Community Engagement Specialist

Penn State University • University Park, IL

3d • $51,000 - $81,500 • Hybrid

About The Position

Penn State Outreach seeks a highly collaborative and community-focused Community Engagement Specialist to support partnerships that advance Penn State’s land-grant mission across the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. This role connects University expertise with community priorities by facilitating partnerships, coordinating multi-stakeholder engagement initiatives, and supporting collaborative projects that strengthen communities and expand educational access. Reporting to the Senior Brand and Partnership Officer, the Community Engagement Specialist supports the development, coordination, and implementation of engagement initiatives by applying community engagement strategies, stakeholder facilitation techniques, and project management practices. The specialist plays a key role in translating strategic engagement priorities into actionable projects that benefit Penn State and communities across Pennsylvania across a variety of programs, activities, and campuses. Through partnership coordination and collaborative engagement, the Community Engagement Specialist helps Penn State Outreach strengthen its role as a connector between campuses across the University and communities across Pennsylvania. The position contributes to advancing the University's land-grant mission by expanding educational opportunities, supporting workforce development, and fostering initiatives that improve community vitality throughout the Commonwealth and drive meaningful change in the lives of Pennsylvanians.

Requirements

• Bachelor's Degree
• 3+ years of relevant experience; or an equivalent combination of education and experience accepted
• None
• Bachelor's Degree
• 1+ years of relevant experience; or an equivalent combination of education and experience accepted
• None

Nice To Haves

• Experience working in higher education, outreach, community engagement, or nonprofit settings
• Project management certification (e.g., PMP, CAPM) or equivalent experience
• Experience with customer relationship management (CRM) tools
• Experience conducting community assessments, asset mapping, or stakeholder analysis.

Responsibilities

• Serve as a liaison between the Outreach Partnership Team, Penn State units, and external stakeholders to strengthen collaboration and partnership opportunities.
• Co-conduct community asset and stakeholder mapping to identify strengths, resources, and key leaders in communities.
• Assist with community needs assessments using surveys, interviews, and community listening sessions.
• Compile community profiles, ecosystem maps, and partnership inventories to inform engagement strategies.
• Coordinate community engagement initiatives, events, and collaborative programs.
• Coordinate logistics and communication for engagement programs and initiatives.
• Facilitate meetings, working groups, and planning sessions with community partners and internal stakeholders.
• Assist with preparation of reports, presentations, meeting summaries, and follow-up documentation for leadership and stakeholders.
• Maintain ongoing communication with partners to sustain strong relationships.
• Support management of partnership-related projects from initiation through completion.
• Track timelines, milestones, deliverables, and project documentation.
• Coordinate with internal teams to ensure successful implementation of engagement initiatives.
• Identify risks, barriers, or opportunities and communicate recommendations to leadership.
• Maintain records of partnerships, engagement activities, and community initiatives.
• Support implementation and use of CRM systems and partnership tracking tools.
• Collect data and partnership and community testimonials and stories to support impact reporting.

Benefits

• Penn State provides a competitive benefits package for full-time employees designed to support both personal and professional well-being.
• In addition to comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage, employees enjoy robust retirement plans and substantial paid time off which includes holidays, vacation and sick time.
• One of the standout benefits is the generous 75% tuition discount, available to employees as well as eligible spouses and children.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Number of Employees: 5,001-10,000 employees