Community Engagement Coordinator

Second Harvest Heartland•Brooklyn Park, MN

5d•$23 - $27•Hybrid

About The Position

Second Harvest Heartland’s (SHH) mission is to end hunger together. To reach this goal, SHH is developing new strategies for identifying communities with high need and low access to food resources. Once communities of special interest are identified, relationships must be cultivated with community members, local government, nonprofit organizations, and other community assets to understand the unique dynamics of each community and successfully establish new partnerships. This position will require a high level of cultural competence to effectively play a key role in partnership cultivation within SHH’s service region, which includes fifty-nine counties in Minnesota and southwestern Wisconsin. As a representative of SHH, this position will liaise with a wide range of institutions that make up the hunger relief network, including government, religious, educational, and healthcare stakeholders.

Requirements

A combination of education and experience generally attained through an associate’s degree in a related field (psychology, sociology, public health, or similar) and a minimum of 3 years of experience in community engagement, particularly with immigrant, low-income, and other communities with barriers to accessing food resources.
Bi-lingual fluency in English and Spanish, Somali, Hmong, or other languages spoken in Minnesota’s immigrant communities
Demonstrated experience working collaboratively and independently towards timely completion of tasks with low supervision.
Deep understanding and demonstrated experience engaging effectively and productively with communities of all backgrounds.
Strong written and verbal communication skills.
Skilled with Microsoft office programs.
Valid MN driver’s license, safe driving record, current automobile insurance, and dependable transportation to conduct engagement visits.
Ability to work on a computer for prolonged periods of time.
Ability to work remotely from an office area in your home.
Ability to carry bulk materials as necessary, up to about 30 lbs.
Ability to travel and drive reliable transportation.
Ability to occasionally travel overnight and Saturdays as required.

Responsibilities

Research communities of interest and identify key stakeholders that can inform SHH approach to community investment in areas of interest.
Coordinate and conduct culturally informed engagement with current/prospective partners, stakeholders, and/or community members to help develop a robust understanding of community ecosystems, their needs, current and historical dynamics affecting the area, and SHH’s best strategic role in serving community members. Such engagement includes community meetings, neighbor listening sessions, one-on-one stakeholder meetings, among other channels.
Cultivate authentic, honest, trusting, and responsive relationships with prospective partners and stakeholders in SHH’s current service region, in underserved geographic areas, and with demographic communities of interest.
Foster a more interconnected network of community-based organizations by identifying and making connections among existing and prospective partners in the SHH service region.
Hold deep understanding of SHH in order to effectively represent the organization externally, as needed.
Serve as technical expert and advisor in best practices related to community engagement and relationship-building, particularly in communities experiencing food insecurity, economic hardship, or limited access to services.
Support continuous process improvement at SHH by identifying key opportunities as the Community Partnerships team continues to evolve and as SHH seeks to enhance the equitability and community-centricity of its processes.
Capture and share learnings with internal teams to increase SHH’s body of knowledge of our service region.

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