Community Engagement Specialist

Reports To: Project Director

Employee Status: Full Time, Exempt

Location/Office: Denver, CO (CAI has a hybrid work schedule of working 2 days in the office and 3 days remote)

Anticipated Start Date: July 1, 2026

General Statement of Responsibilities:

The Community Engagement Specialist supports equity-driven public health initiatives that center community voice and translate evidence-based strategies into sustainable, real-world impact. This role uses structured engagement approaches to partner with local organizations, community leaders, and representatives of affected populations to identify, implement, evaluate, and continuously improve strategies that reduce health disparities and advance health equity across public health priorities, including access to tobacco cessation services. Through relationship-building, capacity development, and technical support, the Specialist works closely with community-based grantees to implement innovative, evidence-informed activities that meet the needs of underserved communities, including Medicaid recipients, women, people of color, people living with HIV, and individuals affected by substance use disorders, among others. This position primarily supports a Denver-based initiative focused on expanding access to tobacco cessation services and resources for Medicaid recipients through CDPHE's State Tobacco Education and Prevention Partnership (STEPP) strategies. In addition, approximately 25% of the role contributes to broader community engagement efforts across CAI's public health initiatives.

CORE Responsibilities (include, but are not limited to):

• Identify, engage and work collaboratively with community members and stakeholders to implement best practices strategies, ensuring continuous involvement of community members, and prioritizing community input in guiding initiative activities
• Cultivate and maintain relationships with community-based organizations, local leaders, and community members to inform program design, support implementation, and strengthen connections between communities and health resources
• Engage participants with openness, respect, and without judgment, recognizing diverse lived experiences and community members' expertise.
• Use data and feedback to refine and improve strategies and approaches for engaging the community
• Serve as a subject matter expert in community engagement, applying equity-centered frameworks and best practices to ensure activities are responsive to community priorities and meaningfully involve affected populations in planning, implementation, and evaluation
• Work collaboratively across CAI community engagement projects offering support and coordination as needed
• Maintain project files according to CAI standards

STEPP Tasks

• Utilize strategies in community engagement to build and facilitate a panel of community representatives, leading them through an intentional process to build capacity, knowledge, and cohesion
• Provide capacity building and technical assistance to selected community-based organizations
• Provide day-to-day management for activities associated with planning, implementation, evaluation, and continuous improvement of assigned project's strategies in alignment with workplan
• Plan and support preparation for CAI project team, community, and partner meetings
• Update, maintain, and ensure quality in project management databases (i.e., Quickbase)
• Record and disseminate team and community and partner meeting proceedings
• Ensure adherence to funder, federal, state and local laws, rules and regulations

Perform other duties as necessary/assigned.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree and/or a minimum of 5 years of experience in public health, community engagement, social work, or a related field.
• Flexibility of schedule (i.e.occasional evening and weekend work to participate in community engagement activities) and ability to travel (up to 25% travel time required). Travel will primarily be local to the Denver area.
• Spanish language proficiency required in order to engage with Spanish-speaking partners and clients.
• Significant knowledge of the Denver community.
• Ability to establish rapport and work productively and sensitively with diverse partners and community members.
• Ability to identify and leverage existing resources to support achievement of initiative objectives.
• Has applied knowledge of principles and practices in community mobilization.
• Ability to communicate effectively orally and in writing for professional and community audiences.
• Knowledge of various word processing/computer programs, including Word, PowerPoint, Excel, etc.
• Team-player and self-starter.

Physical Demands:

These physical demands are representative of the physical requirements necessary for an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of the Community Engagement Specialist job. Reasonable accommodation can be made to enable people with disabilities to perform the described essential functions of the Community Engagement Specialist job.

While performing the Community Engagement Specialist responsibilities, the employee is required to talk and hear. This position requires the employee to be on-site at a CAI office. The employee is often required to sit and work at a desk for prolonged periods of time and use their hands and fingers to handle or feel. The employee is occasionally required to stand, walk, reach with arms and hands, climb or balance, and stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl. Must be able to lift up to 15 pounds at times. Vision abilities required by this job include close vision.


This job description is intended to convey information essential to understanding the scope of the Community Engagement Specialist position and it is not intended to be an exhaustive list of skills, efforts, duties, responsibilities or working conditions associated with the position. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice.

Compensation

The salary for this position is $72,500. CAI offers a generous benefits package including:

• Medical, dental and vision insurance
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
• Flexible spending Account (FSA)
• Dependent Care Account (DCA)
• Transit Reimbursement Account
• Life Insurance - company sponsored up to $50,000
• Long term disability (LTD)
• Short term disability (STD)
• 401K retirement plan after three (3) months of employment
• Semi-monthly payroll, the 15th and last day of each month
• Flexible and Hybrid work schedules
• Ability to work fully remotely up to 3 weeks each calendar year

Vacation and Leave benefits:

• 11 Holidays per year
• 2 Personal days year
• 12 Sick days per year
• 10-15 Vacation days per year increasing after 4 years of service
• 1 Cancer Screening Day per year
• Bereavement Leave
• Jury Duty Leave
• CAI is an equal employment opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status or any other characteristic protected by law.