JOB POSTING
Community Engagement Manager
Posted: Open to internal and external applicants
Reports to: Vice President of Conservation Engagement and Learning
Status: Full-time, salaried, benefitted position
Hours of work: Standard Monday-Friday workweek, 8am-5pm. Occasional need for weekend or after-hours work as related to events and other projects.
Date needed: December 2024
Posting expires: Open until filled, priority given to applications received by October 21.
Position description:
The Seattle Aquarium, a leading marine conservation organization, is looking for a dedicated and dynamic Community Engagement Manager to join the Conservation Engagement and Learning team, to lead our efforts in building meaningful partnerships with local communities. As Manager of the Community Engagement Section, this position is responsible for overseeing the co-creation and implementation of programs that respect and engage diverse communities, with a strong emphasis on inclusivity, equity, curiosity, and cultural relevance. The Manager will have a collaborative vision for building community - both externally and internally - while setting priorities, leading program improvement and growth, supporting staff, creating systems, building capacity and developing successful frameworks to help foster teamwork and authentic relationships. This role will create a welcoming and inclusive organizational culture that respects and values community knowledge and experiences. The ideal candidate will have experience with social justice, managing teams, delivering programs, and building sustainable partnerships with communities that have been historically marginalized by conservation organizations. Key skills include honesty, empathy, active listening, mutual respect, and reciprocity in all partnerships. We welcome applicants from all backgrounds and experiences, particularly those from underrepresented groups. The Community Engagement Manager reports to the Vice President, Conservation Engagement & Learning.
Key functions:
- Community Engagement (CE) Team Oversight: Oversee and weave together the relationships and vision across the CE teams including the Connections Program, Community Outreach, and Field Programs. Work collaboratively to define the vision, set priorities, and lead program improvement and growth through a co-creation framework with internal and external stakeholders.
- Connections Program: Leads the revitalization of the Connections Program to improve access to environmental education and engagement for underserved communities. Serve as a comprehensive pathway for forming and enhancing partnerships, logistics and connections for outreach and field programs. The team leads internal collaboration of staff and volunteers for on-site visit programming with diverse departments & communities.
- Field Programs: Manage staff leading programs such as the Beach Naturalist, Cedar River Salmon Journey, Watershed and place-based environmental engagements ensuring their inclusivity and cultural relevance. The team offers hands-on educational experiences that deepen community members' connections to local marine and freshwater environments.
- Community Outreach Programs: Leads and develops Community Outreach programs strategically emphasizing partnerships in community with community through community events, festivals, and stewardship gatherings to build trust and foster long-term relationships through consistent and respectful engagement. This team goes into the community and develops co-designed learning and engagement opportunities.
Program Vision and Management:
- Partnership Stewardship: Maintain systems for program leads to build, support, and maintain strong partnerships with local environmental justice groups, tribal organizations, and community partners. Develop initiatives and programs jointly, ensuring they address community needs and promote conservation and environmental education.
- Culturally Relevant & Accessible Education: Integrate culturally relevant curricula and traditional knowledge from diverse communities into the programs and expand these efforts to influence broader Aquarium practices.
- Outreach and Internal Integration: Ensure active participation in community events, festivals, and gatherings to build trust and foster long-term relationships through consistent and respectful engagement. Host and support events and mutually beneficial opportunities for outreach and co-education with partners in the aquarium such as community days.
People First Leadership:
- Team Supervision: Lead a diverse team of up to 30 full-time, part-time, and seasonal employees. Foster an environment that supports mentoring, training, and volunteer management within a framework of mutual respect and reciprocity.
- Conflict Management: Manage conflict and communication challenges through a proactive culturally sensitive and intersectional lens, between staff, volunteers, community partners.
- Training & Advocacy: Advance a responsible community engagement approach into our mission advocating for community engagement principles and partnerships within all levels of the Aquarium training and guiding all levels of the Aquarium, including at times the Executive Team and Board of Directors.
Communications and Administration:
- Representation and Storytelling: Serve on relevant committees and work groups to enhance visibility and relationships. Conduct detailed reporting on program demographics, engagement data, program performance, community feedback, and provide insights and data to senior management to aid in decision-making. Partner with marketing, philanthropy, and other departments to lead the storytelling of program work and impact.
- Administrative and Financial Management: Oversee the budget for all CE Programs, ensuring strategic resource allocation, transparency, and financial sustainability. Train and support program coordinators in their fiscal responsibilities. Manage administrative duties, including scheduling, communications, record-keeping, and payroll, to ensure program efficiency and compliance with organizational policies.
- Sponsorship and Grants: Actively pursue sponsorship and grant opportunities that align with mission and program needs partnering with the team to envision and fund innovative program initiatives, managing the grant lifecycle from application to reporting, in collaboration with the Philanthropy team.
- Other duties as assigned as appropriate for the level of position.
Required skills and experience:
The Aquarium actively seeks to advance practices that broaden participation in marine and environmental conservation professions, making them more inclusive of the full diversity of our communities and responsive to their needs and perspectives. Candidates passionate about anti-racism, social justice, environmental justice and other intersections will be an asset to our work. The knowledge, skills, and abilities listed below may be demonstrated through a combination of relevant cultural, traditional practices, community programs, jobs, internships, volunteer experience, and/or formal or informal education.
- At least 5 years of experience in community engagement, program management, and building sustainable partnerships, preferably within an environmental or conservation context.
- Deep understanding and respect for cultural practices and traditional knowledge of diverse BIPOC & immigrant communities.
- Excellent communication skills, with the ability to engage effectively with diverse stakeholders and create informative content for varied audiences.
- Proven ability to work collaboratively, demonstrating honesty, empathy, and active listening skills.
- Strong commitment to equity, with a demonstrated track record in integrating DEI principles into program development and community engagement.
- A preference for multilingual applicants and English speakers with comfort and practice communicating across cultural and language barriers.
- Demonstrates an understanding of the Aquarium's Mission and Values, including Regenerative and Equity work.
Working conditions:
- Most work is performed onsite in a typical office setting with frequent interruptions. Other work areas include outdoor environments with seasonal need for regional travel. Opportunity for working from home but it must be balanced with the need of being onsite and in the field/in the community to support the team and programs.
- Some exposure to elements, as employees are located in a campus environment with multiple buildings, outdoor and semi-covered areas. Staff move between Aquarium buildings in all types of weather to participate in meetings. Occasionally this position will be asked to help our programs on the beach or at the river's edge in all weather conditions.
- Occasional need to work outside typical hours in support of programs and events that occur in the evenings or weekends.
Salary and benefits: $73,000 - $83,000 yearly Dependent on experience . Please include salary expectations in your materials. Full-time staff are eligible for the Seattle Aquarium's comprehensive benefits package to include medical, vision, dental, an employer-funded health reimbursement account, medical and dependent care flexible spending accounts, life insurance, long-term disability, 403b retirement fund with employer match, access to a subsidized ORCA pass, a Seattle Aquarium Family Plus membership and generous paid time off.
How to apply: The Seattle Aquarium is committed to expanding a diverse, equitable, and inclusive conservation movement. We are invested in building an Aquarium with a wide variety of backgrounds, identities, languages, cultural ways of knowing, and life experiences. We know research shows that society has conditioned communities of color, trans and gender non-conforming people, immigrants, people with disabilities, and other marginalized candidates to more frequently not apply to a job because they don't feel that they meet all of the qualifications listed even if they are qualified. If you meet some of the requirements and you are passionate about our mission and our ocean, we encourage you to apply and look forward to learning more about you.
Interested candidates should upload a resume to our online application to be considered. Application review will begin immediately.
SeattleAquarium.org/careers
Please let us know if you require a reasonable accommodation to apply for this job by emailing us at
Note: If offered the position, candidates must pass a background check. Conviction record is not an automatic disqualifier; we are a second chance employer.
About the Seattle Aquarium:
The Seattle Aquarium is a respected authority on Puget Sound, the Salish Sea and the world's one ocean. Our passionate staff increases awareness and drives the change needed to preserve and protect our marine environment by providing an inspiring visitor experience, engaging daytime and evening events, conservation education programs for people of all ages and backgrounds, community outreach to marginalized populations, research that advances understanding of animals in our care and their counterparts in the wild, advocacy and policy work, an award-winning volunteer program, high-impact marketing and communications, and more.
Our values, developed in conjunction with our staff, include commitments to adopting and promoting sustainable practices, creating awe-inspiring experiences, constantly learning and improving, fostering an inclusive community, maintaining scientific credibility through evidence-based practices and honoring our unique place by using our location and history as a lens for larger understanding.
Proudly accredited by the Association of Zoos & Aquariums, we're among the top 10 aquariums in the U.S. by attendance, and we welcome over 850,000 people each year. Guided by our mission of Inspiring Conservation of Our Marine Environment , we're working to substantially increase our conservation impact by expanding our campus with a new building, the Ocean Pavilion. Learn more at SeattleAquarium.org.
Timeline:
- Application deadline: November 2024
- Priority given to applications received by October 21
- Interviews completed by mid-November 2024.
- Start date: December 2024