Job Description

Director of Community Engagement

About Eastern Washington University:

Eastern Washington University, a regional, comprehensive public university with an enrollment of over 10,000 students, is one of six state-funded four-year institutions of higher education in Washington, each governed by its own board of trustees. As the region’s polytechnic, we are recognized for our distinctive approach to hands-on learning that leads to in-demand careers. EWU’s 300-acre main campus is located in Cheney, a community of 12,000 residents 16 miles southwest of Washington’s second largest city, Spokane. Eastern also offers programs in downtown Spokane at the innovative, energy-efficient Catalyst building, the SIERR building which is a hub for research, development and advancement of health sciences, and at Riverpoint, a campus shared with Washington State University. In addition, EWU programs can be found at select locations throughout the state, aligned with the needs of the community. Eastern contributes to the vitality of the region and the state through its wide array of bachelor’s and master’s degrees in over 100 fields of study, as well as applied doctorates in physical therapy and educational leadership, offering accessible pathways to career success and personal development to students of all socioeconomic and cultural backgrounds.

Eastern Washington University has been recognized for its commitment to helping undergraduate students learn, grow and succeed by Colleges of Distinction , a nationally trusted resource guide for college-bound students. The honor recognizes Eastern as a ’24-’25 College of Distinction (CoD).

Money magazine recently named EWU as one of its Best Colleges in America 2024 .

Tribal Land Acknowledgement
Eastern Washington University resides within the traditional homelands of the Spokane People and other tribes who are connected through their shared history of this region. This land holds their cultural DNA and it is their Ancestors who are here and bring forth the knowledge of this place—the knowledge that comes from the land.

Job Summary:

The Director of Community Engagement (CE) at Eastern Washington University ( EWU ) is responsible for providing leadership, oversight, and management for the programs and services supporting applied learning (e.g., professional internships, practica, clinical placements, community-engaged learning), community outreach, and community engagement initiatives. The Director of CE will lead and direct a team to embrace the institution’s polytechnic brand and enhance the university’s regional impact. This role will be essential in building meaningful partnerships between EWU and the surrounding communities to support applied learning, mutual growth, academic excellence, and societal impact.

The Director of CE is responsible for engaging a diverse student population to grow and support student retention, facilitate learning, and foster overall community. This position serves as a leader in the Student Affairs Division and is expected to maintain and encourage a collaborative, professional, and solutions-oriented approach with students, faculty, staff, and the community.

EWU is committed to supporting and promoting a diverse workforce and encourages applicants from diverse backgrounds to apply for this position.

The salary for this position is $83,000 (minimum) up to $90,000. Where the hired candidate will begin within this range is dependent on education, experience, and skills. In addition to salary, the university offers a comprehensive benefits package including health insurance, life and disability insurance and retirement. In addition, EWU offers generous vacation and sick leave accruals, 12 paid holidays per year and fringe benefits, such as tuition waiver for employees and eligible family members, discounted EWU sports tickets, full access to our campus workout facilities at a minimum fee and free transportation through STA buses. For additional information regarding insurance benefits please see our Benefits page: .

EWU expands opportunities for personal transformation through excellence in learning.,

Required Qualifications:

Required:

• Bachelor’s degree in Public Administration, Community Development, Education, Communications, or a related field.
• Minimum of 5 years of experience in community engagement, public relations, or a related field, with progressive leadership responsibilities.
• Proven experience building partnerships and working collaboratively with diverse stakeholders.
• Experience managing volunteers.
• Effective written and verbal communication skills.
• Strong commitment to advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion on campus and within the community.
• Experience managing a team of up to 5 staff members.

Preferred Qualifications:

Preferred:

• Masters in Higher Education Administration
• Experience working in or in partnership with the K-12 system, non-profit, and community agencies.
• Experience working with and supporting underserved and disadvantaged populations
• Experience with grant and benefactor fund development and management.
• Familiarity with the higher education environment and knowledge of service-learning or community-based education.
• Strong understanding of community engagement theory and best practices, with a demonstrated ability to implement and evaluate engagement strategies.
• Bi-lingual: written and verbal fluency, Spanish preferred

Other Skills and Abilities:

Job Duties:
Department Leadership and Supervision

• Supervise, hire, train, evaluate, and lead Community Engagement Team
• Create and ensure opportunities for team professional development through multiple mechanisms
• Oversee strategic delivery of Community Engagement programming, communication, and partnerships.
• Identify and establish staff development opportunities.
• Engage community partners and program participants (students, staff, and faculty) in training and professional development on partnership best practices and ethical and effective community engagement.
• Ensures EWU’s community engagement programs and initiatives are compliant with departmental, University, state, and federal risk management policies. Evaluate and implement technologies that provide state-of-the-art programs for students, faculty, and community to increase career readiness and community engagement.
• Collaborate with other departments, academic programs, and divisions to design effective ways to integrate community-connected learning into the broader university curriculum and offerings.

Percent of Time: 25

Administration and Assessment

• Remain current on best practices in the area of community engagement, community-based research, civic engagement, and service learning.
• Sets assessment priorities and develops protocols to manage the collection, assessment and reporting of community engagement data.
• Analyze participation in Community Engagement and develop outreach strategies based on data.
• Create quarterly and annual reports utilizing qualitative and quantitative data on Community Engagement initiatives.
• Advise students, departments, faculty & external constituents regarding program participation, guidelines, and policies.
• Publicize outcomes and student success information to faculty, alumni, donors, and community partners.

Percent of Time: 15

Advocacy and Partnership Development

• Advocate for the value and impact of community engagement both within and outside the university.
• Promote EWU’s role and impact within the community through effective communication, marketing, and storytelling.
• Enhance visibility for community-engaged scholarship and activities through university publications, social media, and other platforms.
• Develop, analyze & maintain contact with regional employers, non-profits, community agencies, and schools.
• Serve as EWU’s representative on PICCE (Partners for Campus Community Engagement), a regional collaborative of higher educational partners and community representatives involved in campus-community partnership efforts.
• Collaborate with local employers, non-profits, community agencies, and schools to offer community engagement opportunities for students in Cheney, at the Catalyst, and SIERR buildings in downtown Spokane.

Percent of Time: 25

Program Development and Managementt

• Develop and execute a comprehensive strategy for community engagement that aligns with EWU’s mission, vision, values, and strategic goals.
• Foster a university-wide culture of service, civic engagement, and community involvement.
• Collaborate with academic and administrative departments to integrate community engagement into curricula and university initiatives.
• Oversee EWU’s volunteer service programs, community events, and outreach activities, ensuring alignment with institutional priorities.
• Expand the ASPIRE Program throughout local schools within our region.

Percent of Time: 20

Fiscal Management and Grants/Donor Partnership Development

• Collaborate with EWU Advancement to leverage development opportunities.
• Acquire grant funding to support community engagement initiatives.
• Expand donor-funded opportunities for underrepresented students through focused giving, such as donor-funded internships.
• Manage departmental budgets, expenses and reconciliation
• Adhere to policies & procedures related to purchasing, budgeting, and accounting.
• Forecast and budget for program growth and advocate for needs.

Percent of Time: 10

Leadership

• Provide leadership within the Student Affairs Division as well as across the University in the area of facilitating community-based learning.
• Member of Campus Life Leadership Team and Student Affairs Thought Leadership Group.
• Serve on campus-wide committees.

Percent of Time: 5
Conditions of Employment:

This position, during the course of university employment will be involved in the receipt of, or accountability for, university funds or other items of value, as well as the unsupervised access with the developmentally disabled, vulnerable adults or children under the age of 16. The offer of employment is contingent upon successful completion and passing of a background check prior to beginning employment.

All new employees must comply with EWU Immunization Policy 602-02 and provide proof of immunity or vaccination to MMR before beginning work at EWU . Waivers for the immunization requirements are available for medical or sincerely held religious beliefs.

This is an Administrative Exempt position and is covered by EWU Policy 406- 01, Exempt Employment

All new faculty and staff are required to complete DEI /Title IX/Hazing Training for employees. This should be completed as soon as possible, but no later than the first few weeks of your hire. You can access the online training here or complete the training in person or via Zoom. In person and Zoom training opportunities will be posted on InsideEWU and are listed on Human Resources’ site .

Salary Information:

The salary for this position is $83,000 (minimum) up to $90,000. Where the hired candidate will begin within this range is dependent on education, experience, and skills.

Posting Date: 01/08/2025
Open Until Further Notice: No
Closing Date: 2/24/2025
Screening to Begin: February 25, 2025

Special Instructions to Applicants:
Submit your application materials through our online applications portal provided below. If you are unable to submit through the applicant portal, please contact Human Resources Services at (509) 359-2381.

To apply, visit

EWU does not discriminate in its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, creed, religion, national origin, citizenship or immigration status, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, genetic information, age, marital status, families with children, protected veteran or military status, HIV or hepatitis C, status as a mother breastfeeding her child, or the presence of any sensory, mental, or physical disability or the use of a trained guide dog or service animal by a person with a disability, as provided for and to the extent required by state and federal laws.

Job Tags

Holiday work, Full time, Internship, Local area,

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