Community & Engagement Specialist

Travis County•Austin, TX

17h

About The Position

Economic Development and Strategic Investments is seeking three temporary Community Engagement Specialists to assist with two neighborhood socioeconomic surveys in western Travis County for a Texas Water Development Board program. Specialists will pair with permanent staff to conduct surveys through door-to-door outreach, public meetings, and/or telephone calls. The positions require flexible availability from late October through mid-December, including nights and weekends, and reliable transportation. The Community Engagement Specialist serves as a primary contact for Travis County residents, promoting and supporting community involvement in County governance. The role develops relationships with disproportionately impacted communities, individuals, local agencies, and organizations; helps develop and review County projects, programs, policies, and initiatives; and designs and carries out approaches to gathering and analyzing qualitative and quantitative community data. The specialist advocates for changes that better represent community voices. This Professional Support classification requires minimal supervision, independent judgment and initiative, and management of complex projects and community relationships. The schedule may include traditional daytime office hours, evenings, and weekends. The position may work remotely or from a central office as assigned, and some driving may be required for community meetings and events. Employees may also be assigned to business continuity efforts outside their normal job functions.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Planning, Communications, Public Relations, Public Policy/Administration, Government, Sociology, Social Work, or a directly related field, plus four years of increasingly responsible experience in community engagement, public affairs/community relations/outreach, communications, or a related field; OR an equivalent combination of education and work, volunteer, and/or lived experience sufficient to perform the duties and meet the required knowledge, skills, and abilities.
Reliable transportation for the survey assignment; some driving may be required for community meetings and events.
Ability to work a flexible schedule, potentially including evenings and weekends.
Knowledge of community engagement principles and techniques; de-escalation tools; public relations and promotional methods; public administration and governmental agencies; neighborhood and community organizations; event coordination; County operations; computer and office software; business writing; and report preparation.
Skills in active listening, conflict resolution, leadership, collaboration, negotiation, culturally appropriate communication, community engagement, program development and evaluation, public speaking, problem-solving, and decision-making.
Ability to manage sensitive issues and public scrutiny, respond diplomatically to criticism, establish effective working relationships, organize and prioritize work, make presentations, interpret program and policy objectives, maintain records, analyze data and processes, reach sound conclusions, and communicate effectively with diverse stakeholders.
Ability to meet the described physical requirements, including occasional lifting/carrying of 10–50 pounds and performing a range of movements and activities.
Must be able to telework or work from a central office location as assigned.
Criminal, driving, education, and employment background checks are required.

Nice To Haves

Fluency in Spanish.
Customer service or client-facing experience.
Lived experience with racial, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, and/or disability inequity.
Cultural competence with disproportionately impacted groups or protected classes as defined by the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended.
Ability to work evenings and weekends for a 4–6 week period.

Responsibilities

Develop relationships with disproportionately impacted communities and individuals, local agencies, and organizations in Travis County.
Participate in planning, developing, implementing, and monitoring community engagement strategies, plans, and programs.
Prepare and deliver presentations to community groups, local agencies and organizations, Commissioners Court, policymakers, and other stakeholders.
Represent the County on or participate in task forces, working groups, committees, advisory groups, emergency functions, and neighborhood groups.
Attend meetings, seminars, and conferences that provide community engagement opportunities and further EDSI’s work on equitable, diverse, and inclusive economic development.
Respond to inquiries and complaints about projects, program goals, and policies with empathy and respect.
Partner with individuals, departments, community representatives or groups, and outside agencies to obtain information, conduct assessments, identify needs, and support effective and consistent engagement strategies.
Ensure project phases are implemented according to timelines.
Prepare written summaries, documents, infographics, and statistical and other reports.
Present conclusions and recommendations to the public, elected officials, and Commissioners Court.
Evaluate project and program effectiveness using performance measures and appropriate data collection methods, techniques, and procedures.
Maintain customer relationship management databases and reporting systems.
Perform other job-related duties as assigned.