Regional Community Engagement Coordinator

DSHS is committed to hiring skilled and dedicated individuals who share a passion for public health to pursue our vision of A Healthy Texas. If you are looking to make an impact and tackle new challenges, we encourage you to consider a career with us.

Employee Benefits:

DSHS offers insurance coverage and other benefits available through the State of Texas Group Benefits Plan administered by the Employee Retirement System of Texas (ERS). To learn more about all the benefits available to you as a DSHS employee and other DSHS opportunities for early career pathways, visit the DSHS Careers Page.

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Functional Title: Regional Community Engagement Coordinator

Job Title: Program Specialist IV

Agency: Dept of State Health Services

Department: Region 7

Posting Number: 20860

Closing Date: 09/23/2026

Posting Audience: Internal and External

Occupational Category: Community and Social Services

Salary Range: $4,263.16 - $5,000.00

Pay Frequency: Monthly

Salary Group: TEXAS-B-20

Shift: Day

Additional Shift:

Telework: Eligible for Telework

Travel: Up to 40%

Regular/Temporary: Regular

Full Time/Part Time: Full time

FLSA Exempt/Non-Exempt: Nonexempt

Facility Location:

Job Location City: TEMPLE

Job Location Address: 1010 OLD WACO RD

Other Locations:

MOS Codes: 16GX,60C0,611X,612X,63G0,641X,712X,86M0,8U000,OS,OSS,PERS,YN,YNS

Brief Job Description:

The Regional Community Engagement Coordinator performs highly complex (senior-level) consultative and technical assistance related to community health improvement and planning and supports health education and engagement efforts of other programs within the region. Work involves building relationships with community stakeholders, conducting community needs assessments, and developing and expanding collaborative partnerships with community/social service delivery programs in target communities. Works with communities and local stakeholders to identify, develop and implement strategies to promote health, to prevent injury and/or disease, build relationships, and help collect community data. Works under minimal supervision, with considerable latitude for the use of initiative and independent judgment regarding partnership building, community health improvement strategies, and related decisions. This position works closely with other regional staff, community groups, internal and external stakeholders.

Essential Job Functions (EJFs):

30% Community engagement/ health education: Coordinates with regional staff and external stakeholders to develop community engagement strategies for target communities informed by qualitative and quantitative data and secondary data sources. Provides education and promotes public health information to community groups. Advise regional staff on evidence-based approaches and best practices to address emerging public health concerns and plan, develop,

or expand initiatives aimed to improve health and well-being of regional communities.

Develops and implements effective techniques for evaluating outreach activities and identifying gaps. Convenes meetings and provides high level technical assistance to collaboratively address challenges and barriers with involvement from regional staff, community members, partner organizations, and other stakeholders. Educates the community about health issues and services. Develops and delivers educational presentations and trainings to at risk populations, health providers, and community groups.

25% Collaboration: Identifies and engages community partners in addressing community needs and reducing barriers to better quality of life, including but not limited to health care providers, government agencies, schools, social services, government officials, local agencies, community based organizations, professional groups, and community leaders to identify, develop, implement, and evaluate strategies to successfully promote health and disease/ injury prevention. Collaborate with regional program staff to determine responses to emerging public health issues within Public Health Region 7. This position would advise staff in evidence-based approaches that can be implemented to inform, educate, and prepare communities. Assist regional programs in identifying outreach materials, innovating delivery methods, and/or coordinating messages across county and program areas. Networks with area agencies and community organizations by attending community meetings and visiting or calling service providers to learn about what they do to refer community members in received services.

15% Improvement and planning: Consult with community leaders, healthcare providers/orgs, social service agencies, regional staff, and local stakeholders to build/design or expand initiatives aimed to improve health, well-being, and resilience ahead of emerging public health threats. Involving regional program staff to develop and implement evaluation plans for community-based activities. Collects data for use in planning and evaluating intervention strategies.

15% Reporting and tracking: Prepares reports highlighting community engagement projects. Contributes to documenting grant or funding deliverables. Maintains a calendar of regional outreach activities, including community events, workshops, appearances, and other communication opportunities. Evaluate findings from various projects implemented within communities to determine if objectives were met.

10% Wellness: Develops and provides interactive educational activities promoting healthy behaviors for internal and external audiences. Leads employee wellness initiatives. Monitor public health issues within regional communities and reporting on those issues. The position would provide recommendations based on the report findings and information collected from qualitative and quantitative methods of data collection to regional staff and local stakeholders. Works with the field office nurse and other staff to identify other information needed about the community to better understand community health status, including development of tools and techniques. Evaluate the regional wellness program to determine if it was meeting set regional objectives, identify areas of improvement, and develop approaches to improve the wellness programming.

5% Other duties as assigned: Included but not limited to actively participating and/or serving in a supporting role to meet the agencys obligations for disaster response and/or recovery or Continuity or Operations activation. Such participating may require an alternate shift pattern assignment and/or location.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSAs):

Knowledge of program planning, implementation, and/or public health initiatives.

Knowledge of non-medical drivers of health.

Skill in presentation development and delivery.

Skill in writing readable documents/reports dealing with complex subject matter.

Skill in Microsoft Office suite

Skill in communicating, both orally and in writing, for a wide variety of audiences.

Skill in managing multiple and competing priorities.

Skill in community relations.

Ability to communicate effectively in writing and verbally.

Ability to work efficiently and effectively both individually and as part of a team.

Ability to demonstrate cultural sensitivity working with various populations and communities.

Ability to organize and develop work plans, coordinate assignments, and adhere to strict deadlines.

Ability to gather, assemble, correlate, and analyze complex facts and distill the findings into a coherent message.

Ability to maintain effective working relationships with a diverse range of internal and external contacts.

Ability to communicate with diplomacy.

Registrations, Licensure Requirements or Certifications:

CHW certification or CHES certification preferred.

Initial Screening Criteria:

Graduation from an accredited four-year college or university with major course work in communications, public relations, public health, health sciences, education or related field preferred. Graduate degree preferred.

2 years experience in public engagement, outreach, educational activities, or program implementation.

Experience in building relationships with community groups.

Experience may be substituted on a year for year basis for education.

Additional Information:

This position is grant funded and the funding is scheduled to end on November 30, 2027.

Salary Information, Pre-Employment Checks, and Work Eligibility:

The salary offered will follow DSHS starting salary guidelines. Any employment offer is contingent upon available budgeted funds.

Active Duty, Military, Reservists, Guardsmen, and Veterans:

Military occupation(s) that relate to the initial selection criteria and registration or licensure requirements for this position may include, but not limited to those listed in this posting. All active-duty military, reservists, guardsmen, and veterans are encouraged to apply if qualified for this position. For more information see the Texas State Auditor's Military Crosswalk at https://hr.sao.texas.gov/CompensationSystem/JobDescriptions/.

ADA Accommodations:

In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), DSHS will provide reasonable accommodation during the hiring process for individuals with a qualifying disability. If reasonable accommodation is needed to participate in the interview process, please notify the person who contacts you to schedule the interview. If you need assistance completing the on-line application, contact the HHS Employee Service Center at 1-888-894-4747 or via email at HHSServiceCenter.Applications@ngahrhosting.com.

Salary Information, Pre-employment Checks, and Work Eligibility:

• The salary offered will follow DSHS starting salary guidelines. Any employment offer is contingent upon available budgeted funds.
• Depending on the program area and position requirements, applicants selected for hire may be required to pass background and other due diligence checks.
• DSHS uses E-Verify. You must bring your I-9 documentation with you on your first day of work. Download the I-9 form