Community Network Builder

University of Virginia • VA

90d • $66,600 - $69,000

About The Position

The Institute for Engagement & Negotiation (IEN) at the University of Virginia seeks a motivated and collaborative Community Network Builder to strengthen regional economic opportunity in Virginia’s Northern Neck and Middle Peninsula. This position is funded by the Jessie Ball duPont Fund to support Northern Neck and Middle Peninsula communities becoming more competitive and coordinated in securing state and federal resources for their long-term resilience. This position will engage localities, non-profits, businesses, and thought leaders in the region to identify overlapping priorities and surface cross-jurisdictional opportunities, ultimately resulting in the selection of one to two key economic opportunity areas for targeted collaboration, specifically core infrastructure investments such as housing and workforce development. The Community Network Builder will help the region prioritize solutions that are responsive to the lived realities of rural families, capable of application across different regional financial ecosystems, and capable of leveraging state and federal resources for sustainable impact.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree.
• 4 years in rural development, community engagement, economic development, or related fields. Relevant experience may be considered in lieu of a degree.
• Frequent travel within Northern Neck and Middle Peninsula; valid driver’s license required.

Nice To Haves

• Professional or lived experience with rural community development.
• Demonstrated expertise in grant writing, proposal development, and strategic funding alignment.
• Demonstrated success in convening and facilitating multi-stakeholder processes.
• Knowledge of housing, workforce development, and rural economic ecosystems.
• Master’s degree in public policy, planning, economics, community development, or related field (or equivalent professional experience).

Responsibilities

• Identify regional economic opportunity priorities and assess feasibility of collaborative initiatives.
• Conduct capital scans and feasibility studies to align local, philanthropic, and federal/state funding streams.
• Design pilot projects in areas such as housing, workforce pipelines, and small business development.
• Develop prioritization frameworks and metrics for evaluating and scaling regional initiatives.
• Track project implementation and outcomes, producing quarterly learning memos and progress dashboards.
• Build trusted, inclusive relationships across governments, nonprofits, businesses, and residents.
• Convene regional forums, workshops, and advisory committees to align priorities and surface opportunities.
• Facilitate community visioning and structured 'data walks' to connect insights with investment strategies.
• Mobilize community participation in project rollout and continuous learning processes.
• Provide coaching and training for local partners on data interpretation, visualization, and storytelling.
• Support grant writing, proposal development, and strategic resource alignment.
• Serve as a technical assistance hub to strengthen regional data infrastructure and project design capacity.
• Collaborate with partners such as the River Counties Community Foundation and explore participation in initiatives like the Federal Reserve Bank’s Rural Investment Collaborative.

Benefits

• Full-time, exempt, benefits-eligible position.
• Three year term limited.
• Restricted position - contingent on grant funding.
• Required in-person presence at the River Counties Community Foundation offices in White Stone, VA.
• Work during the Eastern Time Zone required.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Education Level: Bachelor's degree