Field-Based Community Engagement Fellow — NYC Block Safety

Research Foundation of The City University of New York; New York (NY); On-site; USD 80,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

RFCUNY is seeking five Community Engagement Fellows to join ISLG and OCS in New York City. Fellows will act as the primary bridge between City residents and government agencies, spending most time in communities to implement block-level safety initiatives and engage residents directly.

The role includes structured learning and a pathway to deeper engagement in NYC's public safety ecosystem. Applicants should have extensive experience in community work and strong facilitation and communication

Qualifications

• At least seven years of experience in community organizing, engagement, outreach, or a related field, OR a bachelor’s degree in a relevant field plus five years of relevant work experience.
• Demonstrated ability to build and sustain trusted relationships with diverse community members, community-based organizations, government, and nonprofit partners.
• Strong facilitation skills and experience leading community meetings, working groups, or resident engagement processes and driving toward clear, actionable outcomes.
• Excellent organizational and project management skills, including the ability to manage multiple workstreams simultaneously, meet tight deadlines, and maintain organized documentation.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to engage effectively with residents, community partners, and government agencies.
• Commitment to equity-centered and community-led participatory approaches to public safety and neighborhood wellbeing.
• Ability to work a flexible schedule, including occasional evenings and weekends, to accommodate community events and resident engagement activities.

Responsibilities

• Build and sustain trusted, long-term relationships with residents, community leaders, natural supporters, local businesses, and other stakeholders on assigned blocks.
• Conduct initial resident engagement on each assigned block, introducing the program model, identifying community strengths and challenges, and cultivating relationships with residents, informal block connectors, and natural supporters.
• Facilitate biweekly block huddles with residents and community leaders, managing scheduling, note-taking, action item tracking, and follow-up to promote accountability.
• Attend and represent the City’s programming at community events, precinct council meetings, community board and block association meetings, and other relevant convenings.
• Facilitate ongoing community outreach and resident engagement to raise awareness of program activities and support collective problem identification and problem solving.
• Assist in developing and maintaining community engagement protocols for each block, with clear strategies, benchmarks and outcomes.
• Contribute to the development and refinement of program protocols, tools, and materials based on field experience and lessons learned.
• Coordinate CPTED safety walkthroughs on assigned blocks with residents and partners, documenting findings and priorities.
• Support residents in identifying, designing, and implementing block-level action plans.
• Monitor and track implementation progress across program components.
• Complete activity logs, produce implementation reports, and ensure data collection aligns with protocols.
• Collaborate with ISLG research and policy teams to inform learning and reporting.
• Attend and participate in Fellowship activities and peer learning sessions.

Skills

Facilitation skills

Organizational skills

Written communication

Verbal communication

Time management

Flexibility

Spanish language

Education

Bachelor's degree preferred

High school diploma required

Job description

RFCUNY is seeking five Community Engagement Fellows to join ISLG and OCS in New York City. Fellows will act as the primary bridge between City residents and government agencies, spending most time in communities to implement block-level safety initiatives and engage residents directly.

The role includes structured learning and a pathway to deeper engagement in NYC's public safety ecosystem. Applicants should have extensive experience in community work and strong facilitation and communication