Community Outreach Specialist (Temporary)

University of Washington•Washington, DC

1d•Onsite

About The Position

The Department of Health Systems and Population Health (HSPop), housed in the UW School of Public Health, is seeking a temporary Community Outreach Specialist. HSPop is dedicated to improving and promoting population health through leadership development, solution design, and innovative research. This role is part of the Health Equity Action Research Team (HEART) within HSPop's Health Promotion Research Center (HPRC). HEART has secured funding from the National Institutes for Health (2023-2028) to enhance, adapt, and evaluate the "Nuestro Valor" food program, in collaboration with Northwest Communities Education Center/Radio KDNA. The Nuestro Valor program aims to increase fruit and vegetable sales in tiendas by providing stipends for store improvements, employee training, and a multi-month marketing campaign. This is a bilingual Spanish/English program. The primary responsibility of the Nuestro Valor Community Specialist will be to implement the program in tiendas across Yakima, Benton, and Franklin counties. Community Specialists will collaborate closely with tienda managers, staff, customers, Radio KDNA, and HEART. No prior nutrition experience is required. The research study plans to hire community specialists in these counties to establish Nuestro Valor in local tiendas. The position reports to the community research manager and the principal investigator, with weekly to biweekly check-ins. Successful candidates should be community leaders, share the values and experiences of the community served, demonstrate a commitment to service, possess strong communication and listening skills (including one-on-one and public speaking), be capable of strengthening abilities and learning new skills, and be flexible problem-solvers willing to adapt to new situations.

Requirements

High school graduation or equivalent
2 years of clerical experience
Must have reliable transportation
Valid WA State Driver's License
Auto insurance
Bilingual in speaking, reading, and writing Spanish/English
Ability to travel across Benton, Franklin, and Yakima counties
General familiarity shopping in tiendas

Nice To Haves

Previous experience as a community outreach specialist or community health worker
Previous marketing or business experience

Responsibilities

Attend in-depth in-person or virtual training sessions with Nuestro Valor team to prepare for delivering Nuestro Valor
Attend weekly meetings with the research team and communicate through email, text, calls, and virtual meetings
Submit program records on a routine basis to debrief with the team
Foster strong relationships with tienda (small businesses) managers, staff, and customers through engagement, communication, and regular visits across Yakima, Benton and Franklin Counties
Collaborate with tienda managers to explore and implement ways to increase fruit and vegetable variety and availability through structural and social changes at the tienda using the proposed study stipend
Connect tiendas with Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Education (SNAP-Ed) and Women, Infants and Children (WIC) Nutrition Program, or Fruit and Vegetable Prescription Program to explore eligibility and support enrollment
Help to set up marketing materials and lead recipe demonstrations at tiendas
Other responsibilities as assigned