Community Engagement Associate, Recruitment – Baltimore

Reading Partners is changing the education landscape. We are a leader in working to solve the literacy crisis in our country by leveraging community volunteers in under-resourced schools. Our diverse and expansive volunteer base provides one-on-one tutoring to students twice weekly, and our program is proven to help children master the reading fundamentals they need to unlock their potential as successful, happy, and confident readers in school and in life. Our people are our heartbeat and our greatest resource; we are all passionately rallied around our mission to help children become lifelong learners by empowering communities to provide individualized instruction that truly works. Join our stellar, committed team leading the charge to deepen our impact and expand our service. Watch this video to learn more about the mission and core tutoring work of Reading Partners.

The high level: 

The Community Engagement Associate (CEA) of Recruitment is part of an energetic team of leaders working together to leverage Reading Partners’ mission in the community. The Community Engagement Associate is a member of the Community Engagement Team, relationship builders, who identify and recruit high-quality, reliable and diverse volunteers to become Reading Partners tutors. The Community Engagement Associate’s main role is to implement and support key volunteer and AmeriCorps recruitment strategies including community engagement partnership development and overall community outreach. 

Reporting directly to the Community Engagement Director (CED), the Community Engagement Associate collaborates internally with staff and AmeriCorps members and externally with new and existing community partners to increase our brand awareness and sustainably expand the Reading Partners Baltimore volunteer community annually with diverse, dedicated tutors. This role works closely alongside the community engagement manager of operations and senior communications manager, as well as across departments to support all external relations team outcomes including volunteer onboarding, brand awareness, and the overall volunteer experience. 

What you’ll do: 

Each year, work collaboratively with volunteers and internal team members to contribute to the region’s success in reaching or exceeding volunteer recruitment goals.

• Lead the implementation and project management for direct community outreach efforts that generate new volunteer leads and convert leads to weekly volunteer tutors. 
  • Role model organization standards as a brand ambassador in the community, from facilitating engaging tutor orientations or information sessions to representing Reading Partners at community events. 
  • Collaborate with the community engagement team to design and implement trainings for the regional AmeriCorps members to also serve as brand ambassadors for Reading Partners’ in various settings. 
  • Through close attention to detail and fidelity, maintain excellent volunteer and partnership records through the Salesforce database. 
• Manage a diverse portfolio of new and existing community partners to meet and support student enrollment goals, including: 
  • contributing to efforts that generate new volunteer leads and convert leads to weekly volunteer tutors 
  • create year over year sustainable retention growth for both partners and tutors tied to partnerships through ongoing cultivation and stewardship ○ encourage deepened engagement from existing and new partners across organizational opportunities (including donations, promotion, etc.). 
• Provide excellent customer service to Reading Partners volunteers during recruitment, onboarding and engagement activities, ensuring 95% volunteer satisfaction rate in interactions with Reading Partners staff while signing up to tutor.

Other duties as assigned. 

How you’ll do it: 

Relationship Development & Communication: 

• Quickly develop positive relationships with internal teammates, volunteers, and community partners. Demonstrate an ability to effectively communicate with a variety of folks, and manage a portfolio of community partners and volunteers. Ability to remain positive and goal-oriented in the face of competition for time and resources.

Project Management: 

• Demonstrate a strong ability to balance multiple competing daily priorities. Demonstrate an ability to prioritize, and take action accordingly. Consider all stakeholders and implications in projects that are cross-functional. Demonstrate an ability to rally a variety of folks together to meet a goal. 

Innovative Thinking: 

• Demonstrate an ability to create processes and systems to streamline volunteer management in the region. Demonstrate a high level of comfort with ambiguity, and an ability to create order. Demonstrate an aptitude for framing problems as opportunities, and always pushing to further streamline. 

About you! 

You’ll be successful in this role if you: 

• Have up to 2 years of experience in volunteer management or engagement, marketing, client management, community organizing or similar field
• Possess a natural ability and passion for connecting people to resources, and resources to people! 
• Have experience working with diverse communities 
• Boast a deep belief in our mission 
• Root your work in our core values 
• Have experience in volunteer management 
• Are flexible and adaptable to manage a fluid and ambiguous schedule
• Access to reliable transportation to travel within Baltimore City 
• Have strong public speaking skills excellent written communication 
• Strong attention to detail and experience managing large amounts of data
• Have excellent computer and database skills
• Have flexibility and adaptability in work style and work schedule, including some night and weekend time 
• Can prove eligibility to work in the US legally
• A Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent experience 

Bonus points if you: 

• Are an AmeriCorps, Peace Corps, or other national service alum/alumna
• Have experience working in launch or growth phases of organizations 
• Experience with Salesforce is a plus

At Reading Partners we respect and honor the diversity in our workforce, and we are an Equal Opportunity Employer.