Community Engagement Manager

At Second Harvest Heartland, we believe our differences make us stronger. We draw strength from the unique experiences of each and every employee and our community. We aspire to foster an inclusive culture – in the way we interact with each other and in every area of our work. We commit to advancing equity to make Second Harvest Heartland a better place to work, to be a better partner and to inspire a community where equity is a driver to ultimately end hunger.

Join our Community Partnerships team as a Community Engagement Manager. SHH is developing new strategies for identifying communities with high need and low access to food resources. Once priority communities are identified, relationships must be cultivated with local government, nonprofit organizations and other community assets, and community members to understand the unique dynamics of each community and successfully establish new partnerships. This position will play a key role in the assessment and partnership cultivation of new areas within SHH’s service region, which includes 59 counties in Minnesota and southwestern Wisconsin.

Additionally, as communities experience changes in food resource availability, this position will lead engagement efforts with existing partners to determine the severity of the changes and provide recommendations for SHH supports and investments. As a representative of SHH, this position will liaise with a wide range of institutions that make up the hunger relief network, including government, religious, educational, and healthcare stakeholders.

Work Schedule:

Duties and Responsibilities:

External Relationship Cultivation and Management

• Foster a more interconnected network of community-based organizations by identifying, convening, and/or making connections among existing and prospective partners in the SHH service region.
• Cultivate authentic, honest, and trusting relationships with prospective partners and stakeholders in SHH’s current service region, in underserved geographic areas, and with demographic communities of interest.
• Research communities and facilitate convenings among current/prospective partners, stakeholders, and/or community members to develop robust understanding of community ecosystems, their needs, current and historical dynamics affecting the area, and SHH’s best strategic role in serving community members.
• Hold deep understanding of SHH in order to effectively represent SHH and provide leadership in inter/intra-agency collaborative working groups and task forces as needed.
• Support new partners through the formal Agency Partner Agreement process and provide a warm transition of the relationship to the Partner Relations team.

Strategic Priorities and Process Improvement

• Serve as technical expert and advisor in best practices related to community engagement and relationship-building, especially with historically marginalized, racialized, and otherwise underserved communities.
• Support continuous process improvement at SHH by identifying key opportunities and collaborating with SHH colleagues as the organization seeks to enhance the equitability and community-centricity of its processes.
• Establish internal workflows to connect community narratives with development, communications, and data management teams to increase the visibility of agency partner work and SHH’s body of knowledge of our service region.

• Capture learnings to develop several engagement models that could be replicated or consulted as new communities of interest emerge.

Must Have:

• Bi-lingual fluency in Spanish, Somali, Hmong, or other languages spoken in Minnesota’s immigrant communities.
• Highly organized, with demonstrated experience working collaboratively and independently towards timely completion of goals with low supervision.
• Deep understanding of DEIB principles, with demonstrated experience engaging effectively and productively with communities of all backgrounds.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with experience delivering presentations to stakeholders at different levels of authority and visibility.
• Formal facilitation training desirable but not required.
• Skilled with Microsoft office programs.
• Valid MN driver’s license, good driving record, current automobile insurance, and dependable transportation to conduct site visits and engagement events.

Our Values:

• We deliver.
• We lead with our hearts.
• We innovate.
• We are all in this together.
• We believe our differences make us stronger.

Starting Pay Rate: $60,000 – $67,000 annually USD / Dependent on Qualifications and Experience.

Second Harvest Heartland is an EEO/AA Employer.

Second Harvest Heartland believes no one should ever go hungry, as our region produces more than enough food for everyone. Helping hungry neighbors find their next meal—so they can thrive at work, in the classroom and in their communities—is what drives Second Harvest Heartland, its partners and supporters. Beyond feeding hungry neighbors, Second Harvest Heartland believes in the importance of our work to help sustain our environment.