Advisor - Community Wealth

The Context

Founded in 2021, Edge Collaborative (“Edge”) is a civic incubator that partners with public, private, and nonprofit organizations to tackle systemic economic challenges in Stockton. With a focus on three key areas – jobs and workforce, climate, and community wealth – Edge seeds and supports partner-led initiatives with a range of tools. These tools include access to capital, talent, policy support, and coalition-building. Edge Collaborative is seeking an Operations Manager who is excited to manage the operations of a young, growing organization.

Position Overview

The ideal candidate will bring a curiosity to how Edge can bring unique value to advancing a diverse range of community wealth building projects across Stockton and San Joaquin county in California. While this work has been underway since 2021, the nature of the portfolio is at an inflection point, as an increasing number of community groups navigate the role of land / real estate acquisition in their organizations.

As an independent contractor, the Advisor of Community Wealth at Edge Collaborative will focus on stewarding the shape and growth of Edge’s community wealth portfolio. This will include overseeing the organization’s vendor and coordinator team and advising on community investment needs and partnerships over time. The nature of this role, and of this work, is highly dynamic and iterative - as we aspire to serve the needs of the community and be responsive to funders. As a result, high standards for creativity, patience and communication will be required to balance the needs of both sets of stakeholders - and navigate corresponding shifts to work plans.

Length of contract: 12 months with extension opportunity

Compensation range: $70,000 to 80,000 per year - depending on job-related knowledge, skills, and experience

• Advise leadership team on the strategic planning priorities for philanthropic and capital access investments, based on the needs of Edge's community wealth project portfolio
• Ensure that relevant community partners are aided by a project support team that includes a Project Coordinator and a lead technical assistance provider 
• Provide mentorship to Project Coordinator as they have regular touch points with community partners leading projects tied with community wealth portfolio objectives
• Liaise between CEO and project support team to ensure community partner priorities are adequately represented in philanthropic re-granting discussions and decisions
• Oversee the successful implementation of the 2025 philanthropic re-granting plan that will support community projects focused on economic planning and land / real estate acquisition - including a TA rolling fund and a community wealth RFP

• A recognition that humor and a "let's figure it out" orientation go a long way towards navigating changing and challenging circumstances
• Strong project management orientation, across a variety of mission-critical initiatives 
• Adept at organizing and tracking multiple assignments (ie: you love a well-organized Google Drive folder and Slack channel)
• Time savvy, with an ability to prioritize (ie: you understand how to navigate project dependencies)
• Exceptional communication skills (ie: you love asking questions to better understand the issue, and regularly communicate what you need to be successful)
• Well-organized and self-directed (ie: you appreciate guidance, but you've got it handled)
• High standards of integrity and confidentiality in all relationships
• Empathetic with solid interpersonal skills

About Edge Collaborative's Structure 

Our team is uniquely structured; we tackle public sector challenges, but with the audacity and innovation of the private sector. Our work is structured around the 3 primary portfolio areas - with teams that run fairly autonomously. Think of us as part R&D lab and part nonprofit. Increasingly, a key component of our civic incubation work involves seed investing into community-led initiatives across the region.

Team Values

Beginner’s mindset - we love asking the ‘stupid questions’ to understand what is possible. Our greatest asset is our curiosity as beginners (not experts). We want to discover how and why particular systems and people have been historically neglected by the public and private sectors. 

Undaunted - we believe that bold solutions emerge from the margins (or edges, as we might say). The first answer is usually never right, but we’re not afraid of being wrong. We bring a passionate persistence to breaking through the stalemates and road blocks.

Boundless creativity - we thrive as a team. We take inspiration from “keystone species” in ecology - modeling our work after the resourcefulness of penguins and the vibrancy of bees. We cross-pollinate ideas, sectors, and institutions to help manifest the untapped potential of the people we serve. 

Humility in service of community - we care deeply about the communities in which we work, and endeavor to put their needs at the center of how we design and incubate new initiatives. We strive to balance the boldness of our imagination with the recognition that slow, sustained trust building with partners is critical to the long-term viability of the work.

Sheer whimsy - we believe that serious work calls for a playful attitude, as we imagine what is possible. Play is derived from a place of joy and speaks to how we aspire to brighten our days. Plus, what’s life without a lil bit of whimsy?