Salary: $24.79 – $38.46 hourly
As a Community Development Specialist, you will work closely with low-income, rural residents and governing boards within the communities to assist them in developing and managing community infrastructure projects. You will also serve in an advocacy and technical assistance role regarding the needs of rural, low-income people for safe, adequate water and wastewater facilities.
Responsibilities
- Work with the community, water and sewer agency boards, and engineers to facilitate project planning and development.
- Research and package loan and grant applications.
- Provide grant administration support to funding recipients, assisting communities in meeting grant requirements, submitting reimbursement claims and documentation, and meeting deadlines.
- Oversee planning and design work provided by third-party consultants to advance community infrastructure projects.
- Conduct community surveys, needs assessments, and related research to obtain community information and determine facility needs and deficiencies.
- Assist small, rural communities in complying with the technical, managerial, and financial requirements necessary to operate water and wastewater systems properly.
- Perform a central role in advancing project progress by coordinating among funding and regulatory agencies, local governments, and community representatives.
- Build relationships in communities and help keep residents informed and involved in their community water and wastewater systems.
- Attend community and Board meetings (some nights and weekends) to listen and provide support and project technical assistance.
Must Haves
- Four-year college degree or equivalent work experience.
- Ability to work with farmworkers, low-income, and other community groups.
- Ability to manage technical aspects of fieldwork and writing funding applications.
- Strong written and verbal communication skills.
- Strong problem-solving skills.
- Ability to manage time and work tasks with minimal supervision and juggle various tasks simultaneously.
- Ability to work effectively with public and private agency officials.
- Facilitation and leadership development skills.
