Community Engagement Strategist chez City of Durham, NC

About the Department

Work, Serve, Thrive.  With the City of Durham   
Advance in your career while making a real difference in the community you serve. 

Hiring Range: $63,516 - $70,000
Hours: Mon - Fri / 8:30am - 5:30pm with frequent evenings and weekends based on community needs.

Note: When applying for this position, include a resume and cover letter. In your cover letter, share how your experience has helped you build trust and strengthen communities.

About the Department:
The City of Durham’s Community Partnerships and Engagement Department leads inclusive, coordinated, and data-driven community engagement across all departments. By centralizing efforts, we streamline communication and ensure consistent, high-quality outreach. Equity is at the core of our mission, centering the voices of historically underrepresented communities. We serve as the hub for engagement initiatives, helping the City connect more effectively with residents and make better decisions.

The Community Partnerships and Engagement Department's Community Engagement Division is seeking a Community Engagement Strategist who can build trust, strengthen relationships, and help Durham residents shape the future of their communities. This role combines neighborhood presence with strategic planning. The Strategist will support equitable engagement and strengthen resident leadership across communities.

The ideal candidate is a problem-solver and a relationship builder. They bring experience in grassroots engagement, can adapt quickly, and connect daily work to lasting community impact.

The Strategist will spend significant time in Durham neighborhoods connecting residents, partners, and City staff. This is an opportunity to join a newly formed department and advance trust and equity in Durham’s communities.

Position Duties

• Collaborate with residents and partners to co-design strategies for grassroots engagement, leadership development, and community-led decision-making.
• Build trust and relationships with community leaders and local groups, particularly within historically underrepresented populations.
• Connect community-identified needs with City departments and resources to ensure resident voices shape decisions.
• Serve as the first point of contact for residents, community groups, and partner organizations, providing guidance and support.
• Collect and analyze stories and data to identify community needs and share insights with City staff.
• Plan and implement inclusive gatherings and initiatives that advance community goals, with clear outcomes and follow-up.
• Support community members through facilitation, training, and leadership.
• Partner with City departments to align engagement goals and strategies with community needs.
• Manage multiple projects simultaneously and provide regular updates and reports.

• Community organizing, relationship-building, and leadership development strategies that sustain beyond single events.
• Equity principles.
• How to connect resident needs with City systems and resources.
• Data collection methods and analysis of community feedback.
• Tools for low-tech and high-tech community engagement.

• Strategic thinking, starting with the end in mind and aligning activities with long-term community outcomes.
• Serving as a credible messenger, trusted through lived experience and community ties.
• Establishing trust and collaborating with residents and partners.
• Communicating complex concepts in clear, simple language.
• Partnering with diverse community members to organize and implement engagement strategies.
• Project management, including setting goals and tracking progress.
• Using social media and virtual platforms to connect with communities.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in business, public administration, or directly related field.  Equivalent relevant work experience may substitute for degree, with two years of experience equal to one year of education.
• Two years of professional experience in program administration, community engagement, or a related field.

Other Qualifications

• Experience in collective problem-solving, leadership development, and outreach that builds resident capacity to shape decisions.
• Personal or professional experience in communities most impacted by systemic inequities is strongly valued.
• Demonstrated success connecting with and building relationships in historically underrepresented communities.
• Strong customer service and problem-solving skills.
• Experience with both story and data collection and analysis.
• Project management experience, including the ability to adapt to changing timelines and priorities.
• Ability to work collaboratively across departments and within diverse community settings.
• Effectively communicate with diverse groups in both English and Spanish, including occasional informal interpretation and translation.