Community Engagement Manager, Greater Houston Voter Engagement Project

The Voter Engagement Project, with funding and support from Houston Endowment,isin its fourthand finalyear.Launched in 2023as a time-bound initiative, the Project advances anonpartisan,neighborhood-based strategy to increase turnoutamong lower- and mid-propensity votersinpersistentlylow-turnout neighborhoods in the Greater Houston Area.Itcontributes to a broader goalfor Greater Houston to have the highest voter turnout per capita of any major metropolitan area in the United States. The neighborhood strategy is deeply rooted in the experiences and interests of people and community organizations in each neighborhood. It centers the needs, experiences, and desires of voters, potential voters, and the community institutions that serve them. This is a nonpartisan effort with a strong commitment to transparent decision-making and nonpartisanship in all materials and programs. The Projectcurrently works ina diverse set of7 neighborhoods: Gulfton, Golfcrest, Southwest Houston,Westchase, and 1960 Northin Harris County;Porter/New Caney inMontgomery County; and Rosenberg in Fort Bend County.Example programs include text banking, phone banking, canvassing, mailers, digital ads, relational organizing, community events, and literature drops. Each election cyclebuildsonlessons frompreviouselections. Community-based partner organizations have beentaking greater leadership roles over time on the path to sustainability.TheProjectteam is working with partners to intentionally grow their ownership of all phases of civic engagement work, including community engagement, program design, program implementation, and coordination activities. Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors, the initiative’s fiscal sponsor,contractswith community organizations to advance on-the-ground resident engagement, increase local leadership of the project’s nonpartisan civic engagement efforts, andparticipatein capacity‑building activities.Redstone Strategy Group supports the design and implementation of efforts to increase voter turnout, working closely with community partners and advisors tostrengthen local capacity.

POSITION SUMMARY

TheCommunity Engagement Manager(CEM)willprovideongoingleadershipand project managementto enable and strengthen local ownershipof nonpartisan civic engagementwork in lower-turnout neighborhoodsafterthe formal Voter Engagement Projectand Redstone supportconcludein December 2026. We areseekingsomeone with provensuccess andexperienceindependently managing multiple workstreams, timelines,anda variety of stakeholders.The CEM willworkclosely with communitypartners,theAdvisory Committee, and Houston Endowmentto set timelines, milestones, and deliverables with particular attention to on-the-ground engagement with stakeholders.Familiarity with the civic engagement landscape, community partners, and/or project neighborhoods is helpful but notrequired; more important is the ability to learn and build relationships quickly, and to apply strong project and stakeholder management skills in a complex, fast-moving, trust-based context.A successful CEM will foster authentic ownership and meaningfulmutualaccountabilityamong local stakeholders to ensure high-quality nonpartisan civic engagement that centers lower- and mid-propensity voters. The ideal candidate willwork alongsidetheRedstoneteambeginning inSeptember 2026 and willstep intofull Project and partner managementresponsibilitiesinJanuary 2027.The role is a contract positionrunning from September 2026 through December 2027 (approx.15 months) withthe desirefor asuccessfulCEM toextendthrough 2028.Further engagement beyond 2028 will be driven by localpartners’and the CEM’swork and decisions about the path forward. The Community Engagement Manager willbe responsible forthe following tasks: Projectmanagementand coordination (~45% of time) Provide overall leadership,project management, and mutual accountabilityforongoing nonpartisancivic engagement effortsin lower-turnout neighborhoods, working closely with community partners to setgoals,timelines, milestones, and deliverables Supportcommunity partnersto developand implementplans to gather ongoingcommunityinput (e.g.community council facilitation,focus groups, interviews, and surveys) Coordinate partner activities acrossneighborhoodsand organizations to keep schedules, resources, and priorities aligned Engagement with theAdvisory Committee,fiscal sponsor, and Houston Endowment(~30% of time) Serve as the primary liaison to the Advisory Committee, Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors, Houston Endowment,and potentiallyadditionalfunders as relevant,maintaininga detailed stakeholder engagement work plan and reporting regularly on the interests, concerns, and capacity ofcommunity partners Support Advisory Committee members to design and lead their engagement withinitiative partners and activities (e.g., ensurecommittee meetings are set up, facilitateconnections between committee members and opportunities/needs spotted during project management and partner engagement,help committee leaders establish systems to track commitmentslike fundraisingactivities) Helpcommunity partnersprepareto deliverstrategic updates,recommendations, and reportingto the Advisory Committee,Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors, and Houston Endowment Partnerrelationshipmanagementandcapacitybuilding (~25% of time) Manage relationships with local partners,holding regular check-ins to ensure ongoing alignment with voter engagement goals Help local partnerscontinue tostrengthen project management and coordination capacity to develop data-informed neighborhood voter engagement plans andmake strategic program selections, including support for data collection, analysis approaches, and alignment with program toolsas needed Key qualifications Essential qualifications At leastfiveyears of related work experience, including projector programmanagement, team leadership, and/or organizational leadership(e.g.,nonpartisan campaign experience,philanthropy, community engagement, etc.).Prior civic engagement experience is notrequired, buttheability to get up to speed quickly andbuild trust and credibility with all stakeholders is essential to be successful in the role. Ability to work independently, taking ownership of the work and timelineand looping in key stakeholders to provide updates and engagein thedecision-makingprocess as needed. Demonstrated project management experienceand strong organizational skills, with a proven ability to coordinate and execute complex work involving multiplestakeholders, evolving workstreams, and simultaneous deliverables. Demonstrated leadership experience, with the ability to serve as a liaison and represent a project effectively to advisorycommittees, funders, and other senior stakeholders. Experience and comfort working with individualsof varied levels of seniority andfrom diversecultural and economic backgrounds. Commitment to nonpartisan civic engagementand strong judgment abouthow to advance nonpartisan work in complex contexts. Knowledge of and experience with communities in the Houston metro area, especially those that tend to have lower voting rates. Excellent communicationskills,both written and verbal. Located in Houston,ableto travelaround the metro area as needed, and able to work productively without a traditional office. Flexibility to workweekends and outside standard 9-5 hoursas needed(e.g., toparticipatein communityevents,stakeholder meetings, and program activities). Preferredqualifications Experience working in direct client service settings. WorkingproficiencyinSpanish. Lived and/or professional experience in any of the seven project neighborhoods. Familiarity withvoter engagement and data tools,digitalengagement platforms, or customer relationship management (CRM) platforms. Terms We expect the consultant to workapproximately35-40hoursper week, although needs will varydepending on the election cycle timing. Contract duration:approximatelySeptember 2026through December 2027,with potential for a further contract in 2028. Reimbursement for necessary travel expenses. Compensationwill be based onexperience,with arangeof$95,000–$105,000. This is an independent contractor engagement and does not include employee benefits. We are an equal opportunity employer. We do not discriminate based on race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, or any other protected characteristic. #J-18808-Ljbffr Redstone Strategy Group