Engagement Coordinator

Full-Time | Hybrid | Wilmington, CA | $23.00/hour

Status - Full-time, 40 hours/week

Work arrangement - Hybrid; two days/week in the Wilmington office, plus community-based work as assigned

Language requirement - Bilingual Spanish/English required

Travel - Reliable transportation required; regular travel throughout the South Bay

About Harbor Connects

Harbor Connects is a nonprofit organization working to support our neighbors and service providers in the fight against homelessness. Our work centers on Wayfinding and Microgrants: helping neighbors and service providers identify and navigate available resources, make connections to organizations best positioned to meet an identified need, and provide flexible microgrant assistance when existing resources are unavailable or cannot respond quickly enough.

Position Summary

Harbor Connects is seeking a compassionate, resourceful, and highly organized Engagement Coordinator to join our growing team. The Engagement Coordinator will work directly with community members and Service Providers, with a primary focus on Wayfinding and Microgrant administration. This position will assess requests for assistance, identify appropriate community resources, communicate with Neighbors and referring providers, coordinate vendor payments and documentation, and help ensure that people seeking support experience Harbor Connects as responsive, respectful, and easy to navigate.

The Engagement Coordinator will approach this work through a trauma-informed, person-centered lens. Neighbors seeking assistance may be navigating significant stress, trauma, homelessness, housing instability, poverty, behavioral health challenges, and complex service systems. The successful candidate must be able to build trust, communicate with empathy, maintain appropriate professional boundaries, and remain calm and solution-focused during challenging interactions.

This is a full-time hybrid position requiring two days per week in our Wilmington office, with additional travel throughout the South Bay for meetings, community engagement, events, and assigned responsibilities. Bilingual fluency in Spanish and English is required.

Primary Responsibilities

• Respond to Wayfinding and Microgrant requests from community members and service providers in a timely, compassionate, and professional manner.
• Review assistance applications and provider referrals, gather necessary information and documentation, and assess requests consistent with Harbor Connects' program guidelines.
• Research and identify community resources; provide appropriate referrals, connections, warm handoffs, and follow-up.
• Coordinate approved Microgrant assistance, including communication with neighbors, service providers, vendors, and Harbor Connects staff.
• Obtain and maintain required documentation related to Microgrant expenditures and program outcomes.
• Communicate clearly when additional information is needed, a request falls outside program guidelines, or another resource may be better positioned to assist.
• Maintain accurate and timely program records, including applications, referrals, assistance provided, outcomes, and follow-up activities.
• Build and maintain knowledge of community resources throughout Harbor Connects' service area and the broader South Bay.
• Develop positive working relationships with nonprofit organizations, government agencies, healthcare providers, schools, community groups, and other service partners.
• Represent Harbor Connects at community meetings, outreach activities, resource fairs, and partner events as assigned.
• Support data collection, reporting, evaluation, and continued improvement of Wayfinding and Microgrant activities.
• Provide Spanish/English communication support for neighbors and service providers as needed.
• Support other Harbor Connects programs, events, and organizational activities, and perform other duties as assigned.

Required Qualifications

• Bilingual Spanish/English proficiency, with the ability to communicate effectively with community members and professional partners in both languages.
• Experience providing case management, care coordination, resource navigation, or other direct support to individuals and families with complex needs. Harbor Connects does not provide ongoing case management; this experience is valued because of the skills it develops in assessment, engagement, navigation, boundaries, and follow-through.
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively and respectfully with diverse communities, including people experiencing homelessness, housing instability, poverty, behavioral health challenges, and other barriers to stability.
• Understanding of trauma-informed and person-centered practices and the ability to apply those principles in day-to-day interactions.
• Ability to navigate emotionally challenging situations with empathy, patience, sound judgment, and appropriate professional boundaries.
• Ability to balance compassion and flexibility with program eligibility requirements, documentation standards, and responsible stewardship of nonprofit resources.
• Strong interpersonal and written/verbal communication skills; excellent organization, follow-through, and attention to detail.
• Sound judgment and ability to work independently within established program guidelines while maintaining confidentiality and accurate documentation.
• Basic proficiency with email, online applications, shared documents, spreadsheets, and common workplace technology.
• Reliable transportation; ability to regularly report to work in Wilmington, California, and travel throughout the South Bay for assigned responsibilities.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in nonprofit, social services, homelessness services, community engagement, healthcare, public benefits, or a related field.
• Familiarity with community resources and service systems in the Harbor Area and South Bay.
• Experience administering financial assistance, flexible funding, grants, benefits, or similar programs.
• Experience with de-escalation techniques or formal de-escalation training.
• Experience with Excel, Salesforce, Google Suite, Microsoft Office, and Adobe

We value relevant lived and professional experience and encourage applicants whose experience may not follow a traditional career path to apply.

Schedule & Work Environment

This is a full-time, 40-hour-per-week hybrid position. The Engagement Coordinator will generally work during Harbor Connects' regular Monday-Friday business hours. The position requires two days per week in the Wilmington office, with remaining work performed remotely or in the community as responsibilities require. The Engagement Coordinator must be available to commute throughout the South Bay for assigned meetings, outreach, events, vendor coordination, and other program activities. Occasional schedule adjustments may be necessary for community events or organizational needs.

Compensation & Benefits

Starting compensation: $23.00 per hour.

• $500 per month healthcare stipend.
• Paid time off and sick leave.
• Paid holidays.
• Access to Harbor Connects' 401(k) retirement plan; Harbor Connects does not currently provide an employer contribution or match.
• Hybrid work environment.

Who We're Looking For

This work can be incredibly rewarding, and it can also be challenging. Neighbors may come to Harbor Connects during some of the most difficult and stressful moments of their lives. We are looking for someone who can meet those moments with compassion, patience, professionalism, and a trauma-informed approach while maintaining healthy boundaries and recognizing when additional support or expertise is needed.

Wayfinding is more than giving someone a phone number or sending a resource list. It requires curiosity, persistence, creative problem-solving, and follow-through. The right person will listen carefully to understand what a Neighbor or Service Provider actually needs, identify realistic options, and help create a path forward without taking over or creating dependency.

Microgrant administration also requires careful stewardship of nonprofit resources. The Engagement Coordinator must be comfortable asking questions, gathering documentation, applying program guidelines consistently, and sometimes communicating that Harbor Connects cannot fund a particular request while still treating the person seeking assistance with dignity and respect.

Harbor Connects is a small and growing organization, so flexibility matters. Everyone on our team contributes beyond the boundaries of a traditional job description when needed.

How to Apply

Please submit a resume and brief cover letter describing your interest in Harbor Connects and relevant experience. Application instructions and deadline will be included in the public posting.

Harbor Connects is committed to building a team that reflects and respects the communities we serve.

Compensation & Benefits

Starting compensation: $23.00 per hour.

• $500 per month healthcare stipend.
• Paid time off and sick leave.
• Paid holidays.
• Access to Harbor Connects' 401(k) retirement plan; Harbor Connects does not currently provide an employer contribution or match.
• Hybrid work environment.

Fluency in Spanish and English are required.