CAREERS

About ALAS

ALAS (Ayudando Latinos A Soñar) began with a heart full of hope—a grassroots vision to honor the dreams of Latino farmworkers and their families in Half Moon Bay. What started with Ballet Folklórico and Mariachi classes that sparked pride and belonging in our youth has grown into a vibrant community anchor organization rooted in love, culture, and care.

Today, ALAS uplifts Latino farmworkers, youth, and families of the Coastside through arts, education, mental health, immigration, and housing advocacy. Guided by the belief that culture heals, inspires, and nurtures leadership, we are creating a community where everyone belongs. ALAS has built a proven model for community transformation and stands as a national example of what’s possible when culture, courage, and dignity lead the way. 

Accelerated Growth 

Over the past five years, ALAS has experienced incredible growth, evolving from a small, grassroots-funded team to a powerful organization with 26 leaders and a multi-million-dollar budget, all largely driven by the urgency of compounding crises. Staff members recruited from within the community have played pivotal roles as healers, builders, and ambassadors of our vision.

In 2024, ALAS launched its first-ever Capital & Capacity Campaign to create a permanent, culturally vibrant home for our community. With bold vision, we reached a historic milestone: the purchase of 507 Purisima Street, home to the first Cultural Arts and Wellness Center on the Coast and are hoping to expand the vision to create an ALAS Welcome Center.  This fulfills a long-standing promise to our farmworker and immigrant community: to step out of the shadows and into the light with pride, dignity, and joy. We’re now building toward what’s next: a thriving, sustainable organization.
 

The Opportunity

This is a rare and exciting moment to join ALAS as Chief of Staff and help us translate vision into action across every level of the organization. If you love bringing people together, creating clarity, and getting things done while staying grounded in community—this role is for you.

You’ll partner very closely with Dr. Belinda Arriaga (Founder & CEO) &  Dr. Hiram Santisteban (COO) to ensure ALAS’s leadership functions at the highest level of excellence. You’ll help staff step into their leadership, strengthen communication and make sure plans and systems are implemented with care, consistency, and follow-through by all.

If you are a doer who finds joy in making things happen, this may be the right opportunity for you. We are looking for a steady, grounded presence who brings flow, structure, and heart to complex and meaningful work. You will help keep the organization moving forward with clarity, love, and purpose. You will build trust across teams, support leadership to lead boldly, and turn vision into reality. 

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Key Priorities: 

Executive Leadership Support 

• Partner with Dr. Hiram Santisteban and Dr. Belinda Arriaga to ensure organizational priorities, timelines, and follow-through across departments and priorities. 

• Prepare notes, research, and talking points for Executive Leadership to support key meetings, community engagements, and decision-making.

• Coordinate leadership team meetings—ensuring clear agendas, documentation, next steps, and accountability.

• Track major commitments and keep communication flowing between Executive Leadership and Directors.

• Improve Communication with the Board and among the staff. Send key updates and summaries. 

Organizational Structure & Implementation

• Turn strategic plans and new processes into clear action steps, helping teams stay focused, aligned, and moving forward. Together. 

• Follow up with Directors to ensure plans, systems, and deliverables are being implemented effectively. Anticipate challenges, troubleshoot with compassion, and help teams problem-solve early.

• Manage organizational calendars, workflows, and coordination tools to keep everyone connected.

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People, Culture & Team Support

• Support the Leadership Team to strengthen communication, coordination, and accountability systems.

• Create structures and habits that support healthy pacing, focus, and teamwork.

• Model compassionate, grounded leadership that reflects our values and community.

• Help staff stay connected to the mission and to one another—promoting trust, care, and collaboration across teams.

• Keep information flowing across departments so that everyone is informed, aligned, and inspired.

• Collaborate with Operations, Programs, and Development teams to ensure decisions are coordinated and timely.

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Special Projects & Cross-Team Support

• Jump in where help is needed most, be the on-the-ground support for Directors.

• Support leadership in executing high-priority organizational goals and capturing learnings to strengthen systems.

• Represent ALAS’s collaborative and loving spirit across internal and community spaces

Ideal Candidate

Experience & Expertise: 5–10 years of experience managing people and teams, with a proven track record of turning vision into reality. 

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Bachelor’s degree required. Exceptional emotional intelligence and excellent communication skills are essential.

Highly detailed oriented person who can anticipate needs and is solution-oriented. 

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Grounded in Community: You understand and honor the experiences, histories, and cultures of Latino and farmworker families, leading with humility, care, and deep respect.

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Builder: You thrive in a fast-paced, mission-driven environment. You bring calm and clarity to moments of uncertainty and know how to move work forward—even in times of change or crisis.

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Compassionate & Clear Communicator: You lead with honesty, empathy, and accountability—balancing heart with follow-through. You build trust easily and bring people together across departments and backgrounds to create alignment and shared purpose.

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Language & Cultural Fluency: Spanish fluency strongly preferred; cultural competence required. You bring genuine understanding and connection to the immigrant and farmworker community we serve.