Position: Community Outreach Manager
Location: Laredo, Texas
Hours: Full-time, weekends and hours outside standard business hours are required
FLSA Status: Exempt
Salary: $58,000+ (commensurate with experience)
Benefits: 2% employer contribution into a Simple IRA, employee-sponsored health care plan starting Jan. 1, paid holidays, 10 days earned sick leave per calendar year, 10 days paid vacation per calendar year, escalating with years of service.

ABOUT RGISC

Founded in 1994, the Rio Grande International Study Center (RGISC) is an environmental nonprofit dedicated to protecting and preserving our region’s most important natural resources including the Rio Grande, our only source of drinking water. RGISC’s mission is to preserve and protect the Rio Grande-Rio Bravo, its watershed, and its environment through awareness, advocacy, research, education, and binational collaboration for the benefit of present and future generations. Our work focuses on water security, river restoration, air quality, habitat protection, neighborhood engagement, and climate resilience. By advancing science-based and community-driven initiatives, we can foster a deeper connection to nature and empower Laredoans to help conserve a vital river ecosystem and the biodiversity that it sustains.

POSITION OVERVIEW

RGISC seeks an organized and creative Community Outreach Manager who can inspire and instill a love of nature across all age groups in Laredo and our South Texas border region. The role is central to fostering public engagement with RGISC programs that highlight the beauty and importance of our river ecosystem and celebrate our cultural and ecological identity. The COM coordinates nature-based programs and youth-based camps, and strives to connect residents of all ages with the river and our natural world. This position requires detailed outreach planning, special event logistics, grant management and reporting, volunteer engagement, and cultivating partnerships to advance RGISC’s mission through inclusive and culturally rooted programming.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Strategy

• Develop Youth & Community in Nature (YCN) strategies to create programming that engages different target audiences of varying ages throughout the year.
• Work with management to help obtain grants and private funds to support and sustain YCN programming.

Event Coordination

• Oversee RGISC signature programs such: Dia del Rio, Birds of the Brush art contest, Loving Laredo Paddles and Hikes, and the Rio Research Roundup.
• Staff and coordinate RGISC youth eco-camps for Spring Break, Fall Break, and Summer, ensuring quality curricula, safety protocols, and positive participant experiences.
• Design activities that incorporate local culture, art, and storytelling to bring environmental and climate topics to life.
• Track and evaluate registrations and event participation to measure impact.

Partnerships & Collaboration

• Build and sustain relationships with civic leaders, neighborhood groups, schools, and local organizations.
• Represent RGISC at community meetings and public forums; deliver presentations as needed.

Volunteer Management

• Recruit, train, and supervise volunteers and youth groups for cleanups, habitat restoration, garden maintenance, tabling, and events.
• Implement sound systems for scheduling, communications, and retention of volunteers and interns.

Communications & Storytelling

• Coordinate with communications staff to develop vibrant outreach content and visuals (social posts, brief writeups, basic multimedia).
• Share stories that highlight program success and community impact.
• Track metrics and support outreach campaigns that expand participation.

Grant Reporting & Compliance

• Assist in developing funding proposals and managing budgets for government agencies and private foundations.
• Maintain accurate records of participants, partners, and outcomes aligned to grant requirements.
• Prepare and assist with creating grant and impact reports by gathering stories, photos, data, and testimonials.

Team Culture

• Contribute to a supportive, mission-driven, high trust team culture.
• Work collaboratively across RGISC programs to align outreach strategies with organizational priorities.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor’s degree (or equivalent experience) in environmental science, education, communications, or related field.
• 2+ years of experience leading community outreach, events, or advocacy in a nonprofit, public, educational, or community setting.
• Bilingual (English/Spanish) with strong written and verbal skills.
• Project management strengths: planning, timelines, partner coordination, budgeting, and follow through.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office/SharePoint application and virtual meeting apps, Teams and Zoom; comfort with social media/content basics.
• Valid driver’s license, insurance, and reliable transportation. Availability for evening/weekend events.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Experience in community organizing or environmental justice initiatives.
• Cultural fluency and a diplomatic approach to collaboration in diverse communities.
• Volunteer coordination and/or youth engagement experience.
• Familiarity with registration systems and recruitment strategies.
• Familiarity with basic data/CRM tools for tracking participants and outcomes.
• Experience with grant funders (proposals, narratives, outcomes tracking).

SUCCESS MEASURES (Year 1)

• Successful delivery of high-quality, on-budget community programs with positive participant feedback.
• Accurate and timely reporting for grants and project deliverables.
• Submit several grant proposals; secure funds from multiple sources both public and private.
• Strengthen and diversify partnerships across neighborhoods, schools, and local organizations, and help elevate visibility for RGISC in Laredo and beyond.

ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE

Reports to Executive Director or designee; collaborates across RGISC program areas.

DEADLINE NOVEMBER 14, 2025

DISCLAIMER

The information presented indicates the general nature and level of work expected of employees in this classification. It is not designed to contain, or to be interpreted as a comprehensive inventory of all duties, responsibilities, qualifications and objectives required of employees assigned to this job.

RGISC is an equal opportunity employer where an applicant’s qualifications are considered without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, genetic information, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other basis prohibited by law.