Community Engagement Specialist

The Ability Center (ACT) is a non-profit Center for Independent Living serving seven counties in NW Ohio. With the assistance of competent, professional staff, and the support of volunteers, ACT works for the rights and concerns of people living with disabilities on local, state, regional, and national levels. ACT is an equal opportunity employer that strongly encourages minorities and people with disabilities to apply for all open positions. We offer competitive pay and access to a comprehensive benefit package.

Position Summary:
The Community Engagement Specialist supports the strategic planning goals of the Strategic Engagement department through various initiatives that help Toledo and Northwest Ohio become the most disability friendly community in the country. This position involves working with the Strategic Engagement team to research national disability best practices, further community engagement endeavors as well as interacting with current Ability Center programs.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:
1. Responsible for special initiatives that further community engagement and support the goals of the Strategic Engagement department.
2. Research and organize best practices for the Center’s Disability Friendly Toolkit.
3. Collaborate with all programs in development of “Seal of Approval” process.
4. Coordinate Strategic Engagement trainings, vendor booths, and outreach initiatives.
5. Acts as a liaison with community partners on Strategic Engagement related initiatives.
6. Prepare materials and packets for trainings, and outreach initiatives.
7. Manages coverage of community outreach activities including extended workdays, evenings, and possible weekends.
8. Manage and track all outreach and speaker requests in database.
9. Follow up with external training, and outreach requests for partnership opportunities.
10. Work with Strategic Engagement team to ensure that event/outreach participant information is gathered and processed.
11. Work with Marketing to promote Strategic Engagement initiatives.

Qualifications:
Experience, Education, Licensure: Associate’s or Bachelor’ s degree preferred in Communications, Marketing or related field. Prefer candidate have at least 2 years previous experience in non-profit organization, preferably working in community relations. Proper use of spelling, grammar, and sentence structure is required. Must be proficient with Microsoft Office, especially PowerPoint. Public speaking and presentation experience are required, some training experience preferred.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: Employee must be personable, professional, and articulate. Must have effective project management skills, strong verbal and written communication skills. Employee must have strong clerical, administrative and organizational skills, with the ability to problem solve and multi-task. Self-motivated and detail oriented with a positive and professional approach to teamwork. Ability to professionally manage multiple projects at once and meet all deadlines. Employee must have a positive attitude towards the needs, abilities, and rights of persons with disabilities. Ability to maintain effective, positive working relationships with staff, volunteers, community agencies and businesses. Ability to travel throughout northwest Ohio and southern Michigan.

Essential Physical Demands: The essential physical demands described here must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. The employee in this position will need to remain stationary for periods of time while working in a workstation, office, or at a desk. The employee will operate/use a phone, computer, copier, and printer. The employee in this position frequently communicates with others and may do so in various ways as able. They may converse, convey, and exchange accurate information via phone, text, written, e-mail, or face to face. The employee may frequently move from one office space to another, meeting spaces, and occasionally from one building to another. The employee may have to move office items/equipment weighing up to 25 pounds. The employee may operate a personal and/or company owned vehicle.

Nonessential Physical Demands: The employee will occasionally move about inside the office to access office supplies, file cabinets, office desk, computer, etc.

Work Environment: The work environment described within this job description will be encountered while performing the essential and nonessential functions of this job. The employee is frequently indoors, may have to go outdoors to move from one worksite to another if able. At times, this position will require extended work hours. The noise level in the work environment is considered low.

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

All candidates must pass an FBI/BCII background check if position if offered.

Understanding of and commitment to the Independent Living Philosophy is required. Personal experience with a disability preferred.

Please submit resumes with cover letter to: [email protected] or fax to 419-885-5005