The City of Detroit seeks a Director of Digital Inclusion. Reporting directly to the Chief Innovation & Technology Officer, the Director plays a core role on a team charged with helping lead and execute the office’s engagement strategies, communications, and efforts across digital enablement and inclusion.
The Director is lead steward and program manager for the portfolio and works to engage the community in the full range of programs, events, partnerships, and bodies of work that advance the office’s overarching mission to permanently close the Digital Divide in the City of Detroit. A successful candidate will be a high-energy multi-tasker with experience and demonstrated success in working community groups, stakeholders, and partners; understand the critical role of engagement in driving program participation and community collaboration; have a natural connection to and passion for lifting up youth to elder constituents; and demonstrate excellent judgment and an ability to act quickly and in the best interest of the office and the City of Detroit. The ideal candidate will be resourceful, curious, creative, comfortable with current mobile/social technologies for the community, assertive with taking initiative and leading projects, hard- and fast-working, a team player, detail-oriented and have imagination and a sense of urgency about the work.
This is a unique opportunity to be part of a dedicated team passionate about – and committed to – having an immediate and lasting impact as we work to ensure true digital equity throughout Detroit.
- Lead the daily engagement and outreach functions of the office, in close collaboration with the CIO and communications/engagement team, and within the context of the office’s strategic framework and priorities.
- Articulate and formulate messaging to convey benefits of alignment, collaboration, and partnership with City of Detroit’s digital innovations and technologies.
- Engage/inform/activate residents, leveraging office programs and partner networks as primary channels.
- Ensure consistent articulation of the office mission and narrative across engagement activities.
- Develop a digital equity and inclusion plan that ensures access to high-speed internet, access to devices, and digital literacy content for all residents.
- Ascertain digital equity needs across Detroit neighborhoods – inclusive of schools, home, and work areas.
- Manage the creation and execution of an overall strategy and plan for community outreach and engagement.
- Inform and lead the implementation of an outreach and engagement sub-strategy to focus, strengthen and maximize impact.
- Design and implement evaluation tools to measure and gauge impact, adoption, and benefits of programs.
- Monitor the success of engagement strategies and course correct as needed.
- Monitor digital literacy amongst residents, across digital tools and programs.
- Regularly analyze the local landscape to identify opportunities to collaborate with and support others.
- In coordination with the CIO, partners across City’s Departments and Divisions to address digital equity gaps across initiatives and services.
- Identify and cultivate strategic partnerships to ensure key successes in the office’s engagement efforts.
- Represent the office in community initiatives and at events that support our office’s goals/strategies.
- Foster relationships with community residents, local nonprofit organizations, business leaders, philanthropic organizations and other stakeholders through networking and collaboration.
- Coordinate and execute key community engagement events for the office.
- Assist in grant writing and reporting.
- Build knowledge of Detroit’s neighborhoods and the experiences of its residents to continuously inform our work and ensure initiatives are community-focused and responsive.
Qualifications (required):
- Bachelor’s degree in business administration, information technology, computer science, or similar fields.
- Minimum of five (5) to seven (7) years of experience related to community engagement, public affairs and public policy.
Qualifications (preferred):
- Master’s degree in information technology, computer engineering, public policy, or other closely related field or equivalent related experience.
- Experience working on city government initiatives.
- Experience working with city, state and federal-level datasets.
- Demonstrated interest in community organizing, ecosystem building and poverty alleviation.
Equivalent combinations of education and experience may be substituted to meet the education and experience requirements of this position.
