top of page

Employment Opportunities 

​

Community Engagement Specialist
The Connecticut Oral Health Initiative (COHI) seeks a dynamic, community-oriented professional to help lead community engagement work that will expand access to oral health services among underserved communities in Connecticut.

 

COHI works to strengthen and safeguard access to quality, affordable oral health services for all Connecticut residents.

Our strategies include:

  • Leading and collaborating in statewide oral health advocacy efforts

  • Serving as an expert resource on oral health policy

  • Analyzing and disseminating oral health policy recommendations

  • Communicating the impact of structural and social factors on oral health

  • Promoting the necessity of good oral health to overall health and well-being.


This position is an exciting opportunity for a person with great communication skills (oral and written) who has a passion to elevate community voices (especially communities of color) to improve health access.

​

Salary range: $60,000 - $65,000 per year, plus benefits.
Location: Our office is in Hartford, CT; the position requires some travel around Connecticut.

​

Job Summary:
The Community Engagement Specialist will support community engagement work for two main projects: the Medicaid Gap Analysis Project and the Equitable Dental Workforce Policy Campaign.


The Medicaid Gap Analysis Project is a grant-funded, community driven research project built off responses to a 2020 community engagement project. The Community Engagement Specialist will be responsible for building relationships with grassroots and community partners and engaging with community groups.

​

The Equitable Dental Workforce Policy Campaign is a timely policy advocacy campaign designed to elevate and include the voices of underserved communities and other impacted stakeholders in key policy discussions with the ultimate goal of shaping and implementing dental therapy policy that improves access to care and advances health, education, and workforce equity.

 

The Community Engagement Specialist may have involvement in other policy advocacy and community engagement work that COHI participates in and/or leads.

​

Duties/Responsibilities:

  • Delivering community workshops for public good and for a community-based participatory research project (Medicaid Gap Analysis Project);

  • Organize and mobilize community partner organizations and residents in state and occasionally federal legislative advocacy;

  • Organize stakeholder meetings and regularly communicate with partners and stakeholders;

  • Plan and execute communications related to the project, including social media, website content, and e-newsletter content;

  • Assist in fundraising, including grant writing and soliciting donations

​

We seek the following skills and experience (and we recognize that candidates are likely to bring some but not all of these):

  • Experience in grassroots organizing, community organizing, grassroots advocacy, or community development.

  • Experience with diverse populations (this is required).

  • Strong community organizing and power building skills.

  • Skill at building strong non-transactional relationships.

  • Excellent verbal and written communication skills.

  • Well organized.

  • Knowledge of health equity, health care, health care affordability and Medicaid.

  • Oral health, public health, and public policy knowledge.

  • Must enjoy engaging with people and organizing coalitions and community groups.

  • Bi-lingual / bi-cultural.

​

How to Apply: Forward your cover letter and resume to hiring@ctoralhealth.org with the following subject line: Materials for COHI Community Engagement Specialist.
 

The Connecticut Oral Health Initiative elevates diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice in our external advocacy and our internal operations. We value job applications from people who share that focus.

bottom of page