Community Engagement Specialist

Mid-Pacific Institute•Honolulu, HI

2d•$70,000 - $80,000

About The Position

The Community Engagement Specialist is responsible for fostering a strong sense of belonging and connection across the Mid-Pacific community. This position builds upon existing opportunities to bring the community together while developing new and innovative initiatives to strengthen engagement and contribution, particularly of the parent and guardian community. Serving as a strategic connector across all internal constituencies, the Community Engagement Specialist leads and coordinates systems that enhance communication, participation, and shared community life across the Preschool through Grade 12 experience. A central responsibility of this role is leading the schools signature all-community event, a cornerstone experience that brings the Mid-Pacific community together in celebration, connection, and shared identity. The Community Engagement Specialist provides leadership and oversight of Na ?Ohana Pueo (NOP), the schools parent association, ensuring that parent partnership efforts are well-supported, aligned with institutional priorities, and contribute to a welcoming and connected school community. In partnership with the Enrollment Management Office, divisional leaders, and Na ?Ohana Pueo (NOP), the Community Engagement Specialist supports the welcoming and integration of new families into the Mid-Pacific community, with particular attention to fostering early belonging and connection. Through strategic collaboration with divisional and departmental leaders, the Community Engagement Specialist ensures that engagement initiatives contribute to a vibrant school culture that supports student and family retention, institutional cohesion, and long-term mission fulfillment. The Community Engagement Specialist reports directly to the Director of Enrollment Management.

Requirements

Bachelors degree required; advanced degree in education, organizational leadership, community development, or a related field preferred.
Minimum of five years of experience in community engagement, event management, communications, or organizational development, preferably in an educational or mission-driven environment.
Demonstrated experience developing and implementing strategic initiatives that strengthen community relationships and organizational culture.
Proven success in leading cross-functional teams and managing complex, multi-stakeholder projects.
Experience facilitating large-scale events and traditions that align with institutional mission and values.
Ability to foster a strong sense of belonging, trust, and connection across diverse constituencies, including parents/guardians, students, faculty, staff, alumni, and leadership.
Demonstrated skill in building collaborative, respectful relationships with volunteers and parent leaders.
Ability to think systemically and design structures, processes, and communication pathways that strengthen engagement across a PreschoolGrade 12 community.
Capacity to align community engagement initiatives with institutional priorities such as retention, enrollment, and mission fulfillment.
Strong facilitation skills to convene and guide committees, planning teams, and volunteer groups toward shared goals.
Demonstrated or emerging capacity to chair or co-chair institutional committees and lead cross-functional collaboration.
Proven ability to plan, coordinate, and execute large-scale, complex events involving multiple stakeholders.
Skill in designing inclusive, meaningful, end-to-end community experiences that reflect institutional values and culture.
Experience working with parent associations, boards, or volunteer groups, including governance support, onboarding, role clarity, and leadership development.
Ability to support, advise, and empower parent leaders while maintaining alignment with school priorities and policies.
Strong ability to work effectively across divisions and departments, including academics, student life, athletics, advancement, alumni engagement, operations, and communications.
Capacity to serve as a connector and liaison, ensuring coordination and reducing silos across engagement efforts.
Excellent written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills.
Ability to facilitate clear, timely, and aligned communication among parents, school leadership, and internal teams.
Demonstrated commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging.
Ability to design and support engagement initiatives that are inclusive, culturally responsive, and accessible to diverse family communities.
Strong organizational skills, including timeline development, coordination tools, follow-through, and attention to detail.
Ability to manage multiple initiatives simultaneously while maintaining quality and consistency.
Ability to collect, organize, and analyze engagement data and feedback.
Skill in using qualitative and quantitative insights to inform continuous improvement and strategic decision-making.
Sound judgment in balancing parent partnership, institutional priorities, and community dynamics.
Ability to serve as a thought partner to senior leadership, surfacing insights, trends, and emerging needs.
Strict adherence to the highest levels of integrity, confidentiality, and professionalism
Highly proficient in database systems, such as Google apps for education, Word, Excel, and other web-based admissions systems and cloud-based platforms.
Flexibility to work extended work hours, including evening and weekend events

Nice To Haves

advanced degree in education, organizational leadership, community development, or a related field preferred.

Responsibilities

Parents Association Oversight and Partnership (Na ?Ohana Pueo NOP) Serve as the primary school liaison and advisor to Na ?Ohana Pueo (NOP), cultivating strong, collaborative relationships with NOP officers and committee leads.
Provide strategic guidance in partnership with school leadership to NOP leadership, helping align parent-led initiatives with school priorities, values, and annual goals.
Ensure effective NOP governance and operations, including onboarding and orientation of parent leaders, clarification of roles and responsibilities, and establishment of annual priorities and calendars.
Provide administrative support, which includes, but is not limited to, facilities requests, risk assessments, calendaring, and monitoring the NOP email account.
Partner with NOP leadership to design meaningful parent engagement opportunities that foster belonging, inclusion, and connection across diverse family communities.
Coordinate communication pathways between NOP and school leadership to ensure timely information-sharing, clarity, and alignment.
Collaborate with divisional leaders and relevant departments to connect NOP initiatives with school programs, events, and student experiences in ways that are appropriate, coordinated, and impactful.
Ensure NOP activities reflect Mid-Pacifics commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging, supporting inclusive participation and culturally responsive practices.
Facilitate alignment between Na ?Ohana Pueo and the MPIAA Board, supporting a cohesive approach to parent engagement and governance across the institution.
Monitor NOP initiatives and participation trends, identifying opportunities to strengthen parent involvement, leadership development, and sustainability.
Support NOP involvement in major schoolwide initiatives, including the all-community event and other signature experiences, ensuring parents are engaged as partners and ambassadors.
Serve as a thought partner to school leadership on parent engagement strategy, surfacing insights, opportunities, and emerging needs from the parent community.
All-Community Event Leadership & Experience Design Lead the strategic planning and execution of the annual all-community event, serving as the central coordinator and point of integration across divisions, departments, and stakeholder groups.
Partner with senior leadership to clarify the purpose, desired outcomes, and success indicators of the all-community event, ensuring alignment with institutional priorities such as community pride, retention, and engagement.
Design the end-to-end community experience, including event flow, participation opportunities, and engagement touchpoints for students, families, faculty, staff, alumni, and invited guests.
Coordinate cross-departmental planning teams, working closely with Academic Divisions, Student Activities, Athletics, Alumni Engagement, Advancement, Operations, Facilities, Communications, and Security to ensure seamless execution.
Collaborate with Na ?Ohana Pueo (NOP) and other volunteer groups to meaningfully engage parents and guardians as partners in planning, hosting, and welcoming the community.
Develop and manage event timelines, planning frameworks, and coordination tools to support effective communication, accountability, and shared ownership among all contributors.
Support budget awareness and resource planning in partnership with the Director of Enrollment Management and relevant departments, ensuring responsible use of resources and alignment with event priorities.
Ensure inclusive and culturally responsive practices are embedded throughout the event design and execution, reflecting Mid-Pacifics commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging.
Partner with Marketing and Communications to support messaging, storytelling, and visibility before, during, and after the event, reinforcing shared identity and community pride.
Lead post-event assessment and reflection, gathering participation data, stakeholder feedback, and qualitative insights to inform continuous improvement and future event planning.
Document event processes, lessons learned, and best practices to strengthen institutional knowledge and support sustainability over time.
New Family Welcome, Integration, and Belonging Serve as a connector among Enrollment Management, Academic Divisions, NOP, and other stakeholders to support a cohesive, inclusive new-family experience.
Support new-family welcome initiatives that promote connection and school pride.
Gather feedback from new families and partners to inform continuous improvement of integration efforts.
Community Engagement Strategy and Systems Development Assist in designing systems, processes, and communication pathways that strengthen engagement and enhance the overall community experience.
Support the development and implementation of schoolwide community engagement initiatives that foster connection and pride across the PreschoolGrade 12 community.
Identify opportunities to enhance existing traditions and contribute ideas for new engagement programs in collaboration with school leadership.
Partner with divisional and departmental teams to integrate community engagement practices into school programs, events, and operations.
Cross-Departmental Collaboration and Partnership Build strong working relationships with divisional offices, operations teams, academic leaders, faculty, and staff to support effective community engagement across the school.
Collaborate closely with the Directors of Student Activities, Director of Alumni Engagement, and Athletic Director to provide opportunities for student, parent, and alumni participation in community initiatives.
Facilitate a strong relationship and partnership between the NOP and the MPIAA Board.
Promote and support practices that reflect Mid-Pacifics commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging in all engagement efforts.
Committee Collaboration and Institutional Support Serve as Chair of a Community Engagement Committee, collaborating with key stakeholders to intentionally strengthen communication, relationships, belonging, and community participation.
Serves as a strategic connector to related committees (e.g., Retention Committee), helping ensure alignment and shared purpose across engagement efforts.
Assessment and Continuous Improvement Assist in developing benchmarks and indicators for community engagement success.
Collect and organize data related to event participation, family and student engagement, and overall community sentiment.
Analyze engagement data to identify trends and support the development of recommendations for improvement.
Prepare summaries or reports for the Director of Enrollment Management, contributing to data-driven planning and decision-making.
SCHOOL SAFETY Participate in the development of a safe and healthy workplace.
Comply with the instructions given for their own safety and health and that of others, in adhering to safe work procedures.
Take reasonable care to ensure their own safety and health and that of others.
Report any injury, hazard or illness immediately, to their Supervisor and Human Resources.
Not place others at risk by any act or omission, not willfully or recklessly interfere with safety equipment.
Act as a role model by demonstrating safe work behaviors.
Identify, assess if necessary, and control hazards within the area of responsibility.
Ensure that equipment/supplies are properly maintained.
Maintain relevant knowledge of safety laws.
Mandatory reporting of sexual abuse to law enforcement or child protective services, and Human Resources.
Sexual abuse includes child molestation, any actual or alleged illegal or otherwise wrongful sexual conduct with a minor, and serial sexual misconduct, any actual or alleged illegal or otherwise wrongful sexual conduct with more than one victim; and committed by or alleged to have been committed by any perpetrator who is not a student of an included entity.
Develop safe work procedures and ensure adherence to procedures.
Ensure compliance of safety policies and procedures.
Communicate safety issues with employees.
Ensure that employees are provided information, instruction, training and supervision that they need to work safely.
Ensure that employees are aware of and abide by all relevant safety procedures.
Encourage early reporting of incidents and forward information to Manager and Human Resources immediately.