Community Engagement and Service Design Lead

Community Engagement and Service Design Lead

Organization: UX University, Inc. (501(c)(3))

Work Type: Hybrid contract role

Location: Maryland-based / local travel required

UX University is seeking proposals from qualified individuals for a Community Engagement and Service Design Lead contract role.

This role is part of a community-based initiative focused on supporting local businesses, strengthening relationships across a commercial corridor, and increasing participation, visibility, and long-term community connection.

We are looking for someone who is strong with people, strong in writing, comfortable in face-to-face settings, and able to follow through consistently
. This is not a fully remote role. It requires local presence and real in-person relationship-building.

The Community Engagement and Service Design Lead will help build and maintain strong relationships with local business owners and community stakeholders. The role blends outreach, communication, coordination, and on-the-ground presence.

It also includes a service design component. The selected contractor will help improve how businesses experience the initiative from first contact through continued participation. That means noticing barriers, improving communication and touchpoints, and helping shape engagement activities that feel clear, useful, and worth people’s time.

This is a hybrid contract position
. Some work can be done remotely, but the role will require in-person meetings, business visits, walk-throughs, and occasional event support as needed
.

This person will help build trust with local businesses and community stakeholders through direct outreach, in-person visits, and consistent follow-through. A big part of the role is making sure people feel respected, informed, and connected to the work over time.

• Conduct outreach and relationship-building with local businesses
• Recruit participants into project activities and maintain communication
• Represent the initiative professionally in community-facing settings

The role also includes helping organize and support forums, meetings, and engagement activities. This person should be comfortable helping coordinate communication, scheduling, reminders, and follow-up so participation stays active and organized.

• Support forums, meetings, and engagement activities
• Coordinate scheduling, reminders, and follow-up
• Help create a welcoming and well-run participant experience

This role is not just about outreach. It is also about improving how people move through the experience of participating. The selected contractor should be able to notice where businesses lose interest, get confused, or fall off, and then help improve the process.

• Identify barriers to participation and ongoing engagement
• Recommend practical improvements to communication, onboarding, and follow-up
• Help strengthen the overall participation journey

Strong writing and organization are important in this role. The person selected should be able to communicate clearly, keep accurate records, and provide regular updates on activity, progress, and opportunities.

• Draft outreach emails and follow-up communication
• Maintain organized records of outreach and participation
• Provide monthly written updates

We are looking for someone who is good with people, polished in person, and dependable with follow-through
. This person may come from community outreach, sales, business development, customer engagement, hospitality, nonprofit work, or other relationship-based roles. What matters most is the ability to connect with people, communicate clearly, and represent the work well in public.

Candidates should have strong face-to-face communication skills, strong writing ability, professional presence, and the ability to stay organized and take initiative. Local availability in Maryland is important, since this role includes in-person meetings and community engagement.

Preferred backgrounds include familiarity with small business environments, Montgomery County…