Neighbor Engagement Specialist

Mobile Loaves & Fishes; Austin (TX); On-site; USD 35,000 - 50,000; Full time

Job summary

A social outreach organization in Austin is seeking a Neighbor Engagement Specialist to coordinate community engagement events and support volunteer training. The ideal candidate will possess strong organizational and communication skills, along with a commitment to serving individuals experiencing homelessness. This full-time role requires flexibility in hours and offers a meaningful opportunity to foster relationships within the community.

Benefits

Generous Paid Time Off

Matching 401(k) Retirement Plan

Professional Development Opportunities

Qualifications

• Commitment to serving those who have experienced homelessness.
• Previous experience with individuals facing health challenges.
• Experience in community engagement is preferred.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate Neighbor Engagement Events with the Volunteer Team.
• Develop and present trainings to volunteers.
• Support the Neighbor Leader Program.

Skills

Organizational skills

Communication skills

Customer service

Problem-solving

Interpersonal skills

Teamwork

Tools

Microsoft Suite

Canva

Job description

Job Description

Neighbor Engagement Specialist

About Mobile Loaves & Fishes

Mobile Loaves & Fishes (MLF) is a social outreach ministry that has been empowering communities into a lifestyle of service with the homeless since 1998. Founded in Austin, Texas, the organization serves its homeless neighbors through three core programs: Truck Ministry, Community First! Village, and Community Works. Often referred to as the most talked about neighborhood in Austin, Community First! Village is a 51-acre master planned development that provides affordable, permanent housing and a supportive community for men and women coming out of chronic homelessness. We are now embarking on a new phase of community expansion, adding more than 1400 new neighbors over the next 5-10 years.

About the Role

The Neighbor Engagement Specialist is an integral part of the Neighbor Care team. The primary role of the Neighbor Engagement Specialist is to develop and coordinate opportunities for neighbors, volunteers, Missionals, partners and donors to engage in community together. The Neighbor Engagement Specialist will collaborate with Mobile Loaves & Fishes' (MLF) vast network of community members to create community building activities dedicated to the physical, mental, social and spiritual well‑being of our neighbors. Along with the Neighbor Care Team, they will foster a welcoming environment, where everyone is invited to settle, cultivate, and care for themselves and others.

This is a full‑time, non‑exempt position reporting to the Neighbor Engagement Manager. Due to the nature and requirements of the position, hours are flexible to fit needs but typically include 9 am - 5 pm Monday-Friday. The Neighbor Engagement Specialist will office at Community First! Village located at 9301 Hog Eye Road, Austin, TX 78724.

Duties & Responsibilities

Event Coordination and Development

• Orchestrate the coordination and scheduling of Neighbor Engagement Events, in collaboration with the Volunteer Team
• Monitor the Neighbor Engagement Inbox, ensuring clear and hospitable responses to internal and external stakeholders within 48 hours of receipt
• Develop and coordinate creative events that are not already established in our menu of volunteer activities
• Collaborate with the Volunteer Team to harness volunteers' creativity and customize unique engagement opportunities to best fit each volunteer group
• Collaborate with the Supportive Services Specialist to schedule and engage neighbors in programmatic events like healthcare classes, food security resources, and financial literacy classes
• Collaborate with the Village Life Steward to coordinate and schedule spiritually focused events
• Lead coordination of quarterly Town Hall Meetings

Volunteer Stewardship and Training

• Steward relationships with Event Volunteer Leads by building rapport, gathering feedback and implementing volunteer appreciation
• Develop and present trainings to empower volunteers with information about engaging relationally with neighbors
• Equip volunteers with support and resources to run community events without staff presence

Neighbor Leaders

• Support the growth of the Neighbor Leader Program by developing leadership trainings, planning team building activities and providing admin support
• Innovate opportunities and incentives for neighbors to volunteer and spread Goodness in our community
• Gather feedback from neighbors about Neighbor Engagement Events to inform the way we expand and improve opportunities for community engagement

General

• Support the NE team in hosting daytime, weekday events as needed
• Support coverage of the Living Room
• Hire Neighbor Contractors to support the work of NE team
• Fulfill the duties of Space Steward for the Goodness Library and Hair Salon
• Attend regularly scheduled All Staff and Neighbor Care Team meetings
• Support MLF and Neighbor Care team in achieving our goals
• Assist Neighbor Care leadership and other departments as needed
• Other duties & responsibilities as needed

Knowledge, Skills, Abilities & Principles

• MLF is a faith‑based organization whose ideals and philosophy come directly from the Gospel of Jesus Christ. As an organization, we strive to reflect this precept in our communications, both internally and externally.
• Commitment to serving those who have experienced homelessness and personal alignment with MLF's vision, mission, core values, and goals.
• Previous experience working with individuals facing physical or mental health challenges, substance use, or the effects of long‑term trauma
• Proven professional experience in community engagement
• Strong organizational skills; detail‑oriented
• Excellent written and oral communication skills; excels at synthesizing information to make it clear and easily understandable
• Excellent customer service and interpersonal skills; ability to build relationships with staff, neighbors, and volunteers by maintaining a cheerful and helpful spirit
• Experience developing and/or presenting trainings is preferred
• Demonstrates patience, compassion, and professionalism; able to work joyfully with diverse populations
• Demonstrates integrity and strives for excellence in her/his work
• Strong aptitude for problem‑solving; self‑motivated
• A collaborative spirit; comfortable working individually as well as part of a team
• Ability to work under pressure and manage multiple projects in a fast‑paced environment
• Flexible and adaptable; able to navigate change and develop alternative plans as needed
• Skilled in Microsoft Suite and Canva
• Must have a valid driver's license

Work Environment & Physical Demands

• Ability to move about all Community First! Villages phases
• Ability to work in an office setting

Benefits

• Generous Paid Time Off & Holiday Pay
• Matching 401(k) Retirement Plan
• Corporate Discount Program
• Professional Development Opportunities
• Employee Assistance Program
• Paid Parental Leave
• Wellness Partnership Benefits

MLF PURPOSE / VISION

We empower communities into a lifestyle of service with the homeless.

MLF MISSION

We provide food and clothing, cultivate community, and promote dignity to our homeless brothers and sisters in need.

GOALS

• Transform the way people view the stereotype of those who find themselves homeless
• Reconnect the homeless to self, family and community
• Help the chronically homeless rediscover and utilize their God‑given talents to do purposeful work
• Connect human to human, heart to heart through the fellowship of food and hospitality
• Inspire people into a lifestyle of abundance by giving their best first

BELIEF STATEMENTS

The vision is supported by belief statements centered on our belief that homelessness is the result of a profound, catastrophic loss of family:

• God, infinitely perfect and blessed in himself, in a plan of sheer goodness freely created man to make him share in his own blessed life
• By virtue of being created by God in His image, we are all called to live in community and relationship with Him through each other
• The family is the original cell of social life
• You shall love your neighbor as yourself
• All members of the human family are equal in dignity
• The Lord God took the man and settled him in the Garden of Eden to cultivate and care for it. Gen 2:15

CORE VALUES

MLF is committed to fostering a culture that prioritizes relational connection. We believe there is opportunity in every aspect of our work to be relational in a highly transactional world. In this culture, transactions are means to relational ends, not the other way around.

This begins with the countercultural love poured out by Jesus Christ and grows as imperfect individuals strive to show this love to each other human‑to‑human, heart‑to‑heart.

Each individual's openness to the journey of their own personal growth is essential in building our relational culture, and we believe this culture flourishes as we each continuously strive to more fully embody these four core values:

• Faith: We define Faith as the foundational belief that our world and all our work belong to God. This allows us to engage our work with joy and light‑heartedness, knowing that we are not ultimately in control.
• Humility: We define Humility as rightly viewing oneself as a single piece of an ever‑greater story. This humility leads to a view of oneself that is neither too high nor too low.
• Generous Spirit: We define a Generous Spirit as a readiness to give more grace, mercy, and hospitality than is necessary or expected. This posture allows us to see others for who they are, not what they do.
• Integrity: We define Integrity as a wholehearted commitment to doing right by God, ourselves, and others. This wholeheartedness shows itself in consistently choosing honesty, responsibility and ownership in all actions and decisions.

This job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change, or new ones may be assigned at any time with or without notice.

MLF is committed to creating a diverse environment and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. Personnel are chosen based on ability without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, genetics, disability, marital status, or sexual orientation in accordance with federal and state law.