Community Engagement Coordinator

Love nature? Then you’re going to love The Nat.

The San Diego Natural History Museum (The Nat) was founded by amateur naturalists in 1874 and has played a major role in the conversation of our region. The Museum recently celebrated its 150th anniversary and completed a strategic plan focused on encouraging a love for nature, levering science and collections for conservation, and using our own voice to be here for nature.

We are seeking a Community Engagement Coordinator to support The Nat’s community engagement activities, access programs, and community science initiatives.

This position plays a key role in implementing community-centered programming in and outside of the museum by supporting partnership development, outreach event coordination, research, and administrative planning. The coordinator ensures that all engagement efforts are organized, culturally responsive, and aligned with The Nat’s mission and access goals.

The coordinator serves as a connector across departments and projects. They help to build and maintain partnerships with community-based organizations, assist with coalition-building, and supporting all outreach efforts across San Diego’s diverse communities.

This position reports to the Senior Manager of Community Engagement and works closely with the Project Manager, Anchoring Healing Through Nature Initiative.

Your Day-to-Day Work

Community Outreach & Engagement Support (30%)

• Coordinate outreach and engagement efforts across the county for community engagement programs and collaborative community events.
• Work with the Senior Manager of Community Engagement to seek and maintain new and existing strategic partnerships to expand the Museum’s reach, particularly among the communities most impacted by disparities in health and access to nature.
• Assist with coordinating community event logistics such as scheduling, staffing, materials preparation, communication, setup, and breakdown.
  • Represent The Nat in the community at meetings, outreach events, and online, sharing the mission and using tailored engagement strategies.
• Support The Nat’s community science initiatives by assisting with public-facing programs, coordinating logistics for events and trainings, and assisting in evaluation and reporting.

Anchoring Healing Through Nature Initiative Support (AHTNAT) (60%)

• Provide support to the Anchoring Healing Through Nature Project Manager, including research, coordination, and implementation of initiative activities, across multiple phases.
• Assist with the facilitation of the San Diego Healing Through Nature Coalition, a county-wide group of organizations and community members who are working to advance cross-sector collaboration to uplift communities while expanding equitable access to nature-based healing (scheduling, materials, documentation, Zoom tech support, working group management)
• Assist with research, including literature reviews and information gathering on nature-healing programs, consultants, trends, evaluation frameworks, key stakeholders, and engagement opportunities.
• Compile and maintain a database of information on community-based organizations, programs, and resources related to health and nature.
• Support the planning for AHTNAT-related meetings, events, and pilot programs.

Administrative, Data, & Communication Support (10%)

• Support data collection and organization related to community needs, participation, and engagement outcomes.
• Document, track, and organize activities, engagement efforts, and outputs for community engagement and community science initiatives
• Assist with storytelling and communication by developing basic presentations and visual materials.
• Collaborate with the Education, Volunteers, Marketing & Communications, Philanthropy, and Science Departments as needed.
• Participate in larger Education and Nat-centered programs, which may include facilitation or behind-the-scenes support.
• Other duties as assigned.

Supporting Other Operational Functions as Needed:

• Operational support for free public events at the museum such as Free Tuesday and December Nights
• Occasional operational and logistical support for Education and Volunteer events

What you Bring

Required Skills/Abilities: 

• Experience in community engagement, outreach, education, coalition-building, or grassroots organizing
• Comprehensive knowledge of and skill in project planning
• Ability to thrive in a high-paced, occasionally high-pressured environment.
• Experience in planning and executing events from start to finish
• Self-motivated, deadline-driven, and adaptable to changing priorities
• Excellent research and analytical skills.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to build and maintain genuine relationships with diverse stakeholders
• Interpersonal skills with a strong collaborative approach
• Demonstrated commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice.
• Strong organization skills with the ability to manage multiple tasks and timelines.
• Interest in nature, community wellness, and/or environmental justice

Education and Experience:

Required:

• BA or BS in environmental science/studies, education, community engagement, social sciences, or related field
• OR
• 2+ years of equivalent professional experience.
• Prior experience in a museum or informal education setting.

Preferred:

• Experience in grassroots campaigning or coordination
• Bilingual highly desired (Spanish, Tagalog, Vietnamese)

Working Conditions and Physical Requirements:

• Prolonged periods standing and walking
• Must be able to lift up to 50 pounds at a time.

Time Commitment:

This is a temporary position from approximately August 2026 to February 2027. 

The work schedule would be 5 days per week and includes frequent evening and weekend hours. 

This full-time, non-exempt position is eligible for benefits such as health insurance, vacation, sick-time,15 paid holidays, free admission into all of Balboa Park’s museums, and more.

Pay: $23/hr