a limited portion of vacation over to the following year;
- Pre-tax commuter transportation program;
- Employee assistance program (EAP);
- Limited relocation expense reimbursement, if applicable;
- Relaxed casual / business-casual office environment.
Ignatian Solidarity Network is an equal opportunity employer that does not discriminate in its hiring practices. In order to build the strongest organization possible, ISN actively seeks a diverse applicant pool and strongly encourages individuals from diverse backgrounds (including but not limited to ethnicity, religion, gender, and sexual orientation) to apply.