Community & Volunteer Engagement Specialist

Jewish Family Service of San Diego • San Diego, CA

3d • Onsite

About The Position

Jewish Family Service of San Diego is seeking a strategic, mission-driven Community & Volunteer Engagement Specialist to strengthen volunteer engagement, community partnerships, and in-kind giving. This position develops recruitment and retention strategies, advises JFS programs on volunteer needs, cultivates relationships with community partners and donors, and promotes a consistent and meaningful volunteer experience across the organization. The Specialist also provides guidance to CVE Coordinators, oversees volunteer and in-kind contribution data, and uses engagement trends to improve programs and processes. The ideal candidate is an experienced relationship-builder who combines sound judgment, strong communication, data accuracy, and exceptional follow-through. This fully onsite position typically works Sunday through Thursday, with occasional evening and additional weekend events.

Requirements

• At least three years of progressively responsible experience in volunteer engagement, community partnerships, donor relations, nonprofit programs, community outreach, or a related field.
• Demonstrated experience developing or improving volunteer recruitment, engagement, retention, stewardship, or community outreach strategies.
• Experience building and managing relationships with volunteers, donors, corporations, educational institutions, community organizations, or other external partners.
• Experience training, onboarding, or providing functional guidance to colleagues, volunteers, or program partners.
• Strong judgment and problem-solving skills, including the ability to assess complex situations, recommend solutions, and manage sensitive concerns appropriately.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including experience developing communications and presenting to diverse audiences.
• Demonstrated ability to analyze participation or engagement data, identify trends, and translate findings into practical recommendations.
• Excellent organization, project management, time management, and attention to detail.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities at once is an absolute must for this position.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Outlook, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
• Ability to work collaboratively across programs, departments, and organizational levels.
• Availability to work onsite in San Diego on a regular Sunday through Thursday schedule.

Nice To Haves

• Experience using a volunteer management system, such as Galaxy Digital.
• Experience with donor stewardship, in-kind giving, corporate engagement, or community partnership development.
• Experience creating outreach and engagement materials using Canva, email marketing, or similar tools.
• Experience developing reports, dashboards, or impact communications using data-analysis or reporting tools.
• Familiarity with Jewish traditions, holidays, values, and community life, with the ability to represent JFS thoughtfully among diverse audiences.

Responsibilities

• Assist with the development and implementation volunteer recruitment, engagement, and retention strategies aligned with organizational and program needs.
• Partner with JFS program leaders to assess volunteer needs, define roles, and develop effective placement strategies.
• Manage complex volunteer placements and serve as an escalation point for placement challenges and service-related concerns.
• Establish standards for a welcoming, consistent, and meaningful volunteer experience across JFS programs and locations.
• Develop volunteer communications, targeted recruitment campaigns, and strategies to re-engage inactive volunteers.
• Assist with the training and provide functional guidance to Community & Volunteer Engagement Coordinators.
• Lead volunteer recognition and stewardship initiatives that celebrate impact and encourage continued involvement.
• Cultivate relationships with corporations, schools, faith communities, service organizations, and other community partners.
• Identify and develop partnerships that expand volunteer participation, in-kind giving, and awareness of JFS programs.
• Create tailored engagement opportunities for community organizations seeking to support JFS.
• Deliver presentations and represent JFS at community meetings, corporate events, educational institutions, fairs, and outreach activities.
• Partner with Advancement and program teams to align community engagement efforts with organizational priorities.
• Assist in the evaluation of partnership activity and recommend opportunities to strengthen or expand community relationships.
• Support scheduled evening and weekend events as needed.
• Assist in coordinating complex or large-scale in-kind donation activities across JFS programs, locations, and community partners.
• Maintain procedures for the accurate receipt, valuation, acknowledgment, and tracking of in-kind contributions.
• Ensure in-kind donors receive timely communication, meaningful acknowledgment, and information about the impact of their contributions.
• Assist with the accuracy and consistency of volunteer and in-kind contribution data across JFS programs.
• Ensure implementation of standards for tracking volunteer hours, assignments, qualifications, compliance records, and in-kind contributions.
• Assist with database quality reviews, reporting projects, documentation updates, and workflow improvements.
• Train and support CVE team members and program staff on database procedures and reporting expectations.
• Review and validate monthly and annual reports for accuracy and compliance.
• Assist in the translation of data into impact information and recommendations for leadership, program partners, donors, and other stakeholders.
• Contribute to cross-departmental projects that improve volunteer engagement, stewardship, reporting, and operational effectiveness.
• Serve as a resource to JFS programs on volunteer engagement, community partnerships, and in-kind giving.
• Coordinate priorities and workflows with Community & Volunteer Engagement Coordinators.
• Lead assigned volunteer, donor, and community engagement projects from planning through evaluation.
• Support departmental communications, events, special initiatives
• Process assigned purchases, invoices, reimbursements, and related documentation.
• Assist in the administrative tasks related to the JFS-David Rubenstein Memorial Scholarship.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Benefits

• Comprehensive, low-cost healthcare coverage for employees
• Generous employer 401(k) contributions
• Employer-covered life insurance
• Paid vacation time and sick leave
• 15 paid holidays, including Federal and Jewish holidays (as long as the holiday lands on a normal scheduled work day), and floating holidays
• 2 Wellness Days to be taken any time during the year to support employees’ mental wellness

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Education Level: No Education Listed