Community Relations Specialist

Title: Community Relations Specialist

Overview (What is this role? What are we looking for?):

Barber National Institute is seeking a Community Relations Specialist to serve as an external-facing ambassador and build meaningful relationships throughout the community. This role increases awareness of our mission, programs, impact, and opportunities for involvement by partnering with businesses, nonprofit organizations, schools, civic groups, volunteers, donors, and other community stakeholders.

The Community Relations Specialist coordinates community outreach, manages the Speakers Bureau and volunteer program, supports Advancement initiatives, and represents Barber National Institute at events, presentations, networking opportunities, and other external engagements. The ideal candidate is an organized, confident, relationship-focused communicator who enjoys connecting people to a meaningful mission and managing multiple community activities at once.

What you’ll bring (Competencies or Behaviors):

• Strong interpersonal and relationship-building skills, with the ability to engage effectively with people from varied organizations, industries, and communities
• Excellent written, verbal, presentation, and public-speaking skills
• A professional, confident, and mission-centered approach to representing Barber National Institute in external settings
• Strong organization and time-management skills, with the ability to coordinate multiple relationships, events, deadlines, and priorities
• Sound judgment, initiative, adaptability, and discretion when handling confidential donor, volunteer, and organizational information
• Ability to recognize opportunities for community partnerships, volunteer engagement, philanthropy, and increased organizational visibility
• A collaborative work style and ability to work independently while partnering effectively with internal teams and leadership
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office or comparable productivity tools and the ability to accurately maintain records and routine reports in CRM or related systems

What you’ll have (Qualifications):

• Bachelor’s degree in communications, public relations, marketing, nonprofit management, business, community engagement, public administration, or a related field required
• Minimum of two years of professional experience in community relations, public relations, nonprofit engagement, Advancement, volunteer coordination, communications, marketing, donor relations, business development, or a related field required
• Experience building and maintaining relationships with businesses, nonprofit organizations, donors, volunteers, civic groups, or other community stakeholders required
• Experience coordinating community outreach activities, events, volunteer programs, speaking engagements, or external partnerships preferred
• Experience in a nonprofit, human services, healthcare, education, disability services, or another community-based organization preferred
• Experience using a CRM, donor-management, volunteer-management, or similar relationship-management system preferred
• Valid driver’s license and ongoing compliance with agency and insurer driving eligibility requirements for role-related travel
• An equivalent combination of directly related education and experience may be considered in place of the bachelor’s degree requirement

A typical day-to-day may include (Responsibilities):

• Coordinate community outreach and partnership activities with businesses, nonprofit organizations, schools, civic groups, professional associations, and other community stakeholders
• Represent Barber National Institute at community events, fairs, networking activities, meetings, presentations, and other external opportunities
• Communicate Barber National Institute’s mission, programs, impact, and opportunities for engagement accurately and professionally
• Identify individuals, organizations, and businesses with potential mission or philanthropic alignment and connect appropriate prospects with Advancement leadership for continued relationship development
• Coordinate the Speakers Bureau by managing requests, scheduling speakers, matching subject matter experts to community opportunities, preparing talking points and presentation materials, and tracking outcomes
• Coordinate the volunteer program by responding to inquiries, supporting volunteer recruitment and onboarding, matching volunteers with opportunities, maintaining records and hours, and partnering with internal teams to support a meaningful volunteer experience
• Partner with Strategic Communications to gather stories, photos, event information, and community highlights for newsletters, social media, publications, donor communications, and other organizational channels
• Maintain accurate records and reporting in the designated CRM or tracking system, including community contacts, partnerships, speaking engagements, volunteer participation, follow-up activity, and prospective donor referrals
• Monitor community engagement activity and relationship opportunities to identify trends, potential partnerships, and strategies that strengthen visibility, volunteer engagement, philanthropy, and organizational impact
• Support Advancement initiatives and other mission-aligned activities as assigned

Perks with a Purpose 
Our benefits are created with YOU in mind. 

Healthcare 
• Highmark Medical and Mental Health 
• Delta Dental and Davis Vision Coverage 

• Health Savings Account/Flexible Spending Accounts 

• Teladoc Virtual Health 
Financial Well-being 
• 401K Retirement Plan with Employer Match   
• On-Demand Pay 
• Employee Referral Bonus Program 
• Student Loan Forgiveness 
• College Scholarship & Tuition Discounts 
• Employee Discounts 
Life & Family Support 
• Company Paid Life Insurance 

• Short & Long-Term Disability Insurance 
• Employee Assistance Program 
• Erie Campus*- discounted on-site weekday childcare 
• Employee discounts for select BNI events and services 

• Generous Paid Time Off  

• Seven Paid Holidays

Who is Barber National Institute?

The Barber National Institute is a non-profit committed to its mission of providing the highest quality services for children and adults with autism, intellectual disabilities or behavioral health challenges and their families. Since our founding in 1952, we have evolved into a multi-faceted organization serving more than 6,200 individuals annually with a wide range of educational, vocational, residential and behavioral health programs.

We are an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, ancestry, age, sexual orientation, protected veteran status, disability or any other legally protected status. If you need an accommodation to apply, please contact HR. EOE

Any consideration of the background check will be an individualized assessment based on the applicant or employee’s specific record and the duties and requirements of the specific job.