Community Engagement Specialist
Communication and Outreach Department (COM) – Washington State Bar Association (WSBA)

Salary Range: $64,464 to $64,464 + Washington State Employee Benefits
FLSA - Full-time, Non-Exempt

The WSBA's mission is to serve the public and the members of the Bar, to ensure the integrity of the legal profession, and to champion justice.

The Community Engagement Specialist is a new position to the Washington State Bar Association (WSBA). This position will play a key role in community outreach and engagement, helping to ensure that stakeholders—the public and legal professionals—who are impacted by the WSBA’s work and the legal profession, are meaningfully involved before decisions are made.

This position builds and maintains networks, programs, and partnerships to help the WSBA inform the public about its mission to uphold the integrity of the legal profession and champion justice.

The Community Engagement Specialist ensures the public’s needs and voices are woven into the WSBA’s work by building and maintaining meaningful relationships with community partners and identifying opportunities for WSBA leaders to engage with them.

Community Engagement:

• Design and conduct needs-based assessments, focus groups, surveys, and other methods for collecting feedback and input to inform potential and ongoing WSBA work and priorities, including the annual strategic planning process and volunteer recruitment processes.
• Serve as a staff liaison to the Member Engagement Committee. Duties to include: working with the committee to advise and implement best strategies to gauge ongoing member engagement and satisfaction and providing administrative support for the meetings.
• Advise WSBA entities as a subject matter expert on community outreach, providing guidance on how to design targeted outreach campaigns. Assist with the implementation and execution of the outreach campaigns.
• Cross-team collaboration with the following:
  1. Volunteer Advisor to advise entities on how to design and implement volunteer recruitment plans.
  2. Events Specialist and Outreach Coordinator to design and implement outreach plans that ensure key players are invited and engaged in WSBA events. Advise the event planners on how to create a space and program that is inclusive to the targeted audience.
  3. Data Analyst to synthesize engagement data and feedback based on surveys, focus groups, etc. designed by Community Engagement Specialist. Look for emerging trends and patterns in ongoing survey/feedback data and make operational recommendations based on those trends.
  4. Communication and Outreach Department to design and distribute communications about the data and analysis to various audiences including the staff, the Board of Governors, and the legal profession. Deliver in the best and most timely format to WSBA leaders and entities to inform decision making.
  5. WSBA leaders and members who engage in public ambassadorship about best practices for community engagement; this includes helping to design an ambassador program to promote confidence in the Rule of Law and support our principles of democracy.
  6. Equity and Justice Team to support entities and staff on community engagement and input on proposed work (e.g., policies, comments, programs) as part of applying an equity lens to work.
  7. Communications and Equity & Justice Teams to develop, deliver, and maintain educational resources on how the legal delivery system works and how the public can access it and educational resources that explain the governance and authority of the WSBA and opportunities for public engagement.

Community Relations (to Execute Community Engagement Functions):

• Communication and Outreach Department to design and distribute communications about the data and analysis to various audiences including the staff, the Board of Governors, and the legal profession. Deliver in the best and most timely format to WSBA leaders and entities to inform decision making.
• WSBA leaders and members who engage in public ambassadorship about best practices for community engagement; this includes helping to design an ambassador program to promote confidence in the Rule of Law and support our principles of democracy.
• Equity and Justice Team to support entities and staff on community engagement and input on proposed work (e.g., policies, comments, programs) as part of applying an equity lens to work.
• Communications and Equity & Justice Teams to develop, deliver, and maintain educational resources on how the legal delivery system works and how the public can access it and educational resources that explain the governance and authority of the WSBA and opportunities for public engagement.

Other Duties as Assigned:

• Assist with other duties assigned by the Chief Communications and Outreach Officer or Executive Director.
• Serve as a liaison to Boards, Councils, Committees, and Task Forces as assigned.

• Experience with relationship building and developing partnerships with community-based organizations that serve people from marginalized communities.
• Knowledge of or experience with the legal community and profession and navigating access legal services.
• Experience with designing and administering needs assessments, surveys, and focus groups.
• Experience in legislative advocacy or an equivalent in having working knowledge of legislative advocacy and policymaking.

• A commitment to DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion).
• A commitment to strengthening the WSBA by helping it reach mission-driven outcomes for the public and its members.
• Demonstrated expertise designing public engagement processes that include people most impacted by a decision in the decision-making process.
• Demonstrated expertise in leading and facilitating engagement events and tools, such as focus groups, public meetings, and surveys.
• An ability to effectively work with people from diverse backgrounds, including age, race, ethnicity, gender identity, disabilities, and sexual orientation; this includes a background in equity work with an understanding of systemic racism.
• Demonstrated expertise building relationships and developing partnerships with community-based organizations, especially those that serve people from marginalized communities.
• Ability to handle sensitive and confidential situations. Position continually requires demonstrated poise, tact and diplomacy, and the ability to interact with individuals at all levels of the WSBA and the public at large.
• Ability to travel, potentially to remote areas of the state, as engagement activities require.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to engage and inspire community members and volunteers.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office and 365 within Windows, with a strong technical aptitude to quickly learn others (including WSBA’s existing systems).

This position, while primarily remote, must be flexible to work in office or travel within WA state as deemed necessary, or as required. This position primarily performs work during normal business hours, but must have the ability to work flexible hours, including evenings, weekends involving overnight travel, as necessary. This position may also have the option to work in-office. For remote work, must have an adequate home/work environment and internet access, for performing work of a highly sensitive and confidential nature.

Employment with the Washington State Bar Association mandates that WSBA Staff must reside within the State of Washington at the time of hire, and during active employment status.

The essential functions of the job that must be performed, with or without a reasonable accommodation: This position must be able to regularly work five days per week in an office type environment (remote or in office), possess the ability to primarily sit/stand and use a computer, and lift/push/pull items weighing up to 25 pounds. Must be able to operate a computer keyboard, and other standard office equipment (e.g., printer/scanner/fax/telephone). This position must be able to read, write, and speak with others in English.

• State of Washington Retirement system (DRS/PERS), including an optional Deferred Compensation Plan
• Medical benefits (including Rx) through the WA Healthcare Authority, with WSBA paying a majority of the premium cost.
• 100% paid premiums for employee Dental and Vision
• Long-Term Disability and Life Insurance Plans
• Generous Paid Time Off Benefits (sick, vacation, holiday, float, emergency leave)
• Transportation incentives, *based on a primary work selection requirements
• Allowance to set up a home office, *based on a Remote work selection option
• Free Employee Assistance Program, and National Employee Discount Program
• You will be working with a team of supportive, collaborative, creative, and dedicated colleagues driven to accomplish WSBA’s Mission
• A company culture that truly focuses on a quality Work and Life Balance for its Staff through our 4 Pillars: 1) Excellence (Mission-driven results), 2) Unity (Team-driven results), 3) Integrity (Value-driven results), and 4 JOY! (People-driven culture).

For consideration and to apply, interested and qualified candidates must apply online and submit the following required materials: online application, and both a comprehensive professional cover letter and resume. Applications submitted without a cover letter will be considered incomplete.

WSBA Staff must be authorized to work in the United States on a permanent basis, upon hire. This position is not eligible for Sponsorship.

WSBA administers pre-employment background screening upon a contingent verbal offer, and prior to hire.

The Washington State Bar Association (WSBA) operates under the delegated authority of the Washington Supreme Court and exercises a governmental function authorized by the Washington Supreme Court to license and regulate the state’s nearly 40,000 legal professionals, including lawyers, limited practice officers, and limited license legal technicians. The WSBA both regulates legal professionals under the authority of the Court and serves its members as a professional association — all without public funding. The WSBA administers the bar admission process, including the bar exam; provides record-keeping and licensing functions; administers the lawyer discipline system. and provides continuing legal education for legal professionals, in addition to numerous other educational and member-service activities.

The statements contained in this job announcement are not necessarily all-inclusive; additional duties may be assigned, and requirements may vary from time to time.

Washington State Bar Association (WSBA) Compensation Philosophy and Compensation Grid