Position Description

About the Office of Commissioner Rodney Ellis
There are four precincts in Harris County. The four elected commissioners, along with an elected county judge, serve as members of Harris County Commissioners Court, the administrative head of the county’s government. Commissioner Rodney Ellis represents the constituents of Precinct One.

With approximately 1.17 million residents, Harris County Precinct One is a diverse, urban precinct that covers 363 square miles. Precinct One’s multi-racial, multi-ethnic population is roughly 33 percent African American, 38 percent Latino, 21 percent Anglo, 6 percent Asian and 2 percent other or multiple races.Precinct One stretches south to Brazoria County and reaches into eastern and northern sections of Harris County. The Precinct’s territory includes a large section of Downtown Houston, including the Downtown Harris County Courthouse Complex, Toyota Center, Minute Maid Park and the BBVA Compass Stadium. Other notable landmarks include the 263-acre NRG Park Complex and the renowned Texas Medical Center. The Precinct is also the higher educational home to Houston Community College, Rice University, Texas Southern University, the University of Houston and the University of St. Thomas. Precinct One manages more than 21 parks, 10 community centers, numerous hike-and-bike trails, three maintenance service centers and several area offices, all of which provide an array of services to Precinct One residents.

The Mission of the Office of Commissioner Rodney Ellis:
Commissioner Rodney Ellis’ Office is committed to becoming a national model for delivering responsive public service that utilizes inclusive, innovative, and collaborative approaches to improve the quality of life, advance equality of opportunity, and promote the fair treatment of all people in Harris County. Key Areas of focus for our organization include, but are not limited to:

Advancing more effective, fair and equitable criminal justice system.
Furthering economic justice, equity, and opportunity for all Harris County residents, especially those often and historically left behind by government programs.
Ensuring equitable outcomes in health and access to quality, affordable healthcare
Fighting for environmental and climate justice that keeps all communities safe and healthy.
Equitably investing in developing and maintaining resilient infrastructure and transportation for the 21st century
Building and defending voting rights and a democracy that ensures equitable representation.
Progressing equity and social and racial justice as common threads through all areas of public policy and public service.

What you will do at Precinct One

The Advocacy and Engagement Strategist will manage relationships, develop and identify coalition partners to galvanize support for key issues aligned with Precinct One’s mission and goals. The Advocacy and Engagement Strategist will serve as a lead advisor, alongside other designated advisors, on responsible civic engagement, issue organizing, and strategic partnerships and initiatives.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities:

Serve as the precinct’s point person for key advocacy coalitions. Attend, organize or lead meetings with partners to build relationships, identify engagement opportunities, and advance precinct goals.
Identify coalitions for opportunities for collaboration, aligning with precinct goals and mission. Support the creation of new coalitions focused on key issues with dedicated outreach, organization and relationship management. Collaborate with coalition members to develop effective engagement strategies.
Identify and manage initiatives to engage previously under-engaged groups within Precinct One, aligning with organizational priorities. Actively seek opportunities to promote intersectionality and message alignment within advocacy organizations and coalitions.
Collaborate with Policy, Communications, CAA, Chief of Staff and other teams as needed to develop strategic, values-driven events and initiatives.
Monitor and research public opinion/sentiment on Precinct One’s priority issues and public policy initiatives.
Position Precinct One as a respected and influential convener of special events and community forums. Utilize these platforms to raise awareness of key issues, engage stakeholders, and drive meaningful dialogue.
Other duties as assigned.

Harris County is an Equal Opportunity Employer

https://hrrm.harriscountytx.gov/Pages/EqualEmploymentOpportunityPlan.aspx

If you need special services or accommodations, please call (713) 274-5445 or email ADACoordinator@bmd.hctx.net.

This position is subject to a criminal history check. Only relevant convictions will be considered and, even when considered, may not automatically disqualify the candidate.

Requirements

Education:

Bachelor’s Degree in Communications, Political Science, Journalism or other related degree from an accredited college or university.

Experience:

Minimum of seven (7) years of communication and community advocacy
Proficiency in all Microsoft software applications including Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and SharePoint

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

Knowledge of methods to engage communities and perform outreach efforts
Skilled at initiating conversations with various stakeholders to determine important matters to them and their communities
Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with Precinct One employees and constituents
Ability to organize and prioritize work assignments
Ability to multitask, work independently and quickly change priorities
Ability to use and understand common database spreadsheet and word processing applications
Ability to evaluate trends and make suggestions for improvement of community related programs
Ability to perform case management to include tracking and reporting on all cases in all stages of completion

NOTE: Qualifying education, experience, knowledge, and skills must be documented on your job application. You may attach a resume to the application as supporting documentation but ONLY information stated on the application will be used for consideration. "See Resume" will not be accepted for qualifications.

Preferences

Education:

Master’s degree in Political Science, Public Policy, Public Administration, or Juris Doctorate. (preferred)

General Information

Position Type and Typical Hours of Work:

Full-time | Regular

Physical Demands and Work Environments:

Will generally perform duties in an office, though sometimes at external event locations
Occasional travel within Harris County
At times files and boxes must be transported weighing up to 15 lbs.

What You Get in Return
You will be surrounded by coworkers who bring their best daily. Passionate people who want to make a difference in the communities Precinct One serves and Harris County as a whole. You will be in a mission-driven organization surrounded by colleagues who bring their best to work each day and collaborate to make a difference in the communities Precinct One serves along with Harris County as a whole.

Harris County employees receive a competitive salary plus medical, dental and vision insurance at no cost to the employee after the first two months of full-time continued employment. Vacation, sick time and floating holidays allow our employees to recharge and balance work and personal time. Mandatory participation in our retirement program allows employees to save for retirement. Various other benefits and discounts lead to the satisfaction and engagement of our employees.

Employment may be contingent on passing a drug screen and meeting other standards.

Due to a high volume of applications positions may close prior to the advertised closing date or at the discretion of the Hiring Department.

HARRIS COUNTY EMPLOYEE BENEFITS

Harris County offers a highly competitive benefits program, featuring a comprehensive group health plan and defined benefit retirement plan.

The following benefits are offered only to Harris County employees in regular (full-time) positions:

Health & Wellness Benefits

Medical Coverage
Dental Coverage
Vision Coverage
Wellness Plan
Life Insurance
Long-Term Disability (LTD) Insurance
Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
Healthcare Flexible Spending Account
Dependent Care Flexible Spending Account

Paid Time Off (PTO)

Ten (10) days of vacation leave per year (accrual rate increases after 5 years of service)
Eleven (11) County-observed holidays
One (1) floating holiday per year
Paid Parental Leave*
Sick Leave

Retirement Savings Benefit

457 Deferred Compensation Plan

The following benefits are available to Harris County employees in full-time and select part-time positions:

Professional learning & development opportunities
Retirement pension (TCDRS defined benefit plan)
Flexible work schedule*
METRO RideSponsor Program*

Participation may vary by County department. The employee benefits plans of Harris County are extended to all eligible participants across various departments with the exception of the Harris County Community Supervision and Corrections Department, for which the cited Health & Wellness Benefits are administered through the State of Texas.

In accordance with the Harris County Personnel Regulations, group health and related benefits are subject to amendment or discontinuance at any time. Harris County Commissioners Court reserves the right to make benefit modifications on the County's behalf as needed.

For plan details, visit the Harris County Benefits & Wellness website: