Family Navigation and Community Engagement Associate

Access-HR, Inc.•Rockville, MD

8d•$68,000 - $85,000

About The Position

Family navigation is required as part of the Alliance’s legislative mandate. We are seeking a dynamic and innovative Family Navigation and Community Engagement Associate to join our team. The Family Navigation Associate will be part of a small team responsible for driving the organization’s work forward, spearheading community engagement, outreach, and education in deep coordination with overall strategy development. This role can be structured as either full-time or part-time, depending upon availability or preferences. The Associate must have a deep understanding of the ECE landscape and the unique issues faced by vulnerable families, ensuring the application of an equity lens in all of the Alliance’s efforts.

Requirements

3–5 years of experience in social work or a similar human services background is required.
Strong relationship-building skills with internal and external stakeholders, government agencies, school districts, early childhood educators, community-based organizations, and diverse Montgomery County families
Knowledge of theory and practice regarding racial equity, social justice, and community organizing
Ability to initiate and manage projects, balance competing priorities, and plan and conduct efficient meetings
Strong written and verbal communication skills

Nice To Haves

A bachelor’s degree is a plus, but we encourage candidates with relevant hands-on experience to apply.
Recent lived experience navigating the ECE system, including searching for child care, Pre-K, or other early childhood programs and services preferred
Montgomery County resident is preferred
Bilingual English with Amharic, Mandarin (Chinese), Vietnamese, Korean, Spanish or Portuguese preferred

Responsibilities

Support coordination and implementation of the Family Navigation Work Group, a component of the larger Common Agenda strategy work to transform our ECE system. This includes tracking progress on key actions and priorities, such as supporting local navigators and neighborhood ambassadors and compiling resources to make navigation easier for families with young children.
Support the development and implementation of a community engagement strategy designed to develop trusted relationships with a wide variety of early childhood stakeholders, including parents and family members of young children, health professionals, and leaders from the faith-based and nonprofit sectors.
Regularly represent the Alliance at special community events and recurring meetings of relevant stakeholder groups in the early childhood ecosystem, such as parent advisory boards, The Basics Campaign, and other community groups.
Maintain updated knowledge of the landscape of ECE services and resources in Montgomery County, with the aim of ensuring outreach to all relevant stakeholders and integrating their work into Alliance strategies.
Ensure ongoing integration of community feedback into the Alliance’s strategy development work.
Mobilize community stakeholders to join the Alliance through a variety of engagement opportunities that mutually inform and implement community change strategies in alignment with the organization’s goals, including but not limited to supporting advocacy efforts, coalition building, joining working groups or ad hoc committees focused on specific goals, responding to surveys, and more.
Support the development and implementation of a strategy to engage and educate families and the wider community about the importance of high-quality early care and education programs.
In partnership with the Alliance communications team, integrate education opportunities into all Alliance communications vehicles and develop new resources and materials to support outreach efforts.
Support implementation and follow-up with Neighborhood Ambassadors who have received resources and support, and support the implementation of new cohorts and partners moving forward.