Job Opening: Community Engagement Specialist
Department: Planning
Posting Date: December 30, 2021

 

POSITION DESCRIPTION

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.

 

ESSENTIAL DUTIES

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.

 

SKILLS

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

 

QUALIFICATIONS

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

Residence Requirement: The County of Delaware has a residency requirement for employees. Anyone applying for this job must reside in Delaware County or be willing to move to the County within three months of starting employment.

 

CONTACT

To apply, please fill out our online application form.