Director of Community Engagement

Northside Economic Opportunity Network; Minneapolis (MN); On-site; USD 80,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

PTO 18 days

Health, dental, vision insurance

HSA funded by NEON

Retirement plan with 6% match

Job summary

Northside Economic Opportunity Network (NEON) seeks a Director of Community Engagement to lead client and volunteer acquisition, orientation, and retention strategies within the Community Engagement division. The role collaborates with Marketing and Development to engage the broader North Minneapolis community in NEON programs and to orient clients and volunteers to NEON's offerings.

The ideal candidate has a bachelor's degree in business or equivalent experience, strong interpersonal and

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in a business-related field or equivalent experience.
• Experience working in diverse environments with clients from varying economic backgrounds.
• Demonstrated experience working with BIPOC communities and in community engagement.

Responsibilities

• Lead client and volunteer acquisition and orientation, coordinating with Business Development.
• Engage community through marketing tools and events in NEON programs.
• Submit reports monthly, quarterly, and annually per funder guidelines.
• Collaborate with Directors to evaluate member acquisition strategies and NEON Spaces events.
• Document program outcomes and ensure accurate data entry in agency systems.

Skills

Interpersonal skills

Organizational skills

Communication skills

Volunteer engagement

Data entry

Education

Bachelor's degree in business-related field

Tools

Microsoft Office

Databases

Job description

The Northside Economic Opportunity Network’s (NEON) mission is to build wealth for low-to-moderate-income entrepreneurs in North Minneapolis and surrounding communities. Our vision is to transform North Minneapolis and the surrounding area into a prosperous, visible, sustainable, and highly diverse multi-cultural community of entrepreneurs. We work with individuals at various stages of entrepreneurship - from "information seekers" to existing business entities, providing a roadmap to start, grow and thrive as scalable businesses.

Why You’ll Love Working Here

NEON promotes economic equity by identifying business ownership as a path toward income generation and long-term asset building. NEON will increase work to start, support, sustain, and expand the number of culturally diverse businesses owned and operated in North Minneapolis. We strive for the best customer service in the world, relentless pursuit of excellence, and respect for the individual. Working with our team provides an opportunity to utilize our collective power to improve and expand programs for the benefit of the North Minneapolis community where entrepreneurs can start, grow and thrive.

Wages

$80,000 - $90,000 annual salary range, depending on qualifications and level of experience

NEON is proud to offer an incredibly robust benefits package to employees:

• Generous Paid Time Off (PTO) starting at 18 days per year
• 10 paid holidays, 2 floating holidays and a seasonal paid office closure for a week at the end of each year
• 100% employer-paid health, dental, and vision insurance for employees and their families
• Health Savings Account (HSA) fully funded by NEON for individual or family coverage
• NEON pays for basic life insurance with the option for additional employee-paid coverage
• NEON also pays for Accidental Death and Dismemberment (AD&D) and long-term disability insurance
• NEON sponsors a retirement plan with a 6% employer match and immediate vesting.

Because NEON is a member with Metropolitan Alliance of Connected Communities (MACC) who partners with St. Mary’s University, NEON employees and their spouses are also eligible for the following benefits at St. Mary’s University:

• Discounted tuition for Bachelor’s, Master’s, and Doctorate programs
• Access to advancement (internships, job placement, field practice)

Job Summary

NEON is hiring a Director of Community Engagement to lead their client and volunteer acquisition, as well as retention strategies under the Community Engagement division. In collaboration with the Director of Marketing and Communication, the position is directly responsible for utilizing effective marketing and communication tools to engage the broader North Minneapolis community in NEON programs and orient potential clients and volunteers to NEON's program and service offerings.

Responsibilities:

• Utilize NEON's marketing and communication tools in partnership with the Director of Marketing and Communication to engage the community in NEON programs.
• Participate in and attend high- and low-level community events and opportunities designed to develop effective outreach strategies for NEON (including in-person press, radio, television, etc.).
• Lead multi-level processes related to client and volunteer acquisition and orientation, directing individuals toward NEON in-take and hand-off processes to the Business Development team.
• Create a community engagement survey of community members and businesses.
• Submit monthly, quarterly, and annual reports per agency and funder guidelines.
• Work closely and collaboratively with the Director of Development, Director of Marketing and Communication, and NEON Spaces to create and implement an evaluation strategy for member acquisition.
• Curate NEON-sponsored events to increase member participation within NEON Spaces.
• Coordinate and facilitate events with community partners to promote, support, and recognize local businesses.
• Act as a direct point of contact for sponsorship inquiries while engaging and informing the community of ongoing sponsorships throughout the year (NEON events, marketplaces, etc.).
• Document program outcomes and ensure accurate data entry within agency systems as required.
• Lead volunteer recruitment and activation strategy (onboard, train, direct).
• Act as point of contact with corporate volunteer partners to complete "matchmaking" tactics aligned with NEON's direct volunteer needs.

What You Bring

• A bachelor's degree in a business-related field and/or an equivalent combination of work, entrepreneur, and educational experience.
• Experience working in diverse environments with clients of varying economic backgrounds.
• Demonstrated experience working in or with the BIPOC community.
• Experience with participant and volunteer engagement.
• Excellent interpersonal skills with the ability to build and maintain relationships with a diverse group of stakeholders.
• Strong organizational and communication skills.
• The ability to manage time effectively and manage multiple priorities.
• Strong training, consulting, and presentation skills.
• The ability to work effectively both independently and in a team environment.
• Excellent customer service and problem-solving skills.
• Demonstrated computer proficiency, including experience using databases, Microsoft Office applications, and other software systems for data entry, documentation, reporting, and communication.
• An understanding of and experience in developing measurable results.
• The ability to be creative and flexible in responding to changing priorities and emerging needs.
• A valid driver's license, access to reliable transportation, and the ability to meet NEON's driving record requirements. Please note that if the license was not issued in the state of Minnesota, you have 60 days after becoming a Minnesota resident in which to apply for your Minnesota driver's license or permit.

Photography and Videography Participation:

As a condition of employment or engagement with NEON, staff members may be photographed or recorded in the course of their work. This includes but is not limited to:

• Professional headshots for NEON’s website, reports, or internal directories
• Candid or posed images during events, programs, or community engagements
• Interviews or feature segments for media, promotional videos, or social media

These images and recordings will be used solely to support NEON’s mission and enhance public awareness of our work.

Diversity and open expression are fundamental to the work of NEON. We are passionate about building and sustaining an inclusive and equitable working environment where everyone can belong. Every member of our team enriches our work by exposing us to a broad range of ways to understand and engage with the world, identify challenges, and to discover, design, and deliver solutions. We welcome everyone to apply, especially those individuals who are underrepresented in our sector: individuals who identify as BIPOC, Indigenous or people of culture, LGBTQI+ and gender fluid or gender nonconforming, individuals with disabilities (both seen and unseen), veterans, people of any age or family status. We encourage you to apply even if you feel like you don't fit 100% of the technical requirements. Equal Opportunity Employer: All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, creed, ancestry, religion, national origin, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, familial status, disability, age, marital status, membership or activity in a local human rights commission, status with regard to public assistance, criminal history (justice-impacted status), housing or homelessness status, height, or weight.

Our organization has a partnership with Metropolitan Alliance of Connected Communities (MACC) to provide administrative services including management of the hiring process. If you apply for this position, you may see references to MACC in some online materials.

Equal Opportunity Employer
This employer is required to notify all applicants of their rights pursuant to federal employment laws.For further information, please review the Know Your Rights notice from the Department of Labor.