Community Engagement Lead

About ScholarMatch

Founded in 2010 by author Dave Eggers, ScholarMatch began as a scholarship crowdfunding
platform and has since evolved into a full-service college access and persistence organization.

At ScholarMatch, we are committed to supporting first-generation college students from
low-income backgrounds earn a bachelor’s degree within five years. We’re working towards
realizing our vision where all students have access to higher education, support to persist to
graduation, and opportunities to succeed in fulfilling careers.

Education opens doors to opportunity and social mobility by allowing students a chance to build fulfilling careers. However, the road to higher education is paved with challenges that can be particularly daunting for first-generation college students. We strive to change this scenario for young people from low-income backgrounds by offering them comprehensive support services focusing on individualized college and career advising, targeted scholarships, and ongoing mentorship from high school to college graduation and the launch of their careers. Our ultimate goal is to nurture a community of young people who can successfully navigate the higher education landscape, confronting its challenges, breaking barriers, and redefining success on their paths to graduation and beyond. Learn more at ScholarMatch.org.

Position Description
ScholarMatch is seeking a full-time, exempt Community Engagement Lead to play an
important role in our growing non-profit. This position reports to the Director of Advancement and is part of the development team. The Community Engagement Lead is responsible for designing and facilitating a robust community engagement strategy with a particular focus on building relationships with schools, community-based organizations, government leaders, and other regional and national partners. By increasing organizational visibility and community support, this role plays a crucial role in the recruitment of partners, students, and volunteers to support the growth of our services. This position is ideal for a candidate who has a passion for our mission, strong relationship-building skills, and experience with community outreach. ScholarMatch offers flexible hours with remote capability depending on business needs; travel to different sites and evenings and weekend hours may be required as needed. The candidate must live in the San Francisco Bay Area or greater Los Angeles. *Note: This is a temporary one-year grant-funded position that is expected to end June 30, 2025.

Primary Responsibilities
● Identifies and vets potential youth-serving regional and national partners (e.g. school
districts, nonprofit organizations)
● Identifies and vets public-private support (i.e. corporations, government officials,
chambers of commerce) and designs targeted outreach campaigns
● Collaborates with the Director of Advancement and Senior Director of Programs to
ensure alignment of organizational priorities with outreach campaigns
● Promotes, coordinates, and presents ScholarMatch’s programs, activities, and
educational materials
● Attends community events to support program promotion as needed
● Shares best practices with outreach staff for presenting, promoting, and educating the
public about ScholarMatch programs, and activities for students, educators, and other
interested parties
● Creates, updates, coordinates, and reviews customized communications kits, decks,
templates, and links to promote ScholarMatch programs
● Works closely with the Communications and Marketing Manager, Volunteer Manager,
and Director of College Access to disseminate information using digital media platforms
● Responds to inquiries from educators, community members, and other interested parties
● Facilitates outreach information sessions (virtual and in-person) for interested parties
● Meticulously tracks all community relations activities and reports recommendations, and
implements continuous improvement changes on an as-needed basis
● Prepares professional, complete, concise and accurate reports, proposals, calendar
invites, and other documentation as required for team presentations
● Analyzes the cost of outreach tactics and provides recommendations
● Works various hours, including evenings and weekends as deemed necessary by
manager/supervisor, to conform with changing priorities and meet deadlines; maintains
regular and consistent attendance record
● Perform all other duties and tasks as assigned, “all-hands-on deck” mindset

Qualifications

● Bachelor's degree, preferably in Communication, Public Relations, Marketing, or a
related field
● Five (5) years of experience in public relations, community organizing, or nonprofit
community outreach
● Excellent verbal and written communication skills
● Extremely organized and detail oriented
● Proficient in MacOs, Google Suite and social media platforms
● Must be able to lift up to 15 pounds at times
● Must be able to sit prolonged periods at a desk and work on a computer
● Superior interpersonal skills and ability to work as part of a team
● Excellent persuasion skills, and strong personal integrity
● Ability to work well under pressure and manage sensitive or controversial subjects with
tact, kindness, and professionalism
● Must be able to perform all functions of this position within what would be deemed to be
reasonable accommodations
● Must be able to communicate effectively with a variety of personalities throughout the
organization
● Must be comfortable working in an anti-racist organization with a diverse group of
external constituents and internal staff at all levels

Preferred but not Required

● Bilingual (e.g. Spanish, Cantonese or Mandarin, Vietnamese, Tagalog)
● Have an extensive network of contacts in the non-profit community

Compensation and Benefits

Starting salary is commensurate with experience, regional location, and is based on a
competitive public interest salary scale. ScholarMatch practices a transparent, negotiation-free salary process. While starting salary is commensurate with experience, regional location, and is based on a competitive public interest salary scale, ScholarMatch aims to provide a living wage to all staff by bringing them in at a starting salary of $50,000/year.

The salary range for this position is:

● San Francisco Bay Area: $79,800 - $90,641/year
● Greater Los Angeles Area:$79,359 - $87,228/year

As a growing organization, ScholarMatch prides itself in offering a competitive benefits package:

● 100% paid medical, dental, vision, and basic term life for full-time employees
● 401k retirement plan with 4% employer automatic contribution, 100% vested on day 1
● 20 accrued PTO days per year
● 11 paid holidays every year, birthday off, plus a staff-wide “winter break” from Christmas
Eve through New Year’s Day with reduced workload
● Annual retention bonus that increases with every year
● Eligibility for a one-month paid sabbatical after your 5-year anniversary
● FSA/HSA
● Chiropractic/Acupuncture
● Pre-tax commuter benefits
● Phone and internet stipend
● Staff and dependent EAP access

How to Apply

Apply online through the career page: scholarmatch.org/careers
ScholarMatch does not discriminate in employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex
(including pregnancy and gender identity), national origin, political affiliation, sexual
orientation, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, membership in an employee
organization, retaliation, parental status, military service, or other non-merit factor.
ScholarMatch is an equal opportunity and inclusive employer. We celebrate diversity and are
committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.

Please join us!

Job Types: Full-time, Temporary

Pay: $79,359.00 - $87,228.00 per year

Benefits:

• 401(k)
• Dental insurance
• Employee assistance program
• Flexible schedule
• Health insurance
• Life insurance
• Paid time off
• Vision insurance

Schedule:

• 8 hour shift

Location:

• California (Required)

Work Location: Remote