Community Relations Specialist

BNI Talent Acquisition Team•Erie, PA

2d•Onsite

About The Position

Barber National Institute is seeking a Community Relations Specialist to serve as an external-facing ambassador and build meaningful relationships throughout the community. This role increases awareness of our mission, programs, impact, and opportunities for involvement by partnering with businesses, nonprofit organizations, schools, civic groups, volunteers, donors, and other community stakeholders. The Community Relations Specialist coordinates community outreach, manages the Speakers Bureau and volunteer program, supports Advancement initiatives, and represents Barber National Institute at events, presentations, networking opportunities, and other external engagements. The ideal candidate is an organized, confident, relationship-focused communicator who enjoys connecting people to a meaningful mission and managing multiple community activities at once.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in communications, public relations, marketing, nonprofit management, business, community engagement, public administration, or a related field required
Minimum of two years of professional experience in community relations, public relations, nonprofit engagement, Advancement, volunteer coordination, communications, marketing, donor relations, business development, or a related field required
Experience building and maintaining relationships with businesses, nonprofit organizations, donors, volunteers, civic groups, or other community stakeholders required
Valid driver’s license and ongoing compliance with agency and insurer driving eligibility requirements for role-related travel
An equivalent combination of directly related education and experience may be considered in place of the bachelor’s degree requirement

Nice To Haves

Experience coordinating community outreach activities, events, volunteer programs, speaking engagements, or external partnerships preferred
Experience in a nonprofit, human services, healthcare, education, disability services, or another community-based organization preferred
Experience using a CRM, donor-management, volunteer-management, or similar relationship-management system preferred

Responsibilities

Coordinate community outreach and partnership activities with businesses, nonprofit organizations, schools, civic groups, professional associations, and other community stakeholders
Represent Barber National Institute at community events, fairs, networking activities, meetings, presentations, and other external opportunities
Communicate Barber National Institute’s mission, programs, impact, and opportunities for engagement accurately and professionally
Identify individuals, organizations, and businesses with potential mission or philanthropic alignment and connect appropriate prospects with Advancement leadership for continued relationship development
Coordinate the Speakers Bureau by managing requests, scheduling speakers, matching subject matter experts to community opportunities, preparing talking points and presentation materials, and tracking outcomes
Coordinate the volunteer program by responding to inquiries, supporting volunteer recruitment and onboarding, matching volunteers with opportunities, maintaining records and hours, and partnering with internal teams to support a meaningful volunteer experience
Partner with Strategic Communications to gather stories, photos, event information, and community highlights for newsletters, social media, publications, donor communications, and other organizational channels
Maintain accurate records and reporting in the designated CRM or tracking system, including community contacts, partnerships, speaking engagements, volunteer participation, follow-up activity, and prospective donor referrals
Monitor community engagement activity and relationship opportunities to identify trends, potential partnerships, and strategies that strengthen visibility, volunteer engagement, philanthropy, and organizational impact
Support Advancement initiatives and other mission-aligned activities as assigned