Director of Community Engagement
Full/Part Time: Full-time
Exempt/Nonexempt: Exempt (not eligible for overtime pay)
Reports To: Honor Flight Columbus Executive Director
About Honor Flight Columbus
Honor Flight Columbus is a nonprofit organization dedicated to honoring Central Ohio’s military veterans by transporting them to Washington, D.C. to visit the memorials built in their honor. Serving a 40-county region, we are part of the national Honor Flight Network and rely on a passionate team of staff, volunteers, and community partners to ensure every eligible veteran experiences this once-in-a-lifetime tribute. If you are mission-driven, relationship-focused, and committed to serving those who served, we want to hear from you.
Position Summary
The Director of Community Engagement is a mission-critical leadership role responsible for connecting eligible veterans throughout Honor Flight Columbus’s 40-county service area with the life-changing Honor Flight experience. Serving as the organization’s primary community ambassador, this position builds lasting partnerships with veteran-serving and senior-focused organizations, conducts targeted outreach across Central Ohio, and personally guides veterans through every step of the application process. The Director also leads or supports speaking engagements, events, and flight day operations, and serves as a key operational partner to the Executive Director.
Key Responsibilities
Community Outreach & Veteran Engagement
• Build and maintain meaningful relationships with people and community organizations to identify and recruit eligible veterans through phone calls, emails, letters, and in-person outreach throughout the 40-county service area.
• Conduct outreach at locations including, but not limited to, senior centers, churches, Veterans Service Organizations (VSOs), American Legion posts, Moose and Eagle Lodges, congressional offices, aging services agencies, and other venues frequented by adults age 65 and older.
• Educate and train team members, volunteers, community partners, veterans and others on Honor Flight eligibility, application requirements, and mission impact.
Outreach Tracking & Reporting
• Produce and maintain accurate and timely records of outreach efforts in a centralized database, including: Dates and methods of contact, Veteran application outcomes, Outreach events and scheduled engagements
• Promote community events using email, texting, applications and social media to attract and engage community members.
• Use technology (email, texting, applications, social media) to research, plan, create, schedule and publish content across different platforms which increase brand visibility, engage audiences and drive the HFC mission.
Events & Speaking Engagements
• Coordinate and support speaking engagements and informational table events.
• Maintain event calendars and tracking tools using Outlook and shared OneDrive spreadsheets.
• Complete post-event follow-up communications and documentation.
Collaboration & Program Support
• Partner with the Director of Volunteer Operations to interview and schedule participants for the High School Student Guardian Program twice annually
• Collaborate with the Director of Volunteer Operations to coordinate speaking engagements for the Executive Director, Operations staff, and regional volunteers.
• Provide administrative and operational support to the Executive Director to ensure smooth day-to-day organizational operations.
Flight Day Operations
• Serve as Trip Leader Assistant on Flight Days – alternating with the Director of Volunteers and/or the Director of Veterans.
• Serve as the Flight Day Airport Coordinator (when not the Trip Leader Assistant) - supporting both morning departures and evening returns to help ensure an organized, respectful, and positive experience for veterans, guardians, volunteers and sponsors.
Additional Responsibilities
• Manage highly confidential and sensitive volunteer, veteran and program information, maintaining privacy, legal compliance and restricting access to authorized personnel, thus preventing unauthorized disclosure.
• All other duties as assigned.
Position Details
• Status: Full-time, exempt (not eligible for overtime pay)
• Reports To: Honor Flight Columbus Executive Director
• Work Schedule: Primarily weekdays, with occasional evenings and weekends as necessary for events and flight operations
• Work Environment: In-office, community travel throughout Central Ohio HFC territories, John Glenn Columbus International Airport, Washington DC, and other locations as necessary to complete the key responsibilities of the job.
• Benefits: Health insurance, Paid Time Off (PTO) and paid holidays
Compensation
• Commensurate with experience and qualifications.
Preferred Qualifications
• College level education, certification or training in job related fields; like communications, marketing, public relations, relationship management,
• 3+ years of experience in nonprofit leadership, community engagement, veteran services, or external relations.
• Valid driver’s license and reliable personal transportation; willingness to travel extensively throughout Central Ohio.
• Proficiency with Microsoft 365 (i.e., Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Publisher, Outlook); experience with Salesforce and Mailchimp a plus.
• Demonstrated ability to cultivate and manage relationships with diverse community organizations and stakeholders.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Strong public speaking and presentation skills, with experience representing an organization in community settings.
• Demonstrated ability to exercise a high level of confidentiality, independent initiative and judgement.
• Experience developing and executing community outreach strategies that increase awareness, participation, and support.
• Demonstrated ability to analyze engagement data and use metrics to guide strategy and decision-making.
• Demonstrated ability in using different social media platforms to increase brand visibility and engage audiences.
• Self-directed and highly organized, with demonstrated ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.
• Passion for and understanding of the veteran community and the Honor Flight Columbus mission.
How to Apply
To apply, please submit your resume and a cover letter describing your connection with the Honor Flight mission and relevant job preferred qualifications. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. Position remains open until it is filled. - email: executivedirector@honorflightcmh.org - fax: 888-779-8806
Equal Opportunity Employer
Honor Flight Columbus is an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to building a diverse and inclusive team and encourage applications from all qualified individuals regardless of race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.
