Community Network Builder

The Institute for Engagement & Negotiation (IEN) at the University of Virginia seeks a motivated and collaborative Community Network Builder to strengthen regional economic opportunity in Virginia’s Northern Neck and Middle Peninsula. This position is funded by the Jessie Ball duPont Fund to support Northern Neck and Middle Peninsula communities becoming more competitive and coordinated in securing state and federal resources for their long-term resilience. This position will engage localities, non-profits, businesses, and thought leaders in the region to identify overlapping priorities and surface cross-jurisdictional opportunities, ultimately resulting in the selection of one to two key economic opportunity areas for targeted collaboration, specifically core infrastructure investments such as housing and workforce development.

The Community Network Builder will help the region prioritize solutions that are:
1) responsive to the lived realities of rural families,
2) capable of application across different regional financial ecosystems, and
3) capable of leveraging state and federal resources for sustainable impact.

Position Responsibilities
Research, Strategy, and Project Development

• Identify regional economic opportunity priorities and assess feasibility of collaborative initiatives.
• Conduct capital scans and feasibility studies to align local, philanthropic, and federal/state funding streams (“capital stacking”).
• Design pilot projects in areas such as housing, workforce pipelines, and small business development.
• Develop prioritization frameworks and metrics for evaluating and scaling regional initiatives.
• Track project implementation and outcomes, producing quarterly learning memos and progress dashboards.

Community Engagement and Facilitation

• Build trusted, inclusive relationships across governments, nonprofits, businesses, and residents.
• Convene regional forums, workshops, and advisory committees to align priorities and surface opportunities.
• Facilitate community visioning and structured “data walks” to connect insights with investment strategies.
• Mobilize community participation in project rollout and continuous learning processes.

Capacity and Resource Development

• Provide coaching and training for local partners on data interpretation, visualization, and storytelling.
• Support grant writing, proposal development, and strategic resource alignment.
• Serve as a technical assistance hub to strengthen regional data infrastructure and project design capacity.
• Collaborate with partners such as the River Counties Community Foundation and explore participation in initiatives like the Federal Reserve Bank’s Rural Investment Collaborative.

Knowledge and Skills

Rural Development

• Experience with the dynamics of rural communities, either lived or professional.
• Understands the assets, challenges, and cultural context that shape under-resourced regions.

Strategic Resource Development

• Experienced in grant writing and proposal development to secure funding.
• Designs program plans that align with funder priorities.
• Crafts compelling, data-informed cases that expand funding pipelines and partnerships.

Data Collection, Analysis & Synthesis

• Skilled in data analysis and synthesis of qualitative and quantitative inputs.
• Proficiency with GIS, Excel, and visualization tools (Tableau, Power BI).
• Experience developing evaluation frameworks and performance metrics.
• Experience working with rural or disaggregated datasets.

Relationship & Coalition Building

• Builds and sustains trusted relationships across government, nonprofit, business, and civic sectors.
• Strong facilitation and communication skills; able to adapt style to diverse audiences.
• Commitment to presence and accessibility across rural communities.
• Approaches work with humility and a service mindset.
• Reliable, responsive, and visible; able to navigate both formal and informal settings.

Strategy - Planning & Implementation

• Skilled at building coalitions, facilitating consensus, and advancing shared goals.
• Ability to convert vision into actionable strategies with clear timelines and outcomes.
• Anticipates needs, aligns actions with long-term outcomes, and manages multiple priorities.
• Strong documentation and reporting skills to capture and share learning.

Problem-Solving and Initiative

• Anticipates emerging needs and aligns resources accordingly.
• Exercises sound judgment, cultural humility, and a service-oriented mindset.
• Works independently while maintaining accountability to community stakeholders and funders.

Minimum Requirements

• Education: Bachelor's degree.
• Experience: 4 years in rural development, community engagement, economic development, or related fields. Relevant experience may be considered in lieu of a degree.
• Travel: Frequent travel within Northern Neck and Middle Peninsula; valid driver’s license required.

Preferred Qualifications

• Professional or lived experience with rural community development.
• Demonstrated expertise in grant writing, proposal development, and strategic funding alignment.
• Demonstrated success in convening and facilitating multi-stakeholder processes.
• Knowledge of housing, workforce development, and rural economic ecosystems.
• Master’s degree in public policy, planning, economics, community development, or related field (or equivalent professional experience).

Position Type & Work Location

• Three year term limited, full-time, exempt, benefits -eligible.
• Restricted position - contingent on grant funding.
• Required in-person presence at the River Counties Community Foundation offices in White Stone, VA.
• Work during the Eastern Time Zone required.

Salary Range

The anticipated hiring range is $66,600-69,000 commensurate with education and experience.

About the Institute for Engagement & Negotiation

The Institute for Engagement & Negotiation (IEN) at the University of Virginia is a national leader in consensus building, collaborative governance, and community-based engagement. IEN helps communities, governments, and organizations tackle complex challenges through inclusive processes that strengthen resilience and equity.

About UVA and the Community

To learn more about UVA and in the Charlottesville area, visit UVA Life and Embark CVA .

Application Process

Applicants not employed at UVA please apply through the UVA job board ; current employees please search and apply for jobs on the UVA Internal Careers website and complete an application. Complete an application with the following materials:

• Resume/CV (no more than 2 pages).
• Cover Letter.
• Two samples of work (e.g., facilitation materials, reports, strategy documents, presentations).

Upload all materials into the resume submission field. Applications without all required documents will not receive full consideration.

Reference Check Process

Reference checks will be completed by UVA’s third-party partner, SkillSurvey, during the final phase of the interview. Five references will be requested, with at least three responses required.

Contact

For additional information about the position, please contact Kelly Altizer, Associate Director for Operations (kim5f@virginia.edu).
For questions about the application process, please contact Michele Jarman , Academic Recruiter.

Physical Demands

This is primarily a sedentary job involving extensive use of desktop computers. The job does occasionally require traveling some distance to attend meetings, and programs.

The University of Virginia is an equal opportunity employer. All interested persons are encouraged to apply, including veterans and individuals with disabilities. Click here to read more about UVA’s commitment to non-discrimination and equal opportunity employment.