Director of Community Engagement and Recruitment

Big Brothers Big Sisters Twin Cities•Minneapolis, MN

11h•Hybrid

About The Position

The Director of Community Engagement & Recruitment provides strategic leadership for how BBBSTC builds trust, presence, and participation in the Twin Cities community. This role is accountable for developing and leading a cohesive strategy that drives youth and volunteer participation, strengthens community partnerships, and ensures recruitment efforts align with the agency’s mission, values, and program needs. As a member of the Advancement Leadership Team, the Director oversees the Community Engagement & Recruitment function, supervising the Manager of Community Engagement & Recruitment and the Community Engagement & Recruitment Coordinator. Together, this team is responsible for generating and converting high-quality inquiries, deepening community relationships, and ensuring BBBSTC is visible, credible, and responsive across the communities it serves. This is a hands-on leadership role that balances external community presence with internal strategy, people leadership, and accountability. The Director is responsible for translating organizational goals into a clear, relationship-driven strategy while ensuring that recruitment and engagement practices remain equitable and results-oriented. Success requires a strategic leader who can build community trust, manage resources and risk, and align efforts across departments to drive sustainable participation and impact.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree preferred, but experience in sales, volunteer recruitment, marketing, communications, public relations, community engagement or a related field is valued
Minimum of 5 years of experience in community engagement, recruitment, advancement, nonprofit leadership, or related fields.
Minimum 2 years of experience in recruiting or sales.
Proficiency in a second language preferred, but not required
Demonstrated success building and sustaining external partnerships across diverse communities.
Experience leading teams, setting strategy, and managing performance outcomes.
Strong understanding of equity-centered engagement and relationship-based recruitment.
Experience using data to guide strategy and decision-making.
Salesforce or CRM experience preferred.
Ideal candidates would have experience engaging with BIPOC affinity groups, community groups, and professional organizations
Strategic thinker who can translate community insight into clear priorities and action.
Strong people leader with the ability to coach, motivate, and hold teams accountable.
Highly relational, with credibility and presence in diverse community settings.
Excellent communicator—able to influence, align, and represent the organization effectively.
Comfort navigating complexity, ambiguity, and change.
Deep commitment to BBBSTC’s mission, values, and youth-centered work.
Solid organizational, problem solving, and interpersonal skills.
Ability to work proactively to solve problems and resolve conflicts with volunteers, partners, and coworkers.
Detail-oriented and highly organized individual; able to plan and organize multiple projects simultaneously
Must possess a valid driver’s license and current auto insurance coverage or have reliable transportation for meeting work responsibilities and priorities.
Ability to work a flexible schedule including evenings and weekends, regularly, on-site and out in the community to engage and connect with families, partners, the community, and potential volunteers.

Nice To Haves

Proficiency in a second language preferred, but not required
Salesforce or CRM experience preferred.
Ideal candidates would have experience engaging with BIPOC affinity groups, community groups, and professional organizations

Responsibilities

Develop and lead annual Community Engagement & Recruitment strategies that drive youth and volunteer participation in alignment with agency goals and program demand.
Set clear priorities, success measures, and expectations for recruitment and community engagement efforts across roles.
Monitor progress toward goals using data dashboards and regular reporting; adjust strategy based on performance, community feedback, and organizational needs.
Ensure recruitment and engagement strategies support equitable access, representation, and inclusion—particularly for historically underrepresented communities.
Partner with the Vice President of Advancement to align department goals with the agency’s strategic plan and resource priorities.
Lead strategy and efforts to engage with the community by building authentic, trusting relationships that result in increased participants and partnerships.
Promote and foster an agency-wide culture of community centrism.
Translate community insights and market trends into forward-looking recruitment strategies that anticipate shifts in volunteer behavior and engagement.
Serve as a visible, trusted representative of BBBSTC in the Twin Cities community.
Build and sustain authentic relationships with community leaders, corporations, affinity groups, faith-based organizations, schools, municipalities, and nonprofit partners.
Identify and steward partnerships that generate participant engagement, recruitment opportunities, and long-term trust.
Ensure BBBSTC shows up consistently, professionally, and relationally across community spaces.
Elevate participant voice and community insight to inform recruitment strategies and organizational decision-making.
Serve as a visible ambassador of the organization’s brand and values, leveraging storytelling and public speaking to deepen community trust and expand reach.
Provide strategic oversight for volunteer and youth recruitment pipelines, ensuring alignment with program needs, geography, and demographics.
Partner closely with the Manager of Community Engagement & Recruitment to improve inquiry generation and conversion rates, reduce friction and delays in the recruitment process, and strengthen the volunteer experience from first contact through enrollment
Champion a participant-centered approach that balances responsiveness, clarity, and accountability for volunteers, youth, and families.
Ensure consistent messaging, expectations, and communication across all recruitment and engagement touchpoints.
Design and continuously optimize the end-to-end recruitment journey using data and feedback loops to increase conversion rates and reduce time-to-match.
Lead, coach, and support the Community Engagement & Recruitment team through regular 1:1s, team meetings, and performance feedback.
Create a culture of clarity, collaboration, learning, and accountability within the team.
Support staff in navigating complex community dynamics, balancing relationship-building with results.
Ensure roles are well-defined, workloads are aligned to priorities, and team capacity is used effectively.
Lead through change with transparency and adaptability as strategies evolve.
Foster a high-performance, inclusive team culture by coaching staff to set and achieve ambitious goals while supporting professional growth and retention.
Ensure data related to community relationships, recruitment, and engagement is accurate, meaningful, and used to inform decisions.
Partner with Data & Impact to develop and refine dashboards and indicators that track recruitment and engagement outcomes.
Collaborate with Marketing & Communications to align messaging, campaigns, and community-facing materials.
Work closely with Program leadership to anticipate participant needs and ensure recruitment efforts are responsive and coordinated.
Contribute to agency-wide advancement initiatives, events, and strategic efforts as needed.
Leverage data storytelling to influence cross-functional decision-making and secure buy-in for recruitment strategies and resource allocation.
Maintain knowledge of community needs, resources, and networks
Communicate professionally with internal and external constituents
Work collaboratively to achieve results as specified in the strategic plan
Promote teamwork by overseeing and participating in various teams, including work groups and interdepartmental meetings
Positively represent BBBS in the larger community
Assist in agency-wide events and initiatives including recruitment, fundraising, event management, and community outreach.
Honor and respect the diversity of lived experiences, fostering an inclusive and equitable environment within the organization.
Contribute to the overall success of the agency in order to achieve the BBBS mission
Handle data from youth, families, mentors, or other constituents with care, ensuring secure and private maintenance.