Director of Community Building and Engagement

Job Title: Director of Community Building and Engagement 

Department: Community Building and Engagement 

Reports To: Chief Culture and Community Officer

FLSA Status: Exempt

Approved By: Dwelling Place Officers

Approved Date: June 2025

Summary Supervises all functions of Dwelling Place Community Building and Engagement programs by performing the following duties personally or through directly supervised or other staff. 

Essential Duties and Responsibilities include the following; other duties may be assigned.

· Assists in coordination and implementation of goals identified within the Dwelling Place Strategic Plan as they pertain to Community Building and Engagement, of residents and Dwelling Place stakeholders. Confer with Dwelling Place Executive Management to prioritize programs and goals should receive focused attention at any point in time.

· Maintains effective communication between Community Building & Engagement, staff, other departmental staff, neighborhood businesses and organizations, residents, and community stakeholders.

· Represents Dwelling Place in community or in interagency activities.

· Participates in developing and implementing agency administrative policy.

· Identify potential community partners and build lasting and reciprocal relationships.

· Oversees programing when appropriate and necessary. 

Coordinates activities related to the Community Building and Engagement Program with a focus on but not limited to: 

· Catalyze and increase resident participation in Dwelling Place programs, neighborhoods, community and governance. Develop mechanisms to assist residents’ engagement, leadership and participation in their communities and facilitate opportunities for residents to understanding community issues and technical requirements of community decision making.

· Create, coordinate and implement goals and work plans that promote consistent and effective communication, engagement, and participation in community building processes. 

· Develop staff skills at all levels of the organization to create a culture of engagement by providing consultation, training and assistance to staff and volunteers on implementing engagement tools while ensuring that employees are provided opportunities to increase their engagement skills. 

· Ensure that the needs of culturally and economically diverse communities are met and identify and remove barriers to participation.

· Supporting the administration of grant programs related to Community Building and Engagement, including completion of program reports, taking meeting minutes, and preparation of department grant applications.

· Use training, one-on-one interviews, surveys, data collection, and small group meetings and other techniques to facilitate engagement of residents in taking initiative to solve community problems.

· Review and evaluate engagement systems and activities and make enhancements to improve effectiveness. Track and report progress of the Community Building and Engagement program to community members, staff and board members.

· Identify, cultivate, and train new leaders within communities served by Dwelling Place. 

· Leverage the use of technology and communication tools to gain effectiveness and enhance two-way communication between Dwelling Place and residents. 

Supervisory Responsibilities Supervises one or more employees. Carries out supervisory responsibilities in accordance with the organization's policies and applicable laws. Responsibilities include interviewing, hiring, and training employees; planning, assigning, and directing work; appraising performance; rewarding and disciplining employees; addressing complaints and resolving problems.

Competencies To perform the job successfully, an individual should demonstrate the following competencies:

Problem Solving Identifies and resolves problems in a timely manner; Develops alternative solutions; Works well in group problem solving situations; Uses reason even when dealing with emotional topics.

Oral Communication Speaks clearly and persuasively in positive or negative situations; Responds well to questions; Demonstrates group presentation skills; Participates in meetings.

Managing People Includes staff in planning, decision-making, facilitating and process improvement; Takes responsibility for subordinates’ activities; Makes self available to staff; Provides regular performance feedback/ensures progress toward goals; Develops subordinates’ skills and encourages growth; Fosters quality focus in others; Improves processes, products, and services; Continually works to improve supervisory skills; Fosters cooperation; Defines team roles and responsibilities; Supports group problem solving; Acknowledges team accomplishments.

Cost Consciousness - Works within approved budget; Develops and implements cost saving measures; Conserves organizational resources.

Planning/Organizing Prioritizes and plans work activities; Uses time efficiently; Plans for additional resources; Sets goals and objectives; Organizes or schedules other people and their tasks; Develops realistic action plans.

Adaptability Adapts to changes in the work environment; Manages competing demands; Changes approach or method to best fit situation; Able to deal with frequent change, delays, or unexpected events.

Initiative Undertakes self-development activities; Takes independent actions and calculated risks; Looks for and takes advantage of opportunities.

Job Knowledge Competent in required job skills and knowledge; Keeps abreast of current developments; Displays understanding of how job relates to others; Uses resources wisely.

General Competency To contribute to the Dwelling Place mission, each employee must possess skills beyond the technical requirements for the position. An employee must also demonstrate the ability and capacity to work with others in a manner that fosters trust, cooperation and a positive team esprit de corps. Dwelling Place expects each employee to maintain high ethical standards in their interactions with customers, other staff, vendors and the public generally. Dwelling Place employees are also expected to be dependable, to be respectful of others, to use sound judgment, to seek out new opportunities for learning and to communicate effectively with others.

Employees must abide by all Dwelling Place policies including but not limited to the Dwelling Place Code of Ethics and personnel policies.