Community Relations Lead

Department: Community Relations Department
Salary: $81,226.00 - $116,762.94 Commensurate with Experience

Welcome to the City of Charlotte

Charlotte is America’s Queen City, opening her arms to a diverse and inclusive community of residents, businesses and visitors alike. Here you will find a safe, family-oriented city where people work together to help everyone thrive. The mission of the City of Charlotte is to deliver quality public services and promote the safety, health, and quality of life for all residents.

Our guiding principles include:

- Attracting and retaining a skilled and diverse workforce
- Valuing teamwork, openness, accountability, productivity, and employee development
- Providing all customers with courteous, responsive, accessible, and seamless quality services
- Taking initiative to identify, analyze, and solve problems
- Collaborating with stakeholders to make informed decisions

SUMMARY
The Community Relations Lead performs advanced professional work in community relations, outreach, and engagement; investigates discrimination complaints; and carries out program administration to support community initiatives, resident services, public engagement, and partnership activities. Leads complex community relations programs, serves as a subject matter resource on community issues and engagement strategies, facilitates resolution of sensitive concerns, and collaborates with internal and external stakeholders to improve community outcomes and service delivery.

- Administer the local Fair Housing Ordinances and Nondiscrimination Ordinance (NDO).

- Under the direction of the Fair Housing manager, serve as the supervisor of the NDO team.

- Serve as the primary quality-control reviewer for NDO investigations before Fair Housing Manager review, ensuring each case is complete, accurate, grammatically and structurally sound, properly documented, jurisdictionally eligible, and supported by sufficient investigation and evidence; identify and resolve deficiencies, inconsistencies, or missing information before advancing the case for management review.

- Responsible for NDO team management to include establishing performance metrics, providing performance feedback, monitoring caseload and completing annual evaluations.
- Receive, investigate, and seek resolution to complaints of discrimination, or unfair treatment in housing, employment and public accommodations.

- Administer fair housing and NDO training programs, fair housing real estate testing programs, and serve as subject matter expert and resource for subcommittees, task forces, and community coalitions.
- Prepare and present reports, presentations, correspondence, recommendations, and program documentation for leadership, stakeholders, community groups, and governing bodies.
- Build and maintain collaborative relationships with residents, community organizations, advocacy groups, educational institutions, governmental agencies, businesses, and partner organizations.
- Respond to complex community concerns, complaints, inquiries, and sensitive issues requiring independent judgment and resolution.
- Develop campaigns and community outreach initiatives to increase awareness about rights and protections under Fair Housing and NDO.
- Identify community needs and work with staff across the department to meet those needs.
- Serve as staff liaison to the assigned subcommittee of the Community Relations Committee.
- Perform other related duties as assigned.

Required Knowledge and Skills:

Knowledge of:

- Community relations, public engagement, and community outreach practices
- Mediation, conflict resolution, conciliation, crisis intervention, and stakeholder engagement strategies
- Related federal, state and local laws, ordinances and regulations regarding civil rights and discrimination
- Program administration, program evaluation, and service delivery practices
- Community resources, human services programs, and partnership development principles
- Research, data collection, analysis, reporting, and performance measurement methodologies
- Public presentation, facilitation, training, and community education techniques
- Applicable federal, state, and local laws, regulations, policies, and procedures related to assigned programs
- Organizational and community engagement practices that support collaborative problem-solving and service delivery

Skills in:

- Leading community programs, initiatives, and engagement efforts

- Leading teams, overseeing team outcomes, and identifying growth opportunities

- Analyzing information, evaluating program performance, and developing recommendations
- Building partnerships and collaborative relationships with diverse stakeholders
- Facilitating mediation, conflict resolution, and problem-solving activities
- Preparing reports, presentations, correspondence, and program documentation
- Communicating effectively with diverse audiences and stakeholder groups
- Providing training, guidance, and technical assistance
- Exercising sound judgment and independent decision-making
- Managing multiple priorities and sensitive situations simultaneously
- Developing strategies that improve program effectiveness and community outcomes

Ability to:

- Analyze, investigate and conciliate complaints of individuals or groups
- Make decisions independently within general policies and guidelines
- Establish and maintain effective working relationships with diverse community groups and stakeholders

Education and Experience:

Bachelor’s Degree in Public Administration, Human Services, Sociology, Social Work, Community Relations, Communications, Business Administration, or a related field and five (5) years of experience in community relations, community engagement, mediation, human services, public outreach, program administration, social services, public administration, or a related field; OR an equivalent combination of education, training, and experience as determined by Human Resources.

Preferred Experience:

Experience working with legal, regulatory, or compliance matters, including interpreting policies, agreements, regulations, and requirements and coordinating with internal or external stakeholders to ensure compliance.

CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT

The City’s Background Check Policy requires background checks to be conducted on final internal or external candidate(s) applying for any position with the City of Charlotte. The type of information that will be collected as part of a background check includes, but is not limited to: reference checks, social security verification, education verification, criminal conviction record check, and, if applicable, a credit history check, sex offender registry and motor vehicle records check.

Background checks must be in compliance with all federal and state statutes, such as the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA). The checks must be consistent with the guidelines set forth by these laws requiring organizations to obtain a candidate’s written authorization before obtaining a criminal background report, motor vehicle records check or credit report; and to properly store and dispose of information derived from such reports.

Final candidates must pass a pre-employment drug-screening test and physical examination. During the selection process, candidates may be asked to take a skills test, and/or participate in other assessments.

The City of Charlotte is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not unlawfully discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, sex, national origin, marital status, age, disability, sexual orientation, political affiliation or on the basis of actual or perceived gender as expressed through dress, appearance, or behavior.

Our culture is to serve the community honorably.

HOW TO APPLY

Apply online.

Federal law requires employers to provide reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities. Please tell us if you require a reasonable accommodation to apply for a job.

You are welcome to visit the City of Charlotte Human Resources Department lobby, where self-service application kiosks are available. They are located in our office at 700 East 4th Street, Suite 200, Charlotte, NC 28202. We are open Monday through Friday, from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. (EST), excluding official City holidays.

For questions about your application or the hiring process, please email [email protected] .

The City of Charlotte is committed to making our services and programs accessible to all. Upon request, auxiliary aids, written materials in alternate formats, language access, and other reasonable accommodations or modifications will be provided. To make a request, please fill out the Innovation & Technology ADA request form or call 704.336.4120.

BENEFITS

The City of Charlotte provides a comprehensive benefits package to eligible employees.

Click   here   to learn more about the City of Charlotte’s benefits.

The City of Charlotte is a drug and alcohol-free workplace.