Community Engagement Manager

About the Office of Communications & Community Engagement
The City of Alexandria is committed to reaching our community members where they are. Our goal is to use intentional engagement practices and strategies to increase community awareness of City programs, resources, and initiatives; expand language accessibility; nurture community relationships; and develop consistent and reliable approaches to receive and implement resident feedback.

The Office of Communications & Community Engagement (OCCE) is charged with elevating the work of the City through robust storytelling and outreach to our various audiences. The vision for creative, accessible, and equitable citywide communications must begin with ongoing, authentic, relationship-building with residents, businesses, and community organizations throughout Alexandria – especially in Alexandria’s diverse, historically-marginalized communities who have not been consistently engaged.

The OCCE is working to reimagine and expand the current scope of the City’s communications and community engagement efforts with a focus on establishing, nurturing, and leveraging authentic, meaningful relationships with the City’s most important asset – its people. We are working to establish a dynamic operation that places our residents’ needs and concerns not just in mind but makes them a key part of the direction that guides our strategies, plans and actions.

Community Engagement Manager Overview
The Community Engagement Manager serves in the OCCE as a senior member of the City’s communications team and is responsible for the development and implementation of the City’s community outreach and engagement program. The primary mission of this role is to ensure community engagement is efficient, effective, and accessible to all stakeholders, and creates and demonstrates a clear connection between community input and its impact on policy decisions, infrastructure needs, and financial considerations. The Manager reports to the Director of Communications and Community Engagement and will supervise two Community Engagement Specialists.

The Community Engagement Manager will be located in key communities, to effectively build authentic engagement practices informed by direct constituent access and customized for each community.

Illustrative Examples of Work
45% Program Development and Management

• Guided by City Council’s priority to redefine the City’s approach to community engagement, the Manager will oversee the development and expansion of the City’s outreach and engagement program
• Develop a process and best practices to capture community input and elevate into internal planning, policy decisions, infrastructure needs, and financial considerations
• Coordinate with the Race and Social Equity Office and Language Access Coordinator to ensure cultural competence is applied throughout all content and outreach development, ensuring inclusive and accessible engagement products and activities
• Coordinate project management and tracking of project deliverables related to efforts focused on building trust and communication between community and City government
• Develop equitable community engagement goals, policies, procedures and performance metrics to evaluate effectiveness and outcomes
• Manages special projects, including directing the work of a team or work group of City staff and/or contractors, preparing schedules, and administering project budgets

45 % Relationship Building

• Collaborate with internal stakeholders to assess current outreach efforts, identify areas of increased engagement opportunities, and provide additional strategic support
• Serve as an ambassador and primary point of contact for the City’s community outreach and engagement, leading efforts to promote awareness, share information, collect feedback, and connect residents to City resources and services
• Represent City at partner and community meetings, events, and activities

10% Internal Consultant

• Coordinates with other City agencies, interest groups, and jurisdictions on community engagement strategy of projects, policies, and issues
• Reviews and provides comments and direction on the work of other community engagement teams, acting as an internal consultant to the department
• Works with the internal teams to ensure City’s commitment to community engagement and outreach is understood and applied to staff efforts
• Provides expert counsel to senior management, professional colleagues and City Council members on community engagement and outreach strategy across multiple program areas
• Represents the department and City; serves as an internal expert on panels, committees, and task forces; and proposes community engagement strategies in response to a variety of issues
• Other duties as requested

Essential Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Comprehensive, and proven, knowledge of community engagement strategies, and professional practices
• Knowledge of best practices related to equitable community engagement
• Knowledge of services and support systems needed to engage with historically-marginalized communities, including but not limited to Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC), non-English speaking, and/or individuals with disabilities impacting communication and the ability to engage in traditional forums
• Understanding inclusive and accessible outreach and engagement methods, including language access and American Disabilities Act practices, across various communications platforms
• Interest in, and dedication to, improving access to services for non-English speaking, limited-English proficient, and historically-marginalized residents, and business owners
• Ability to build trust, form and maintain respectful rapport and collaborative relationships, with City employees, officials, and the public
• Skilled at facilitating communication and conversation among diverse groups that lead to collaborative partnerships or address sensitive topics, including the ability to exercise cultural humility in dealing with and/or engaging around uncomfortable situations/topics
• Demonstrated ability to provide excellent customer service while communicating with people from diverse backgrounds in a culturally competent manner
• Demonstrated ability to communicate effectively, both verbally and written, and provide strong facility with outreach and communication strategies
• Ability to manage multiple tasks and deadlines simultaneously and switch between tasks quickly

Minimum Qualifications

• To qualify for this position, applicants should have a minimum of five (5) years of progressively responsible experience managing a team in a related community engagement and/or community organizing role; OR any equivalent combination of lived experience, education and training that establishes the required knowledge, skills, and abilities listed above. This experience can include, but is not limited to, a bachelor’s degree in civic engagement, community development, communications, political science, social work, social justice, or another related field.
• Must be available to attend functions/activities outside standard business hours: evenings, weekends, and holidays.

Ideal Candidate
To be considered an ideal candidate, applicants should have a minimum of five (5) or more years of progressively responsible experience in the field of community outreach and engagement, and demonstrated success in reaching historically- underrepresented communities; demonstrated ability to produce creative, engaging and informative material for a variety of audiences and stakeholders; demonstrated expertise in developing and delivering oral presentations; at least three years of experience developing and executing successful social media campaigns and digital engagement strategies; have knowledge of and/or experience with Alexandria-specific community resources, social service providers, and community organizations; able to demonstrate multilingual fluency (both written and spoken), preferably in Spanish, Amharic and/or Arabic.

About the City of Alexandria
The City of Alexandria is in northern Virginia and bordered by the District of Columbia (Potomac River), and Arlington and Fairfax Counties. Alexandria is a unique, historic city that was founded almost 50 years before the District of Columbia. The city is part of a large metropolitan area of the nation’s capital, yet it has retained its historic small-town character. Alexandria has one of the highest per capita incomes, and one of the highest higher education attainment levels in the United States.

Alexandria’s population is both growing and evolving, and our work to engage and communicate with all Alexandrians must grow and evolve. The City’s 2020 population was nearly 160,000 people, an increase of almost 20,000 residents within the past decade. The Hispanic/Latino community’s population grew from 22,524 to 29,372 residents (30%), far outpacing Alexandria's overall growth (13.9%). In addition, 28% of the City’s population is foreign-born and 31% of our population speaks a language other than English at home. Students in our school system, and their families, hail from more than 119 countries and speak 124 languages.

Compensation and Benefits
The salary for this position will be negotiable and commensurate with the background and qualifications of the successful candidate. The current salary range for this position is $82,381.52 - $144,975.48 Annually but please note that expected starting salary will likely not exceed the midpoint of this range, unless the applicant has significant preferred experience or skills, and a higher starting salary is justified.

The City of Alexandria has a highly competitive executive benefits package, which includes annual leave, holidays, and sick leave; a defined benefit retirement plan; health insurance, dental plan, life insurance, and long-term disability insurance; optional deferred compensation retirement plan; credit union membership; employee discount programs; tuition assistance; well-being rewards; and an employee assistance program.

Application and Selection Process
Interested, qualified applicants are strongly encouraged to apply online at alexandriava.gov/Jobs. [Embed announcement] Applications will be screened against criteria outlined in this brochure. Interviews will be offered by the Department Director to those candidates named as finalists, with reference checks, background checks and academic verifications conducted after receiving candidates’ permission. Finalists will be subject to a thorough background check after receiving a conditional offer of employment.

For more information, please contact:
Sandra Gibbs
Senior Talent Acquisition Lead
703-746-3777

Minimum & Additional Requirements

Bachelor's Degree in Journalism, English, Marketing, Communications, or a closely related field. Five (5) years of experience in communications, media, public relations, or public information; or any equivalent combination of experience and training which provides the required knowledge, skills, and abilities.