Job Opening: Community Engagement Specialist
Department: Planning
Posting Date: August 3, 2022
Salary: $48,000-$52,000 annual
Delaware County is hiring a Community Engagement Specialist for the Planning Department. We are looking for someone truly passionate about community engagement – an engagement professional who understands the need for meaningful community conversation as a key input to better planning, decision-making, and establishment of a premier countywide green space and park system connected with a network of safe places to walk and bicycle, and for the Department’s work in general. We are seeking a creative thinker with excellent interpersonal and problem-solving skills and a keen interest in good engagement to address complex issues in our county, local communities, and a growing network of public and private partnerships.
The Community Engagement Specialist position will develop, facilitate and coordinate a robust community engagement strategy for the Delaware County Planning Department, with a particular focus on building relationships with 49 municipalities, county officials, boards and committees and partners in community-based organizations, public and private sectors, and non-profit organizations. The Community Engagement Specialist will work on a wide range of projects in diverse areas of planning, conservation, stewardship, parks, trails, transportation, environment, historic preservation, community and regional planning, and sustainability and support Delaware County’s development efforts to further our themes of conserve, connect and enhance our open spaces, parks and trails.
Develop a strategic community engagement plan for the Delaware County Planning Department in collaboration with county officials, planners, and related departments such as Sustainability, Parks and Recreation, Information Technology, Public Relations, and others to be determined
Cultivate relationships across diverse communities to help advance the vision for Delaware County as a community of choice in part due to green space, parks, and trails
Design engagement programs and approaches for a range of purposes and situations, both online and in-person
Use a wide range of tools to create effective communication and constructive dialog
Lead outreach and facilitate interactions (interviews, focus groups, public meetings, small group discussions, etc.) with existing and potential partners, stakeholders and community members
Write and prepare engagement, communication and outreach materials
Facilitate meetings with the public, partners, stakeholders and client groups
Participate in and/or lead the analysis of community feedback and write engagement reports
Provide ongoing input, information, and materials (as requested) that support internal and external communication efforts about departmental efforts and initiatives
Write and/or assist with the preparation of proposals and business development activities
Collaborate in related engagement efforts such as branding, financial planning, and specialized projects to occur such as stewardship and maintenance, design projects, trail network expansion, and other projects or related programs to emerge
Participate in the continuous quality improvement and data-driven decision-making processes to assess the efficacy of programming and to drive programmatic refinements. Ensure adherence to data collection requirements
Work with the Department’s staff to promote ongoing projects/initiatives and encourage participation from communities, specifically advance the County’s green space, trails, and parks goals; publicize active transportation activities to further the larger goal of interconnected trail and bicycle-friendly complete street networks; broadcast funding opportunities, surveys, final documents and calls for collaboration on behalf of current projects; unveil the work of the Heritage Commission and other Historic Preservation entities the County supports; and help to disseminate the educational products put out by the Department
Provide and prioritize outreach and assistance to disadvantaged communities and those with limited capacity for planning and community improvement
Develop and disseminate external communications including newsletters, flyers, letters, emails and other means of digital communications in a timely and consistent manner
Help to maintain outreach directories
Collaborate on and develop creative visual content to help with branding in the form of logos, color schemes, and taglines
Coordinate events held by the Planning Department
Work and team with staff to build a social media presence for the Planning Department by writing, creating and managing content on the website and social media platforms.
Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to communicate effectively with people from diverse racial, ethnic, socioeconomic, and gender backgrounds
Strong analytical writing skills and oral communication skills
Ability to successfully navigate challenging conversations among diverse groups and build consensus
Ability to develop and conduct effective presentations and training sessions
Building solid relationships through effective interactions with the public and stakeholders
Running a wide range of digital engagement and meeting platforms
Strong analytical, written and oral communication skills
Synthesizing large quantities of information into plain and accessible language reports
Ability to multi-task and work independently or within a team to meet deadlines
Facilitation and running effective meetings
Proficient use of MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Microsoft Teams, Zoom, and social media
Ability to meet ADA guidelines in all forms of outreach
International Association of Public Participation (IAP2) or other facilitation, participation, engagement or negotiation certification/training considered an asset
Planning knowledge or background
Exemplary writing communication skills and ability to simplify complex topics
Proficiency with graphic design software
Experience creating and managing social media accounts
Ability to learn new concepts quickly
Working knowledge of GIS
University degree in communications, public administration or policy, planning, community development, environment, parks and recreation administration or related degree or relevant combination of experience and degree
Minimum of five years job-related experience in planning, designing, delivering community/stakeholder engagement, community development or outreach
Strong familiarity with the processes and techniques of community engagement, acquired through hands-on experience
Experience implementing diversity, equity and inclusion principles and practices
Experience in consulting is considered an asset
To apply, please fill out our online application form.