Community Engagement Liaison - The Montgomery County Children’s Opportunity Alliance

The Children’s Opportunity Alliance (The Alliance) is an independent 501(c)(3) designated as the early care and education (ECE) coordinating entity for Montgomery County.  It is responsible for ensuring an equitable and integrated system of high-quality, accessible, and affordable ECE options for our youngest citizens. Montgomery County is committed to addressing racism, systemic structures, and barriers that limit access to our County’s racially and economically diverse populations. The Alliance is governed by a Board that is appointed by the County Executive and approved by the County Council. Community engagement, advocacy, accountability, and transparency are key values of the Alliance and will require close collaboration with many diverse stakeholders from the public and private sectors.

Position Summary 

In order for The Alliance to fulfill its legislative mandate, a dynamic and innovative community engagement liaison is required. The Community Engagement Liaison will be a part of a small team responsible for driving the organization’s work forward, spearheading community engagement, outreach, and education in deep coordination with overall strategy development. The Liaison must have a deep understanding of the ECE landscape and the unique issues faced by vulnerable families and providers; ensuring the application of an equity lens in all the Alliance’s efforts. 

Responsibilities 

Reporting directly to the Executive Director, the Liaison will work towards these essential functions:  

Community Engagement: 

• Develop, manage, and regularly update a community engagement strategy designed to develop trusting relationships with a wide variety of early childhood stakeholders, including parents and family members of young children, health professionals, and leaders from the faith-based and nonprofit sectors; partner with other Alliance staff as they manage relationships with child care providers, government leaders, the business community, and other diverse stakeholders.  
• Represent the Alliance at special community events and recurring meetings of relevant stakeholder groups in the early childhood ecosystem, such as parent advisory boards, etc. 
• Maintain updated knowledge of the landscape of ECE services and resources in Montgomery County with the aim of ensuring outreach to all relevant stakeholders and integrating their work into Alliance strategies   
• Ensure ongoing integration of community feedback into the Alliance’s strategy development work 
• Mobilize community stakeholders to join the Alliance through a variety of engagement opportunities that mutually inform and implement community change strategies in alignment with the organization’s goals, including but not limited to supporting advocacy efforts, joining working groups or ad hoc committees focused on specific goals, responding to surveys, and more.  

Outreach and Education: 

• Develop, manage, and regularly update a strategy to engage and educate families and the wider community about the importance of high-quality early care and education programs; 
• Solicit and manage partners, grantees, and/or vendors as needed to implement outreach strategies; 
• In partnership with the Alliance communications team, integrate education opportunities into all Alliance communications vehicles and develop new resources and materials to support outreach efforts; particular effort will be needed to grow the Alliance’s social media presence 

• Minimum of 3 years of experience in a relevant field 
• Strong relationship-building skills with internal and external stakeholders, government agencies, school districts, community-based organizations, and diverse Montgomery County families 
• Knowledge of theory and practice regarding racial equity, social justice, and community organizing 
• Ability to initiate and manage projects, balance competing priorities, and plan and conduct efficient meetings 
• Strong written and verbal communication skills 
• Ability to shift schedule to attend work events on evenings and weekends 
• Montgomery County resident preferred
• Bilingual English with Amharic, Spanish, Mandarin (Chinese), Vietnamese, Korean or Portuguese preferred 

Compensation 

• Salary range for this role is $60,000.00 - $70,000.00 annually, dependent on qualifications and experience. Alliance employees are offered full medical and dental benefits at no cost to the individual, as well as a 401(k) plan with 4% match, and generous paid time off. 

How to Apply 

To start your application click "I'm Interested." Please submit your resume, cover letter, and salary requirements with your online application.  

The Children’s Opportunity Alliance (The Alliance) is an Equal Opportunity Employer and Prohibits Discrimination of Any Kind. The Alliance is committed to the principle of equal employment opportunity for all employees and to providing employees with a work environment free of discrimination and harassment. All employment decisions are based on business needs, job requirements, and individual qualifications, without regard to race, color, religion or belief, national, social or ethnic origin, sex (including pregnancy), age, physical, mental or sensory disability, HIV status, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, marital, civil union or domestic partnership status protected by the laws or regulations in the locations where we operate. The Alliance will not tolerate discrimination or harassment based on any of these characteristics, as we foster an open and inclusive professional environment.  your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.