Neighborhood Outreach Manager

New hires typically receive compensation between minimum and midpoint of the salary range, with potential for slightly higher based on experience, internal equity, and market.

About the role

The Neighborhood Outreach Manager will focus on public outreach to Bellevue’s neighborhoods and diverse communities, producing citywide classes and events to promote civic engagement, community collaboration, and partnerships. This position manages, develops, coordinates, and implements neighborhood programming and citywide events important to residents, businesses, news media, and the city. Responsibilities include oversight of programming and outreach initiatives aimed at deepening civic engagement from Bellevue’s diverse communities and improving city responsiveness to emerging neighborhood concerns.

Ideal candidates will demonstrate aptitude working directly with multicultural and multilingual communities, experience in public outreach and engagement, co-creation and program management, community collaboration, and a vision to provide pathways for civic engagement in a diverse and changing community. The Neighborhood Outreach Manager supervises the Neighborhood Outreach team and reports to the Assistant Director for Neighborhood Services, a division of the Community Development Department.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic planning and direction for citywide community outreach and neighborhood programming, collaborating across departments to achieve city goals and objectives.
• Oversee annual and seasonal programming, supporting city outreach initiatives as needed. Programs include, but are not limited to, NeighborLink, Jubilee in the Community, Cultural Conversations, Neighborhood Enhancement Program, Keep Bellevue Beautiful, Bellevue Essentials, Experience Bellevue, Neighborhood Walks, Neighborhood Forums, and Neighborhood News.
• Manage the Neighborhood Outreach team, providing neighborhood programs that build social and organizational capacity in Bellevue neighborhoods.
• Supervise staff and coordinate complex outreach events, including event strategies, logistics, marketing, financial accountability, staff and volunteer scheduling, and evaluation of event goals and outcomes.
• Develop public engagement strategies to ensure transparency and broaden public input in city decision-making.
• Plan and implement new projects and approaches to community involvement and neighborhood service delivery as part of the Neighborhood Services Division.
• Provide leadership and assist team members with programs, projects, and events, overseeing programming budgets.
• Create citywide educational conferences and events that educate, inspire, and connect Bellevue’s community to city initiatives, services, and current issues.
• Oversee neighborhood liaisons, providing a key point of contact and communication for residents, neighborhood associations, and community groups.
• Integrate guiding principles of equity, access, inclusion, belonging, and cultural competence into city outreach events and programming.
• Assist and provide training for neighborhood leaders in forming new community associations, developing and implementing programs that enhance neighborhood character.
• Ensure effective two-way communication with neighborhood leaders and residents to address emerging neighborhood concerns.
• Track performance measures for Neighborhood Outreach engagement and programming to measure effectiveness, innovating and adapting to improve outcomes.
• Develop in-person, virtual, and hybrid events, class curriculums, communication and marketing materials, and provide exceptional direct customer service.
• Develop new programs and refine existing programs to enhance the city's communication and rapport with community members and neighborhoods.
• Support additional public engagement strategies and implementation for citywide initiatives to ensure transparency and broaden public input in city decision-making.
• Create communication program materials, maintain websites, manage distribution lists, newsletters, reports, and presentations relating to program development.
• Communicate, advise, and collaborate with city staff regarding neighborhood issues.
• Prepare and deliver presentations to Council, city leadership, neighborhood, community, and decision-making groups.
• Utilize modern outreach tools, including online surveys, social media, voting platforms, and mobile and online public engagement tools.

Qualifications

• Graduation from an accredited four-year college or university with a degree in a relevant field such as nonprofit management, political science, or public administration.
• Five or more years of professional experience in public outreach, community organizing, or providing direct customer service with diverse communities.
• Five or more years of progressively responsible related experience in program management, preferably in the public sector.
• Or any equivalent combination of education, experience, and training that provides the required knowledge, skills, and abilities.
• Multilingual skills preferred.

Skills

• Strong public outreach skills and knowledge of the principles and practices of group process, community organizing, and public participation that broadens participation for a diverse community.
• Supervisory or management experience, establishing effective working relationships with direct reports and maximizing their strengths and aspirations.
• Resourcefulness and adaptability to meet changing and emerging community needs.
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively to identify gaps and problem-solve for equitable and effective service.
• Demonstrated leadership to address complexity and ambiguity and operate with a high level of autonomy.
• Strategic planning for community outreach and public engagement.
• Vision for new ways of addressing evolving and unexpected challenges.
• Astute political acumen and ability to understand and anticipate the relationship between community priorities and citywide initiatives.
• Community experience working with diverse populations.
• Collaborative skills required for citywide initiatives and community partnerships.
• Ability to innovate and adapt programming and prior program management experience.
• Knowledge of organizational development best practices, strong analytical and decision-making skills.
• Ability to build strong cross-functional teams.
• Adept at listening, public speaking, facilitation, and community presentations.
• Ability to respond to urgent and sensitive information with discretion and accountability.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective partnerships with stakeholders, community organizations, neighborhood groups, business leaders, city departments, governmental jurisdictions, regional partnership agencies, and media.
• Exemplifies good judgment in prioritizing work assignments.
• Adept at producing accurate written materials, reports, and program updates for the community, city leadership, and Bellevue City Council.
• Contributes to Bellevue's One City culture and values of Sharing Leadership, Communicating and Collaborating Widely, Engaging and Empowering Employees, Encouraging Innovation, and Keeping a Short- and Long-term vision.
• Core competencies include building networks, interpersonal savvy, optimizing work processes, communicating effectively, organizational savvy, valuing differences, and understanding cultural competence.
• Sense of humor and humility to remember role in public service.

Schedule

• Work is performed both at City Hall with a considerable number of meetings outside the office environment.
• Travel to and from meetings at various local locations.
• Attend evening and weekend meetings and events as required.
• Hybrid work schedule available after an orientation period working in the office post-hire; remote work subject to department's operational needs.
• Full-time remote work is not an available option.
• Once hired, employees must reside in the State of Washington and within reasonable commuting distance to Bellevue City Hall.