Engagement & Advocacy Coordinator

Community Energy Project; Portland (OR); On-site; USD 58,000 - 70,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Paid time off

Retirement plan

Job summary

Community Energy Project (CEP) is seeking an Engagement & Advocacy Coordinator to support community outreach, partnerships, communications, and advocacy initiatives.

This role spans Development & Communications and Advocacy teams, organizing outreach activities, maintaining partnerships, coordinating volunteers, and developing materials to elevate community voices and advance energy justice.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree plus 1–2 years of relevant experience; or 4+ years in lieu of degree.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate outreach events, community meetings, presentations, and tabling opportunities.
• Maintain partnerships and coordinate cross‑department outreach activities.
• Track outreach participation and outcomes; prepare reports.
• Coordinate volunteer recruitment, onboarding, scheduling, and events.
• Assist with grant prep by gathering data and materials.
• Draft and edit newsletters, blogs and social media content.
• Translate technical information into accessible content for advocacy materials.
• Plan and coordinate community listening sessions and gather perspectives to inform priorities.
• Support engagement in public comment periods, rate cases, legislative sessions and regulatory proceedings.
• Coordinate with advocacy partners and researchers on campaigns and outreach.

Skills

Writing and verbal communication

Event coordination

Project management

Organizational skills

Digital communications tools

Salesforce / CRM

Bicultural/bilingual (Spanish or other

Education

Bachelor's degree in Communications, Public Relations, Nonprofit Management, Political Science, Environmental Studies, or related field

Tools

Salesforce

Job description

APPLICATION DEADLINE : By Midnight on Friday, November 20th.

COMPENSATION

$64,085 per year. 1.0 FTE, exempt, paid sick and vacation; fully paid employee-only medical, dental, and vision insurance; and other benefits listed below.

POSITION SUMMARY

Community Energy Project (CEP) is seeking an Engagement & Advocacy Coordinator to support community outreach, partnerships, communications, and advocacy initiatives.

This position is shared equally between CEP's Development & Communications and Advocacy teams. The Coordinator will organize outreach activities, maintain community partnerships, coordinate volunteers, develop communications and educational materials, and support advocacy efforts that elevate community voices and advance energy justice.

The ideal candidate is an organized, collaborative communicator who enjoys connecting with people, building relationships, and managing projects that make a difference in the community.

ESSENTIAL RESPONSIBILITIES

Development, Communications & Community Engagement (50%)

Outreach & Partnership Coordination

• Coordinate outreach events, community meetings, presentations, and tabling opportunities to promote CEP's programs and services.
• Maintain community partnerships, coordinate outreach activities across departments, and manage event calendars, logistics, and follow-up.
• Track outreach participation, outcomes, and equitable reach; prepare reports and identify opportunities for improvement.
• Maintain outreach and partnership records using Salesforce and other tracking tools.

Volunteer Program Coordination

• Coordinate volunteer recruitment, onboarding, scheduling, communications, and collaboration with program staff.
• Organize and facilitate in-person volunteer days, including kit-building, workshops, administrative projects, and special events.
• Track volunteer participation and hours and prepare reports as needed.

Communications & Development Support

• Assist with grant preparation by gathering program data and supporting materials.
• Draft and edit newsletters, blogs, social media content, and other communications.
• Develop outreach materials and event resources in collaboration with the Communications team.
• Collect client stories, testimonials, photos, and program highlights to support organizational storytelling.
• Assist with fundraising communications, events, and donor engagement activities as needed.

Advocacy & Policy Engagement (50%)

Support CEP's advocacy and policy efforts focused on energy justice, housing stability, and climate resilience.

Advocacy Communications & Educational Materials

• Coordinate content for CEP's quarterly advocacy newsletter and draft blog articles highlighting policy priorities, activities, and emerging issues.
• Assist with fact sheets, briefing memos, comment letters, policy summaries, and other advocacy materials.
• Translate technical information into accessible public-facing content and support advocacy education campaigns.

Frontline Community Engagement

• Help plan and coordinate community listening sessions, including outreach, logistics, documentation, and reporting.
• Gather community perspectives through interviews, surveys, and storytelling initiatives to inform advocacy priorities.
• Support community mobilization and participation in public comment periods, utility rate cases, legislative sessions, and regulatory proceedings.

Advocacy Partnerships & Research

• Coordinate with advocacy partners and coalitions on shared initiatives, workshops, educational campaigns, and community engagement.
• Research public perceptions, community concerns, and emerging policy issues to support advocacy campaigns and communications.
• Identify public awareness and media engagement opportunities and track advocacy outreach activities and outcomes.

Other Duties

• Participate in team meetings and cross-departmental projects, maintain accurate records, and perform other duties as assigned.

QUALIFICATIONS, REQUIREMENTS, AND DESIRED ABILITIES

1. Bachelor's degree in Communications, Public Relations, Nonprofit Management, Political Science, Environmental Studies, or a related field, plus 1-2 years of relevant professional experience; or a minimum of 4 years of relevant professional experience in community outreach, communications, advocacy, volunteer coordination, or related work in lieu of a degree.
2. Strong writing, verbal communication, public speaking, and interpersonal skills, including the ability to communicate complex information clearly.
3. Experience coordinating events, managing projects, and building relationships with diverse community members and partner organizations.
4. Strong organizational skills, attention to detail, and ability to manage competing priorities and deadlines.
5. Experience with digital communications tools, Google Workspace, Microsoft Office, or similar platforms.
6. Experience with Salesforce or other CRM systems, data tracking, and reporting preferred.
7. Experience or interest in environmental justice, energy affordability, housing stability, adult education, or community organizing preferred.
8. Ability to develop culturally responsive materials and engage effectively with diverse communities.
9. Bicultural and/or bilingual abilities in Spanish, Chinese, Russian, Vietnamese, or another language spoken in the Portland metropolitan area strongly preferred.
10. Ability to work collaboratively across departments and independently as needed.
11. Availability to work occasional evenings and weekends for outreach events and community meetings.
12. Valid driver's license, satisfactory driving record, and access to a reliable vehicle for work-related travel.
13. Strong commitment to CEP's mission. Relevant lived experience is valued.

STATEMENT OF INCLUSION

Community Energy Project is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Community Energy Project values and operates by a policy of inclusion, providing equal opportunity to all persons regardless of their protected status, including race, color, creed, religion, sex, age, national origin, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, and/or any other class determined by law.

BENEFITS

CEP is proud to offer a robust benefits package that includes paying 100% of the monthly premium for employee-only health care coverage. CEP also contributes 3% of the employee's salary to their 403(b). We offer 10 days of vacation time per year, 12 days of sick time per year, 11 days of paid time off for nationally recognized holidays, as well as paid days between Christmas and New Year's Eve. Eight weeks paid sabbatical at six years.