Community Engagement Specialist

BUILD inc; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 45,000 - 65,000; Full time

Job summary

BUILD, Inc. in Chicago’s Humboldt Park seeks a Community Engagement Specialist to build trust-based relationships with residents and partners, lead the CREW group, and develop a proactive, community-driven safety plan aligned with neighborhood priorities.

You will support outreach programs, recruit and train volunteers, and participate in civic engagement activities while working a flexible schedule including evenings and weekends.

Qualifications

• Minimum of 1 year in community engagement, outreach, violence prevention, or related field.
• Reliable transportation required.
• Familiarity with Humboldt Park or similar Chicago neighborhoods preferred.
• Able to work flexible hours including evenings and weekends.
• Ability to work independently and in a team with strong organizational skills.
• Experience with Restorative Justice and Peace Circles is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Develop and drive a community safety plan for Humboldt Park via CREW leadership.
• Lead monthly CREW meetings with local organizations and residents.
• Coordinate services to prevent resource duplication and fill coverage gaps.
• Engage residents in restorative discussions and collaborative projects.
• Support community events, surveys, and outreach initiatives.
• Represent BUILD in meetings, coalitions, and public forums.

Skills

Community engagement

Outreach

Violence prevention

Community organizing

Program coordination

Restorative Justice

Peace Circles

Event planning

Job description

Description

BUILD, Inc. (Broader Urban Involvement and Leadership Development) is presently seeking a committed, self-motivated, and innovative individual to join our team. BUILD is a nationally respected gang intervention, violence prevention, and youth development organization based on Chicago’s West Side. Since 1969, BUILD has worked to save lives and mentor young people who live in the city’s most challenged neighborhoods. When you work at BUILD you make an important difference to the thousands of youth and families we serve.

Our Core Values

Empathy, Passion, Persistence and Innovation.

The Community Engagement Specialist plays a critical role within BUILD’s Community Engagement Department, working out of a central location in Humboldt Park to build deep, trust-based relationships with the residents, organizations, and stakeholders of the neighborhood. This position handles developing and driving a community safety plan for Humboldt Park through the establishment and leadership of the Community Response and Engagement Workgroup (CREW).CREW will bring together local organizations, service providers, and residents regularly to share updates, analyze trends in violence, coordinate targeted interventions, and align resources so that safety efforts in Humboldt Park are proactive, collaborative, and rooted in what the community itself identifies as its priorities.

Beyond the safety planning work, the Community Engagement Specialist will encourage residents to become more civically and socially engaged in their neighborhood, helping cultivate a welcoming environment where community members can take part in restorative discussions, activities, and collaborative projects that strengthen peace and well-being across Humboldt Park. This role is instrumental to creating and sustaining BUILD’s strong public presence in the community, and reports directly to the Manager of Community Engagement.

Key Responsibility Areas

• Safety Plan Development & CREW Leadership
• Lead the development of a comprehensive community safety plan for Humboldt Park, working from the organization’s central location in the neighborhood.
• Establish and facilitate monthly CREW meetings, convening community stakeholders, service providers, and residents.
• Coordinate services across participating organizations to prevent duplication of resources and close gaps in coverage, rather than overlapping existing efforts.
• Set clear objectives for the safety plan, track progress against them, and engage stakeholders throughout the planning process to ensure the plan reflects the true needs and priorities of the community.
• Establish a structured timeline for plan development, with defined milestones for stakeholder input, draft review cycles, and finalization.
• Analyze trends in neighborhood violence using data and stakeholder input, and translate those findings into coordinated, targeted intervention strategies.
• Maintain accurate documentation of CREW meetings, decisions, and action items, and report progress to the Manager of Community Engagement.

Community Engagement Programming

• Contribute to and support Community Engagement programs and activities, including but not limited to Access to Justice (A2J), Community Family Nights, Hoops on the Block, and other initiatives.
• Assist in developing and executing community outreach initiatives and departmental programs that align with BUILD’s mission.
• Collaborate across departments to plan and support community events and activities throughout Humboldt Park.
• Conduct door-to-door canvassing to promote BUILD events and initiatives throughout targeted areas.
• Recruit, train, and lead volunteer teams to ensure outreach initiatives run smoothly and successfully.
• Assist in designing and administering community surveys to measure public opinion on Community Engagement initiatives and inform future programming.
• Represent BUILD in community meetings, coalitions, and public forums, gathering insight on emerging needs and trends and reporting findings back to the department.
• Maintain a robust, up-to-date calendar of ongoing training requirements for self and, where applicable, CREW participants and volunteers.
• Other duties as assigned

Requirements

• Minimum of 1 year of experience in community engagement, outreach, violence prevention, community organizing, program coordination, or a related field.
• Must have reliable transportation
• Familiarity with Humboldt Park or comparable Chicago neighborhoods strongly preferred.
• Able to work flexible hours, evenings, and weekends.
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team.
• Knowledge of community engagement initiatives and objectives.
• Knowledge of Restorative Justice practices and experience leading Peace Circles.
• Ability to work in a fast-paced and deadline-driven environment.
• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail.
• Ability to multitask and prioritize tasks.
• Ability to create and execute ideas.
• Exhibit a welcoming, hospitable attitude toward co-workers, youth, partners, and community members.
• Enjoys working with people from all backgrounds.
• Experience in event planning and execution.
• Flexible and adaptable to the organization’s changing needs.

Physical Requirements:

This position requires a combination of office, community-based, and field work. The employee must be able to:

• Sit, stand, walk, and move throughout the community for extended periods.
• Travel locally throughout Humboldt Park and surrounding areas to attend meetings, events, outreach activities, and community engagements.
• Conduct door-to-door canvassing, including walking several blocks and navigating stairs when necessary.
• Communicate effectively in person, by phone, and in group settings.
• Operate standard office equipment, including computers, tablets, and smartphones.
• Occasionally lift and carry outreach materials, supplies, and equipment weighing up to 25 pounds.
• Work occasional evenings and weekends to support community meetings, events, and programs.

BUILD, Inc., does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, citizenship, ethnic or national origin, age, disability, medical status, military status, veteran status, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, genetic information, ancestry, or any legally protected status. This policy applies to all employment practices within our organization, including hiring, recruiting, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, leave of absence, compensation, benefits and training.

American with Disabilities Act (ADA) Statement

External and internal applicants, as well as position incumbents who become disabled, must be able to perform the essential job specific functions (listed within each job responsibility) either unaided or with the assistance of a reasonable accommodation to be determined by the organization on a case-by-case basis.

This organization reserves the right to revise or change job duties and responsibilities as the need arises. This job description does not constitute a written or implied contract of employment.