Community & Engagement Specialist

Community & Engagement Specialist

Salary

$29.96 Hourly

Location

700 Lavaca Street, Austin, TX

Job Type

Temporary

Remote Employment

Flexible/Hybrid

Job Number

27-10985

Department

Planning And Budget

Opening Date

10/26/2026

Closing Date

Continuous

• Description
• Benefits
• Questions

Job Summary

Economic Development and Strategic Investments is seeking three temporary community engagement specialists to assist with two neighborhood socioeconomic surveys in western Travis County for a Texas Water Development Board program. These temporary positions will pair with permanent staff to conduct the survey using a variety of modalities including door-to-door, public meetings and/or telephone calls. Interested candidates must be available for flexible work hours during late October through mid-December, including nights and weekends, and have reliable transportation.

The Community Engagement Specialist acts as the primary contact with Travis County residents to promote, support, and integrate community involvement into County governance. Creates and maintains strong relationships with disproportionately impacted communities, individuals, local agencies, and organizations in Travis County. Participates in the development and review of County projects, programs, policies, and initiatives. Develops and executes strategies for gathering and analyzing qualitative and quantitative data from the community about various County projects, programs, policies, and initiatives. Advocates for changes to better represent community voice.

DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS:

This job classification falls within the Professional Support job family. This classification requires minimal supervision, exercises independent judgement and initiative, and requires managing complex projects and community relationships. This classification will require a flexible work schedule to meet the needs of the department including a mix of traditional daytime office hours, some nights, and weekends.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Develops strong relationships with disproportionately impacted communities and individuals, local agencies, and organizations in Travis County.
• Participates in the planning, development, implementation, and monitoring of community engagement strategies, plans and programs.
• Prepares and conducts presentations to community groups, local agencies and organizations, the Commissioners Court, policy makers and other stakeholders.
• Represents the County by serving on or participating in task forces, working groups, committees, advisory groups, emergency functions, and neighborhood groups.
• Participates in or attends meetings, seminars, and conferences that provide community engagement opportunities to further EDSI's work on equitable, diverse and inclusive economic development.
• Responds to inquiries and complaints about projects, program goals and policies with empathy and respect.
• Regularly partners with individuals, departments, community representatives or groups, and other outside agencies to obtain information, conduct assessments, identify needs, and ensure effectiveness and consistency of community engagement strategies. Ensures project phases are implemented according to timelines.
• Prepares written summaries, documents, infographics, and statistical and other reports. Presents conclusions and recommendations before the public, Elected Officials, and Commissioners Court.
• Performs project and program effectiveness evaluation using performance measures, such as goals accomplished and timetables by selecting appropriate data collection methods, techniques and procedures.
• Maintains customer relationship management databases and reporting systems.
• Performs other job-related duties as assigned.

Minimum Requirements

Education and Experience:

Bachelors degree in Planning, Communications, Public Relations, Public Policy/Administration, Government, Sociology, Social Work, or a directly related field AND four (4) years increasingly responsible experience with community engagement, public affairs/community relations/outreach, and/or communications or related field;

OR,

Any combination of education and work, volunteer and/or lived experience that has been achieved and is equivalent to the stated education and experience and required knowledge, skills, and abilities sufficient to successfully perform the duties and responsibilities of this job.

Licenses, Registrations, Certifications, or Special Requirements:

None required.

Preferred:

Fluent in Spanish.

Customer service or client facing experience

Lived experience with racial, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, and/or disability inequity. Demonstrates cultural competence with disproportionately impacted groups or protected classes as defined by the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended.

Able to work evenings and weekends for a 4 - 6 week period

Reliable transportation

Knowledge of:

• Community engagement principles and techniques.
• Tools to de-escalate difficult situations with empathy, respect, and control.
• Public relations and promotional methods.
• Public administration and governmental agencies.
• Neighborhood and community organizations and local agencies.
• Event coordination, production, planning procedures and techniques.
• Functions, policies and procedures, principles, practices, and techniques of countywide operations.
• Computer equipment to include word processing, spreadsheets, databases, presentation/ graphics, and related software applications.
• Business letter writing, grammar and punctuation, and report preparation.

Skill in:

• Active listening and conflict resolution.
• Leadership, collaboration, and negotiation techniques.
• Culturally appropriate verbal and written communication.
• Community engagement.
• Program development, planning, monitoring, and evaluation.
• Conducting education and training sessions and public speaking presentations.
• Problem-solving and decision-making.

Ability to:

• Work in highly visible position with comfort and grace.
• Manage highly sensitive issues while subject to public scrutiny.
• Respond to criticism and negative feedback professionally and diplomatically with great empathy.
• Establish and maintain effective working relationships with County employees and officials, representatives of outside agencies, and the public.
• Manage time well, multitask, and organize diverse activities.
• Coordinate, plan, and prioritize programs, projects, and activities.
• Work calmly, effectively, and decisively.
• Make effective presentations before various audiences.
• Interpret program and policy objectives to groups and the public.
• Maintain appropriate records.
• Apply knowledge to data, policy, and process analysis.
• Reach sound conclusions and make recommendations.
• Communicate and interact effectively with a wide variety of stakeholders, including elected officials, other County departments, local and state agencies, private organizations, special interest groups, and the general public.

Work Environment & Other Information

Physical requirements include the ability to lift/carry up to 10-50 pounds occasionally, visual acuity, speech and hearing, hand and eye coordination and manual dexterity necessary to operate a computer and office equipment. Subject to standing, sitting, walking, climbing stairs, crawling, bending, stooping, crouching, kneeling, pushing, pulling, reaching, twisting, balancing, occasional indoor/outdoor activities, repetitive motion, client/customer contact, and squatting to perform the essential functions. Some driving may be required for community meetings and events. May be subject to contact with dust and exposure to extreme temperature/weather change including wet and/or humidity weather.

Must be able to telework or work from a central office location as assigned.

Travis County employees play an important role in business continuity. As such, employees can be assigned to business continuity efforts outside of normal job functions.

Work Hours: 8 am - 5 pm, Monday-Friday.

Location: 700 Lavaca St Suite 1560 Austin TX 78701

Department: Planning And Budget

Criminal, Driving, Education, and Employment Background Checks Required.

For updates or questions on this position, contact:

This job description is intended to be generic in nature. It is not necessarily an exhaustive list of all duties and responsibilities. The essential duties, functions and responsibilities and overtime eligibility may vary based on the specific tasks assigned to the position.

Benefits

Employment at Travis County comes with a full array of benefits. We offer comprehensive health insurance, a no-cost, on-site Health and Wellness clinic, longevity pay, paid vacations, sick time and personal holidays, not to mention an industry competitive salary structure and a friendly, stable work environment.

FY2027 Travis County Benefit Guide

In this valuable Travis County Benefits Guide you will find benefit summaries, eligibility requirements, costs, contact numbers and addresses as well as other general information on the benefits available to Travis County Employees and Retirees.

Credit Union

Employees may join the Travis County Credit Union which offers low-interest loans, savings plans through payroll deduction, safe deposit boxes and other benefits.

Deferred Compensation

Employees may enroll in a tax- free sheltered investment plan through payroll deduction.

Direct Deposit

Employees may sign up for direct bank deposit.

Employee Assistance Program

Travis County provides a confidential counseling and referral service free of charge to county employees and their family.

Employee Organizations

Membership in the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees Union is available through payroll deduction.

Employee Health & Wellness Clinic

Employees may access the clinic for a variety of wellness program and health care services with no co-pay, no deductible and no co-insurance costs.

Holidays

An average of eleven paid holidays are designated by the Travis County Commissioners Court at the beginning of each fiscal year.

Insurance

Employees may select from four plans: an Exclusive Physician Organization (EPO), Choice Plus Preferred Physician Organization (PPO), Consumer Choice or a High Deductible Health Plan (HDHP) with a Health Savings Account (HSA). All four options include a Pharmacy Plan. Travis County's current policy is to pay 100% of the employee's health insurance premium for the Consumer Choice and HDHP. Employees will pay a premium for both the EPO and PPO. Other insurance benefits include $50,000 Basic Life and AD&D paid by the County.

The following benefits are employee paid:

• Dental
• Vision
• Supplemental Life, AD&D
• Dependent Life
• Short Term Disability
• Long Term Disability
• Long Term Care

New employees are covered on the first day of the month following 28 calendar days of employment.

Longevity

Longevity pay is paid for each year completed after three years of continuous service. Peace Officers in a law enforcement activity, whose job requires state peace officer certification, receive pay after one year of certification.

On the regular payday on or after the employees fourth and subsequent adjusted service dates, he or she receives a single payment for the previous year.

Parking

A limited number of assigned parking spaces are available to employees in the Courthouse Complex.

Personal Holidays

Regular, full-time employees are eligible for up to three paid personal holidays each calendar year. Part-time employees shall be granted personal holidays on a prorated basis. New employees earn personal holidays for the calendar year in which he/she begins employment, based on the month in which employment begins:

January - March

3 personal holidays

April - June

2 personal holidays

July - September

1 personal holiday

October - December

None

New employees are eligible to take personal holidays after 90 days of employment.

Retirement

Travis County is a member of the Texas County & District Retirement System with mandatory participation by certain classes of employees. Seven percent (7%) of the gross salary is deducted each pay period. An employee is fully vested after eight years of service. Benefits are prorated for part-time employees.

Sick Leave

Regular employees earn sick leave at a rate of eight hours per month with unlimited accrual during employment. Part-time employees earn sick leave on a pro-rated basis.

Parental Leave

Each Full-time Paid Parental Leave Eligible (PPL) Employee is entitled to a total of 320 hours of Paid Parental Leave in a 12 month period. Paid Parental Leave for Part-time PPL Eligible Employees is prorated based on the number of hours that they are regularly scheduled to work.

Tuition Refund

Certain classes of full-time employees may receive reimbursement for fees associated with pre-approved, job related course work completed satisfactorily.

Vacation

Based on years of county service, regular, full-time employees earn vacation time at the following rates:

0 to 5 years

4.0 hours per pay period

6 to 10 years

4.5 hours per pay period

11 to 15 years

5.0 hours per pay period

16 to 20 years

5.5 hours per pay period

21 plus years

6.0 hours per pay period

Part-time employees earn vacation leave on a pro-rated basis.

Workers Compensation

The county provides all employees workers compensation coverage with benefits in accordance with state statute, if the employee sustains an injury out of, or in the course of work.

01

Are you fluent in English and Spanish?

• Yes
• No

02

Do you have reliable transportation?

• Yes
• No

03

Are you available to work evenings and weekends?

• Yes
• No

04

Please describe any community engagement, customer service or other direct client-facing experience you have.

Required Question

Employer Travis County

Address 700 Lavaca Street

Austin, Texas, 78701

Website https://www.traviscountytx.gov/human-resources/jobs