Community Engagement Specialist

Job Title:    Community Engagement Specialist

Requisition ID: 1044

Compensation Range: $50,300 - $58,700

Department:  Audience & Community

Reports To:  Director of Marketing & Audience Engagement

Classification: Regular Full-Time

FLSA Status: Non-Exempt

Work Location:  Colchester, Vermont

Cellular Phone Reimbursement Eligible: Yes

Prepared Date: January 2026

Application Process: Please apply directly and include a resume and cover letter. Applications missing these materials will be considered incomplete and thus not reviewed.

Summary 

The Community Engagement Specialist plays a key role in connecting Vermont Public with communities across the region. As the public-facing representative of Vermont Public in communities statewide, the Community Engagement Specialist builds awareness of our programs and services, fosters welcoming and inclusive experiences, and helps ensure diverse audiences feel represented and connected to  our spaces and in public media — strengthening Vermont Public’s visibility, relevance, and relationships across Vermont.

The Community Engagement Specialist leads outreach efforts by representing Vermont Public at community and partner events, including identifying opportunities and events, designing engaging  on-site experiences, and developing event materials. The role also collaborates with internal teams to create and deliver interactive station tours for students and other community groups.

As a member of Vermont Public’s Audience & Community team, this position also supports Vermont Public–produced events and manages and curates the organization’s  online community calendar to  highlight events throughout the state. 

The role requires a strong interest in and knowledge of public media; excellent communication, organizational, and interpersonal skills, and comfort engaging with the public in face-to-face settings. Flexibility to work evenings and weekends is required. The role involves frequent travel throughout Vermont, with occasional travel to Canada.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities 

• Identify, evaluate, and select community events and engagement opportunities that align with Vermont Public’s mission and audience goals.

• Represent Vermont Public at community and partner events, ensuring a welcoming, professional, and mission-aligned presence.

• Plan and coordinate Vermont Public’s participation in co-presented events with community partners.

• Manage and curate Vermont Public’s online community calendar, including vetting submissions and developing featured listings or related content.

• Schedule, coordinate, and host interactive station tours and educational visits, working with internal teams and maintaining supporting materials.

• Collect, track, and report outreach metrics, insights, and outcomes to inform future engagement efforts.

• Provide on-site support for Vermont Public–produced events, including audience engagement and hospitality.

• Support fundraising and audience engagement initiatives as appropriate.

• Perform other duties as assigned to support Vermont Public’s mission and the goals of the Marketing & Audience Engagement team.

EXCELLENCE IN THIS ORGANIZATION 

• A high level of commitment and dedication to the mission of the organization and public media. 

• Ability to cultivate and develop inclusive and equitable working relationships with co-workers and audience, supporting and enhancing a culture of belonging.

• Preserving confidentiality appropriately.

• Serving as an excellent ambassador for the organization, both formally and informally. Helping audience and potential audience members, donors, and potential donors connect with the organization.

• Facilitating excellent communications across departments, among employees, and with the public. Fostering open and candid relationships with Vermont Public audience and donors. Managing conflict constructively.

• Demonstrating a commitment to the continuous improvement of the organization’s ability to fulfill its mission and vision.

• Demonstrating and encouraging creativity and enthusiasm for this work.

• Expressing consistent, high-performance expectations for themselves, their department, the leadership, and the organization itself.

• Developing a broad understanding of the organization’s departments, programs, and services to assist donors, collaborate effectively with peers, ensure respectful communication and teamwork among departments.

Supervisory Responsibilities: None

Position Requirements

Education and Experience

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent combination of education, training, and relevant experience. 

• Minimum of 5-7 years of relevant experience in community engagement, events, outreach, or related field. 

• Demonstrated ability to represent an organization professionally in public settings

• Strong verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to engage diverse audiences in person

• Excellent organizational and time-management skills, with the ability to manage multiple events and priorities

• Ability to work independently and collaboratively with internal teams and external partners

• Proficiency with standard digital tools, including email, calendars, spreadsheets, content management systems, and event or communication platforms

• Familiarity with tools such as Canva, Mailchimp, or similar design and email platforms

• Must have and maintain a valid driver’s license

• Must be able to travel throughout the state of Vermont and occasionally regionally New Hampshire/New York  to host and support community events, with reliable transportation to meet scheduled work assignments.

• Ability to travel to Canada as required for work purposes, including possession of or the ability to obtain and maintain a valid passport.

• Ability to safely drive for extended periods, including during evening hours and in varying weather conditions such as rain, snow, and winter driving conditions.

• Comfortable working outdoors in diverse environmental conditions, including heat, cold, rain, and snow, as some events are held outside year-round.

• Flexibility to work evenings and weekends as needed

Working Conditions

While performing the duties of this job, the employee must regularly talk, hear, and sit or stand. Working conditions may vary outside the office. Work is normally performed in both a climate-controlled office environment with moderate noise levels (computers, telephones, etc.) as well as other various environments including outdoor environments with moderate noise levels and occasional exposure to inclement weather conditions. No known environmental hazards are encountered in the normal performance of job duties. 

Physical Demands

Work involves standing, walking, driving, and sitting for extended periods of time, as well as bending, reaching, and light filing. The role requires the ability to work outdoors in varying environmental conditions, including heat, cold, rain, and snow. Position duties may involve lifting, carrying, and setting up event materials and equipment (e.g., boxes, signage, tables, and supplies) weighing up to 50 pounds, as well as performing physical tasks related to event setup and breakdown.

Work requires finger dexterity and hand-eye coordination to operate computer equipment at a moderate skill level, with potential for eyestrain from extended computer use. The position also requires the ability to safely operate a motor vehicle for extended periods of time, including during evening hours and in inclement weather conditions. Deadlines, peak workloads, and changing priorities may result in periods of increased stress.

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

Please note: This is not an all-encompassing statement of this position’s responsibilities. While it attempts to be comprehensive, new responsibilities may be assigned to this position at any time.

Vermont Public is a proud equal-opportunity employer. We work diligently to recruit a broad pool of candidates and to hire and promote qualified individuals whose personal experiences, characteristics, and talents reasonably reflect the diversity of the communities served by Vermont Public. Our equal employment opportunities apply to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation and training. We encourage applications from women, minority groups, veterans, and people with disabilities.

https://www.vermontpublic.org/careers-internships#community-engagement-specialist