Community Relations Specialist

If you are looking for a great employment opportunity, Housing Development Corporation MidAtlantic (HDC) is currently seeking a Full-Time Community Relations Specialist for our Corporate Office located in Lancaster, PA.

HDC MidAtlantic envisions a world where a safe, welcoming, affordable place to call home is open to everyone. We believe home shouldn't be an impossible dream; it should be an attainable reality. We are resident advocates, trusted developers, property managers, community partners, and collaborators. As part of the fabric of our towns and cities, we have been working alongside our neighbors since 1971 to create real change and meaningful connections. As champions of the greater good, we are committed to advancing equity, opening doors to opportunity, and building homes we can all be proud of.

Today, HDC owns and/or manages over 3,300 apartments and provides safe, affordable housing to those with lower incomes, with a focus on seniors, families, and individuals living with disabilities. We proudly serve nearly 4,500 residents across 67 communities in urban, suburban, and rural areas throughout Pennsylvania, Delaware, and Maryland. Through our work, we build hope and opportunity for all residents to reach their full potential by creating, preserving, and strengthening affordable housing communities.

This is a key entry-level position that supports HDC's Community Relations department, which focuses on fundraising, communications, and advocacy to advance HDC's mission and strategic direction. Working under the direct supervision of the Director of Resource Development, this role involves a blend of research, writing, event coordination, and digital communication, and provides support in HDC's advocacy work. Approximately 75% of this role will be dedicated to grant support and fundraising efforts.

Grant Writing:
• Craft compelling narratives for grant proposals, Letters of Inquiry, and supplementary materials for diverse funders, including foundations, corporations, and government agencies.
• Collaborate closely with program staff and leadership to gather and synthesize necessary data, impact stories, and budget information for funding applications and reports.
• Maintain attention to detail by reviewing grant guidelines to ensure application components, formatting, and attachments are accurate and compliant.

Prospect Research:
• Conduct comprehensive prospect research to identify new funding sources whose philanthropic priorities align with HDC's mission.

Grant Administration:
• Manage the assembly and coordination of the final grant package, ensuring the timely submission of applications via online portals or physical delivery.
• Assist in the maintenance of a comprehensive Grants Calendar to track deadlines for proposals, interim reports, and follow-up activities.
• Support grant reporting by compiling outcome data and drafting narrative sections that demonstrate the impactful use of funds and resident success.
• Draft and coordinate essential funder correspondence, thank-you letters, and acknowledgments to build and maintain positive relationships.

Social Media & Digital Content:
• Assist with executing HDC's social media strategy, posting on primary platforms (e.g., Facebook, LinkedIn) and explore new platforms to expand HDC's reach.
• Manage the content calendar for social media, ensuring consistent, mission-aligned, and timely posting across all channels.
• Track and compile key performance indicators for digital engagement, reach, and impressions for internal reporting for Executive Leadership and Board of Directors.

Event and Logistics Support:
• Provide essential support for the planning and successful execution of key external events, including ribbon-cuttings, groundbreakings, tours, networking events, and advocacy visits.

Advocacy Support:
• Provide logistical and research support to advance HDC's advocacy priorities agenda at the local, state, and federal levels.
• Conduct targeted research and prepare background and data-driven talking points and testimony related to legislation, HDC impact, and the need for affordable housing.
• Review requests for letters of support and calls to action for proposed legislation and policies that align with HDC's priorities and conduct outreach to elected officials to gain their support.
• Coordinate necessary logistics with the offices of elected officials and their staffers for activities such as site tours/visits, testimony preparation, and scheduling meetings.

Education, experience, and special requirements:

Education
• Bachelor's degree preferred in a relevant field such as English, Communications, Marketing, Journalism, Nonprofit Management, Public Policy, or Liberal Arts.

Experience
• Internship/Volunteer Experience: Relevant experience with a non-profit, especially assisting with development or communications tasks.
• Portfolio Samples: Examples of strong writing, such as academic papers, professional reports, or any previous grant proposals
• Familiarity with Non-Profit Sector: A foundational understanding of non-profit mission-driven work.

Key Skills and Attributes
• Positive Growth Mindset: Approaches challenges as opportunities to develop new skills and strategies, demonstrate resilience and an unwavering commitment to continuous improvement, even in the face of setbacks.
• Exceptional Writing Skills: Demonstrated ability to write clearly, concisely, and with grammatical accuracy, capable of adapting tone and style to suit various external audiences and funder requirements.
• Research and Analytical Aptitude: Proven ability to efficiently gather information from various sources (databases, public records) and synthesize complex data into a clear, cohesive, and compelling narrative.
• Detail-Oriented and Highly Organized: Essential for managing competing priorities, meeting non-negotiable deadlines, and handling sensitive financial and programmatic data with high accuracy.
• Proficiency in Technology: Proficient use of Microsoft Office (Word, Excel) or Google Suite. Prior experience with a CRM or donor/grant management software is a plus.
• Collaborative and Mission-Driven: Ability to build positive, professional relationships with diverse internal teams and external stakeholders, coupled with a genuine passion for affordable housing.
• Successful completion of drug screening background check

Core Competencies (skills, knowledge, or abilities):

Quality of Work: Demonstrates commitment to their area of work, capability, and efficiency in completing work, and dedication to providing the highest quality deliverables and services. Takes ownership of their work and understands its impact on residents, partners, and the organization. Strives for excellence and motivated to give their best.

Teamwork and Collaboration: Able to work with colleagues toward shared goals. Understands the value of collaboration and teamwork to the success of their role and willingly shares in responsibility and recognition when contributing to the capacity of the team. Works effectively and respectfully within and across teams and departments.

Communication: Demonstrates effective and proactive communication skills appropriate to their role; gives and seeks honest, respectful feedback; acts with integrity and empathy; mindful of managing and expressing one's emotions respectfully in all situations. Understanding of diverse perspectives, viewpoints, and experiences.

Continuous Learning: Actively identifies new areas for self-learning; regularly creating and taking advantage of learning opportunities; using newly gained knowledge and skill on the job and learning through their application. Takes initiative in their professional development.

Results Oriented: Reliably delivers intended results, on time and within budget. Is solution-oriented and able to adapt in face of challenges; able to analyze and prioritize situations to solve problems; displays sound judgment and makes decisions in alignment with departmental and organizational goals.

Normal work environment:
• Work environment will be indoors and outdoors and will require traveling, approximately 30% of the time.
• Requires moderate physical demands; lifting up to 25 pounds, continuous standing, bending, walking, and lifting.

Equal Opportunity Employment

We believe in and practice equal opportunity. HDC MidAtlantic is an equal opportunity employer and does not unlawfully discriminate against employees or applicants for employment on the basis of an individual's race, color, religion, creed, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, sex, national origin, age, disability, marital status, veteran status, or any other status protected by applicable law. This policy applies to all terms, conditions, and privileges of employment, including recruitment, hiring, placement, compensation, promotion, discipline, and termination.