Community Engagement Specialist (CES) - All Boroughs

Literacy in Community (LINC) mobilizes resources in high-needs neighborhoods in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, The Bronx, and Staten Island to surround children with literacy-rich environments in their homes and neighborhoods. Our community-based approach fosters early literacy development to nurture generations of lifelong learners and empowers parents to become literacy advocates. LINC's vision is to harness the power that exists in every community to make literacy a value and a right of all children.A pioneer in the field of early literacy, LINC leads several collective impact initiatives in addition to its comprehensive programs and has won multiple Nonprofit Excellence Awards in recognition of its high level of Overall Organizational Management, including in Financial Management and for Excellence in Resource Development and Fundraising.

Job Title: Community Engagement Specialist, Full-Time

Reports to: Neighborhood Manager

Location: NYC area – LINC is a hybrid work environment. This role will require regular onsite and field presence, with the flexibility to work remotely.

Work Schedule: 5 days/week, with events requiring varied work hours and weekend work

Salary Range: $50,000 - $55,000, depending on experience, Benefits, and robust Paid Time Off offered

How to Apply: To submit an application, please email your brief cover letter and resume to: [email protected] with “Community Engagement Specialist ” in the subject line.

Position Summary:

The Community Engagement Specialist is responsible for maintaining, deepening, and growing our relationships with community-based organizations, community leaders and other local institutions to ensure our Community Literacy Model is visible and valued at the community level. Reporting to the Director of Community and Family Engagement and working in collaboration with our program team, the Community Engagement Specialist is passionate about the two neighborhoods where they mobilize, and commits to understanding these communities’ history, culture, challenges and aspirations. The role builds community support for our mission, and learns the social constructs, ecosystems, and nuances of two target neighborhoods in order to identify linkages or collaborations that generate enthusiasm about our Community Literacy Model. We are looking for someone who is passionate about community engagement and organizing with years of experience working in NYC neighborhoods. Ability to travel extensively across two neighborhoods to promote LINC is a must.

As a member of the LINC team, the Community Engagement Specialist will work in collaboration with internal LINC departments as well as with key staff implementing LINC programming in our neighborhoods.

Responsibilities

• Establish, maintain, and grow new and existing relationships with community leaders and organizations to create community linkages, identify needs and uncover opportunities for collaborations in order to promote LINC’s mission and model
• Canvas and outreach in the two assigned communities, maintaining database of community partners, and consistently learning about resources and events in the community
• Table at community events and fairs, particularly when relationships can be fostered among community leaders, and community organizations
• Support the facilitations of workshops
• Participate in Community Board meetings and other meetings related to our work
• Ensure goals are consistently met across two neighborhoods in accordance with our strategic priorities
• Help to increase effectiveness and collaboration among staff and departments
• Collect input from partners, learn the ins and outs of the local landscape, and report back to management and the team
• Ensure LINC’s Literacy Zones are consistently filled with books
• Performs all other job-related activities determined by the Director of Community and Family Engagement

Responsibilities Summary

40% Outreach & Relationship Building - Building and maintaining relationships with community leaders, engaging with businesses and local staples, canvassing

20% Administration - Collecting data based on events, maintaining community partner database, collecting and summarizing local data from partners

30% Programming - Tabling at events and programs, attending local informational sessions and community meetings

10% Travel - Movement between events, collecting materials for events, upkeep of Literacy Zones

Mission and Values alignment: A belief in LINC’s vision to harness the power that exists in every community to make literacy a value and right of all children. Our children’s educational success is the path out of poverty and the key to achievement. LINC works at the intersection of early education and community development. Our mission is to equip children with foundational literacy skills essential for academic achievement by empowering families and mobilizing the community.

Qualifications and Skills:

• Program delivery experience required
• 2+ years of community engagement experience in an early education setting a plus
• Excellent facilitation, and verbal/written communication
• Spanish language or an additional language a plus
• Ability to work independently and as a member of a diverse team
• Experience working with diverse populations across NYC
• Ability to travel throughout all 5 boroughs of NYC
• Humor and Can Do attitude are highly valued
• Knowledge of GSuite and Microsoft suite a plus

Core competencies:

• Highly organized with an eye for detail
• Strong communication skills, in writing, presentations, and interpersonal communication.
• Strong analytical ability.
• Demonstrated ability to take initiative and move projects forward in a fast-paced environment.
• Comfortable taking initiative, building consensus, and working as a strong member of a diverse team.
• Proficiency in working with Google Suite (Drive, Sheets, Docs, Calendar, Mail.)
• Strong working knowledge of Salesforce.
• Learning orientation with a curiosity for new information.

Commitment to Diversity and Equal Employment Opportunities Literacy Inc. provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by local laws. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training.

LINC values diversity and actively seeks to build an inclusive applicant pool and pursue a thoughtful hiring process, including a diverse hiring committee, carefully designed interview questions, and mindfulness about unconscious biases.

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: $50,000.00 - $55,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• 401(k)
• Dental insurance
• Health insurance
• Paid time off
• Vision insurance

Work Location: In person