Community Engagement Specialist

The Colorado Health Institute (CHI) seeks a dynamic and motivated Community Engagement Specialist to support our work to advance health policy in Colorado. The Community Engagement Specialist will be a vital member of CHI’s Research, Evaluation, and Consulting team. The Specialist will play a key role in building and deepening our community connections by engaging with partners to center diverse voices in our work. The candidate will be a bilingual (English and Spanish) individual with demonstrated experience in equitable community engagement.

CHI is an innovative and independent nonprofit research and consulting group. We believe that sound evidence and solid analysis lead to better health policy, and that better health policy leads to better health for all Coloradans. We answer Colorado’s most pressing health questions by providing consulting services, analysis, and expertise that inform policy, advance health, promote collaboration, and support better access to care for all Coloradans. We are committed to driving change on three pressing issues: climate and health, behavioral health, and integrating systems of care. CHI serves as a strategic advisor and consultant to the philanthropic community, state government agencies and elected officials, hospitals and health systems, local public health agencies, and local nonprofits. Our work is mission-driven and impact-oriented.

Our culture is team-based and highly collaborative. We work hard and take our commitment to the community and our clients seriously, and we balance that with “nerdy fun.”

Responsibilities

• Build trust and strengthen relationships with community organizations and partners, cultivating new and existing partnerships and addressing improvements to working together, including implementing equitable best practices.
• Coordinate CHI’s engagement activities to minimize stakeholder burden and maximize efficiency and effectiveness in partnership with other CHI team members, including identifying opportunities to engage in existing community meetings and forums.
• Support community engagement activities to inform CHI’s strategic initiatives and consulting work through responsibilities such as:
  • Facilitating meetings in person and virtually in both English and Spanish;
  • Managing community partner engagement and communication via regular email and phone updates;
  • Developing, or assisting in the development of, and implementing accessible, community-focused quantitative and qualitative data collection activities;
  • Writing or translating succinct outreach and communications materials that are accessible and culturally relevant to a variety of audiences in both English and Spanish; and
  • Coordinating community-wide forums and activities within the metro Denver region, although some statewide travel may be required.
• Inform decisions around CHI’s approach to equitable community engagement.
• Lead colleagues in developing, implementing, and expanding their skills, knowledge, and abilities with equitable community engagement.
• Develop content expertise in health and equity topics, including by:
  • Representing CHI through sharing relevant research and takeaways with external stakeholders and media, as needed; and
  • Keeping abreast of developments in policy and program areas in Colorado and nationally.

• Support business development activities, including cultivating relationships with existing clients and funders and identifying new opportunities.

Requirements

Competitive candidates will have demonstrated:

• Knowledge of grassroots community engagement and/or organizing, with a preference given for those who have worked in Colorado.
• Experience working with diverse communities, including with multiple generations and across ethnic and racial backgrounds.
• Demonstrated fluency in Spanish.
• Experience with group facilitation.
• Exceptional written communication skills, including the ability to translate complex ideas into clear, easy-to-understand concepts.
• Public speaking and presentation skills, including experience presenting complicated subject matter to non-expert audiences.
• An understanding of health policy and a passion for equity and community engagement.• A high level of self-direction and self-management and demonstrated ability to think critically and strategically.
• Ability to work collaboratively with CHI staff, clients, and stakeholders while leading activities independently.
• CHI is currently operating in a hybrid environment, with three days per week in the office.

Experience and Education

• At least three years of relevant work experience.