Community Engagement Specialist

Job Title: Community Engagement Specialist  

Classification: Full-Time, Exempt 

Salary Range: $75,000 – $90,000 

Reports to: Community Development and Policy Officer 

Location: San Ysidro, CA 

Casa Familiar (Casa) was founded in 1973 and is a 501(c)(3) community-based organization dedicated to serving residents in South San Diego County and specifically the border community of San Ysidro. 

Casa Familiar’s mission is to enhance quality of life for low-income individuals and families through advocacy, social services, education, affordable housing, arts and culture, and community and economic development. Casa’s values are RESPECT, INTEGRITY, FAMILIA, CULTURE, AND COMMUNITY. 

Casa seeks to employ individuals that perform all assignments with a positive “can-do” attitude while demonstrating organizational values. Ideal employees have a strong desire to support Casa Familiar’s mission and the community we serve. 

Position Summary 

The Community Engagement Specialist plays a key role in ensuring that Casa Familiar’s community development initiatives — including affordable housing, community land trust projects, and neighborhood planning — are grounded in authentic resident participation. 

This position facilitates collaboration between technical project teams, community members, and partner organizations. The ideal candidate is a relationship-builder, communicator, and creative organizer who thrives at the intersection of design, policy, and people. 

Key Responsibilities 

Community Engagement & Outreach 

• Design and implement engagement strategies for community development projects such as affordable housing, environmental justice, and community ownership projects. 
• Organize and facilitate community meetings, workshops, and visioning sessions. 
• Conduct culturally competent outreach in English and Spanish to ensure diverse resident participation. 
• Develop accessible materials (flyers, social media content, summaries, visuals) for meetings and outreach. 
• Document and communicate community input to inform project design and decision-making. 

Community Development Coordination 

• Support Officers and Project Managers with engagement timelines, logistics, and data collection. 
• Bridge communication between residents, design teams, and public agencies to ensure community voice shapes outcomes. 
• Coordinate with Casa Familiar departments to align outreach and storytelling with broader organizational goals. 
• Assist with grant compliance documentation, reporting, and evaluation of engagement outcomes. 

Creative Facilitation  

• Serve as a connector between environmental justice, art, culture, and community development — integrating creative approaches into public engagement. 
• Work with promotoras, youth, artists, design teams, and cultural practitioners to design participatory engagement experiences. 
• Identify opportunities to celebrate community identity and heritage through development projects. 
•  Facilitate interactive public events and storytelling activities that elevate community vision and ownership. 

Project & Administrative Support 

• Support planning and execution of community meetings, open houses, and neighborhood events. 
• Track project milestones and prepare updates or presentations for internal and external partners. 
• Maintain organized records of engagement materials, surveys, and outcomes. 
• Assist with other community development and affordable housing initiatives as needed. 
• Prepare and track grant invoicing, grant drawdowns, tracking and reporting on project budgets and deliverables across funding streams. 
• Help identify new funding sources and cultivate relationships with local governments, foundations, and community stakeholders. 

Organizational Collaboration & Public Events 

• Participate in outreach activities, door-to-door campaigns, and community events. 
• Attending weekend and evening events as needed to support agency initiatives. 
• Assist with planning groundbreakings, grand openings, and press or media engagement. 
• This position requires frequent engagement and collaboration with executive leadership and officers. 
• Other duties as assigned 

Qualifications 

• 2–5 years of experience in community engagement, planning, or related fields. 
• Some experience with community-based development, affordable housing, or environmental justice

preferred. 

• Experience working with government agencies, funders, and culturally diverse communities. 
• Understanding community organizing principles and participatory design. 
• Strong project management, facilitation, and problem-solving skills. 
• Exposure to financial modeling, budgets, and public/private funding programs preferred. 
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills; ability to connect with diverse residents and

partners. 

• Bilingual fluent English/Spanish required, a test to demonstrate proficiency may be requested. 
• Comfortable facilitating meetings and workshops in both languages. 
• Ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously with attention to detail. 
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint), online databases, and project management

tools. 

• Familiarity with the San Ysidro community is highly desirable. 

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION 

This position requires sitting at a desk or workstation, walking, standing, climbing stairs, hearing, speaking, being able to lift up to 25 lb., and being able to drive to the bank and do other errands pertaining to organizational operations. A background check is required. In compliance with federal law, all persons hired will be required to verify identity and eligibility to work in the United States and to complete the required employment eligibility verification document form upon hire. This is a full-time, exempt position with occasional work responsibilities on weekends and/or evenings depending on the season calendar. 

Casa Familiar is an equal employment opportunity employer. Casa does not and shall not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local laws. 

BENEFITS SUMMARY: 

• Medical, dental, vision, and life insurance 
• 403(b) Retirement – Casa contributes 3% of your annual income. 
• Vacation, Sick hours, Bereavement, Wellness days, Jury Duty.