Career Center

Scheduled Hours

37.5

Position Summary

The Community Engagement Manager leads strategies that foster mutually beneficial community engagement in the St. Louis region between students and community partners. This positionâ™s primary responsibility is to lead the design, curriculum, implementation and scaling of a signature St. Louis fellowship program to cultivate students as civic leaders and contribute substantially to regional progress.

This position uplifts Washington Universityâ™s St. Louis Initiative, a university strategic planning priority to be Washington University in St. Louis, for St. Louis, and with St. Louis. The specific focus of this position is student learning and engagement as a vital component of the universityâ™s comprehensive St. Louis Initiative. The Gephardt Institute envisions that Washington University students will embrace St. Louis as a vital part of their education, learn from and collaborate with community partners, and apply their talents to affect positive change in St. Louis.

The Community Engagement Manager leads program strategy and implementation through close coordination and partnerships with civic and community organizations, university partners, the Gephardt Institute staff, and students. This position applies the instituteâ™s theory of change, data-informed strategies, and leading practices in civic learning and community engagement, with attention to initiatives that foster both student learning and community impact.

This position requires a strong commitment to diversity, inclusion, equity, and access. This position also requires a strong commitment to non-partisanship and to engagement of all Washington University students regardless of their political positions.

Job Description

Primary Duties & Responsibilities

Program Development: Leads program, partnership, and curriculum development to design and scale a signature St. Louis fellowship program that cultivates student learning and impactful, mutually beneficial engagement with civic/community organizations and initiatives. This immersive program will integrate and build on the successes of the current Goldman Fellows Program, Beuerlein Fellows Program, and Arts as Civic Engagement and grow to scale to serve more students and community partners. Responsibilities include:

• Develops curriculum, training, immersive experiences, and other educational/engagement strategies centered on community knowledge.
• Facilitates partnerships among St. Louis civic and community organizations, Washington University students, and Washington University faculty/staff educators.
• Creates and curates educational content that uplifts community voices; multiple perspectives and narratives; the assets, opportunities, challenges, and complexity of the St. Louis region; Gephardt Institute values; and a broad range of strategies and industries that contribute to the progress and vitality of the St. Louis region.
• Benchmarks and understands similar university and regional programs throughout the country
• Manages implementation of all aspects of the program, including orientation, program management, and continuous improvement.
• Leads recruitment and selection process for fellowship program and Civic Scholars Program in coordination with key staff.
• Manages documentation of the fellowship program that can serve as a replicable model for other colleges/universities and for civic/community organizations nationally.
• Collaborates with the Evaluation and Assessment Manager to support the development and administration of the fellowship program assessment strategy, including facilitating feedback and data collection from community partners.
• Supports fundraising and stewardship efforts, including proposal writing, donor and prospective donor engagement, reporting, and development of external communication pieces (video, website, external collateral, etc.).

Partnership: Leads cultivation of key partnerships with civic and community organizations and university partners to facilitate mutually beneficial student engagement with the St. Louis community and sustained relationships, with a primary focus on the student/community partnerships and the fellowship program. Catalyzes student/community partnerships that respond to community needs and priorities and work in alignment with community/university partnerships of the St. Louis Initiative. Responsibilities include:

• Facilitates impactful, mutually beneficial and sustained partnerships with the fellowship program to support substantial student internships with nonprofits, government, civic organizations, social enterprise, business, or related industries that are pursuing civic change efforts.
• Identifies and sustains strong and trusting partnerships with civic/community organizations and initiatives, with a focus on building sustainable systems, procedures, and communications to foster these partnerships.
• Creates a collaborative network among students, community partners, faculty, staff, and local alumni to support students with relationship building, knowledge and skill development, shared planning, and collaboration.
• Collaborates with Marketing & Communications Manager on development of content, strategies, and procedures for communications that foster mutually beneficial connections between students and civic/community organizations.
• Manages Community Advisory Council, including communications, planning, and continuous improvement. 
• Collaborates with other student-facing staff to support student outreach, consultation, program/initiative planning, and related student engagement initiatives.
• Collaborates with university partners to integrate students with strategic initiatives of the St. Louis Initiative through internships, educational opportunities, and related activities.
• Trains and consults with student-facing civic and community engagement initiatives to ensure effective and ethical practices.
• Applies educational and immersive curriculum developed for the fellowship program to other initiatives that foster student learning and engagement with St. Louis.

Facilitation and Engagement: Facilitates fellowship curriculum with the support of a graduate assistant, develops and trains on guidelines for effective and ethical community engagement; and provides consultation to students, student groups, and student-facing departments. Responsibilities include:

• Facilitates cohort-based student learning through the implementation of trainings and intergroup dialogue with fellowship participants.
• Handles sensitive issues that emerge for students or community partners such as facilitating relationship conflicts, problem-solving emergent challenges, or negotiating adjustments to plans based on studentsâ™ personal challenges or performance.
• Researches and identifies best practices in community engagement, and develops resources and training curricula to advance best practices within the fellowship program and among student leaders and student-facing programs.
• Facilitates student learning of the principles and practice of ethical community engagement, including cultural competency and opportunities to hear directly from communities.
• Fosters an alumni network to engage fellowship program alumni across cohorts and as guest speakers, peer advisors, and program consultants.

Serves as an essential member of the Gephardt Institute team:

• Contributes to initiatives, meetings, and events of the Gephardt Institute, including donor cultivation and stewardship, developing strategy and vision for initiatives, planning processes, grant/proposal applications and reporting, special projects, and special events.
• Collaborates with program staff, operations staff (Marketing & Communications, Evaluation & Assessment Manager, and Administrative Assistants), and relevant stakeholders to coordinate planning, implementation, evaluation, and continuous improvement of all Gephardt Institute programs and services.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Working Conditions

• Access to a personal vehicle with up to date license, registration and insurance for site visits, partnership development, off-campus programming and off-campus meetings is required.
• Ability to travel to on- and off-campus locations for meetings and events.
• Ability and to work outside normal business hours including early morning, evening, and weekends as needed.
• Ability to lift and move office furniture and event supplies.

Preferred Qualifications

• Masterâ™s degree in Student Affairs, Higher Education, Urban Studies/Planning, Social Work, Non-Profit Management, Public Policy, Public Administration, or a related field.
• Three or more years of full-time professional experience that includes work in higher education, work in (or in partnership with) community organizations, and work with adolescents or young adults.
• Experience with and knowledge of regional social assets and challenges, civic and community engagement, and university/community partnerships, including principles of effective practice.
• Substantive knowledge of St. Louis civic/community organizations and initiatives, stakeholders, history, and the regional landscape.
• Relevant experience with program, curriculum, cohort, and/or partnership development at a professional, co-curricular, and/or volunteer level.
• Experience with organizing and planning programs, facilitating discussions, and/or designing program strategy at a professional, co-curricular, and/or volunteer level.
• Demonstrated ability to work in a non-partisan environment. Commitment to maintaining a non-partisan and inclusive approach to all educational, programming, outreach, and communication strategies.
• Excellent organizational, planning, problem-solving, and project management, and event planning skills. Strong time management, attention to detail, ability to manage multiple priorities, and ability to forecast and plan work, while maintaining a landscape view of priorities, values, and vision.
• Excellent interpersonal and written/verbal communication skills, including with diverse populations and for different mediums and programming environments.
• Ability and sensitivity in developing programming and communications for â“ and interacting with â“ a racially, culturally, and socioeconomically diverse range of stakeholders. Commitment to continuous learning about cultural humility and equity.
• Strong problem solving skills and relationship management skills, with capacity to handle challenging internal and external dilemmas or support students, community partners, and colleagues through them.
• Commitment to the Gephardt Instituteâ™s values of Inquiry, Empathy, Collaboration, Integrity, Equity, and Action.
• Demonstrated interest in educating and mentoring students.
• Energy, vision, initiative, creativity, empathy, humility, tolerance for ambiguity, ability to embrace and navigate change, sound judgment, diplomacy, tact, and sense of humor.
• Enthusiasm and ability to work in a dynamic, highly collaborative environment with multiple functions, audiences, and priorities.
• Demonstrated ability to lead from a middle management position.
• Ability to function both independently and collaboratively in a dynamic, highly collaborative environment with multiple functions, audiences, and priorities.
• Ability and willingness to work evening and weekend hours for special projects, events, and deadlines in service to students and the institute's mission.

Required Qualifications

Bachelorsâ™ degree with three years related experience or Masterâ™s and one year of related experience.

Grade

G10

Salary Range

$45,800.00 - $75,900.00 / Annually

The salary range reflects base salaries paid for positions in a given job grade across the University. Individual rates within the range will be determined by factors including one's qualifications and performance, equity with others in the department, market rates for positions within the same grade and department budget.

Pre-Employment Screening

All external candidates receiving an offer for employment will be required to submit to pre-employment screening for this position. The screenings will include criminal background check and, as applicable for the position, other background checks, drug screen, an employment and education or licensure/certification verification, physical examination, certain vaccinations and/or governmental registry checks. All offers are contingent upon successful completion of required screening.

Benefits Statement

Washington University in St. Louis is committed to providing a comprehensive and competitive benefits package to our employees. Benefits eligibility is subject to employment status, full-time equivalent (FTE) workload, and weekly standard hours. Please visit our website at https://hr.wustl.edu/benefits/ to view a summary of benefits.

EEO/AA Statement

Washington University is an equal opportunity and affirmative action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration without regard to an individualâ™s sex, race, color, religion, age, disability status, protected veteran status, national or ethnic origin, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation. Women, minorities, protected veterans and the disabled are strongly encouraged to apply.

Diversity Statement

Washington University is dedicated to building a diverse community of individuals who are committed to contributing to an inclusive environment â“ fostering respect for all and welcoming individuals from diverse backgrounds, experiences and perspectives. Individuals with a commitment to these values are encouraged to apply.

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