Director of Neighborhood and Resident Engagement (Office of the Mayor - Recovery Office)

Overview

• Department: Office of Mayor Cara Spencer – Recovery Office
• Job Type: Full-Time (Permanent)
• Location: STLRecovers Outreach Center – St. Louis, MO
• Reports To: Chief Recovery Officer
• Salary Range: $85,000 – $115,000 annually, commensurate with experience

The City of St. Louis Mayor’s Office seeks a skilled, collaborative Director of Neighborhood and Resident Engagement to lead community engagement and resident support for the North St. Louis tornado recovery. Reporting to the Chief Recovery Officer, the Director sets the engagement strategy and coordinates relationship-building between the Recovery Office and impacted residents, block units, neighborhood associations, and community organizations—ensuring residents have a direct line into recovery decisions and that the recovery stays equitable and shaped by the people rebuilding their neighborhoods. The Director oversees the Neighborhood and Community Engagement Manager, leads the resident support team of two Resident Support Team Specialists at the STLRecovers Outreach Center, partners with external case management consultants and resident support nonprofit leadership teams, and owns the escalation of resident issues to City departments and partners—so residents have a strong front door to the recovery, a genuine voice in it, and timely help when they need it.

Position Vision

In our vision for St. Louis, civic engagement and resident support form the essential link of accountability and trust between the Mayor’s Office and every neighborhood affected by the North St. Louis tornado. As Mayor Cara Spencer and the Recovery Office drive the work of rebuilding safer, stronger communities, the Director of Neighborhood and Resident Engagement ensures that the people most affected help shape the recovery and can readily get the help they need.

We seek a leader who can build and run a resident-facing operation that is both strategic and deeply human—setting direction across engagement and support, developing a strong team, and holding the City accountable to responsiveness. Success in this role means engaged neighborhoods, a resident support function residents can rely on, and a recovery that reaches and reflects the community it serves.

Position Description

Serving as a senior leader within the Mayor’s Recovery Office, the Director of Neighborhood and Resident Engagement sets and oversees the strategy for two connected functions: neighborhood and community engagement, and resident support. The Director supervises the Neighborhood and Community Engagement Manager—reviewing work product and ensuring quality, consistency, and alignment with recovery priorities—and leads the full resident support team of Resident Support Team Specialists who staff the STLRecovers Outreach Center, call line, and email.

The Director owns the escalation of resident issues, building and maintaining pathways to raise and resolve concerns with the appropriate City departments, contractors, and partner organizations. Reporting to the Chief Recovery Officer, the Director sets service standards and engagement goals, monitors resident trends and outcomes, and continually improves how the City communicates with and supports residents throughout the recovery.

Key Functions

• Strategy & Program Support: Setting the overall strategy for both neighborhood engagement and direct resident support, partnering with the City’s recovery programs, and closing ecosystem and program gaps to improve resident outcomes.
• Neighborhood & Community Engagement: Overseeing the Neighborhood and Community Engagement Manager and engaging neighborhood associations, block units, and community leadership at the leadership level.
• Direct Resident Support: Leading the two Resident Support Team Specialists and resident support services at the STLRecovers Outreach Center, call line, and email.
• Escalation & Cross-Department Coordination: Owning the escalation of both resident and neighborhood issues to City departments, contractors, and partners, and driving timely resolution.

Responsibilities

Strategy & Program Support

• Set and champion the overall strategy for both neighborhood engagement and direct resident support, aligning it with Recovery Office priorities.
• Partner with the City’s recovery programs to strengthen their community engagement, and coordinate with the Recovered Residents Innovation Team and the Repaired Properties Team to identify and address ecosystem and program gaps and issues that affect resident experience and outcomes.
• Set standards, goals, and metrics across engagement and resident support, and report on progress to the Chief Recovery Officer and Recovery Office leadership.

Neighborhood & Community Engagement

• Oversee and guide the Neighborhood and Community Engagement Manager, reviewing work product and ensuring quality, consistency, and impact.
• Partner with the Manager to engage neighborhood associations, block units, and community leadership at the leadership level, while day-to-day relationship work is carried out by the Neighborhood Improvement Specialists the Manager coordinates.
• Ensure residents’ voices from neighborhoods and block units reach recovery decision-making.

Direct Resident Support (Outreach Center, Call Line & Email)

• Lead the two Resident Support Team Specialists and daily resident support operations at the STLRecovers Outreach Center, call line, and email.
• Ensure residents receive responsive, empathetic, and consistent service across in-person, phone, and email channels.
• Design and improve resident experience flows, triage practices, and case management, partnering with external case management consultants and resident support nonprofit leadership.

Escalation & Cross-Department Coordination

• Own escalation pathways, raising and resolving both resident and neighborhood issues—including neighborhood city-services concerns—with the appropriate City departments, contractors, and partner organizations.
• Build and sustain relationships across departments to ensure timely responsiveness to resident and neighborhood needs.
• Track escalations and resident and neighborhood trends, and make recommendations to leadership to improve resident communications and experience.

Skills and Qualifications Desired

• Leadership & Team Management: Proven ability to lead and develop teams and coordinate multiple functions toward shared goals.
• Engagement & Resident Services Expertise: Deep experience in community engagement and/or resident or constituent services, including front-line service operations.
• Strategic Thinking: Demonstrated ability to set strategy, standards, and metrics and translate them into effective day-to-day operations.
• Cross-Department Coordination & Escalation: Skill in building relationships across departments and partners and driving resolution of complex resident issues.
• Communication: Excellent written and verbal communication, able to convey complex ideas clearly to residents, staff, and leadership.
• Composure: Proven ability to lead under pressure, manage competing priorities, and handle sensitive matters with diplomacy and tact.
• Preferred Background: Professional leadership experience in community engagement, government, or public service—or private-sector experience in partnerships or customer service with a demonstrated command of those skill sets—and a commitment to serving residents.
• Local & Community Knowledge (a Plus): Understanding of St. Louis city governance and neighborhoods, familiarity with or connection to North St. Louis, or human services experience in the City of St. Louis—any of these is a plus.

Experience & Education

This role is experience-focused, with no specific degree requirement. We are most interested in a demonstrated track record of leadership—whether in community engagement, government, or public service, or in the private sector through partnerships or customer service roles—along with experience managing and developing staff, building relationships across teams, and delivering responsive, people-centered service. Experience or familiarity with North St. Louis, or human services work in the City of St. Louis, is a plus but not required. Relevant education in fields such as Public Administration, Communications, Urban Planning, Social Work, or a related discipline is welcome but not required, and can be substituted by comparable professional experience.

Salary Range

$85,000 – $115,000 annually, commensurate with experience and qualifications.

Application Process

Interested candidates are invited to submit a comprehensive resume, and, optionally, a cover letter outlining their qualifications and interest in the role, to Chief Recovery Officer, Julian Nicks, at nicksj@stlouis-mo.gov. Applications are reviewed and processed on a rolling basis, and interested candidates are encouraged to apply early.

Equal Opportunity Employer

The City of St. Louis is an Equal Opportunity Employer. In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, the City of St. Louis will provide reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities and encourages both prospective and current employees to discuss potential accommodations with the City.