New_ Public: Community Engagement Lead, Local Lab

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About New_ Public

We’re a nonprofit R&D lab that’s reimagining social media. Join us in building digital public spaces that connect people, embrace pluralism, and build community.

We are researchers, engineers, designers, and community leaders. We want more healthy, flourishing spaces on the internet. We have two main strategies to achieve this: helping local communities across America create more flourishing digital spaces and developing prototypes for digital conversation with public service media organizations.

We work by partnering and co-designing with community stewards (moderators, administrators) and public institutions. We’re in this to serve, remove obstacles to power, and make life significantly better for people, especially folks from underestimated communities. We think this work is essential for democracy.

About the role

We are seeking a Community Engagement Lead, Local Lab to join our team! As a key member of our Local Lab initiative, you'll be responsible for developing and implementing innovative strategies to connect with existing and potential community stewards (aka the people who start, maintain, facilitate, and care for online communities).

You will help our Local Lab team identify and partner with local community stewards to advise our product work; co-design new tools, features, and resources; and launch new online communities in their areas. You will support the stewards of new spaces as they grow their communities and work with our comms team to develop new resources that share best practices while meeting Stewards’ where they are. Your work will be crucial in creating a better social internet rooted in local communities and their unique needs. Read more about community stewardship here and about Local Digital Spaces here and here.

Our small but mighty Local team includes a designer, product strategist, and researcher who are running product experiments designed to dramatically improve how people engage in local digital spaces—think local Facebook groups, Nextdoor neighborhoods, community Whatsapp chats and email groups—and support the people who steward them. In the immediate future, we’ll be co-designing and testing product concepts for a new, highly accessible local platform.

This role requires an entrepreneurial spirit, exceptional interpersonal skills, and a passion for community building. You'll be at the forefront of our mission to transform online interactions into meaningful local connections, helping stewards foster healthy community dynamics, promoting understanding across lines of difference, and managing conflict effectively.

Key responsibilities

• Identify, engage, and build relationships with existing or potential stewards of local digital spaces—focusing on a few key regions in the U.S. Includes travel to meet stewards IRL.

• Develop and implement strategies to identify, recruit, and support local community stewards to (a) advise our product innovation projects and co-design with our team, and (b) start and grow new online communities using the platform we develop.

• Support stewards of new spaces in inclusive growth, community norms, effective facilitation, managing conflict, and other key topics, through tailored 1:1 guidance.

• Help create, refine, and market new resources, like additions to our Stewards Guide, to stewards of local digital spaces around the U.S.

• Analyze community needs and feedback to continuously improve our approach and offerings, ensuring diverse perspectives are considered

• Collaborate with our cross-functional product team to ensure our technology and programs meet the needs of diverse local communities

• Track and report on key metrics and success stories, with a focus on social trust and belonging

• Hire and manage a Community Engagement Fellow or Associate Community Engagement Specialist to support this role and the Local Lab goals

• Stay abreast of trends and best practices in inclusive community building, both online and offline

About you

• Mission-driven, with a desire to imagine and build digital spaces that are actually good for people

• 4-6 years of experience in community outreach, organizing, or online community management, with a focus on diverse and inclusive communities

• Entrepreneurial mindset with a propensity for taking initiative and driving projects from concept to completion

• Exceptional interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to connect with people from diverse backgrounds—including folks that are different from yourself

• Demonstrated commitment to pluralism and experience in bringing together people across lines of difference

• Adaptability and comfort with ambiguity in a fast-paced, evolving environment, with excellent organizational and time management skills

• Willingness to travel occasionally to engage with local communities in person

More information

• Location: United States or Canada (fully remote)

• Compensation: $78,000 - $92,000 USD per year. This is a temporary full-time position, through December 31, 2025.

• Reports to: Angelica Quicksey, Interim Head of Local

• Manages: Community Engagement Fellow or Associate Community Engagement Specialist

The Process

• Submission: Submit your application using the “Apply here” link below.

• First Interview: After screening all applications, we will select candidates for Round 1 interviews, Those candidates will be contacted to interview with the Local Teams Product Strategy Lead..

• Second Interview: Selected Round 1 candidates move forward to Round 2 of our interview process. Those candidates will be invited to interview with the Head of the Local Lab.

• Assignment: Following Round 2, selected candidates will be asked to complete an assignment that evaluates their technical and practical skills. Candidates will be paid $250 for completing this assignment.

• Reference Check: After reviewing assignment submissions, we will request contact information for three (3) professional references from selected candidates. If you need time to inform your references of our upcoming outreach, please let us know!

• Offer: We will extend an offer to the candidate who best aligns with the key criteria for this role.

If you’re not sure that you’re a perfect fit for the role and don’t meet every single qualification, we still encourage you to apply! We’re primarily interested in meeting candidates who are excited about contributing to the future of healthy digital public spaces, eager to learn, and ready to contribute to a diverse and inclusive work environment. _Candidates who are from communities underrepresented in tech are especially encouraged to apply. _