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Position Description

Do you have a passion for working alongside rural, low-income residents to strengthen communities and expand access to resources? Are you experienced in outreach, facilitation, and turning complex information into something people can understand and use? If you love connecting with people, organizing meaningful community conversations, and helping families and communities have a voice in decisions that affect their future, Self-Help Enterprises (SHE) may have the perfect opportunity for you.

Self-Help Enterprises (SHE) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the lives of low-income individuals and families throughout the San Joaquin Valley. Through affordable housing, community development, and resource planning initiatives, we work alongside communities to build long-term opportunity, stability, and resilience.

Self-Help Enterprises has an opening for a Community Development (CD) Specialist for the Community Engagement and Planning team. Our CE Specialists work directly with low-income rural residents — including disadvantaged communities (DACs) and Tribal communities — to build community capacity and support meaningful participation in decisions that will affect their families and communities for generations.

This role focuses on engaging community participation in regional water management, groundwater sustainability planning, and long-term changes in land use to reduce groundwater pumping. The CE Specialist conducts bilingual outreach, workshops, water tours, and community discussions and develops accessible educational materials to ensure historically underrepresented communities are informed, included, and represented in long-term resource planning spaces. This position will support the statewide Multi-benefit Land Repurposing Program (MLRP). Bilingual English/Spanish required.

Responsibilities

• Support community and Tribal participation in regional water management and groundwater sustainability, and Multi-benefit Land Repurposing planning.
• Educate and engage disadvantaged communities (DACs) and Tribes on the the Multi-benefit Land Repurposing Program (MLRP) and the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA), and through co-leading the MLRP State Support Entity and related activities, including but not limited to facilitating workshops, developing, presenting, and disseminating educational material, and coordinating advisory committees
• Conduct community outreach to engage disadvantaged communities (DACs) and Tribes, including but not limited to door-to-door outreach and attending community and/or water board meetings.
• Build long-term water management capacity and expertise in rural community leaders.
• Conduct technical/data review of Groundwater Sustainability Plans (GSPs) and draft comment letters based on findings of the technical/data review. Seeking technical expertise to review groundwater models, water budgets, draft GSPs, and proposed groundwater fees.

Must Haves

• Bachelor’s degree in community development, environmental studies, planning, public policy, social sciences, or a related field preferred — or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Experience in bilingual community outreach, facilitation, advocacy, training, and/or public engagement
• Ability to work with diverse community groups, including Tribes, low-income, and other community groups
• Ability to work with public and private agency officials
• Ability to analyze technical documents related to groundwater quality and supply
• Strong written and verbal communication skills in English and Spanish
• Strong computer (Excel, Word, Outlook, PowerPoint, etc.) skills
• Ability to manage time and work tasks with a minimum of supervision
• Ability to work effectively with public and private agency officials
• Strong facilitation and leadership development skills
• Ability to problem-solve and brainstorm creative solutions in challenging situations
• Ability to work in a high-volume environment with multiple deadlines and a variety of tasks
• Knowledge of SGMA, IRWM, groundwater planning, and/or MLRP.