Help Build Community Power for Economic Justice in Maine

Maine Equal Justice (MEJ) is seeking a Community Engagement Director to oversee and align our organizing, outreach, and communications work in pursuit of greater economic equity and justice in Maine. This is a unique opportunity for a systems thinker and strategic leader to foster collaboration, build grassroots power, and ensure the voices of directly impacted communities are at the heart of our work.

As Community Engagement Director, you will supervise and support members of the community outreach team, lead cross-team initiatives, and align people, processes, and resources to advance long-term goals for systemic change. You’ll partner with directly impacted communities, ally organizations, and internal teams to drive community-centered strategies that move our mission forward.

Maine Equal Justice is a nonprofit legal aid and economic justice organization based in Augusta, Maine. We represent the interests of people with low income in the state legislature, before the courts and administrative agencies, and through community outreach and education. We work to increase economic security, opportunity, and equity in Maine, ensuring that everyone can access adequate health care, food, income security, and pathways to higher education and training. 

Key Responsibilities: 

1. Develop and lead integrated engagement strategies that include organizing, outreach, communications, and leadership development.
2. Supervise and support the Organizing and Communications Directors as well as other community outreach staff; foster cross-team collaboration.
3. Ensure engagement work is well aligned with MEJ’s legal and policy advocacy.
4. Support staff in power mapping, campaign planning, and coalition building.
5. Build and maintain community partnerships rooted in trust, equity, and shared goals.
6. Provide strategic training and mentorship to organizing staff and colleagues.
7. Align story collection, data systems, and communications practices with community-informed strategies.
8. Help lead internal strategy development with a lens on equity, systems change, and community leadership.

Who You Are:

1. A collaborative leader and systems thinker who thrives at the intersection of people, policy, and power.
2. An experienced organizer and trainer who puts people before process and builds from the ground up.
3. A skilled facilitator and communicator who fosters alignment, shared ownership, and clarity across teams.
4. Deeply committed to equity, racial justice, and centering the voices of those most impacted by poverty.

Qualifications:

1. At least 5 years of experience in community organizing, campaigns, or advocacy work with low-income communities.
2. Proven ability to supervise and support staff in alignment with values of equity and trust.
3. Strong understanding of the root causes of poverty and experience navigating public assistance systems.
4. Experience with campaign planning, coalition building, and strategy development.
5. Skilled in training and coaching others to build people power and influence systems.
6. Excellent communication, planning, and project management skills.
7. Access to a vehicle and valid driver’s license required.
8. Lived experience of poverty or working closely with impacted communities is a strong plus.

Location:

This is a hybrid position. Weekly in-person presence in Augusta or Portland may be required.

Salary and Benefits:

Salary range of $76,000-$80,000 depending on experience. Health and dental insurance are provided, with premiums and deductibles mostly covered by employer. MEJ also offers employer-paid life and disability insurance, retirement plan contributions, five weeks vacation in the first year, generous sick time, and 14 paid holidays.

To Apply:

Submit your resume (pdf preferred) and responses to the three screening questions (see below) through our application form here.

No cover letter required. Instead, we ask candidates to answer the following three questions. These are designed to help us get to know your leadership approach, values, and alignment with what we see as must-haves for this role. Please keep your responses to no more than 300 words per question.

1. Tell us about a time when you helped bring a group of people together to work toward a shared goal. What was your role in the group? How did you help people stay connected, focused, and moving forward together—especially if they had different perspectives or priorities? 
2. Our approach to community engagement values the power of everyday people to make change. Building authentic and deep relationships with people who have low income is central to our work. Tell us about how you have facilitated community organizing efforts that have elevated community input and participation.
3. At MEJ, we put relationships before process, and we believe dignity, equity, and trust must show up in how we work — not just in what we work on. Can you share a time when you navigated a challenge by centering relationships, values, or community needs over efficiency or traditional systems? What did you learn?

Applications will be accepted until August 24, 2025, or until the position is filled.

We strongly encourage people of color, members of the LGBTQ community, people with disabilities, and those with lived experience of poverty to apply. Maine Equal Justice is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Thinking about applying? Research shows that people from historically excluded communities tend to apply to jobs only when they check every box in the posting. If you’re currently reading this and hesitating to apply for that reason, we encourage you to go for it! Let us know how your lived experience and passion set you apart.