Main Purpose of Role:

DLDC is a community-led local development company which works with marginalised communities and service providers using a community development approach to improve people’s lives. We now have an opportunity to fill a new role.

The Community Connector will have support from a national Community Connection Project that will focus on directly engaging with local communities to understand and tackle challenges and concerns in the context of migrant integration locally.  

Over an 18-month period, the Community Connector will engage with communities across the Donegal catchment area, supporting those hosting people seeking international protection. This role will focus on fostering inclusive and welcoming communities, strengthening relationships between residents and new arrivals, helping communities adapt to change, and promoting a positive narrative about the contributions new arrivals bring.

They will focus on working with local residents, not directly with International Protection Applicants, to understand and tackle challenges and concerns. Their goal is to help communities build their ability to work together with key voluntary and statutory organisations and structures, with a focus on establishing facts, counteracting misinformation, and engagement on community concerns and working to develop inclusive responses to migrant integration.

They community connector will focus on sharing accurate information, addressing concerns, and promoting inclusive responses to migrant integration.  They will also identify small areas within their region that need extra support and work closely with residents there to provide targeted assistance.

They will gather and document their learning, sharing best practices to inform and strengthen their work. Their insights and experiences will also be used to influence local and national policy, contributing to evidence-based decision-making.

• The Community Connector - Specialist Officer will be required to work 35 hours a week.
• Salary – DLDC Project Officer Salary Scale. 
• A probationary period of 6 months will apply and performance in role will be reviewed formally on a quarterly basis.
• This is an 18-months fixed-term contract in line with funding from the Department of Rural and Community Development.
  • The role will be based in Letterkenny and accountable to the Community Development Manager.
  • Eligibility for a 6% employer-contributed pension scheme 
  • 25 days annual leave per annum & other leave options
  • Flexible and hybrid working options
  • Travel and subsistence allowance 
  • Learning and development opportunities 
  • Employee Assistance Programme

Main Duties

You will be required to...

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Core Responsibilities: 

• Use a community development approach to build inclusion in the community and capacity to work together with key voluntary and statutory organisations and structures, with a focus on establishing facts, counteracting misinformation, and engagement on community concerns and working to develop inclusive responses to migrant integration.
• Work  with local residents to understand their needs and concerns and tackle challenges and concerns. 
• Facilitate a collaborative approach and develop a coordinated response with the community and other stakeholders in developing a clear annual plan including –  mapping out needs and services of the targeted area with associated resources to put required supports and structures in place to address any weaknesses and strengthen the capacity of the local community to engage meaningfully with migrant integration efforts.
• Look for ways to sharing accurate information, addressing concerns, and promoting inclusive responses to migrant integration. 
• Identify small areas within the Donegal catchment area that need extra support and work closely with residents there to provide targeted assistance.
• Collaborate with other Community Connector Link Workers and the CCP Co-Ordinator within the Irish Local Development Network in the researching, developing and expanding of good practice, and engage with the Co-Ordinator where appropriate on evolving situations, persistent barriers to implementation that may require Departmental input. 
• Maintain regular communication channels with the local community with a view to counteracting misinformation on immigration. This may include any information passed to the Local Development Companies from Government Departments in the context of the location of centres for International Protection Applicants. The Community Connector will not be the primary conduit of this information, however it is important that they are informed on any developments that may have an impact and in a position to pass this information (if available) onwards to the community. 
• Work closely with internal DLDC teams to share insights from grassroots community engagement. Help ensure our teams understand and address the needs of all clients, including those in hard-to-reach areas who may be unaware of our services. This collaboration will help improve DLDC supports and services and expand our reach within the community. 
• Develop a workplan to ensure deliver against goals in the community Connector programme.  
• To provide progress reports and briefings on developments to the Department. 
• Share general project activity updates submitted to the Department with the Coordinator in ILDN, with a view to informing ongoing work and research.
• Provide oral and written reports to your local line manager, ILDN coordinator, and relevant Steering Groups on progress and issues of relevance.
• Maintain up to date records related to required supports, solutions and responses.
• Ensure files are set-up to monitor community-based activities & ensure all necessary documentation is on file for all actions.
• Engage regularly with all relevant local voluntary and statutory organisations, as well as with relevant community development and inclusion services such as SICAP, Empowering Communities Programme etc. 
• Engage when required with the CCP Co-Ordinator and/or the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth’s (DCEDIY) Community Engagement Team to ensure work is complementing national Community Engagement efforts. 
• Engage when required with the Integration Forum and the Local Authority Integration Teams (LAITs) active in the locality to identify barriers to integration, knowledge gaps, service provision gaps etc. 
• Develop and sustain professional relationships with community members, partner agencies and appropriate external agencies.
• Participate in both internal and external working groups as are relevant to DLDC.
• Attend and input to staff meetings as appropriate.
• Carry out any other function relevant to the position as indicated from time to time.
• Be willing to work evenings as required.
• Have access to car, and full clean driving licence in order to fulfil the duties of the role.
• This list of job duties is not exhaustive and may be amended in order that all role duties are fulfilled.

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At least 5 years’ experience of engaging with communities at a local ‘on-the-ground’ grassroots level. Experience of delivering community development approaches, local needs analysis, empowerment through participation, planning and addressing social exclusion issues

Extensive knowledge, understanding and experience of Theatre of the Oppressed and related methodologies.

Skilled in designing and delivering capacity-building supports for the community sector. 

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Interpersonal & Liaison Skills

Strong interpersonal skills with experience of mediation, conflict resolution and negotiation in complex situations. 

Ability to collaborate effectively with internal DLDC teams and liase externally with with groups and agencies providing services to local community groups and social enterprise.  

Understanding and experience of working with statutory and local /community development infrastructure and knowledge of the national/local policy context that they work in.

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Adept at organising, managing and prioritising own workload. Proficient in MS packages e.g., Word, Excel, Outlook, programme databases, SharePoint portals.

Ability to produce timely and relevant reports for the various Steering Committees, Board and other groups within the DLDC structure. 

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Communication Skills

Must have a proven ability to build strong working relationships with organisations and communities. Possess excellent verbal, written, and listening skills, demonstrate strong group facilitation abilities, and maintain a high level of confidentiality. Must be fluent English speaker and writer. 

Significant understanding and experience of using social media including TikTok to tell stories, communicate and interact with targeted cohorts of people.

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• A recognised and relevant Third Level qualification and / OR equivalent relevant training and professional experience, in a discipline appropriate to the role. AND
• A minimum of 5 years direct experience working with marginalised individuals and/or communities impacted by poverty, exclusion and disadvantage.

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• Ability to communicate effectively in Irish.
• Relevant Third Level qualification (e.g., Degree) or equivalent in Community Development is desirable

DLDC reserves the right to enhance criteria, dependent on the responses received to the advertisement.