Director, Community Engagement

Specialty Food Association; United States; Remote; USD 130,000 - 135,000; Full time

Job summary

An established industry player is on the lookout for a Director of Community Engagement to spearhead initiatives that connect suppliers, retailers, and investors in the specialty food sector. This role involves strategic planning, event management, and program development to enhance member engagement and visibility in the food and beverage industry. The ideal candidate will possess strong project management skills, a knack for building relationships, and a passion for community building. If you're ready to make a significant impact in a dynamic environment, this opportunity is perfect for you.

Benefits

Medical Insurance

Vision Insurance

401(k)

Disability Insurance

Qualifications

• 5-8+ years of experience in community engagement or events.
• Strong project management skills and ability to implement initiatives.

Responsibilities

• Lead community engagement strategy and manage member events.
• Forge relationships with alliance groups and drive member acquisition.

Skills

Community Engagement

Project Management

Event Planning

Data Analysis

Microsoft Office

Education

Bachelor's Degree

Tools

Microsoft Office Products

Job description

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Specialty Food Association provided pay range

This range is provided by Specialty Food Association. Your actual pay will be based on your skills and experience — talk with your recruiter to learn more.

Base pay range

$130,000.00/yr - $135,000.00/yr

Direct message the job poster from Specialty Food Association

Manager, Talent & Culture at Specialty Food Association

Position Summary:

The Specialty Food Association (SFA) is seeking a Director, Community Engagement to join our Membership Team to execute a community engagement strategy and develop well-utilized initiatives year-round, both in-person and virtually. The incumbent will build relationships with alliance and community partners, identify SFA member and broader specialty food industry community needs, and execute events and initiatives to address those needs. They serve as a central point of contact for alliance organizations, various SFA member segments, and work closely internally with multiple departments within the organization to execute on opportunities. This individual should be goal-oriented, a strong project manager, able to work independently and as a team player that can maintain positive relations inside and outside the organization.

Overall Position Goals:

• Strengthen SFA’s membership and broader community of suppliers, retailers, and investors and elevate the SFA’s perception as a year-round connector and community-builder in the specialty food industry.
• Support membership growth and revenue diversification via event attendance through development of powerful engagement initiatives.
• Increase visibility for the SFA within the wider food and beverage industry through event partnerships and community-building activities.
• Utilize data to drive community engagement strategy and to deliver KPIs that inform ongoing strategy

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Planning & Execution:

• Lead the development of SFA’s in-person and virtual community engagement strategy aligned with organizational goals.
• Build and manage a nationwide calendar of member events, including member meetups outside of tradeshows, co-hosted events will alliance partners, and other opportunities.
• Oversee event logistics from planning to execution, for both small-scale and large-format gatherings.
• Develop and implement KPIs for all engagement initiatives; measure, analyze, and refine based on performance.

Program Development:

• Identify community needs through research and member insights; design programs to foster connection and value based on data-driven needs.
• Launch and moderate virtual engagement platforms (forums, communities, etc.).
• Oversee and execute SFA’s Exchange Group program, introducing opportunities to scale and grow program.

Tradeshow & Event Integration:

• Manage community touchpoints at tradeshows, including New Member Events, community engagement events and in-person Exchange Group meetings.
• Collaborate across departments (e.g., Education, Marketing, Sales) to align programming with broader strategic goals.
• Serve as primary contact for alliance organizations collaborating on engagement or education efforts.

Community & Industry Outreach:

• Forge and maintain relationships with alliance groups, advisory boards, and niche industry segments (e.g., shared kitchens, farmers markets, investors).
• Drive member acquisition and retention through high-impact networking and content-focused events.
• Maintains industry knowledge of hot topics and food industry issues to engage forum participants and spread knowledge within the SFA membership.
• Raise awareness of needs that warrant additional member benefit development based on insights from community engagement strategy to better serve the SFA community.

Operational Oversight:

• Develop and manage program budgets; ensure execution within scope and resources.
• Provide leads to Sales and Member Services based on engagement program participation.
• Partner with the Director of Education to develop educational programs for appropriate events and align alliance relationships with educational priorities.
• Increase awareness of and participation in community initiatives in partnership with the Marketing team.

Position Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent professional experience.
• 5-8+ years of progressive experience in community engagement, events, or member programs preferably in an association or food related industry.
• Strong project management skills with ability to implement and scale new initiatives and operationalize new concepts.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office Products including Outlook, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. Technology savvy.
• Previous association experience, or equivalent food industry experience, preferred.
• Existing relationships in the food industry is a strong plus.

Physical Demands & Work Environment:

The Association is headquartered in an office building in NYC, though the workforce is primarily home- based. This position is primarily remote but will require your presence in the office at various times as well as at our two annual trade shows. Regardless of location, job demands may require long periods of sitting; telephone work and/or computer work, aswell as interactions with other staff members, external vendors and SFA external constituents. Travel requirements up to 40% travel within the U.S and abroad for industry events andfor team and department meetings. Occasional lifting of heavy boxes up to 40 pounds may be required, particularly around events.

Seniority level

• Seniority level

  Director

Employment type

• Employment type

  Full-time

Job function

• Job function

  Education and Customer Service

• Industries

  Food and Beverage Services

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Inferred from the description for this job

Medical insurance

Vision insurance

401(k)

Disability insurance

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