Community Outreach Project Specialist - Donor Registration - New England Donor Services

Come join our team and become part of what the Boston Globe has recognized as one of the Top 100 Women-Led Businesses in Massachusetts 2018 - 2023! 

Saving lives through organ and tissue donation is the mission uniting our employees and drives the work we do. 

New England Donor Services (NEDS) coordinates organ and tissue donation in Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, the eastern counties of Vermont and Bermuda. Responsible for one of the largest of the 56 Organ Procurement Organizations (OPOs) that make up the nation’s donation system, NEDS works with over 200 hospitals and serves nearly 15 million people in our region, screening nearly 55,000 potential donor referrals annually. With approximately $110M in operating revenues, NEDS employs 340 clinical and non-clinical staff members throughout New England and across the country.

Our vision is to be a leader in the development and implementation of strategies to increase the life-saving and life-enhancing gifts of organ and tissue donation through effective relationships with our clinical partners, donor families and the communities we serve.

The Community Projects Specialist focuses on developing and fostering strategic relationships with designated community groups to maximize the number of individuals registering as organ and tissue donors.   Of particular importance is instilling the pro-donation message among those individuals getting or renewing their drivers’ license, especially those applying for a driver’s license for the first time.  This position will create meaningful, long-term relationships with key decision makers in state and federal government, schools, youth organizations and third-party entities who are directly and indirectly responsible for creating an environment supportive of donation registration around our region.  Such groups include high school students, underserved communities, and other affinity groups.

The Community Projects Specialist shall perform the following functions:

• Work in collaboration with state motor vehicle departments and driver’s education schools to implement nationally recognized best practices to educate driver’s education students and instructors about donation and increase the number of registered as donors.
• Create relationships with key stake holders in the driver’s education community including state officials, school owners and instructors toward creating a regional comprehensive driver’s education to support donation registration.
• Create and implement a donor registry program for driver’s education students and instructors.
• Create and implement a program of outreach and awareness to youth and high schoolers.
• Determine regulatory and legislative changes necessary to support comprehensive driver’s ed donation instruction and pursue those changes.
• Work together with Director of Government Relations to promote the donation registration among key populations including members of ethnic communities (with a focus on Hispanic and Asian communities), veteran and other groups with an opportunity for increased outreach and education as guided by the registry.
• Work together with other members of the Public Affairs team on volunteer recruitment, training and support.
• Assist in establishing and executing the goals and objectives necessary to increasing the number of donors on donor registries.
• Carry out other duties as deemed appropriate by the Director of Government Relations and the Chief Public Affairs Officer.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES:

• Autonomy: Ability to practice with a high degree of autonomy in a self-directed manner, demonstrating innovation and creativity in problem solving.
• Data Analysis: ability to collect, analyze, and present data to identify patterns, trends, and relationships among variables.
• Data Visualization: skilled in data visualization and storytelling for business leaders, learners, and their managers by using data visualization techniques—flow charts, graphs, plots, word clouds, heat maps, and infographics
• Diplomacy: Skilled at working with external stakeholders, building positive relationships with a focus on donation education. Ability to develop effective professional relationships, possesses superior communication skills, and demonstrated ability to quickly understand the culture of an organization and work effectively within it.
• Skilled Presenter: Responsible for development and delivery of presentations to educate stakeholder groups on donation.
• Project Management Skills: demonstrated ability to lead, organize, and manage multiple projects, adapt to changing priorities, and utilize time-management skills to meet deadlines.
• Computer & Application Literacy: proficiency Microsoft Office suite, Zoom, as well as ability to navigate internet.
• Performance Management & Team Building:  Proven ability to work in and lead teams that produce results.  Ensures that organizational goals are met in an effective and efficient manner by enhancing the skills and professional development of employees and building teams.
• Innovative Leadership: ability to assess an issue or opportunity and develop and implement an innovative solution by inspiring productivity in new ways and through different approaches than have typically been used and taken.  Have excellent strategic vision, strong employee focus, create a climate of reciprocal trust, and excel at setting stretch goals and targets.
• Interpersonal and Communication Skills:  strong interpersonal, written and verbal communication skills.  Ability to critically think, problem solve, and work productively both independently and as a team participant. Skilled in active listening and proven ability to handle sensitive and confidential information.
• Emotional Intelligence:  Demonstrates the ability to understand, use and manage emotions in positive ways to relieve stress, communicate effectively, empathize with others, overcome challenges and diffuse conflict.
• Conflict resolution:  Able to be present and pay attention in the moment, identify stress responses and triggers, cope and manage difficult emotions, speak mindfully and actively listen, maintain open communication, look for solutions and find agreement that benefits both sides to some extent
• Initiative:  Is a self-starter.  Seeks solutions and makes practical suggestions.  Finds new and better ways to perform job and functions.  Displays ingenuity in anticipating and meeting unexpected situations.
• Organization: Is able to successfully prioritize when faced with demands, requests and deadlines.  Effectively handles competing priorities. Is able to distinguish between the crucial and trivial.  Sees the big picture.  Keeps situations in proper perspective.
• Confidentiality: Ability to handle highly confidential information in a professional manner.  High level of judgment and discretion.
• Workload Management: Ability to prioritize and manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment. 

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE:

• Bachelors' degree or a combination of education and experience providing equivalent knowledge.
• Experience working with or within community organizations.
• Demonstrated experience in community team building and advocacy.
• Familiarity with donation and transplantation. 

CERTIFICATES, LICENSES, REGISTRATIONS:

• Required to travel by personal vehicle and NEDS authorized vehicles to meet the duties and responsibilities of this position. Must maintain the requirements of an “eligible driver” including maintaining an acceptable Motor Vehicle Record (MVR) and required minimum personal automobile insurance per NEDS automobile policy.
• Valid state driver’s license required.

What You’ll Be a Part Of:

You will be part of a team that supports the NEDS mission, to Save and Heal Lives, through the gift of Organ and Tissue Donation.  As an NEDS employee, our benefits include:

• Generous paid time-off program
• Health, Dental, Vision, and Mental Health insurance coverage
• 2x Annual Salary Life Insurance
• Fertility Benefits
• LGBTQIA+ Focused Healthcare Programs
• Flex Spending Account Options
• 403(b) Retirement Plan with Organizational Contributions
• Tuition Reimbursement
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
• Pet Insurance
• Working Advantage discounts Program.
• Personal career and skill development opportunities

You can also participate in Corporate sponsored events like the annual Blue & Green Walk, Community Volunteering opportunities, Organization-wide team-building outings, and more!

This will be a hybrid role with multiple days in the Waltham office as well as traveling across New England to visit various RMV locations weekly.

HIRING ALERT: NEDS is actively taking precautions to protect our community, staff and partners during this time of medical emergency due to COVID-19. In order to be employed at NEDS, you must be vaccinated and boosted for COVID-19. 

When you join New England Donor Services, you can expect competitive salaries and a great benefit package. Benefits include BCBS Health Insurance, BCBS Dental Insurance, Vision Insurance,1x Annual Salary Life Insurance, Pet Insurance, Flexible Spending Account, Short-term Disability Coverage, Long-term Disability Coverage, Long-term Care Coverage, 403b Retirement Contribution, Tuition Reimbursement, Employee Assistance Program, Discounts through Working Advantage and a generous Paid Time-off Program.

We also proudly offer inclusive benefits to support the health and wellbeing of our workforce, including comprehensive health care for the LGBTQIA+ community, and personalized inclusive fertility and family-forming benefits.

Grow your career at NEDS! Take advantage of additional benefits like online learning and development courses, tuition reimbursement, mentorship program, Employee Resource Group (ERG) – that provide opportunities and encourage our staff to grow professionally

New England Donor Services is an equal opportunity employer and encourages candidates from underrepresented backgrounds to apply to meet the needs of the multicultural and multilingual communities we serve.