CEJ Community Resource and Engagement Specialist

The Community Resource and Engagement Specialist at Colorado State University focuses on enhancing community capacity to address environmental and energy justice issues in Colorado. Responsibilities include delivering training programs, connecting communities with resources, managing administrative tasks, and building collaboration networks. The role requires strong communication skills and a proactive approach to community engagement. A bachelor's degree in a relevant field is required. The job is located in Fort Collins, CO.
About the position

The Community Resource and Engagement Specialist (CRES) at Colorado State University (CSU) plays a pivotal role in planning, delivering, coordinating, and evaluating technical assistance programs aimed at enhancing the capacity of individuals and organizations across Colorado to address environmental and energy justice issues, as well as clean energy priorities. This position is part of the Mountains and Plains Thriving Communities Collaborative (MaPTCC) and is funded through a cooperative agreement between the US EPA and Montana State University, with CSU's Center for Environmental Justice serving as a subawardee. The CRES will engage with local communities to co-create strategies that address challenges and facilitate access to funding and technical assistance, thereby building community capacity. The CRES will be responsible for delivering programming that enhances participants' skills in grantsmanship, project management, financial planning, and sustainability, as well as fostering social, civic, economic, and leadership capacities. This role requires strong communication skills to establish effective channels and networks among diverse stakeholders, including rural and underserved communities, governments, and non-profit organizations. The CRES will also be tasked with connecting communities with additional resources, including technical, legal, and scientific support, and will play a key role in building collaboration networks that address environmental justice challenges. In addition to programming, the CRES will manage administrative tasks such as scheduling meetings, tracking project data, and facilitating communication with project partners. The position requires a proactive approach to recruitment and communication, ensuring that program awareness is established among various clientele in Colorado. The CRES will also produce educational materials and capacity-building tools to benefit additional communities, sharing findings broadly to maximize impact.

Responsibilities
• Deliver programming that builds grantsmanship, project management, financial planning, and sustainability capacities among participants.
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• Assess environmental justice and energy justice needs with training leaders and program staff to determine program priorities.
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• Connect communities with technical, grant, legal, and scientific resources, including federal and foundation grants and pro bono legal support.
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• Build and support collaboration networks at local, regional, and statewide levels to address environmental justice challenges.
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• Schedule and facilitate meetings for communities and experts, managing travel and materials budgets for the role.
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• Track work in project databases, collecting data and feedback to monitor and evaluate outcome-based programs.
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• Establish relationships and build program awareness among a range of clientele in Colorado.
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• Connect frontline communities and under-resourced government agencies with volunteers for community-driven projects.
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• Produce webinars, training events, templates, and other capacity-building tools for community benefit.
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• Share findings formally and informally to maximize program impact.

Requirements
• Bachelor's degree in communication, political science, environmental justice, environmental science, human development and family studies, applied community development, community or natural resource economics, business, public policy, planning and/or administration, equity and social justice, or a closely related field, or equivalent professional experience.
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• Experience with technical writing, grantsmanship, and project management, preferably involving federal agencies.
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• Skills for group facilitation or teaching with adult learners.
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• Good communication skills with experience in establishing communication channels and networks.
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• Experience working with diverse stakeholders to collaborate on adaptive challenges.

Nice-to-haves
• Master's degree is preferred.
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• Demonstrated ability to develop, deliver, and evaluate educational programs.
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• Experience working directly with rural and underserved communities, governments, and community-based or non-profit organizations.
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• Bilingual and/or bicultural skills.
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• Strong public speaking and stakeholder engagement experience.

Benefits
• Robust benefits package including health insurance, retirement plans, and paid time off.
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• Collaborative atmosphere with a commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion.
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• Focus on work-life balance and professional development opportunities.