Community Development Specialist

Smithfield Foods • Smithfield, VA

3d

About The Position

At Smithfield Foods, we produce good food the right way. As a member of our Corporate Affairs team, you’ll have the opportunity to grow your career and support our mission as you engage the company’s most important stakeholders, including our employees and communities, policymakers, customers, consumers, investors, business partners and others. We are seeking a Community Development Specialist to implement activities associated with developing, improving, and maintaining relationships between the company and our local communities. In this role, you will support a number of impactful philanthropic programs and work cross-functionally with internal teams, external partners, and community leaders to drive meaningful change.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited four-year college or university in Communications, Marketing, Journalism, Business, English or related field and 2+ years of relevant experience; or equivalent combination or education and experience.
• Interest and passion for community development, corporate citizenship and relationship building.
• Strong communications skills (written and verbal), with the ability to communicate clearly and effectively with peers and leadership.
• Excellent organizational and project-management abilities, including managing multiple priorities and deadlines.
• Detail-oriented and process-driven, with experience maintaining accurate records, overseeing program workflows and handling administrative tasks.
• Ability to navigate ambiguity and uncertainty while applying innovative thinking, strong problem-solving and effective troubleshooting to move initiatives forward.
• Proficient with Microsoft Office applications (Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook), Microsoft Forms, SharePoint, digital communications platforms and project management tools, with the ability to quickly learn new platforms and systems.
• Ability to collaborate effectively in a fast‑paced, dynamic environment while remaining respectful, approachable, and team‑oriented, fostering strong relationships and a positive workplace culture.
• Energized by the possible travel up to 25% of the time, with the ability to work occasional evenings and weekends.

Responsibilities

• Community Development Program Coordination Serve as the primary liaison to community engagement committees, collaborating with senior leadership to lead and coordinate company-wide community outreach initiatives, including volunteer programs and localized engagement efforts across 50+ locations.
• Oversee the administration of core community programs such as matching gifts, scholarships, volunteer initiatives and mentorship efforts, ensuring they are delivered effectively and consistently.
• Facilitate incoming charitable donation and sponsorship requests; direct review process with internal committees and provide timely follow‑up to applicants.
• Maintain accurate documentation and tracking of community partnerships, events and requests through project management platforms and internal systems.
• Operational and Administrative Support Process and track invoices, maintain organized records and coordinate new vendor setups in accordance with company procedures.
• Ensure all community engagement activities are logged, monitored and evaluated to support reporting and continuous improvement.
• Corporate Communications Support the Corporate Communications team across a range of internal and external communications, including drafting, editing, and disseminating corporate messaging and materials through multiple channels such as video, text, intranet, digital newsletters, and print collateral.
• Help develop storytelling around community impact initiatives, ensuring consistent messaging and alignment with brand standards.
• Represent Smithfield Foods at community events, ceremonies, and volunteer activities. Some events may occur during evenings or weekends.

Benefits

• Smithfield is proud to offer robust, flexible and affordable benefit plans and programs to support our team members and their loved ones, and with out-of-pocket costs, on average, 20 percent less than plans offered by other employers.
• Beyond our medical plans, our Be Well programs offer tools and resources to enhance your quality of life, at no additional cost. These programs are uniquely tailored to our Smithfield team and provide support for elective surgeries, weight loss, mental health, cancer, kidney disease, diabetes, smoking cessation, asthma, maternity management and more.
• Our company invests in your future. We offer comprehensive training and professional development programs designed to help you reach your full potential.
• Our partnership with GUILD supports your continuing education with tuition assistance covering English language learning and various certificate programs, while our leadership development initiatives nurture high-potential talent.
• For those looking to build specialized skills, we offer apprenticeship programs that combine hands-on experience with focused learning.
• We also offer unique benefits like our Smithfield Scholarship Program for employees’ children.
• Smithfield’s Education Reimbursement Program provides financial reimbursement to team members who want to further their formal education by obtaining a GED/High School Equivalency (HSE) Diploma or by pursuing an academic degree at an accredited college or university that is not a Guild learning partner.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level