Community Engagement Facilitator

The University of Washington’s Institute for Neurodiversity and Employment has an outstanding opportunity for a Community Engagement Facilitator to join their team. 

 

About this Opportunity 

Reporting to the Director of the Institute for Neurodiversity and Employment (INE), the Community Engagement Facilitator is responsible for leading efforts to build, nurture, and sustain meaningful relationships with neurodivergent community advocates, families, community-based organizations, advocacy groups, employers, and public agencies. The position gathers feedback and input from community stakeholders to ensures INE’s programs, priorities, and applied research are informed by community voices and directly responsive to community-identified needs, while advancing the Institute’s mission to transform employment systems.  

This is a hybrid position with an expectation to work on-site at the UW Seattle campus at least three days per week; the remaining days may be worked remotely, with supervisor approval.  Occasional schedule flexibility is required to support evening or weekend school/university events, typically a few times per year. 

Applicants who are invited to a phone interview will be provided with a full detailed job description and details about our full selection process.  

 

Key Responsibilities 

Community Needs Assessment & Feedback Analysis (35%) 

• Design and manage inclusive input channels — surveys, listening sessions, co-design workshops, and advisory groups — to surface community needs and lived-experience insights. 

• Synthesize community-derived data into actionable recommendations that shape INE priorities and programs. 

Community Outreach Strategy & Coordination (25%) 

• Develop, implement, and evaluate annual community outreach and engagement plans, including partner roadmaps and statewide priorities. 

• Plan, manage, and execute all community outreach and engagement activities including community events and forums in alignment with INE’s mission, research pillars, and program goals. 

• Build and sustain trust-based relationships with neurodivergent individuals, families, employers, state agencies, and education partners. 

Advocacy & Feedback Integration (15%) 

• Advocate for community needs within INE decision-making and track implementation of recommendations, reporting outcomes to internal and external stakeholders. 

• Co-manage the Institute Advocate Advisory Board and Founding Employers Advisory Board; represent INE at community events, partner convenings, and public forums. 

• Identify access barriers, potential harms, or program misalignments and recommend changes to strengthen equity, accessibility, and trust. 

Program Curriculum Design & Integration (15%) 

• Translate research findings into practical, neurodiversity-affirming tools, curricula, and outreach materials in collaboration with researchers, practitioners, and communications staff. 

• Support evaluation cycles by defining success metrics, collecting data, and applying findings for continuous improvement. 

Additional Responsibilities (10%) 

• Contribute to internal planning, budgeting, and risk management for outreach initiatives.

• Participate in team meetings, iSchool and University events, and ongoing professional development to stay current on emerging trends and best practices.

 

Required Qualifications 

To be considered for this opportunity, your application must demonstrate you meet both the minimum qualifications and additional qualifications listed below. Equivalent education and/or experience may substitute for minimum qualifications except when there are legal requirements, such as a license, certification, and/or registration. 

 

Minimum Qualifications 

• Bachelor’s degree in management, social work, education, public affairs, disability studies, human services, or related field. 

• Minimum 2 years of progressively responsible experience in community outreach, program coordination, or related public engagement roles. 

• Applicants who do not meet these qualifications WILL NOT be forwarded to the Hiring Manager. 

Additional Qualifications 

• Demonstrated experience gathering, synthesizing, and integrating community feedback into program design. 

• Strong communication, facilitation, and relationship-building skills across diverse communities, including neurodivergent individuals. 

• Proficiency with collaboration tools and platforms (e.g., Microsoft Office, Google Workspace, Zoom, survey tools). 

• Demonstrated experience working in diverse populations.  

Preferred Qualifications 

• Master's degree in a relevant field. 

• Experience with neuroinclusion principles, accessibility practices, or disability justice frameworks. 

• Experience with inclusive education, workforce development, employer partnerships, or public-sector collaborations. 

• Evaluation experience (logic models, metrics, surveys) and basic data analysis for continuous improvement.  

Working Conditions 

• Occasional travel within the UW Seattle campus and partner sites across Washington state may be required.  

• Ability to attend, oversight set-up for, and manage events for extended periods of time may be required. 

• This position is funded by external grant support and differs from traditional University of Washington staff roles in that continued employment is contingent upon the availability of grant funding. The initial funding is expected to continue through August 2030, with the possibility of extension, subject to renewed or additional funding. Candidates should be aware that the duration and continuation of this role depend on successful grant renewals or the acquisition of alternative funding sources.   

 

Optional Supplemental Application Materials  

We know resumes don't tell the whole story. In place of a cover letter, we invite you to briefly respond (in 200-500 words or 5-10 bullets) to one or both prompts below in whatever format works best for you — paragraphs, bullets, or a mix of both.

1) How Your Skills Align With This Role: Imagine you’ve been in this role for 6 months and things are going well. What are you contributing and what skills are you using to make it happen?  Consider including a problem or task you’d be excited to take ownership of, and one real example from any area of your life that shows your contribution in action.

2) Context We Might Miss: Share anything you want us to understand that may not be clear from your resume.  This may be skills built through nontraditional paths, strengths that don't show up in job titles (e.g., deep focus, systems thinking, attention to detail), or anything else that speaks to your readiness for this role.  

About the Team  
The UW Institute for Neurodiversity and Employment (INE) is a new collaborative effort to bring together leading scholars and practitioners from various disciplines to build the capacity of the University of Washington, Washington State, and the nation to create meaningful employment opportunities and career experiences for neurodivergent people. We carry out our mission in collaboration with community leaders, employers, nonprofits, and foundations through translational research, applied professional education and training, community empowerment, advocacy, and leading the way as a neuroinclusive university and employer. The Institute champions the integration of studied workplace practices that support neurodiverse workers, prioritizing equity and accessibility for Institute staff, faculty, students, and guests.