Community Engagement and Events Manager

Job Summary

The   Community Engagement and Events Manager   is responsible for supporting the development and execution of Connecticut Public’s statewide community engagement strategy through events, partnerships, outreach, & direct relationship-building with statewide communities.   This role requires a self-starter and collaborator who will   manage event   logistics ,     while   serv ing   as an active representative of Connecticut Public in the community. Working closely with the Vice President of Community Engagement, the Manager will help cultivate new relationships ,   particularly with historically underserved and underrepresented communities .

The ideal candidate combines strong event and project management skills with curiosity, cultural awareness, and relationship - building ability. This person will help Connecticut Public create welcoming, relevant experiences that reach younger and more diverse audiences, children and families, and   communities   that have historically had less connection to public media.

Essential Functions

Strategic Support

- Brings  community insights, needs, ideas, and feedback into CT Public to help inform engagement, strategy, event concepts, partnerships, & opportunities across departments.

- Identifies , cultivates, &  maintains  relationships with community-based organizations, local leaders, cultural organizations, schools, libraries, nonprofits, small businesses, & other trusted institutions that can help CT Public  reach|serve  new audiences.

- Represents  the organization regularly in communities across the state, attending community meetings, cultural events, partner gatherings, neighborhood activities, & other opportunities to listen, learn, build trust, & increase awareness.

- Supports the Vice President of Community Engagement in  developing|implenting  CT Public’s statewide community engagement strategy.

Event Planning and Management

- Assists  with speaker/guest arrangements, including travel,  accommodations ,  & event -related needs.

- Collaborates with internal teams and external stakeholders (community organizations and partners), to develop events and experiences aligned with our engagement and audience growth strategies.

- Coordinates event  logistics  including venue selection, catering needs, A/ V  and other vendor requests

- Ensures  event details are communicated efficiently to all relevant parties.

- Event Promotion & Communications

- Coordinates distribution of event details across various communication channels

- Collaborates with Marketing, Digital, and  Social Media  to ensure  timely  event promotion & engagement.

- Collaborates with internal  teams|external  stakeholders to schedule events &  evaluates  engagement efforts to inform future event decisions.

- Handles day-of event  logistics  such as supplies, set-up, registration, and event breakdown

- Oversees the creation and execution of promotional materials for events, ensures alignment with organizational branding & engagement goals.

- Works with community partners to  identify  culturally  relevant|effective  ways to invite participation, recognizing that reaching new audiences may require different messages, messengers, channels, & outreach approaches.

Responsibilities

- Additional  duties may, at times, be assigned and  required .

- Assists  with vendor relationships, ensuring orders, contracts, and event  logistics  are handled in  a timely  and cost-effective manner.

- Collaborates with Digital and Membership teams to  facilitate  post-event surveys and follow-up communication.

- Ensures  proper invoicing and reimbursement procedures are followed.

- Handles all components of event supplies including promotional materials.

- Helps  identify  and build relationships with community organizations and partners.

- Helps create intentional pathways from a first community interaction or event to deeper engagement, including content consumption, newsletters, digital products, future events, membership, and other forms of participation.

- Partners with the VP of Community Engagement to translate statewide community engagement strategy into partnerships, events, outreach, and programming.

- Reviews|analyzes  event feedback, track  engagement  and attendance data to measure impact.

- Supports the cultivation and activation of community ambassadors and volunteers.

- Works closely with internal departments developing engagement opportunities that align with community engagement strategy.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

Knowledge of:

- Community organizations or stakeholders in non-profit or adjacent organizations.

- Event management, marketing, and/or project management.

- Leading large complex projects, working in a fast-paced environment and handling multiple and changing priorities simultaneously.

- Microsoft Office applications, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Microsoft Project,  Outlook  and   Smartsheets

- Navigating complex organizations and making the right connections to drive work forward, while  anticipating  potential shifts in work.

Skill In:

- Effectively communicating and connecting with others interpersonally .

- Attention-to-detail, scheduling, and strong organizational capabilities.

- Community engagement and relationship building.

- Using email marketing, project management tools, or graphic design/editing software.

- Using new techniques and technologies .

Ability to :

- Build trust and credibility with communities and partners that may have limited familiarity with—or connection to—CT Public or public media.

- Lead multiple projects concurrently while paying close attention to detail.

- Possess initiative and self- motivation, and  work with minimal supervision.

- Take creative  direction /feedback from a supervisor or colleague .

- Define problems, collect data, &  establish  facts to  anticipate  needs and address issues proactively.

- Possess a visceral distaste of office gossip and politics, engaging in neither.

- Solve practical problems and deal with a variety of concrete variables in diverse situations.

- Work in fast-paced environment making smart, fast, solid decisions under  pressure  and  under deadline

Physical Requirements

The physical activities of this position include frequent in-person, in-the-field, and virtual interactions. Must be able to remain at workstation for  prolonged  period .   Must have close visual acuity to perform an activity, such as preparing/analyzing data and figures, viewing a computer terminal, or extensive reading. The typical physical requirements  are:  medium work—exerting up to 45lbs of force occasionally and may include climbing, pushing, standing, hearing, walking, reaching, grasping, kneeling, stooping, and repetitive motion. Noise levels vary depending on event setting and venue .   Position requires the ability to travel throughout the state of  Connecticut  to event venues.

Working Conditions

Job functions are typically performed under conditions similar to those found in general office work.   The position may be exposed to environmental conditions during outdoor venues. Duties are routinely performed Monday through Friday between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m.; however, evening and weekend event support/work is  required .

Education and Experience

Bachelor’s degree in Project Management , Events Management,  Marketing  or related field from an accredited university OR a  minimum  of five (5) years of direct & sustained professional experience AND/OR a satisfactory equivalent combination of education, training, and experience.