Community Engagement Program Manager

Summary

Description

The City of Durango is hiring a Community Engagement Manager to help strengthen connections between the organization and the community we serve. In this role, you will work across all city departments to support welcoming, inclusive outreach that aligns with City Council goals and our long-term strategic plan.

As part of the Organizational Excellence team within the City Manager’s Office, you will help shape how the city gathers feedback, shares information, and builds trusted relationships with community members, businesses, neighborhood groups, nonprofits, and community partners. The work includes developing engagement strategies, improving organization-wide practices, analyzing participation data, and helping staff communicate complex information in accessible ways.

This position is a great fit for someone who pairs big-picture strategic thinking with strong relationship-building skills, enjoys collaborating across different teams, and values creating meaningful ways for community members to help shape city decisions.

City of Durango’s Trail to Excellence

The City of Durango is a purpose-driven organization with more than 400 full-time and 300 part-time and seasonal employees across 15 departments, all working together to provide a wide range of services that keep our community running every day. From public safety and utilities to parks and recreation, our team is dedicated to delivering high-quality services that enhance the lives of all who live, work, and visit here.

At the city, we focus on continually improving how we work and serve the community. This effort is called the Trail to Excellence (T2E), and every employee plays a part in it. Whether you work outdoors, in an office, or lead a team, your daily efforts connect to the city’s mission of providing excellent service and reaching the city’s vision of being a multigenerational community that is authentic, diverse, engaged, thriving, and environmentally responsible. The full details of this vision are outlined in the city’s strategic plan.

As a member of our team, your work will be meaningful because:

• Your ideas help shape citywide improvements.
• The work you do ties directly into measurable goals.
• You'll be part of a system that values collaboration, innovation, and results.

We're looking for team members who share our core values of teamwork, dependability, professionalism, service, respect, innovation, and wellbeing — and who are excited to make a difference in the community we serve.

What You’ll Do in This Role:

• Lead citywide community engagement efforts tied to City Council goals, strategic priorities, and department work across the organization.
• Develop outreach and engagement plans that help community members stay informed, share feedback, and participate in city processes.
• Build and maintain relationships with neighborhood groups, businesses, nonprofits, schools, faith-based organizations, and underrepresented community members.
• Partner with staff across departments to strengthen communication practices and create consistent engagement approaches throughout the organization.
• Facilitate meetings, workshops, advisory groups, and community conversations involving a wide range of perspectives and interests.
• Create and maintain systems for tracking participation, measuring engagement results, and sharing updates with staff, leadership, and the public.
• Prepare public-facing materials such as presentations, summaries, talking points, reports, and visual content.
• Support inclusive engagement practices by identifying barriers to participation and helping create accessible ways for people to get involved.
• Research and implement engagement tools and digital platforms that help reach a broad range of audiences.
• Analyze community feedback and participation data to support planning, organizational improvement efforts, and decision-making.
• Present recommendations and updates to leadership teams and City Council as needed.
• Assist with engagement-related budgets, purchasing, and project coordination.
• Support organization-wide improvement efforts and other special projects assigned by the Organizational Excellence Sr. Manager.

You Have:

• A bachelor’s degree with major coursework in communications, journalism, public relations, marketing, public administration, or a related field.
• Three to five years of experience working in outreach, community engagement, or community organizing.
• Equivalent combinations of education and experience that provide the required knowledge and skills may be considered.

You Will Succeed in This Role If You:

• Build trust and strong working relationships with community members, partners, and staff across departments.
• Can balance community feedback with organizational goals and operational needs.
• Are comfortable managing multiple projects, timelines, and priorities at the same time.
• Communicate in a way that is approachable, organized, and easy to understand.
• Use feedback and data to improve processes and support decision-making.
• Enjoy collaborating with others and helping teams work toward shared goals.
• Adapt your approach based on community needs, project goals, and different communication styles.
• Value inclusive participation and thoughtful community conversations.

What We Can Offer You:

• Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision insurance.
• Ample personal time off (PTO) and 11 paid holidays.
• Flexible scheduling and work-life balance.
• 401(a) retirement plan and optional deferred compensation plan.
• Basic life insurance and accidental death & dismemberment (AD&D) coverage.
• Long-term disability coverage.
• Paid Family and Medical Leave (FMLA).
• Access to Employee Assistance Program (EAP).
• Free access to the Durango Community Recreation Center and Chapman Hill Ice Rink & Ski Area.
• Holistic Employee Wellness Program, addressing physical, mental, financial, and professional well-being.
• Free transit pass and family member discounts.
• Reimbursement for job-related classes to foster continuous learning.
• Sixteen hours of volunteer time off per year to support local non-profit organizations.

Belong at the City of Durango:

We believe in creating an inclusive workforce that welcomes diversity of thoughts, viewpoints, and experiences.

The City of Durango is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We do not discriminate on the basis age 40 and over, color, disability, gender identity, genetic information, military or veteran status, national origin, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation or any other applicable status protected by state or local law. It is our intention that all qualified applicants be given equal opportunity and that selection decisions are based on job-related factors.