Community Engagement Specialist (Hybrid Work Schedule)

The Community Engagement Specialist will serve as the coalition director for the Arapahoe Food Security Coalition (arapahoefoodsecuritycoalition.org) and lead its efforts to combat food insecurity across Arapahoe County. This role involves guiding the coalition's strategic plan in partnership with a diverse network of members united in their mission to eliminate hunger. . Reporting to the Arapahoe County Public Health (ACPH) Community Health Promotion Manager and collaborating with the Arapahoe Food Security Coalition (AFSC) Leadership Committee, the Director will oversee the coordination of initiatives driven by dedicated task forces, ensuring successful completion of projects, activities, and fundraising as well as alignment with the coalition's goals, objectives, and strategies and Arapahoe County Public Health's Community Health Improvement priorities. Access to affordable and healthy food is a Community Health Improvement Plan priority for Arapahoe County Public Health and this position will lead critical activities to address this need. The Community Engagement Specialist will engage coalition members, community stakeholders, and county and municipal partners in strategies to sustain and grow the AFSC into the future, as an independent organization. This position is a temporary grant-funded full-time, benefited position. Funding is guaranteed through December 31, 2026 with the possibility for extension or development of other food access related positions and work assignments.

• Interacts with individuals and groups in diverse, multi-cultural, and socioeconomic environments using awareness and cultural sensitivity, honoring the lived and living experience of community members experiencing food insecurity
• Collaborate and build partnerships with emergency food providers, community-based organizations, businesses, key stakeholders, and partners in municipal, county, and state government agencies.
• Lead coalition and workgroup planning and facilitation for meetings, note taking, preparing reports, and financial reviews with the Leadership Committee to ensure the coalition is on track with fundraising, grant management, and budgeting goals
• Lead recruitment strategies to grow coalition, ensuring geographic and racial diversity among stakeholders, centering the efforts on the communities most impacted by food insecurity
• Secure funds through grant writing, leadership of fundraising strategies to meet the coalition's annual budget goals, ensuring sustainable progress toward its mission
• Plan and implement strategies necessary to establish 501c3 status for the coalition as an independent entity.
• Build community awareness about food insecurity in Arapahoe County and the coalition's efforts to address food security challenges
• Support task force chairs to advance the strategic plan, including providing vision and compiling reports and documentation to support coalition activities
• Collaborate with coalition members to create sustainable practices in support of local food providers including leadership of Food Hub Initiative
• Represent ACPH, the Partnerships, Planning, and Community Health Promotion (PPCHP) Division, and the AFSC in appropriate community settings and serves as primary point of contact for the coalition and ACPH food security efforts
• Collaborates with internal programs to advance agency priorities related to the program, its mission, and activities by developing and maintaining effective working relationships with other Arapahoe County Public Health employees, representatives of other agencies and organizations, and members of the community.
• Maintains active working knowledge of the social determinants of health, principles, and practices of community outreach, disease prevention, and the principles of population-based health promotion, and uses an equity-informed lens when implementing community outreach strategies
• Communicates effectively, both verbally and in writing, to provide educational and persuasive presentations internally and externally.

• Responds, as required, to support public health emergencies, incidents, and events. Employee participates in all exercises and drills on emergency preparedness and response, as required. Completes trainings identified as appropriate for this level of employee and initiates corrective actions and responses pursuant to Federal, State, and Local laws, statutes, and regulations.

• Strong communication and interpersonal skills to communicate effectively, both verbally and in writing.
• Strong interpersonal skills for collaborating effectively with a broad range of new and established community partners.
• Problem solving and consensus building among community coalition members and other stakeholders
• Ability to work effectively with diverse community stakeholders including emergency food providers, community leaders, elected officials, and Arapahoe County residents with lived and living experience with hunger and food insecurity.
• Ability to use discretion and maintain all confidentiality.

Education and Experience:

• Bachelor's degree in public health, non-profit management, business, social work, or related areas
• 5+ years of relevant experience in emergency food access, government program management, communityorganizing, non-profit development, program leadership, or project management.
• Any equivalent combination of education and work experience that satisfy the requirements of the job will be considered.

• Bilingual proficiency in English and Spanish

• Arapahoe County resident
• Personal or professional experience navigating food insecurity and community safety-net systems

Pre-Employment Additional Requirements:

• Must successfully pass pre-employment testing which includes an acceptable motor vehicle record (MVR) and background check.
• Possession of a valid Class "R" Colorado Driver's License or the ability to obtain one within two weeks of appointment.

• Must be able to work nights and weekends when needed. Evening and weekend requirements for community meetings and events is anticipated to be less than 10% of total time worked.
• Work locations and facilities are subject to change based on business need.

• Work is generally confined to a standard office environment.

• Spends 50% of the time sitting and 50% of the time either upright or walking.
• Occasionally lifts, carries, pulls or pushes up to 50 lbs.
• Occasionally uses cart, dolly, or other equipment to carry in excess of 50 lbs.
• Occasionally climbs, stoops, kneels, balances, reaches, crawls and crouches while performing office or work duties.
• Frequently required to commute to and from community partner locations, meetings, and other events outside of assigned Arapahoe County office.
• Verbal and auditory capacity enabling constant interpersonal communication through automated devices, such as telephones, radios, and similar; and in public meetings and personal interactions.
• Constant use of eye, hand and finger coordination enabling the use of automated office machinery or equipment.
• Visual capacity enabling constant use of computer or other work-related equipment.

* Arapahoe County does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, disability, genetic information, sexual orientation or any other status protected under the law. It is our intention that all qualified applicants be given equal opportunity in any term, condition, or privilege of employment and that selection decisions are based on job-related factors. Arapahoe County is committed to making employment accessible to persons with disabilities.

** In accordance with Senate Bill 23-058, applicants understand that Arapahoe County will not request or require the applicant to include their age, date of birth, or date of attendance/graduation date on the initial application. Applicants understand that Arapahoe County can request or require an individual to provide documentation including copies of certification, transcripts, and other materials created by a third party. The applicant understands that the applicant can redact, if they so choose, information that identifies age, date of birth, or dates of attendance/graduation from an educational institution on those requested/required certification, transcripts and other materials created by a third party.

Toll Free Applicant Technical Support: If you experience technical difficulty with the NEOGOV system (i.e. uploading or attaching documents to your online application), call NEOGOV technical support at 855-524-5627. Helpful hints: if you are having difficulty uploading or attaching documents to your application, first, ensure your documents are PDF or Microsoft Word files, and second, close the document before you attempt uploading (attaching) it.