The Community Engagement Specialist will develop, facilitate and coordinate a robust community engagement strategy for Montgomery County, with a particular focus on building relationships with partners in community-based organizations, public and private sectors, and non-profit organizations specifically including the County Collaborative networks, Faith-Based Community, NAACP, and managing the County Board memberships. The Engagement Specialist is part of the team with County-wide responsibilities that support outreach, community engagement, and promotion of relevant services and resources to improve the awareness of County services and to be connect the County with constituents. The Engagement Specialist acts as a significant support for the Chief of DEI (CDEI) in the promotion and marketing of initiatives and engaging marginalized populations and groups internally and throughout Montgomery County.

• Develop a strategic community engagement plan for Montgomery County in collaboration with Director of External Affairs;
• Cultivate relationships across diverse communities to help advance the utilization of Montgomery County programs, services and for diverse communities to provide input and feedback to County;
• Design engagement programs and approaches for a range of purposes and situations, both online and in-person;
• Use a wide range of tools to create effective communication and constructive dialog;
• Lead outreach and facilitate interactions (interviews, focus groups, public meetings, small group discussions, etc.) with existing and potential partners, stakeholders and community members;
• Write and prepare engagement, communication and outreach materials
• Facilitate meetings with the public, partners, stakeholders and client groups;
• Participate in and/or lead the analysis of community feedback and write engagement reports;
• Provide ongoing input, information, and materials (as requested) that support internal and external communication efforts about departmental efforts and initiatives;
• Collaborate in related engagement efforts such as branding, web-design, and specialized projects;
• Participate in the continuous quality improvement and data-driven decision-making processes to assess the efficacy of programming and to drive programmatic refinements. Ensure adherence to data collection requirements;
• Work with the Department's staff to promote ongoing projects/initiatives and encourage participation from communities, particularly among diverse communities;
• Develop and disseminate external communications including newsletters, flyers, letters, emails and other means of digital communications in a timely and consistent manner;

• Provide and prioritize outreach and assistance to disadvantaged/ marginalized communities and those with limited capacity including organizations supporting BIPOC, LGBTQ+, individuals with disabilities, and other underrepresented populations in Montgomery County;
• Provides support to the CDEI by partnering with Communications and Public Relations for the promotion of DEI efforts and representing the County at public events;
• Enhance educational initiatives and training throughout the community;
• Duties as assigned.

• Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to communicate effectively with people from diverse racial, ethnic, socioeconomic, and gender backgrounds;
• Strong analytical writing skills and oral communication skills
• Ability to successfully navigate challenging conversations among diverse groups and build consensus;
• Ability to develop and conduct effective presentations and training sessions;
• Building solid relationships through effective interactions with the public and stakeholders;
• Running a wide range of digital engagement and meeting platforms;
• Strong analytical, written and oral communication skills;
• Flexibility, professionalism, a high proficiency in multi-tasking and coordinating multiple projects simultaneously are highly valued attributes. Must possess project management skills;
• Must possess excellent written, oral, and interpersonal communication skills. Must possess excellent public speaking skills and the ability to develop and deliver high quality presentations;
• Must possess the ability to maintain confidentiality, care, and maturity in dealing with complex issues;
• Must possess a collaborative and transparent approach to problem-solving and teamwork.

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE:

• Bachelor's degree preferred: communications, public relations, marketing, public administration or policy, community development or related degree;
• Minimum of three years job-related experience planning, designing, and delivering outreach and community/stakeholder engagement efforts and building high-impact, transformational and sustainable partnerships;
• Proficient use of MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Microsoft Teams, Zoom, and social media is required;
• Must possess the ability to travel throughout the County. Must possess the ability to adjust schedule as night and weekend hours may be required;
• Familiarity of Montgomery County and surrounding areas business, and community service environment (e.g., community service leaders, non-profit organizations, critical county-wide community service needs, business leaders.) is a plus;
• Fluency in languages other than English preferred, but not required.

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Ability to sit, stand and walk for moderate periods of time. Ability to work in all weather conditions. Occasionally may be required to do Medium Level and/or Heavy Level physical work that would include reaching, walking, pushing, pulling, and lifting.

WORK ENVIRONMENT: The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential function. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate. (to be updated based on current language).