Community Engagement Director

Wayne State University; Detroit (MI); On-site; USD 120,000 - 125,000; Full time

Job summary

Wayne State University in Detroit seeks a Community Engagement Director to lead city and regional engagement, build government relations, and coordinate partnerships with community leaders and alumni. You will work with GRACE, Alumni Affairs, and campus partners to align priorities with university goals and public engagement initiatives.

The role requires shaping strategies, tracking impact, and adapting to evolving needs across Detroit and Southeast Michigan.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required.
• Master's degree preferred in related field.
• Specialist with minimum 5 years of experience in community engagement or local government relations.

Responsibilities

• Develop and document a strategic community engagement plan for Wayne State University, collaborating with GRACE and others.
• Lead development and implementation of local and regional government relations across Detroit and Southeast Michigan.
• Cultivate and maintain relationships with local/regional officials, organizations, and alumni.
• Build, document, and track partnerships and programming with community leaders and stakeholders.
• Advise university leadership on community matters and coordinate sponsorship opportunities.

Skills

Collaboration

Communication

Organization

Policy understanding

Stakeholder management

Education

Bachelor's degree

Master's degree preferred

Job description

Community Engagement Director

Wayne State University is searching for an experienced CommunityEngagement Director at its Detroit campus location.

Wayne State is a premier, public, urban research university locatedin the heart of Detroit, Michigan where students from allbackgrounds are offered a rich, high-quality education. Ourdeep-rooted commitment to excellence, collaboration, integrity,diversity and inclusion creates exceptional educationalopportunities which prepare students for success in a globalsociety.

Essential Functions (job duties):

Job Purpose

The Community Engagement Director (CED) is responsible for WayneState University's (WSU) community engagement efforts acrossDetroit and Southeast Michigan, including campus stakeholderrelations and local and regional government relations. The rolebuilds and sustains relationships with city, county, and regionalofficials, and with community leaders, organizations, andstakeholders, in service of the university's institutionalpriorities and its role as an engaged anchor institution in theregion.

Reporting to the Chief of Government Relations and CommunityEngagement (GRACE), the CED develops and implements an integratedlocal government relations and community engagement strategy. Therole identifies opportunities for collaboration and publicinvestment with local and regional stakeholders, builds anddocuments community partnerships and programming, and representsthe university at civic and community events across the region. Therole proactively looks for ways to connect campus activities andstakeholders to opportunities in and around government andcommunity entities.

The CED works with the GRACE team and its goals to keep local,regional, state, and federal-level engagement aligned andstrategic, and may support other advocacy activities as needed. TheCED collaborates with Alumni Relations to engage alumni in advocacyand community leadership, works with UCAM and academic andadministrative units to coordinate engagement activities, and helpsestablish consistent practices for tracking and evaluating theimpact of community and government relations work across campus.The CED makes specific recommendations on WSU’s sponsorshipstrategy and execution of that strategy, and acts as a key partnerand implementer for sponsorship activities.

The specific mix of local government relations and communityengagement responsibilities may shift as the team grows. The CEDshould expect the scope of this role to evolve over time.

Essential Functions

Develop, document, and execute a strategic community engagementplan for Wayne State University, in collaboration with colleagueswithin GRACE and relevant entities across WSU. This documented planshould be flexible to grow and change over time, reflect themultiplicity of communities in the city and region, include dataand measures of success, and align with available resources forsponsorships, programming, and outreach. Track and measureactivities and outcomes.

Lead development and implementation of a local and regionalgovernment relations strategy for Wayne State University acrossDetroit and Southeast Michigan. Identify opportunities forcollaboration, partnership, and public investment with municipal,county, and regional stakeholders. Monitor and analyze locallegislative and regulatory developments affecting the universityand provide timely updates and recommendations to GRACEleadership.

Cultivate and maintain relationships, networks, and contacts withlocal and regional officials, their staff, and relatedorganizations and associations. Work in coordination with AlumniAffairs to identify and engage alumni and community leaders who cansupport university priorities in governmental and public policysettings.

Build, develop, document, and track mutually beneficialpartnerships, relationships, and programming with communityleaders, organizations, and alumni engaged in community leadershipacross Detroit and Southeast Michigan. Proactively look for andseek to create opportunities for Wayne State students, faculty,staff, and alumni to be engaged in community and local governmentinitiatives.

Work with partners on campus and in the community to develop,implement, and measure the impact of signature engagement programsand events. Support campus events involving elected officials andcommunity partners.

Advise university leadership on community matters whilecommunicating WSU priorities and decisions to communitystakeholders, helping to clarify institutional actions and addressmisunderstandings when they arise. As requested and led by thePresident or her/his designate, support the President's office oncommunity matters of importance to the President. Coordinatesponsorship opportunities on- and off-campus.

Perform other related duties as assigned. The scope of this rolemay evolve as GRACE's local government relations and communityengagement functions grow.

WORK CONTEXT

Job Reports to: Vice President/AVP/Dean.

Leadership Accountability: Develops strategic plans and interpretspolicy.

Financial Accountability: Monitors expenditures.

Customer Accountability: Interfaces with officials andexecutives.

Freedom to Act: Subject to general input from supervisor.

Qualifications:

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

Education

Bachelor's degree.

Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university inpublic administration, political science, urban planning,communications, or a related field. Master degree ispreferred.

Experience

Specialist (minimum 5 years of job-related experience).

Experience (5+ years) in community engagement, local governmentrelations, public policy, or a closely related field.

Experience in multiple settings (community organizations,government, higher education) preferred.

Management experience including, but not limited to, planning,development and implementation of programs/policies, contract orvendor management, and development and oversight of financialresources and budget planning.

Supervision of staff is not required at this time but could be inthe future, and management experience is helpful.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES

Collaborative and solutions-oriented approach with demonstratedability to work effectively across teams and stakeholder groups ina complex organizational environment. Ability to build and maintainproductive relationships while supporting shared institutionalgoals.

Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with the abilityto engage professionally with community leaders, governmentofficials, university leadership, faculty, staff, students, andexternal partners.

Strong organizational and coordination skills, including theability to manage multiple initiatives, follow through onpriorities, and support implementation of engagement activitiesaligned with institutional objectives and GRACE’s strategicgoals.

Ability to assess community and political dynamics, synthesizeinput from diverse stakeholders, and provide thoughtful, strategicguidance to support institutional decision-making.

General knowledge of issues facing higher education and familiaritywith civic and governmental environments preferred.

School/College/Division:

H37 - Governmental & Community Aff

Primary department:

H3701 - VP Gov and Community Affairs

Employment type:

• Regular Employee
• Job type: Full Time
• Job category: Staff/Administrative

Funding/salary information:

• Compensation type: Annual Salary
• Salary minimum: $120,000
• Salary hire maximum: $125,000

Working conditions:

Normal office environment. Some evening and weekend work isrequired. Travel required, primarily within Detroit and SoutheastMichigan.

Job openings:

• Number of openings: 1
• Reposted position: No

Background check requirements:

University policy requires certain persons who are offeredemployment to undergo a background check, including a criminalhistory check, before starting work. If you are offered employment,the university will inform you if a background check isrequired.