Community Liaison Project Manager

About the Paid Leave Division:

Paid Leave is a new program launching in 2026. The program will provide partial wage replacement to Minnesota workers who are out of work due to a qualifying condition, such as a severe health condition that prevents them from working, or when they need time to care for a family member or a new child. We are building a program that will be easy for every Minnesotan to use. We are engaging the people who depend on us—workers, employers, caregivers, and insurers—to learn from them and build the program around their needs. We are using modern service delivery and product practices to deliver the program. The Paid Leave team has high standards and an unrelenting commitment to serving Minnesotans. It is a start-up environment without legacy systems or preconceived ways of working, so we have a unique opportunity to create human-centric processes and systems to deliver this new benefit to Minnesotans.

Position Purpose:

The Community Liaison Project Manager, reporting to the Public Engagement Manager, acts as a bridge between Minnesota Paid Leave and communities disadvantaged by racial, gender, socioeconomic and other systemic barriers, leading outreach and engagement practices aimed at closing the equity gap for Paid Leave. The Community Liaison Project Manager identifies and engages trusted messengers, fosters understanding and positive relationships, facilitates culturally relevant and language-specific communication, and works to ensure community voices are represented in Paid Leave policy, product and program design.

An essential function of this role is to develop and pilot a community liaison program that leverages local expertise to increase awareness of and access to Paid Leave among Minnesota’s Latino population.

Key Responsibilities:

• Develop and Pilot Community Liaison Program: Research, document and create strategies to address disparities faced by Minnesota’s Latino population in accessing Paid Leave, and conduct culturally appropriate outreach to and establish trusted relationships within Minnesota’s Latino communities
• Strengthen Paid Leave’s equitable engagement practice and strategic plan: Gain a deep understanding of the division's product, policy, and operations, and implement equitable public engagement strategies, including developing a constituent compensation policy, connecting engagement and product teams, aligning objectives with division goals, and positioning the practice as a model for other agencies.
• Contribute to a culture of caring, innovation, inclusion and partnership: Cultivate relationships with communities facing barriers to Paid Leave, serve as a liaison between the division and partners, collaborate with community-based organizations and government agencies to connect Key Populations to Paid Leave, and evaluate the impact of engagement initiatives to identify learnings and improve the Paid Leave experience.

This position will be based out of the St. Paul office and is telework eligible. Staff are provided with the tools and equipment to be successful in a virtual work environment. Please note, the telework policy could change with notice based on business needs.

This position requires weekly local travel, occasional statewide travel, and occasional overnight travel a few times per year.

This position is expected to last three (3) years and may be used to fill multiple positions.

Minimum Qualifications

Please ensure that your resume clearly describes your experience in the areas listed and indicates the beginning and ending month and year for each job held. Only applicants whose resumes clearly demonstrate fulfillment of each of these minimum qualifications will be considered for this position.

Three (3) years* experience in community engagement with two (2) of those years including project management, tracking and reporting.

*Associate’s degree in civic engagement, community organizing, public policy, public administration, project management, communications, or other closely related field as determined by the agency may substitute six (6) months of experience; bachelor’s degree substitutes for one (1) year of experience; master’s degree substitutes for eighteen (18) months of experience.

Applicants that meet the above minimum qualification will be further evaluated on the following:

• Ability to communicate effectively both orally and in writing with a diverse set of internal and external partners in English and Spanish.
• Ability to plan, organize, coordinate, track and evaluate outreach events, activities, and personnel.
• Skill in delivering presentations and public speaking engagements to various audiences.
• Experience applying equitable community engagement best practices and human-centered design in outreach initiatives.
• Incumbent must maintain valid driver's license and insurance OR have other reliable transportation.

Benefits

As an employee, you'll have access to one of the most affordable health insurance plans in Minnesota, along with other benefits to help you and your family be well.

Your benefits may include:

• Paid vacation and sick leave
• 12 paid holidays each year
• Low-cost medical, dental, vision, and prescription drug plans
• Fertility care, including IVF
• Diabetes care
• Dental and orthodontic care for adults and children
• 6 weeks paid leave for parents of newborn or newly adopted children
• Pension plan that provides income when you retire (after working at least three years)
• Employer paid life insurance to provide support for your family in the event of death
• Short-term and long-term disability insurance that can provide income if you are unable to work due to illness or injury
• Tax-free expense accounts for health, dental, and dependent care
• Resources that provide support and promote physical, emotional, social, and financial well-being

Support to help you reach your career goals:

• Training, classes, and professional development
• Federal Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program (Some positions may qualify for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program. For more information, visit the Federal Student Aid website at studentaid.gov)

Employee Assistance Program (EAP) for work/life support:

• A voluntary confidential program that helps employees and their families with life challenges that may impact overall health, personal well-being, or job performance
• Common sources of stress can be addressed through the EAP: mental health, relationship challenges (personal and work), grief and loss, finances, and legal issues
• Daily Living/Convenience Services: Chore services, home repair, trip planning, child/elder care

Programs, resources and benefits eligibility varies based on type of employment, agency, funding availability, union/collective bargaining agreement, location, and length of service with the State of Minnesota.