Job Summary The community engagement specialist provides comprehensive education to community stakeholders on early care and education, including out-of-school learning, its importance to the broader community, and the needs of families requiring care. They will partner with community organizations to provide resources and other information to families they serve and act as a liaison for community collaboration. They will work with community organizations and leaders to assist with capacity building and economic development within Hamilton, Hendricks, and Marion Counties. They will facilitate, through outreach, the impact of high-quality early care and education on the economic success of a community. Essential Functions & Responsibilities To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. Reasonable accommodations will be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform these functions.
- Collaborate with colleagues across Child Care Answers to provide support to all audiences as needed.
- Represent Child Care Answers and its services to external stakeholders in meetings, presentations, or other events.
- Contribute skills and abilities as requested that will continue to move the organization forward.
- Provide primary support to community stakeholders to educate on consumer services, including providing, creating, and updating resources on early care and education.
- Facilitate, through outreach, the impact of high-quality early care and education on the economic success of a community, as well as how Child Care Resource and Referral (CCR&R) organizations help support improvement. They will specifically focus on nourishing existing relationships and creating new relationships with community organizations through presentations and meetings at local community events, coalitions, councils, chambers of commerce, local policy leaders, or other groups.
- Act as a liaison for community collaboration among families, employers, local policy leaders, child care programs, and Child Care Answers staff. Coordinate with the Community team to manage relationships and connect policy leaders and employers as needed.
- Engage the community in a culturally sensitive manner.
- Work with community organizations and leaders focused on economic development to ensure early childhood care and education capacity is available and/or expandable.
- Collaborate with the communications manager to support marketing plans, the agency's website, and social media channels in order to target community user groups and provide information on CCR&R and community services.
- Build relationships with and provide education to employers and organizations that have an economic impact on local communities. Interactions with these audiences may include needs analysis, guidance on family-friendly benefits/policies, and connections to early childhood organizations and support.
Education, Experience, & Requirements To perform this job successfully, an individual must have the following:
- Education: Bachelor's degree required in Early Childhood Education, Child Development, Consumer and Family Sciences, Marketing, Communications, Public Relations, Business Administration, Social Work, or Counseling
- Experience: Minimum 2 years of experience working in one or more of the following:
- An early childhood setting
- A Child Care Resource & Referral agency
- An agency providing community support services
- Conversational abilities in a language other than English a plus
- Proficient with Microsoft Office applications; must be comfortable working with multiple data systems and learning how to use work-related tools
- Experience with a variety of software and cloud-based applications, including virtual meeting applications such as Zoom, Microsoft Teams, and/or GoTo Meeting.
- Additional Requirements:
- Valid driver's license; must provide own transportation and proof of automobile insurance
- A minimum of 35% of time will be spent networking and engaging with new audiences in person; travel to offsite meetings required
- Weekends and nights as determined by community, coalition, and chamber meetings/events, and other all-staff required events
- Position is hybrid, with flexibility to work from home ith some onsite office requirements
Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities The successful employee will demonstrate individual competency in the following areas:
- Written and Verbal Communication Skills: Because they will spend most of their time communicating, the specialist must possess superior communication skills to clearly articulate needs and opportunities to audiences in-person, virtual, via phone, or via written communication. Speaking in front of an audience and giving presentations should be an area of comfort and confidence.
- Social Perceptiveness and Professionalism: The specialist must be socially aware of the socio-economic, geographic, cultural, and intellectual differences as they navigate from one audience to another, both internally and externally. They demonstrate professionalism in appearance and actions; handle difficult or stressful situations in a calm and respectful manner; demonstrate fair treatment of others and support a positive work environment.
- Innovative Thinking: The specialist must be an innovative thinker, pushing the boundaries of creativity, thinking outside of the box, asking questions, and bringing ideas to life. These skills are essential for seeking out diverse perspectives and seeking fresh connections and networks.
- Interpersonal Skills and Influencing Skills: Interpersonal skills include things like compassion, positivity, patience, and active listening, all of which the specialist must demonstrate daily. These skills are essential to finding and building authentic relationships with potential audiences. The specialist will use influencing skills to communicate vision or goals, align the efforts of others, and build commitment from people at all levels. The specialist will have the opportunity to influence policy makers and community players, steering them towards our long-range objectives and goals.
- Problem Solving / Decision Making: The specialist will use innovative ideas to logically resolve most problem situations and develop alternative and effective solutions when faced with obstacles, taking responsibility for actions. They must be organized to ensure they stay on track with team goals and objectives., leveraging .excellent time management skills with a proven ability to meet deadlines.
The statements contained herein describe the scope of the responsibility and essential functions of this position but should not be considered to be an all-inclusive listing of work requirements. All offers of employment at Child Care Answers are contingent upon clear results of a thorough background check and drug screen.