Summary of the Director of Community Engagement and Outreach job at City of Philadelphia

Company Description

A best-in-class city that attracts best-in-class talent, Philadelphia is an incredible place to build a career. From our thriving arts scene and rich history to our culture of passion and grit, there are countless reasons to love living and working here. With a workforce of over 30,000 people, and more than 1,000 different job categories, the City of Philadelphia offers boundless opportunities to make an impact.

As an employer, the City of Philadelphia values inclusion, integrity, innovation, empowerment, and hard work above all else. We offer a vibrant work environment, comprehensive health care and benefits, and the experience you need to grow and excel. If you’re interested in working with a passionate team of people who care about the future of Philadelphia, start here.

What we offer

• Impact - The work you do here matters to millions. 
• Growth - Philadelphia is growing, why not grow with it? 
• Diversity & Inclusion - Find a career in a place where everyone belongs.
• Benefits - We care about your well-being.

Agency Description

The Office of Community Empowerment and Opportunity (CEO) provides leadership on issues of economic justice by advancing racial equity and inclusive growth to ensure that all Philadelphians share in the city’s prosperous future and by alleviating the immediate impact of poverty on individuals, families and communities.  CEO is Philadelphia’s Community Action Agency (CAA); CAAs are private or public agencies created by the 1964 Economic Opportunity Act and federally designated to receive Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) funding. 

Guiding Principles (We believe…)  

• The people of Philadelphia deserve the opportunity to live happy, healthy, full lives.  

• City Government should both recognize its culpability in creating and sustaining inequity and aspire to its responsibility to provide opportunities, represent the best interests, and promote the well-being of all residents.  

• People can offer meaningful insights into both personal experiences and how systems around them function.  

• Poverty is a deliberately created systemic issue and city government can lead in calling for justice and dismantling the barriers that often prevent opportunities.  

Values (How we work)  

• Dignity: We actively respect our individual colleagues and people in the community.  

• Inclusivity: Our work is more beneficial, valuable, and valid when our full range of experiences, knowledge, and skills can contribute.  

• Persistence: We recognize the challenges inherent in this work, and when we get discouraged, we find ways to be resilient, lift each other up, and push forward.  

• Accountability: We are transparent and honest about our plans, our actions, and our results.  

• Honesty: We create a space to have healthy, honest dialogues about systems, people, and misconceptions and then communicate truthfully.  

Job Description

Position Summary 

The Director of Community Engagement and Outreach serves as the strategic and operational lead for CEO’s resident facing engagement efforts. This role oversees all outreach programming and guides the coordinated approach to initial resident engagement, relationship building, and connection to resources and opportunities within Place-Based Initiatives (PBI). 

The Director will be responsible for directly supervising the Community Managers who lead day-to-day outreach operations. Through these Managers, the Director ensures consistent execution of door-to-door outreach, phone and text banking, community event engagement, initial needs identification, and resource navigation. 

The Director will contribute to broader planning for future phases of resident engagement that may involve deeper follow-up, relationship building, and long-term neighborhood capacity building.  

This position will collaborate closely with internal partners to strengthen cross team coordination, integrate resident feedback into operational planning and ensure that outreach activities support CEO’s commitment to high impact community centered engagement. 

Essential Functions 

• Oversee the Community Engagement and Outreach team, including Managers, Coordinators, and contractor-supported outreach roles. 

• Lead development and implementation of comprehensive outreach plans that integrate door-to-door canvassing, phone/text banking, event engagement and other visibility strategies. 

• Ensure a cohesive and consistent Phase 1 engagement experience for residents, emphasizing initial needs identification, resource navigation, and connection to opportunities. 

• Maintain communication with teams responsible for later phases of community engagement to ensure outreach efforts are aligned with broader organizational goals. 

• Guide the team’s approach to collecting resident insights through outreach efforts and ensure this information informs programming, partnerships and organizational decision-making. 

• Collaborate with internal partners including Data and Evaluation, Community Resources and others to align goals, improve coordination, and operationalize resident voice. 

• Provide strategic direction, staffing support, training oversight, and workflow management across outreach operations.  

• Identify and apply best practices in outreach, organizing, and community relationship development across PBI and CEO. 

• Work closely with the Deputy Executive Director of Place-Based Initiatives and PBI Directors to support and advance the strategic vision of PBI. 

• Other duties as assigned.  

Competencies, Knowledge, Skills and Abilities 

• Deep knowledge of outreach and community engagement best practices 

• Strong strategic thinker with the ability to align operations to organizational priorities 

• Proven ability to coach, supervise, and develop managers 

• Strong cross-team collaborator and systems thinker 

• Strong communications skills, including strategic planning, presentations and reporting 

• Proven project manager with experience overseeing multi-component operations 

• Sound judgement and flexible decision-making in dynamic community environments  

• Complex problem solving and ability to anticipate operational needs 

• Ability to create realistic action plans and meet deadlines 

• Ability to model best practices and foster a culture of community centered engagement 

Qualifications

• Associates degree or equivalent experience.  

• Equivalencies in formal advanced degree and experience will be considered  

• Previous work in non-profit or public sector is ideal 

• Strong community engagement background is a plus 

• At least (6) years of progressive management experience required; (2) years must be in a supervisory or managerial capacity 

Additional Information

TO APPLY: Interested candidates must submit a cover letter and resume.

Salary Range: $80,000 - $95,000

Discover the Perks of Being a City of Philadelphia Employee:

• Transportation: City employees get unlimited FREE public transportation all year long through SEPTA’s Key Advantage program. Employees can ride on SEPTA buses, subways, trolleys, and regional rail for their daily commute and more.
• Parental Benefits: The City offers its employees 8 weeks of paid parental leave.
• We offer Comprehensive health coverage for employees and their eligible dependents.
• Our wellness program offers eligibility into the discounted medical plan
• Employees receive paid vacation, sick leave, and holidays
• Generous retirement savings options are available
• Pay off your student loans faster - As a qualifying employer, City of Philadelphia employees are eligible to participate in the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program. Join the ranks of hundreds of employees who have already benefited from this program and achieved student loan forgiveness.
• Unlock Tuition Discounts and Scholarships - The City of Philadelphia has forged partnerships with over a dozen esteemed colleges and universities in the area, ensuring that our employees have access to a wide range of tuition discounts and scholarships. Experience savings of 10% to 40% on your educational expenses, extending not only to City employees but in some cases, spouse and dependents too!

Join the City of Philadelphia team today and seize these incredible benefits designed to enhance your financial well-being and personal growth!

*The successful candidate must be a city of Philadelphia resident within six months of hire

Effective May 22, 2023, vaccinations are no longer required for new employees that work in non-medical, non-emergency or patient facing positions with the City of Philadelphia. As a result, only employees in positions providing services that are patient-facing medical care (ex: Nurses, doctors, emergency medical personnel), must be fully vaccinated.

The City of Philadelphia is an Equal Opportunity employer and does not permit discrimination based on race, ethnicity, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, national origin, ancestry, age, disability, marital status, source of income, familial status, genetic information or domestic or sexual violence victim status. If you believe you were discriminated against, call the Philadelphia Commission on Human Relations at 215-686-4670 or send an email to faqpchr@phila.gov.

For more information, go to: Human Relations Website: http://www.phila.gov/humanrelations/Pages/default.aspx