(CASUAL) Community Engagement Program Specialist

University-of-Hawaii-System; Hilo (HI); On-site; USD 58,000 - 83,000; Full time

Job summary

University of Hawai'i at Hilo is seeking a Casual Hire Community Engagement Program Specialist in the Kipuka Native Hawaiian Center. The full-time temporary role focuses on developing and managing community engagement initiatives and paid internship programs for student development and career readiness.

The position supports SIP grant activities, builds partnerships with local organizations, and advances student learning through culturally responsive curricula and experiential opportunities.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree from an accredited four-year college or university with three or more years of professional experience in community engagement, partnerships, or related programming.
• Experience building and maintaining relationships with community-based and nonprofit organizations.
• Knowledge of Hawaii communities, local networks, and opportunities for student engagement.
• Experience designing place-based educational curricula, workshops, or training materials grounded in local values.
• Strong communication skills and proficiency with standard office software.

Responsibilities

• Develop and manage community engagement initiatives and partnerships aligned with SIP grant activities.
• Build collaborative relationships with community organizations, businesses, and educational institutions to expand student engagement and experiential learning.
• Lead the design and implementation of a paid internship program with partner agreements, placement, onboarding, and evaluation of student outcomes.
• Create culturally responsive, place-based curricula and workshops reflecting Hawaii’s values and knowledge systems.
• Coordinate with UH Hilo departments and community partners to identify student needs and strengthen academic-community connections for career readiness.
• Develop policies, procedures, and assessment tools to support program sustainability and grant compliance.
• Establish data reporting and tracking to drive program improvement.

Skills

Community engagement

Partnership development

Educational programming

Effective communication

Education

Bachelor's degree

Job description

(CASUAL) Community Engagement Program Specialist | University of Hawai'i page has loaded.

Full-Time Temporary

Job Number

2026-02278

University of Hawai'i at Hilo

Division

Student Affairs - Educational Assistance Center

10/23/2026

Closing Date

10/30/2026 11:59 PM Hawaii

Position Number:

2026-02278

Description

Applicants seeking short-term or part-time work with the University of Hawai'i may apply for Casual Hire positions, which include administrative, professional, and technical (APT) or instructional-type positions. Because of the temporary nature of these appointments, Casual Hire employees are not eligible for most benefits as provided to regular Board of Regents (BOR) and Civil Service employees (i.e. paid holidays/leave). Casual Hire appointments may last for up to 89 days for full-time employees, and up to 1 calendar year for part-time employees.

Title: (CASUAL) Community Engagement Program Specialist
Hiring Unit: Kipuka Native Hawaiian Center
Position: Casual Hire
Location: UH Hilo
Salary: $51.00/hour
Full-time/Part-time: Full-time (40 hours/week)
Temporary/Permanent: Temporary
Other Conditions: Casual Hire temporary appointment is expected to begin November 2026 or soon thereafter. Not to exceed 89 days.

Note: To ensure a consistent digital layout across third-party software platforms, Hawaiian language (kahako and okina) and other such diacritical marks have been omitted from this online posting. The University recognizes and respects the proper use of these markings in all official communications.

Duties

• Develop, implement, and manage community engagement initiatives and strategic partnerships that support Activity 3 of the SIP grant, aligning activities with UH Hilo student success priorities and institutional capacity-building goals.
• Build and sustain collaborative relationships with community organizations, businesses, and educational institutions to expand student engagement, experiential learning, and professional development.
• Lead the design, execution, and implementation of a comprehensive paid internship program in collaboration with the Kipuka Student Development Coordinator, including developing program frameworks, partner agreements, placement matching, onboarding, performance monitoring, and evaluating student performance, and learning outcomes.
• Create and facilitate, culturally responsive, place-based educational curricula, workshops, training materials, and community-engaged learning opportunities grounded in Hawaii's cultural values and community knowledge to support student learning, professional development, and career readiness.
• Work with the Kipuka Student Development Coordinator, UH Hilo departments, student support programs, and community partners to identify student needs, establish internship and experiential learning opportunities, and strengthen connections between academic learning, community engagement, and post‑graduation opportunities.
• Develop program policies, procedures, partnership resources, and assessment tools to support the implementation, evaluation, and sustainability of community engagement initiatives and paid internship opportunities.
• Establish policies, tracking systems, assessment tools, and data reporting to drive program improvement and grant compliance.
• Work in multiple work settings and maintain a variable work schedule as required.
• Other duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications

• Possession of a baccalaureate degree from an accredited four-year college or university and three (3) years of progressively responsible professional experience in community engagement, community-based organizations, partnership development, educational programming, or related fields; or any equivalent combination of education and professional work experience that provides the required education, knowledge, skills, and abilities.
• Demonstrated experience working with community-based organizations, nonprofit organizations, or other community-serving institutions, including developing, maintaining, and strengthening collaborative relationships and partnerships.
• Demonstrated working knowledge of community resources, organizations, and networks serving Hawaii, including the ability to identify opportunities for collaboration and connect students with community-based experiences and resources.
• Experience developing and implementing place-based educational curricula, workshops, training materials, and educational resources grounded in Hawaii's values, communities, and knowledge systems.
• Demonstrated knowledge of UH Hilo's student population, student support services, and campus resources.
• Demonstrated ability to communicate effectively. Proficiency in the use of personal computers and standard office software applications.

Required Documents

• Cover letter explaining how qualifications are met
• Current Resume
• Names and contact information (telephone number and email addresses) of at least three professional references
• Transcript(s) showing degrees and course work appropriate to the position (copies are acceptable; however, original official transcripts will be required prior to employment)

EEO

The University of Hawai'i is an Equal Opportunity Institution and is committed to a policy of nondiscrimination in employment, including on the basis of veteran and disability status. For more information, visit: https://www.hawaii.edu/offices/eeo/policies/

Employment is contingent on satisfying employment eligibility verification requirements of the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986; reference checks of previous employers; and for certain positions, criminal history record checks.

In accordance with the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act, annual campus crime statistics for the University of Hawai'i may be viewed at: https://www.hawaii.edu/titleix/help/campus-security/ , or a paper copy may be obtained upon request from the respective UH Campus Security or Administrative Services Office.

Accommodation Request: The University of Hawai'i complies with the provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Applicants requiring a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process should contact the EEO coordinator directly. Determination on requests for reasonable accommodation will be made on a case‑based basis. For further information, please refer to the following link: https://www.hawaii.edu/offices/eeo/accommodation-request/

Equal Opportunity Employer / Veterans / Disabled