Canner Engagement Lead

Please provide a brief statement expressing why you would be a good fit for the role to sage@surewecan.org!

Sure We Can is a nonprofit organization that primarily serves canners, who collect and redeem deposit-marked containers in order to earn income. SWC’s mission is to lift up canners through economic empowerment, social inclusion, and environmental awareness. SWC operates the only nonprofit and community-focused redemption center in NYC, and runs programs supporting the development of canners as a group, including their capacity to advocate politically as well as refine skills and improve their day-to-day conditions. SWC also works in close collaboration with the Alliance of Independent Recyclers of New York City (AIR-NYC). Canners come from a diverse array of backgrounds; Spanish, Cantonese, Mandarin, and English are the languages most commonly spoken by our community members. We are seeking a flexible and outgoing individual to support our efforts to more deeply engage canners in SWC and AIR-NYC’s activities and programs, increasing their access to both supportive resources, especially around public health and well-being, and opportunities to organize with their peers in order to improve their systemic conditions through community development and advocacy.

This role requires a minimum of 20 hours per week of committed in-person time. Final schedule can potentially be flexible, or increased up to 40 hours per week, based on experience and contextual considerations. Compensation will be a minimum of $20.60/hour. This is a temporary role from September 1st, 2025 to November 30th, 2025.

Tasks and responsibilities include:

• Conducting 1:1 conversations with canners, getting to know them as well as assessing the needs or challenges they face in their lives that Sure We Can is in a position to support or ease;
• Providing canners with nuanced referrals or scheduling follow-ups in order to more deeply address canners’ needs;
• Maintaining and expanding a list of supportive resources and partners to which canners can be referred;
• Outreach and engagement with external service providers, including building organizational relationships or beginning bespoke programming;
• Supporting the design and creation of informative resources and materials;
• Supporting the recruitment of canners into AIR-NYC and their engagement with SWC’s overall mission;
• Performing ad hoc tasks to serve the organization’s overall mission, including serving canners at the SWC POS or supporting other SWC staff.

Required qualifications:

• A very high level of sensitivity to people of different backgrounds, attitudes, and lifestyles;
• A “people personality,” meaning availability to connect personably with stakeholders in both professional and casual contexts;
• Proficiency with G-Suite applications (Drive, Docs, Sheets, Slides, Photos) or their corresponding MS Office applications;
• Ability to multi-task and complete tasks on time;
• Excellent English and Spanish communication skills, both written and oral;
• Strong sense of personal responsibility and trustworthiness; 
• Full vaccination against Covid-19.

Desired qualifications:

• Flexibility re: shifting daily priorities in terms of tasks and activities;
• Comfort working in an informal or “lo-fi” working environment, including features such as composting toilets and rainwater harvesting system;
• Interest in environmental justice, workers’ rights, and/or civics in general;
• Fluency in a language other than English, especially Spanish, Cantonese, or Mandarin.