The HRI CEM will work closely and collaborate with the HRI Program Director and other staff members. The CEM will connect with community members across Western North Carolina (WNC) on behalf of HRI, including HRI volunteers, donors, and landowners in a variety of ways. They will lead our volunteer engagement program by recruiting volunteers, planning and leading volunteer days, and managing a volunteer appreciation program. They will build and maintain strong relationships with program stakeholders to increase their involvement. The HRI CEM will manage HRI’s social media platforms and oversee other marketing efforts. They will work with the HRI Educational Outreach Manager to educate and empower more community members and groups to participate in hemlock conservation. There will be significant face-to-face interaction through outreach activities, which will include educational presentations, trainings, demonstrations, hikes, tabling events, and volunteer days. Finally, the HRI CEM will occasionally join the HRI Forestry Crew in our Hemlock Conservation Areas, which are both front- and backcountry areas across WNC, to perform hemlock management when needed, and as a means of better understanding and communicating the value of the work performed by the HRI program.    

A successful Community Engagement Manager will believe in the program’s mission, embrace a positive, collegial culture, and relish being part of a small, evolving team during a time of institutional growth. They will be outgoing, enjoy connecting with new people from various backgrounds in a variety of settings, be comfortable working in the woods, and be able to work an irregular weekly schedule. This position is an excellent opportunity to be a member of a dynamic team, play an influential role in addressing an important forest health issue, and be part of the extensive conservation community within WNC and the Southern Appalachians. Within this position, there is the potential to influence program development and acquire increased leadership responsibilities over time.