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.

  Opportunities in Tech - Don’t wait for the future, shape it.

  Benefits - We care about your well being.

Agency Description

The Managing Director’s Office (MDO) manages and oversees the operations of the City, including the Rebuild Office, which is a staff exclusively working on the implementation of the Rebuild initiative.

Rebuild is an initiative of the MDO to improve physical conditions in selected parks, recreation centers and libraries.  Rebuild is expected to invest hundreds of millions of dollars over the course of the initiative. In addition to revitalizing neighborhood public spaces, Rebuild is focused using the projects it funds to empower and engage with community members and to promote economic opportunity for diverse businesses and individuals. Rebuild projects are carried out by a variety of partners, including consultants, nonprofit partners, and other City agencies. Rebuild works closely with the Philadelphia Parks and Recreation (PPR), the Free Library of Philadelphia (FLP) and other City departments.

Rebuild places a strong emphasis on community outreach and engagement. It is important that residents are given opportunities to shape the improvements to their community spaces. Rebuild wants to ensure that residents are informed about projects taking place in their neighborhood and have meaningful, accessible, and inclusive opportunities to inform how their community facility is improved.

To learn more about Rebuild, visit rebuild.phila.gov.

The Community Engagement Director will be responsible for the management and implementation of Rebuild’s community outreach and engagement program with a primary mission to provide meaningful opportunities for residents and other stakeholders to provide input to shape both physical improvements and programmatic opportunities at Rebuild sites. Responsibilities will include the management of a comprehensive engagement strategy for the overall Rebuild program as well as the deployment of site-specific outreach and engagement activities.

The Community Engagement Director will coordinate closely with the Communications Director to ensure successful communication of information to stakeholders. This position reports to Rebuild’s First Deputy and will work collaboratively with all Rebuild Deputies and the Executive Director to ensure community outreach and engagement activities support the Rebuild program needs.

This position is entirely grant-funded and exempt from City Civil Service requirements.

Essential Functions

The Community Engagement Director’s primary responsibilities will include:

• Serve as an ambassador and primary point of contact for Rebuild community outreach and engagement, helping to disseminate information about Rebuild’s goals, impact, and investment to community members and other key stakeholders.
• Develop strategies, best practices and standards for a range of quality outreach and engagement efforts and activities at all Rebuild sites
• Collaborate with Rebuild Design and Construction team, staff from other City departments, consultants, nonprofit partners and other partners to ensure effective outreach and engagement efforts at Rebuild sites.
• Execute community engagement activities, including but not limited to the development of best practice tool kits, implementation of site-specific community engagement efforts and providing technical assistance.
• Manage all aspects of Community Engagement consultant contracts, including scope creation, invoicing and budget controls.
• Provide strategic direction to consultant teams executing community engagement tasks on behalf of the Rebuild Office.
• Work in partnership with Rebuild’s Communications Director to develop communication tools and strategies to inform residents and other stakeholders of community engagement activities and project status updates.
• Collect and maintain data on the Rebuild Program community engagement efforts and provide regular progress updates to Rebuild Leadership and key external partners
• Coordinate with PPR and FLP to support volunteer groups (e.g., Recreation Advisory Councils, Friends groups, etc.) at sites where Rebuild projects are taking place.
• Coordinate and schedule meetings with community members and other stakeholders.
• Coordinate and carry out outreach for Rebuild events, community meetings, etc.
• Represent Rebuild at various events, as needed
• Other duties as assigned

Education and Experience

• Completion of a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution
• A minimum of 7 years of relevant experience
• Multilingual (Spanish) preferred, not required
• Experience working with diverse populations, preferably in Philadelphia neighborhoods
• Experience with and knowledge of City government preferred
• Competent with Microsoft Office programs, and internet applications
• Demonstrated interest and engagement in parks, community development, youth programming, sustainability, athletics, or public administration

Competencies, Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Commitment to Rebuild Values – personal commitment to equity and inclusion, which are two values that run throughout the programmatic design, structure and implementation of Rebuild.
• Effective Communication – outstanding oral and written communications skills for various audiences, strong interpersonal skills and a track record of building effective relationships with people from diverse backgrounds.
• Adaptivity – ability to drive change in challenging and complex projects, and to be a self-starter with the flexibility to both work independently and as part of a team.
• Public Speaking – comfort with public speaking (e.g., community meetings), specifically in front of small, medium and large-sized groups.
• Attention to Detail and Organization – strong organization skills, careful about details, thorough in completing tasks, ability to meet deadlines, and persistent in pursuit of goals.
• Critical Thinking – the ability to use sound and accurate judgement and think creatively to resolve complex problems and the ability to multi-task under tight deadlines.
• Flexibility – the ability to operate in an “all-hands-on-deck” environment and an eagerness to contribute to the success of Rebuild, even when tasks may fall outside of core responsibilities.
• Collaborative – Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with internal and external stakeholders, such as other departments, partners and sponsors, the public, local, civic and business, and elected officials, and news organizations.

Other Requirements:

• Valid PA driver’s license and ability to travel locally
• Ability to work on nights and weekends, as needed

Salary Range: $75,000 - $95,000

Please submit a cover letter, resume and writing sample (limit to two pages) such as a public outreach plan, with your application. Applications without all documents will not be considered.

Did you know?

• We are a Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program qualified employer
• Employees are eligible for a 25% tuition discount program (and sometimes spouses and dependents as well) in partnership with area colleges and universities
• 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 

Successful candidate must be a city of Philadelphia resident within six months of hire

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

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