Community Engagement Manager

Job Description

Job Description

SCI Summary: SCI supports people with disabilities, behavioral challenges, medically complex needs, transitioning youth, the elderly, and other populations using Maryland Department of Health’s Targeted Case Management and Supports Planning work models.

Position Summary: The Community Engagement Manager is responsible for implementing strategies and initiatives that improve access by reducing cultural, language, and system navigation barriers. The Community Engagement Manager will collaborate with a cross functional team to support the organization’s strategic direction through a focused and prioritized approach to community engagement. This role will play a key role in building and maintaining relationships with community partners, organizations, and professional access points to improve awareness, access, and connection to services for people with disabilities, older adults, and families, including those who are underserved, unserved, or navigating complex service systems. This role also supports ongoing refinement of Community Engagement strategies and activities to improve effectiveness, consistency, and impact over time.

SCI Team Member Expectations: All SCI team members are expected to: Ensure services provided follow the organization’s mission statement, core operating values and policies and procedures. follow HIPAA, confidentiality and security procedures and principles; collaborate with peers, leadership, and support areas of the organization; actively participate in and contribute to leadership and other staff meetings and trainings; maintains compliance with federal, state, and local employment laws and regulations; follow self-direction and person-centered planning procedures and philosophy; and to foster a culture that values diversity.

Essential Duties:

Strategy and Prioritization

• Develop and implement a focused and prioritized community engagement strategy that aligns with the organization's mission, vision, outcomes, goals and objectives.
• Prioritize and sequence initiatives based on impact, efficient use of resources, and alignment with organizational priorities.
• In collaboration with SCI’s IDEA Center of Excellence, develop and implement strategies to engage underrepresented and marginalized communities, ensuring inclusivity, diversity, equity, and accessibility in all community engagement efforts.

Relationship Development

• Establish and maintain a portfolio of priority partners, including healthcare providers, nursing and rehabilitation facilities, discharge planning teams, aging and long-term services and supports (LTSS) providers, disability and family support organizations, and other professional access points that regularly assist individuals and families in navigating complex service systems.
• Focus efforts on relationships that extend SCI’s reach and improve awareness of, access to, and connection with services for individuals and families through trusted intermediaries.
• Continuously assess where relationship development is producing the greatest impact and adjust engagement strategies accordingly.

Targeted Outreach and Engagement

• Plan, coordinate, and at times represent SCI at targeted community events, workshops, and initiatives.
• Ensure participation in events is selective and based on alignment with relationship-building, education, SCI awareness, or insight generation goals.
• Collaborate with SCI’s Marketing and Communications Committee to utilize various communication channels, including social media, newsletters, and community forums, to disseminate information and engage with community members.

Information & Referral (I&R)/Navigation Oversight

• Provide oversight of I&R/Navigation activities to ensure individuals and their families receive timely guidance, resource connection, and support navigating available services and access points.

Measurement, Insight, and Continuous Improvement

• Establish and maintain processes for tracking activities, outcomes, and impact to support data-informed decision-making and continuous improvement.
• Translate data and insights into clear recommendations to inform program direction, partnerships, and resource allocation.
• Establish and monitor key metrics to evaluate the effectiveness and impact of Community Engagement and I&R/Navigation strategies and activities.
• Stay updated on community trends, issues, and best practices in community engagement to ensure the organization remains responsive and relevant to community needs. Develop and maintain a comprehensive database of community contacts and partnerships to support ongoing engagement efforts.

Supervisory Duties:

• Provide supervision, performance management and development for the Community Engagement Team.

Education Required:

• Bachelor's degree in a relevant field (e.g., community development, human services, public administration) is required.
• Master's degree preferred.

Experience Required:

• Minimum of 5 years’ of experience in community engagement, community relations, or a related field, preferably in a nonprofit or community-based organization supporting people with disabilities, older adults, and individuals navigating complex service systems.
• At least 3 years’ working experience as supervisor or in Management in a related field.

Experience Preferred:

• Experience working with nursing and rehabilitation facilities, discharge planning teams, aging and long-term services and supports (LTSS), Medicaid-funded programs, and other healthcare and human-service access points.

SCI Value Related Competencies:

• People Come First (Customer Focus): Thinks and acts with people we support in mind when making decisions. Dedicated to meeting the expectations and requirements of internal and external shareholders, uses information and feedback to improve services.
• Building Relationships and Connections: Interpersonal savvy. Relates to all kinds of people. Builds appropriate rapport, uses diplomacy and tact, diffuses high-tension situations comfortably. Establishes and maintains meaningful connections within the community and the organization (internal and external stakeholders)
• Education (Informing Others): Quickly finds common ground to solve problems. Is seen as a cooperative team player. Provides coaching and mentoring to team members. Consistent communicator, provides team members with the tools they need to perform their jobs in a timely manner. Explores all available options to make the best decision for internal and external holders
• Diversity: Values, appreciates and honors the ways in which cultural differences can create value in organizations. Is service oriented: Demonstrates a commitment to the philosophies for services and the goal of independence for the people we serve. Raises awareness in communities to appreciate the similarities and unique gifts of each person. Interacts with all kinds of team members equitably, deals effectively with all races, nationalities, cultures, disabilities, ages, and genders, supports equal and fair treatment and opportunity for all.
• Driving Solutions (Perseverance): Pursues all initiatives with energy, drive, and the goal to succeed.

Job-Specific Competencies:

• Builds Networks: Effectively building formal and informal relationship networks inside and outside the organization
• Collaborates: Building partnerships and working collaboratively with others to meet shared objectives
• Communicates Effectively: Developing and delivering multi-mode communications that convey a clear understanding of the unique needs of different audiences
• Customer Focus: Building strong customer relationships and delivering customer-centric solutions
• Interpersonal Savvy: Relating openly and comfortably with diverse groups of people
• Optimizes Work Processes: Knowing the most effective and efficient processes to get things done, with a focus on continuous improvement
• Situational Adaptability: Adapting approach and demeanor in real time to match the shifting demands of different situations
• Strategic Mindset: Seeing ahead to future possibilities and translating them into breakthrough strategies
• Drives Engagement: Creating a climate where people are motivated to do their best to help the organization achieve its objectives
• Nimble Learning: Actively learning through experimentation when tackling new problems, using both successes and failures as learning fodder

Physical Demands: Generally, presents standard office environment. Must be able to remain in a stationary position >95% of the time. Continually operates a computer, keyboard and mouse, and other office productivity machinery, such as a calculator, copy machine, printer, and mobile Smartphone device. Constantly positions self to comfortably maintain computer equipment. May occasionally be required to move about in an office setting or position office equipment weighing between 10-25 pounds. Vision abilities required by this job include close vision. Ability to operate a motor vehicle. The person in this position frequently communicates with other people. Must be able to exchange accurate information in these situations.

IT Roles must be able to position self to maintain computers and equipment, including under desks and in server room(s). Frequently moves equipment weighing up to 50 pounds.

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of this job. This job description is subject to change at any time.

*SCI does not sponsor for immigration, including for H1B, TN, and other non-immigrant visas, for this role.