Community Engagement Specialist

Community Engagement Specialist

The Community Engagement Specialist supports the Community Engagement Division within the Department of Communications and Community Engagement. Working under the direction of the Community Engagement Manager, the incumbent assists in implementing the City's community engagement strategic plan and coordinating engagement initiatives across the organization.

The Specialist helps connect residents with information, facilitates two-way communication between the city and the community, and supports efforts to identify disengaged populations, strengthen partnerships, and increase opportunities for meaningful public participation. The incumbent is responsible for developing, planning, and executing the City's "City Academy" program, which provides residents with an opportunity to learn about Rockville's government, services, and civic processes.

Additionally, the position is responsible for maintaining the City's volunteer website and supporting the scheduling and coordination of engagement events hosted by the Community Engagement Division, including events for the Mayor and Council and those conducted in collaboration with other City departments.

This position requires strong interpersonal skills, attention to detail, and the ability to engage respectfully with diverse neighborhoods and stakeholder groups. Regular attendance at evening and weekend meetings is required.

Essential Job Functions

Supporting Community Engagement Plan Development

• Assist the Community Engagement Manager with implementing the citywide community engagement strategic plan.
• Support the development of engagement plans for city projects, programs, initiatives, and events using the IAP2 framework.
• Maintain and update the city's volunteer website, including content, resources, and volunteer opportunities.
• Support community engagement databases, records, and tracking tools.

Community Engagement Strategy Implementation

• Assist with monitoring community engagement activities and in collecting data, organizing and analyzing participation and engagement data to support program evaluation and continuous improvement.
• Support the creation and implementation of processes that facilitate communication between residents, city staff, and stakeholders.
• Help build community capacity by assisting neighborhood groups in identifying issues, navigating City processes, and accessing resources.
• Serve as an initial point of contact to help residents and neighborhood groups seeking information regarding city services, engagement opportunities, or community concerns, connecting them to the appropriate departments or resources.
• Provide logistical and administrative support for engagement events, workshops, and outreach activities that are hosted or organized by the city.
• Prepare and distribute informational materials, presentations, and engagement tools for community use.
• Attend neighborhood meetings and community events to assist staff, observe concerns, collect feedback, and share information.

City Academy Program

• Develop, plan, and execute the "City Academy," a program designed to educate residents about city departments, services, operations, and opportunities for civic engagement.
• Coordinate with city departments to design sessions, schedule speakers, manage logistics, and create program materials.
• Lead engagement efforts to recruit and enroll participants and evaluate program outcomes.
• Track participation, feedback, and curriculum updates across cohorts.

Scheduling and Coordinating Community Engagement Division Events

• Manage scheduling and coordination of all engagement events hosted by the Community Engagement Division, including events led by or for the Mayor and Council with the Community Engagement Division Manager.
• Coordinate engagement events conducted in collaboration with other city departments, ensuring alignment with engagement goals and city processes.
• Prepare event materials, coordinate set-up and logistics, and support operations before, during, and after events.

Supporting City Departments in Community Engagement Efforts

• Assist with intake, coordination, and provide guidance on engagement requests from city departments.
• Help identify appropriate engagement strategies, outreach tools, and communication methods using IAP2 principles and city resources for city departments to use in their engagement efforts.
• Support and guide city staff in implementing consistent and equitable engagement practices.

Supporting Engagement Opportunities for the Mayor and Council

• Assist with planning and execution of Community Engagement Division events, engagement series, and listening sessions involving the Mayor and Council.
• Prepare materials, presentations, and digital content for engagement opportunities.
• Provide on-site support during events, including resident interaction, event set-up/break-down, and coordination with staff and partners.

Other Duties

• Participate in committees and task forces as needed.
• Perform additional related duties as assigned by the Community Engagement Manager or department leadership.

Qualifications

Education and Experience

• Bachelor's degree in social sciences, public administration, public relations, political science, community planning, or a related field; or an equivalent combination of education and relevant experience.
• Two (2) to four (4) years of experience in community engagement, outreach, public participation, volunteer coordination, or related work.
• Experience working with diverse groups, neighborhood organizations, or community-based nonprofits preferred.
• Familiarity with the International Association of Public Participation (IAP2) framework and experience working for a federal or municipal government is a plus.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Knowledge of IAP2 public participation practices, community engagement principles, and inclusive engagement methods.
• Ability to engage respectfully and effectively with individuals from diverse cultural, socioeconomic, and linguistic backgrounds.
• Skill in event coordination, meeting logistics, scheduling, and project management.
• Program development and curriculum coordination skills (especially for City Academy or similar civic education programs).
• Strong verbal and written communication skills.
• Ability to collect, organize, and interpret community feedback and engagement data.
• Ability to mediate discussions, community conversations, facilitate small groups, workshops, public participation activities, and support problem-solving processes.
• Ability to maintain strong working relationships with staff, elected officials, community leaders, and the public.
• Ability to manage multiple assignments simultaneously and meet deadlines.
• Proficiency with digital outreach tools, basic web content management, and presentation platforms.
• Ability to work evenings and weekends, as required.

Working Conditions

This position requires community-based work throughout Rockville, including attendance at evening and weekend events, meetings, and outreach activities. Work may involve lifting up to 25 pounds of materials or equipment and requires reliable local travel.

Benefits

Summary of Employee Benefits The City of Rockville offers a wide range of health and wellness benefits to full-time, regular employees. Part-time, regular employees working more than 20 hours per week may be eligible for benefits on a pro-rated basis. Benefits are not available to temporary employees.

HEALTH BENEFITS Medical Insurance Participation is available in one of several types of health plans. The city contributes toward each plan. Participation is optional. Employees may elect to participate in plans offered through Aetna or Kaiser Permanente. Benefit coverage is available beginning on date of hire.

Dental Insurance Employees may enroll in the City's dental program offered through Guardian Dental. The city contributes a portion of the cost of each employee's dental coverage. If dental coverage is waived, the City's contribution is reallocated toward the employee's health plan cost. Start date of coverage is the first of the month following date of hire.

Vision The city offers a vision plan with VSP. The city contributes a portion of the cost of each employee's vision coverage. Start date of coverage is the first of the month following date of hire.

GROUP LIFE INSURANCE The City provides life insurance equal to one and one-half times an employee's base salary. There is no cost to the employee for this benefit. Employees have the option of purchasing additional supplemental life insurance coverage for self, spouse and dependent child(ren).

RETIREMENT SAVINGS PLAN Participation in the City of Rockville's retirement plan is mandatory. There are two parts to the retirement plan: 1) the Pension Plan and 2) the Thrift Plan. The City of Rockville Pension Plan (all employees) is a defined benefit plan that provides the participant with a specific monthly benefit at retirement. Monthly benefits are calculated based on a participant's salary and length of credited service. Employees are fully vested in the pension plan after 10 years of credited service and are always 100% vested in the amounts they contribute. The City of Rockville Thrift Plan (administrative and union employees only) is a defined contribution plan subject to the IRS code 401(a). Employees make pre-tax contributions