Community Engagement Manager

Position Overview

• Location: Just Food, 1000 E 11th Street, Lawrence, KS 66046

• Job Type: Full Time

• Compensation:  $42,500

• Department: Development

• Reports to: Development Director

• Work Hours: 40 hours/week

• Purpose: The Community Engagement Manager plays a key role in strengthening Just Food’s visibility, relationships, and community partnerships. This position focuses on cultivating meaningful connections with individuals, organizations, businesses, and volunteers who support Just Food’s mission to increase access to healthy food. Working closely with the Director of Development, the Community Engagement Manager helps translate community relationships into long-term engagement and philanthropic support. This role is ideal for a collaborative, people-centered professional who believes in food justice, community-driven solutions, and building inclusive pathways for involvement.

Key Responsibilities

• Core Duties: 

  • Build and maintain strong relationships with community partners, including nonprofits, schools, faith organizations, businesses, and civic groups

  • Serve as a public-facing ambassador for Just Food at community events, meetings, and tabling opportunities

  • Identify new opportunities for collaboration that advance Just Food’s mission and strategic goals

  • Develop and implement strategies to engage donors, volunteers, and community members beyond a single touchpoint

  • Support efforts to convert community interest into sustained involvement and financial support

  • Plan, coordinate, and support community-facing events, including tours, open houses, and outreach events

  • Work with staff to elevate community stories that reflect the impact of Just Food’s initiatives

  • Contribute content ideas for newsletters, social media, and outreach materials focused on engagement and impact

  • Ensure messaging aligns with Just Food’s values of dignity, equity, and access

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• Skills:  

  • Familiarity with food access, food justice, or social services

  • Experience supporting fundraising or donor engagement efforts

  • Comfort with public speaking and community presentations

  • Experience using CRM systems and engagement tracking tools

  • Strong time-management and organizational skills.

  • Passion for addressing food insecurity and reducing food waste.

  • Excellent communication skills.

  • Work cross-departmentally to stay connected to program activities & emerging community needs

  • Willingness to collaborate or assist with tasks outside of this job description, as needed and when it doesn’t interfere with one's own job duties.

  • Basic knowledge of smartphones, Google Suite, Slack, etc.  

• Performance Expectations: 

  • Achieve fundraising goals and objectives.

  • Foster strong donor relationships and cultivate support.

  • Successfully plan and execute fundraising events.

  • Secure and manage grants effectively.

  • Provide effective leadership and mentorship to the Development team.

  • Represent Just Food positively in the community.
     

Qualifications

• Education: Bachelor's degree in development, fundraising, business administration, or a related field required.?

• Experience: 

• Strong interpersonal and relationship-building skills

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills

• Experience working with diverse communities and a commitment to equity & inclusion

• Highly organized with the ability to manage multiple projects and priorities?

Working Conditions

• Environment: Primarily works in an office setting. May occasionally attend events or meetings outside of the office.

• Physical Demands: Requires frequent sitting, standing, and computer work. May involve occasional travel for events or meetings.
   

Benefits

• Company-paid healthcare, life, vision, and dental insurance

• SIMPLE IRA retirement account with up to 3% company match

• Vacation/PTO: 8 hours accrued monthly *Accrual rate and maximum balance increase with time served

• Holidays: 11 paid holidays (all major U.S. holidays)

• Sick time: 14 days per year
   

Remote Work Policy Disclosure

Just Food recognizes the value of flexible work arrangements and may consider remote work requests on a case-by-case basis. However, it's important to note that the majority of our positions require on-site presence to effectively fulfill job responsibilities.

Remote work arrangements will be evaluated based on the specific requirements of the position, the employee's performance, and the needs of the organization. All remote work requests must be submitted in writing to the Executive Director for review and approval. Please note that final approval for remote work arrangements rests solely with the Executive Director.

About Just Food

• What We Do: At Just Food, we are a reflection of the community we serve. Through connection with businesses, organizations, schools, volunteers, local government and individuals we are able to identify gaps within our food system and solve problems strategically. It is because of these partnerships that we are able to bridge the gap from being food insecure to ensuring that folks in our community are fed healthy foods without barriers.
   

• Mission: Our mission is to end hunger in our community by increasing access to healthy foods, reducing barriers to health and well-being, and cultivating self-sufficiency.

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• Guiding Principles:

  • Provide access to nutritious food, while respecting the dignity of every human being.

  • Address root causes of hunger and cultivate self-sufficiency.

  • Collaborate with community partners to affect positive and sustainable change.

  • Ensure a culture of stewardship grounded in transparency and sustainability, and informed by the needs of our community.

  • Support people through the lens of equity and diversity.

Note: This job description is subject to change as the needs of the position and the organization evolve