Program Specialist, Free Tax Help

UWBA is an equal opportunity employer committed to a diverse workforce. UWBA is committed to building and maintaining a diverse staff and an inclusive workplace that values equity. We welcome applications from immigrants, BIPOC, LGBTQ applicants, and people with lived experience in poverty.


JOB DESCRIPTION: Program Specialist, Free Tax Help (PART TIME)

Department: Community Investment Team


Reports to: Senior Director, Free Tax Help


Location: Bay Area, CA (Hybrid - in office as needed for monthly all hands & specific team requirements)

Classification: Union Support


Closing Date: Open until filled


Overview:


United Way Bay Area (UWBA) mobilizes the Bay Area to dismantle the root causes of poverty and build equitable pathways to prosperity UWBA brings together partners from the nonprofit, business, and government sectors to address Bay Area poverty. We partner across sectors, develop solutions, capture the data we need, and use those insights to support public policy and create research-backed community initiatives. These initiatives include:

• Housing Justice: Improve access to stable, affordable housing and homelessness prevention.
• Employment & Career Opportunities: Build systems and pathways to career and employment opportunities.
• Financial Stability: Help families increase income and savings on their way to financial stability.
• Basic Needs: Ensure access to basic needs like food, housing, and legal services.

UWBA is committed to building and maintaining a diverse staff and an inclusive workplace that values equity. We particularly welcome applications from immigrants, BIPOC, LGBTQ+ applicants, and people with lived experience in poverty. To foster an open and impartial application review process that minimizes the potential for bias, please remove any reference to academic institutions from which you obtained a degree, if applicable, for example, simply list "Bachelor of Arts in Sociology." Not having a degree will not preclude you from being considered; applicable work experience is equally considered.


For more information about UWBA, please visit


The Opportunity:


We are seeking a motivated and passionate Program Specialist to join the Free Tax Help team at United Way Bay Area!


Free Tax Help Bay Area is a United Way Bay Area-led program which provides low to moderate-income working families with free tax return preparation (VITA) in partnership with the IRS. The program supports United Way's goal of breaking the cycle of poverty by ensuring families claim valuable tax credits.


VITA (Volunteer Income Tax Assistance) is a national, free tax preparation program administered by the IRS. Now in its 54th year, VITA volunteers provide free tax preparation for clients making generally less than $60,000. In the Bay Area, more than 100 partners come together under the leadership of United Way Bay Area to provide tax assistance to tens of thousands of clients each year.


This full-time specialist role contributes to the effective and successful implementation of this 8-county program and provides strategic program support to the regional program and specific counties.


This position is expected to be fully hybrid for the 2024-2025 tax season. Our day-to-day work is mostly remote / work from home for most of the year. Monthly department + all-staff meetings are typically in-person (in San Francisco). The Free Tax Help Team has occasional meetings in the field at partner locations across the San Francisco Bay Area throughout the year. Some night and weekend hours will be required (mostly in January and February).


What you'll do:

• Assist with the creation and editing of grant applications and reports (which includes working with team members and partners to collect relevant information and reviewing drafts for grant proposals and reports)
• Assist with the update of existing training slides/content and creation of new resources
• Handle the logistics around ourtrainings/meetings (reminder emails, note-taking,sharing out notes in follow-up emails, etc.)
• Help with communication out of our email inbox with clients, volunteers, coordinators, and partners
• Maintain existing partnerships and cultivate new regional/county level partnerships to expand program's reach in under-served areas or to deepen related initiatives
• Support the Free Tax Help team with components of our program including the savings initiative, Virtual VITA (remote tax preparation and self-filing events), volunteer management, meeting facilitation, outreach, site visits, training curriculum development, data/story collection, marketing collateral distribution and website map/content
• Certify to the advanced tax preparer level of the IRS VITA program (test required)

Who you are:

• 2+ years of related volunteer or professional experience, preferably in a non-profit or National Service capacity
• Excellent project management and organizational skills required. Meets deadlines and completes tasks with a high degree of accuracy and dependability.
• Ability to develop and maintain positive work relationships with staff, partners, volunteers, and clients.
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively in a remote environment
• Commitment to deepening expertise around racial equity, diversity, inclusion, and self-awareness
• Excellent analytical, oral, and written communication, virtual presentation and public speaking skills including writing and speaking for diverse audiences and facilitating meetings/webinars
• Proficiency required in Microsoft Office (Teams, Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint)
• Flexibility to travel to off-site locations within the San Francisco Bay Area
• VITA experience and Advanced VITA Certification strongly preferred
• Vietnamese or Spanish proficiency (read/write/speak fluently) helpful but not required
• Some evening and weekend work required

Salary: Parttime position, $28.85 - $32.50 per hour

PHYSICAL DEMANDS: The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit; use hands to finger, handle, or feel; reach with hands and arms; and talk or hear. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, color vision, and ability to adjust focus.


UWBA does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, gender (including actual or perceived gender, and gender identity), sexual orientation, age, marital status, medical condition, religious affiliation, veteran status, national origin, citizenship status, mental or physical disability, or any other characteristic protected by applicable state, federal or local law. UWBA will consider qualified applicants with criminal histories in the manner consistent with the requirements of the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance. If you need a reasonable accommodation in order to apply for a job, please let us know. If the reason you need an accommodation is not obvious, we may ask for documentation confirming your functional limitations.


TO APPLY: Login at and submit your resume along with cover letter.


To foster an open and impartial application review process that minimizes the potential for bias, please remove any reference to academic institutions from which you obtained any degree, if applicable, for example, simply list "Bachelor of Arts in Sociology". Not having a degree will not preclude you from being considered; applicable work experience is equally considered.