Class specifications are intended to present a descriptive list of the range of duties performed by employees in the class. Specifications are not intended to reflect all duties performed within the job.

DEFINITION

Under the general direction of the Assistant Village Manager/Neighborhood Services Director, the Neighborhood Partnership Administrator collaboratively leads, develops, supports, and facilitates organization-wide community and civic engagement strategy through a neighborhood-based lens. The incumbent provides subject matter expertise in the professional practice of assessing and employing methods and strategies for achieving optimal community and civic engagement, guided by current, professionally-recognized IAP2 (International Association Public Participation) and DEIB (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging) principles and practices; leads, facilitates, and supports effective planning and implementation of strategic, inclusive, and responsive community engagement and partnerships with and among Village departments, residents, neighborhood and community groups, community- and faith-based institutions, commercial businesses, and various civic associations; designs and coordinates implementation of polices, programs, initiatives, and administrative systems to enable systematic support, problem-solving, and capacity building for quality-of-life enhancing community and civic engagement with Village residents, neighborhoods, and the community; trains Village personnel on community and civic engagement principles and practices; and, guides and assists Village personnel with planning and implementation of community and civic engagement initiatives, assessing and resolving neighborhood and community quality of life concerns, and forming community partnerships.

The incumbent leads and manages the operations of the Village’s Neighborhood Partnership Office/Division, including oversight of the Village Hall Welcome Center and coordination of the Village’s Special Events permitting process; coordinates assigned activities with other Village departments, boards and commissions, outside agencies, and private entities; represents the Village on external boards and committees; provides highly responsible and complex administrative support to the Assistant Village Manager/Neighborhood Services Director; conducts policy analysis, program evaluation, and benchmarking studies to ensure the Village remains current and effective with implementing professionally recognized best practices; actively facilitates continuous improvement of the Village’s comprehensive community and civic engagement program; and, consistently upholds and implements the Village values of Community, Connection, Service, Respect, and Results.

SUPERVISION RECEIVED AND EXCERCISED

1. Receives supervision from the Assistant Village Manager/Neighborhood Services Director
2. May supervise subordinate professional, technical, administrative staff, interns and/or volunteers
EXAMPLES OF DUTIES - Essential and other important duties and responsibilities may include, but are not limited to, the following:
Essential duties and responsibilities

1. Develops and coordinates implementation and continuous improvement of a comprehensive, neighborhood-based community and civic engagement program that systematically facilitates, supports and fosters: community partnerships with Village Government; communication, organized engagement, education, training, technical assistance, and coordinated problem-solving with neighborhood residents; conflict resolution of neighbor-to-neighbor disputes; community volunteerism and leadership; community-relationship building; and, a culture of inclusion and belonging within and across neighborhoods.
2. Establishes, maintains, and coordinates implementation of an official registry of contact and related background information for neighborhood and community group leaders to facilitate systematic communication, relationship building, and neighborhood and community partnerships with the Village.
3. Establishes, maintains, and coordinates implementation of neighborhood group recognition and organizing policies and related administrative systems to guide and support service delivery and partnership parameters for Village work with and support of neighborhood and community groups.
4. Conducts and facilitates planning, organizing, training, technical support, and other capacity building assistance with Village recognized neighborhood and community group partners.
5. Serves as the Village’s liaison and ombudsperson between neighborhood residents, community stakeholders, and Village departments to facilitate responsive, neighborhood-based customer service, coordinated problem-solving, and relationship building with Village staff and leaders.
6. Establishes, maintains, and coordinates implementation of volunteer policies, administrative systems, and an official registry with contact and related background information for individual community volunteers and volunteer groups that will systematically facilitate, support, and encourage community connections with volunteer opportunities.
7. Establishes partnerships with youth serving organizations and administrative systems to strategically engage Village youth in civic learning and volunteer activities.
8. Organizes community volunteer projects and initiatives, collaborates with other volunteer practitioners and organizations, and recruits, trains, oversees, and coordinates the activities and recognition of community volunteers.
9. Facilitates and occasionally conducts education related to Village operations, programs, initiatives, and services and community-based resources and initiatives.
10. Oversees and coordinates the Village Government “101” Program in collaboration with all Village departments and community-based institutions where appropriate.
11. Collaborates with the Public Works Department to ensure effective implementation of the Village’s graffiti abatement and Keep Oak Park Beautiful programs.
12. Collaborates with the Police Department to assist with facilitating police-community partnerships and relationship building and community engagement initiatives.
13. Collaborates with the Development Services Department to support neighborhood-business engagement and enhancing resident connections with neighborhood business districts.
14. Advises Village departments and assists with community engagement planning and implementation for Village initiatives in collaboration with the Office of Communications and Engagement and the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.
15. Coordinates and conducts facilitation of neighborhood and community meetings.
16. Coordinates access to grants and community-based resources and partnerships to assist with neighborhood and community initiatives.
17. Directly coordinates and collaborates to assist with Village-sponsored events and events coordinated by neighborhood and/or community partner groups and organizations.
18. Collaborates with the Office of Communications and Engagement to conduct organizational training on effective planning and delivery of community engagement based on IAP2 and DEIB principles, and design and facilitate implementation of the Village Organization’s Community Engagement Planning Framework and Playbook.
19. Assists with the design and delivery of organizational training and competency building on effective, resident-engagement customer service principles ad practices consistent with the Village values of Community, Connection, Service, Respect, and Results.
20. Conceptualizes, designs, implements, and oversees the reimagined Village Hall Welcome Center and Welcome to Oak Park Program.
21. Manages and continuously improves the Village’s special events and film permitting processes.
22. Engages with and provides relevant expertise and liaison support for assigned Village commissions, boards, committees, and taskforces related to the advancement of community and civic engagement.
23. Establishes and implements methods and administrative systems to continuously assess the performance of Village community and civic engagement programs, services, and initiatives.
24. Assess the needs for language and disability access in support of community and civic engagement and collaborates with the DEI and Communications and Engagement offices to ensure language and disability access needs are addressed via related Village policy, programs, and/or services.
25. Builds positive working relationships with co-workers, other Village employees and the public using principles of good customer service.
26. Attends and provides support for Village Board meetings and work sessions when required.
27. Maintains reasonable and predictable attendance.
28. May work more than 37.5 hours in a workweek to perform assigned job duties, including evenings and weekends, etc.
29. Performs related duties and responsibilities as assigned.

QUALIFICATIONS
Knowledge of:

Principles and practices of:
• Public Administration, urban affairs, and community and civic engagement in a Council-Manager form of municipal government;
• Planning and implementation methods for effective public participation;
• Recent and emerging developments, practices, trends, literature, and legislation related to community and civic engagement;
• Public policy analysis and development; organizational management and development; and municipal budgeting;
• Program and project management, evaluation, and development;
• Leadership, motivation, conflict management, and fostering effective team interaction;
• Public-sector procurement processes and contract management;
• Human resource and performance management functions, including supervision, training, and performance evaluation.
• Strategic planning, organizational business planning, and performance measurement administration;
• Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB);
• Effective interpersonal communication;
• Research and reporting methods, techniques and procedures;
• Modern business software applications including Microsoft Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint, etc.; and,
• Pertinent Federal, State, and local laws, codes and regulations.
Ability to:

• To lead and direct the operations, services and activities related to Community and Civic Engagement as part of a large, sophisticated organization in an urbanized environment diplomatically, effectively managing stressful situations, and projecting a demeanor of calm leadership.
• Effectively lead community and civic engagement work with a variety of stakeholder interests as an apolitical public administrator.
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• Effectively demonstrate and set the clear expectations of providing excellent customer service to both members of the organization and community.
• Assist in the training and development of staff.
• Assist in the development of Organizational goals, objectives, and procedures related to Community and Civic Engagement.
• Interpret and apply Federal, State, and local policies, laws, and regulations.
• Effectively communicate in writing and prepare and deliver oral presentations using modern media applications and technology in business and community meetings.
• Research, analyze and evaluate new service delivery methods.
• Establish, maintain, and foster productive working relationships with a diverse group of individuals both within the Village organization and the general public.
• Conduct advanced, complex analyses of organizational and community issues and apply critical thinking to identify core areas of concern, strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, and propose sound recommendations to address the identified concerns with anticipated outcomes.
• Read, understand, and interpret manuals, ordinances, policies and procedures, statutes, rules, regulations, periodicals, memoranda, financial reports, and legal documents;
• Organize and prioritize a variety of projects and multiple tasks in an effective and timely manner.
• Effectively use computer systems, software applications, and modern business equipment to perform a variety of work tasks.
• Effectively represent the Village in meetings with governmental agencies, contractors, vendors, businesses, community-based organizations, partners and with the community.
• Produce written documents with clearly organized thoughts using proper English sentence construction, punctuation, and grammar.
• Effectively communicate with other Village employees and the public in a variety of settings, including in person one-on-one and group meetings, virtual meetings, and by telephone, email, etc.
• Work independently, demonstrate leadership initiative, make timely decisions, apply sound judgement generally and in situations of high ambiguity.
• Establish, track and consistently adhere to organizational deadlines.
• Consistently perform and model an ethic of responsive and compassionate customer service with coworkers and the public.
• Perform a broad range of supervisory responsibilities over professional, technical, and administrative staff.
• Effectively lead, manage, and work on interdepartmental teams, projects, initiatives, and programs requiring a multi-disciplinary and multi-departmental approach.
• Think strategically and creatively with a futuristic orientation; act with political savvy; and conceptualize original, alternative solutions to complex problems.
• Perform complex research and statistical and/or regulatory analysis, draw sound, logical conclusions, and interpret findings in simple, easy to understand terms.
• Work effectively in an organizational environment that encourages and expects cross-functional teamwork, collaboration, and shared leadership with internal and external partners.
• Work and relate cooperatively and effectively in a supportive manner with elected and appointed officials in a Council-manager governmental structure.
• Initiate, adapt to and manage change and perform effectively in a fast-paced work environment.
• Maintain effective audio-visual discrimination and perception needed for:
o Making observations
o Communicating with others
o Reading and writing
o Operating assigned equipment.
• Maintain mental capacity which allows the capability of:
o Making sound decisions

o Demonstrating intellectual capabilities

Experience and Training Guidelines

Experience: Five (5) years of community and/or civic engagement work. At least three (3) years of experience in municipal government, preferably in a council-manager government setting, or a related field is a plus with at least one (1) year of supervisory experience.

Training: Equivalent to a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university with major course work in public administration or public policy, business administration, public affairs, public and/or community relations, urban planning, political science, psychology, sociology, social justice, or a related field, or a combination of experience and education that is equivalent.

WORKING CONDITIONS

Work in an office environment; sedentary work involves sitting most of the time, but may involve walking or standing for brief periods of time and sustained posture in a seated position for prolonged periods of time. No environmental hazards.