Community Engagement Specialist

Community Engagement Specialist

Founded in 1933 by Pasadena residents dedicated to women's health, PPPSGV is not only among the oldest of Planned Parenthood affiliates—we're also one of the fastest growing. Today, we see over 60,000 patient visits per year and deliver over 15,000 opportunities for sex and relationship education in our schools and colleges.

Planned Parenthood Pasadena and San Gabriel Valley (PPPSGV) is an affiliate or member of Planned Parenthood Federation of America (PPFA) – one of 67 across the country. PPPSGV provides on-the-ground reproductive health care, health education and advocacy for local people across Pasadena and the San Gabriel Valley.

PPFA is a national organization and does not provide direct medical services in local communities, but serves as a resource for policymakers, media and health care providers. PPFA does set medical standards for all Planned Parenthood affiliates in the United States and, in so doing, ensures the high quality healthcare offered by its affiliates.

The local and national organizations conduct independent fundraising campaigns, but work to coordinate these efforts.

The temporary Community Engagement Specialist is a community-facing role focused on building lasting, trusted relationships with communities in PPPSGV's service area, particularly Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) communities in the San Gabriel Valley and Northeast Los Angeles. This role will connect individuals and community organizations to accurate information and sexual and reproductive healthcare by helping ensure that language is never a barrier to access. This role is for someone who is good at earning trust, listening, and turning relationships into real access.

The ideal candidate will be committed to PPPSGV's mission and vision, including to reduce abortion stigma and break down barriers to abortion access. This position will support PPPSGV Public Affairs department's programs and goals for one year, with the option of extending at mutual agreement of both parties. This role will work to bolster PPPSGV's leadership in advocacy and organizing in our service area communities; develop and manage community outreach efforts in order to build an engaged community base; recruit, engage and mobilize targeted constituencies around reproductive rights issues.

The position provides support for both Planned Parenthood Pasadena and San Gabriel Valley (PPPSGV) a 501(c)3 organization and Planned Parenthood Advocates Pasadena and San Gabriel Valley (PPAPSGV) a 501(c)4 organization.

As a Community Engagement Specialist, you will save lives while you:

• Develop and maintain relationships with AANHPI communities and AANHPI-serving organizations in the San Gabriel Valley and Northeast Los Angeles, including healthcare providers, faith communities, schools, small businesses, media, and community leaders to bridge relationship gaps between them and PPPSGV.
• Plan and attend community events, fairs, and gatherings to share information about our services.
• Deliver culturally and linguistically responsive workshops, presentations, and conversations on sexual and reproductive health, rights, and how to access care.
• Aid in the creation of and communicate culturally responsive messaging particularly in non-English languages most spoken by the AAHNPHI community in PPPSGV's service area: Mandarin, Cantonese, Vietnamese, Tagalog, and Korean, identifying gaps in how PPPSGV serves people with limited English proficiency and recommend fixes.
• Gather community feedback and share insights that shape our programs, services, and advocacy.
• Collaborate with partners to community needs and build powerful presence for PPPSGV.
• Ensure PPPSGV's advocacy programs, campaigns and services are culturally responsive, accessible and community-informed.
• Work with clinical, communications, and policy teams to ensure that community needs are reflected across the organization.
• Serve as a sexual and reproductive health care subject matter expert.
• Track issues affecting the institutions and organizations in our service area and identify ways of supporting intersecting goals and initiatives.

Advocacy Engagement + Electoral Work:

• Support grassroots activities and tactics for advocacy, priority legislation, and electoral work such as canvassing, text/phone banking, town halls, rallies, etc.
• Plan rapid response actions in coordination with Public Affairs team, Communications team and other Planned Parenthood affiliates.
• Help plan and carry out advocacy and public education campaigns, bringing AANHPI community voices and priorities into the work.
• Identify and make proposals for organization's involvement in local cross movement advocacy or policy work in collaboration with community partners' initiatives.
• Support the coordination of all logistics for annual Capitol Day in Sacramento, including recruitment of attendees, logistics and lobby visit trainings.
• Support get out the vote efforts for both the 501c3 and 501c4 organizations.
• Perform all tasks necessary for overseeing and operating PPPSGV's and PPAPSGV's advocacy and campaign focused volunteer programs, in partnership with the Volunteer Manager: recruitment, training, communications, conducting volunteer orientation, performance management, appreciation/retention, and evaluation.
• Help to create, maintain, and deepen relationships at local college campuses.
• Engage in movement building for Planned Parenthood by supporting and connecting college-aged students to PPPSGV and reproductive justice values through advocacy workshops and trainings.

Administrative:

• Support tracking and reporting of grassroots efforts, supporter base engagement and growth, including maintenance of contacts within Salesforce
• Support PPAPSGV & electoral campaign reporting requirements, PP Federation and state event reports, grants, campaigns and peaks.
• Support Communications staff with emails and social media posts related to advocacy efforts.
• Support Volunteer Manager with volunteer database maintenance.
• Maintain communication with PP Federation of America campaigns, organizing and training staff, and with PP Affiliates of California field teams.
• Maintain PPAPSGV's social media presence through posts, stories and reels, as needed

Non-Essential Functions:

• Other duties and responsibilities as assigned
• Comply with PPPSGVs Code of Conduct and maintain the highest level of professional and ethical standards and act in compliance with both the letter and spirit of all applicable laws and regulations

We are looking for the following: Education:

• Bachelor's Degree in related field and/or equivalent experience preferred.
• High School level education and above are welcomed to apply.

Experience:

• One or more years of experience building relationships with community members, organizations, or partners.
• Knowledge of, and demonstrated connection to, AANHPI communities, including their diversity of cultures, languages, and needs.
• Comfort presenting to groups and talking one-on-one about sensitive health topics with care and without judgment.
• Conversational/intermediate language skills in: Cantonese, Mandarin, or Vietnamese (can carry a casual conversation and handle routine topics) is desired, with a strong preference for proficiency (can write emails, run meetings, and handle daily business tasks independently) and experience with interpretation, translation, or adapting materials for language access.
• Applicants with skills in another Asian or Pacific Islander language are also encouraged to apply. Language skills will be assessed during the hiring process.
• Demonstrated experience in working cooperatively and effectively with stakeholders, volunteers, and grassroots supporters to accomplish goals.
• Excellent interpersonal and presentation skills; strong, effective oral and written communication skills.
• Strong organizational skills, accuracy, and attention to detail with the ability to meet deadlines and work under pressure in a fast-paced environment.
• Working knowledge of political campaigns and policymaking process at the local, state, and national level.
• Solid understanding of reproductive and sexual health and justice issues
• Excellent customer service skills and commitment to the highest level of customer satisfaction and integrity.
• Advanced level computer skills including: MS office suite, interactive online messaging, database and relationship management (CRM) software, and applications used for text/phone banking.

Other :

• Must possess a reliable automobile and valid driver's license (mileage/gas reimbursed).
• Flexible work schedule, including some weekends and evenings required.
• Good judgment with comfort making independent decisions
• Community-oriented and collaborative person who is also capable of working independently and in teams.
• Understand and comply with differences between 501(c)3 and 501(c)4 allowable activities and reporting requirements.