Community Program and Engagement Manager

About JONES CENTER For 30 years, Jones Center (the Center) has been a trusted community anchor for Northwest Arkansasa place where everyone can learn, play, and thrive together.

With 600,000 annual visitors and a mission to fuel community connections and cultivate spaces and experiences for all, we serve as a dynamic hub for education, recreation, arts, and nonprofit sustainability.

Through our Jones Community for Nonprofits campuses, we empower more than 100 mission-driven organizations, strengthening the social fabric of our region.

Job Summary The Community Program & Engagement Manager develops, coordinates, and grows programs, events, and partnerships that connect the Center with the community we serve.

This position focuses on creating meaningful opportunities for individuals and families to engage with the Jones Center while building strong relationships with Jones Center Affiliates, community organizations, schools, nonprofits, businesses, and other partners.

This role combines community engagement, relationship building, program development, and event execution.

This role will actively seek opportunities to bring people and organizations together, identify community needs, develop collaborative programs and events, and ensure that each initiative reflects the Center's commitment to providing welcoming, accessible, and impactful experiences for all.

Main Responsibilities - Lead, coach, and hold accountable two Programmers by establishing clear expectations, priorities, deadlines, and performance goals; providing timely feedback; and ensuring consistent follow-through.

- Build and maintain strong relationships with the Center Affiliates, schools, nonprofits, businesses, municipalities, and other community organizations.

- Identify and develop partnerships that expand the Centers reach, increase community participation, and create opportunities for collaboration.

- Develop, coordinate, and oversee community-focused programs and special events that respond to community interests and needs.

- Manage programs and events from concept through completion, including planning, scheduling, staffing, logistics, communication, registration, execution, and evaluation.

- Proactively maintain clear, timely, and consistent communication and collaboration with Events, Operations, Safety & Security, Guest Services, Membership, Marketing, Development, Facilities, and other departments to ensure effective coordination and successful program execution.

- Develop and maintain an annual program and event calendar, project plans, and communication timelines, ensuring affected departments receive information and updates well in advance.

- Provide regular progress updates to the Senior Director of Operations and relevant departments, and promptly communicate risks, delays, resource needs, or changes that may affect program or event execution.

- Facilitate cross-departmental planning meetings, gather input from key stakeholders, document decisions and responsibili...