Youth Engagement Specialist

City of New York•New York, NY

1d•$80,000 - $90,000

About The Position

The Campaign Finance Board is a nonpartisan, independent city agency that supports open, transparent, and equitable local democracy. Its Public Affairs Division engages New Yorkers and increases participation in elections, while the Community Engagement unit builds partnerships, provides voter education, and conducts direct outreach. The Youth Programs Team works with youth-serving organizations to deliver voter education and civic engagement programming for New Yorkers ages 14–24. The Youth Engagement Specialist leads voter education and engagement efforts for young people, with a focus on civic knowledge, leadership, and sustained participation in the democratic process. Programming may address civic engagement, local history, campaign finance, and related topics. The role develops and facilitates workshops, plans community events, delivers train-the-trainer sessions for educators and youth leaders, partners with public schools, and creates other opportunities for youth to engage with the electoral process. The work particularly focuses on neighborhoods with low youth voter turnout, including the South Bronx and East New York. The Specialist builds and maintains relationships with youth-serving organizations, schools, and community partners; manages multiple programs, events, and collaborations; and adapts programming to young people’s needs and community contexts. The role calls for an accessible, relationship-centered approach that recognizes structural barriers to civic participation and creates respectful spaces where young people feel heard and empowered. Responsibilities also include coordinating paid partnerships and educational programming, gathering and using audience feedback, distributing voter education materials, and maintaining accurate project, partner, event, and outcome data in agency systems. The position uses CRM, project management tools, dashboards, and other administrative systems to track progress, support reporting, and improve workflows.

Requirements

Knowledge of NYC campaign finance law, voter registration processes, and the Campaign Finance Board’s role in supporting elections and civic participation.
Knowledge of best practices and safety protocols for working with minors, including child safety laws in New York City and State.
Strong public speaking skills.
Ability to build trust with diverse communities, particularly historically underrepresented groups.
Ability to communicate effectively and respectfully across diverse ethnic, linguistic, and cultural groups, adapting communication style to build trust and credibility.
Ability to explain complex civic topics in audience-appropriate ways.
Understanding of best practices for building and maintaining partnerships with community-based organizations and civic institutions.
Understanding of high school-age and college-age youth populations, particularly NYC Public Schools and CUNY students, including their histories, cultures, languages, and barriers to access.
Ability to communicate clearly with partners and stakeholders and build authentic relationships rooted in trust and understanding.
Basic knowledge of New York City local and state government.
Understanding of age-appropriate learning principles and instructional formats for diverse audiences.
Ability to facilitate engaging, audience-appropriate presentations and trainings in varied formats for people with diverse literacy levels and English proficiency.
Basic proficiency with PowerPoint and ability to prepare engaging, professional slide decks with clear visuals.
Openness to learning about and deepening understanding of New York City communities.
High emotional intelligence and self- and relational awareness.
The posting lists civil-service qualification pathways that include a bachelor’s degree with at least 12 semester credits in specified or closely related fields and one year of qualifying full-time experience; a high school diploma or equivalent and five years of qualifying experience; or equivalent education and/or experience.

Nice To Haves

Previous experience with elections and voting work, especially in New York City.
Previous experience working in NYC Public Schools and/or building curriculum, especially in history, social studies, or civic engagement.
Proficiency in one or more of NYC Votes’ covered languages (strongly preferred).
Lived or professional experience developing and implementing youth programming in the South Bronx and/or East New York.

Responsibilities

Research and identify partner organizations, including city agencies, community-based organizations, nonprofits, and advocacy groups, to expand NYC Votes’ outreach.
Develop and implement partnership-building plans for assigned geographies in alignment with strategic goals.
Develop, manage, and evaluate paid partnership opportunities with organizations serving people in priority neighborhoods, with measurable community impact.
Deepen partnerships through collaborative initiatives, advisory opportunities, co-created programming, and ongoing community feedback mechanisms.
Convene partners through meetings, listening sessions, advisory groups, and networking opportunities to strengthen relationships and gather feedback.
Manage requests for and distribution of voter materials and toolkits in priority neighborhoods.
Develop educational content on accessibility tools, civic engagement, voter participation, and candidate participation for youth in priority neighborhoods.
Plan community conversations, trainings, and workshops for assigned geographies and audiences, both virtually and in person.
Collaborate with partner organizations to improve NYC Votes education content and delivery, including accessible print and downloadable materials.
Deliver education in formats suited to audience needs, such as conversation circles, presentations, and classroom-style activities.
Develop paid educational programming with partners and coordinate related invoicing and purchases with the supervisor and Finance Department.
Collect and incorporate audience feedback through methods such as real-time surveys, pre- and post-surveys, and follow-up calls.
Create experiential programming and other creative forms of community engagement.
Collect, maintain, and regularly update complete and accurate project data in accordance with unit policies.
Use CRM systems, project management tools, data dashboards, and other agency tools to manage work, track progress, and support reporting and decision-making.
Maintain organized partner records, including contact information, meeting notes, organizational tags, and relationship history.
Maintain accurate event calendars and trackers; enter event details, attendance, outcomes, and other required reporting into designated systems.
Review data and records to identify and correct errors, missing information, and inconsistencies.
Identify opportunities to improve administrative workflows, documentation, and data management practices.
Build relationships with youth-serving organizations and deliver voter education and civic engagement programming for young people ages 14–24.
Develop and facilitate workshops, plan and execute community events, deliver train-the-trainer sessions for educators and youth leaders, and partner with public schools to implement programming.