Community Outreach Specialist

Job Overview

Community Outreach Specialist

Presentation Lantern Center — Dubuque, Iowa

www.thelanterncenter.org

Position Type: Full-Time, In Person Reports To: Executive Director, Megan Ruiz

Location: 2360 Carter Road, Ste 100, Dubuque, IA 52001

To Apply: Send resume & cover letter to Megan@thelanterncenter.org. Applications accepted until filled.

Position Summary

The Presentation Lantern Center is a place of hospitality, education, advocacy, and belonging, helping adult immigrants and refugees build successful, connected lives in Dubuque through free English tutoring, citizenship preparation, advocacy, and community partnerships.

The Community Outreach Specialist provides individualized support to students while building relationships with local employers and community partners — connecting immigrants to employment, education, and other resources, and helping local businesses connect with a talented, growing immigrant workforce. This role suits someone who believes welcoming newcomers strengthens the whole community and enjoys building genuine relationships with individuals and organizations alike.

Average/typical working hours (option for a 1 hour lunch available):

Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays:

9:00a.m.-5:30p.m.

Tuesdays and Thursdays:

10:45a.m.-7:15p.m.

*occasional additional evenings and/or weekend hours for events, fundraisers, travel, etc. necessary

Primary Responsibilities

1. Student Advocacy & Individualized Support

•Welcome students and visitors with warmth and hospitality.

•Meet individually with students to identify needs, goals, strengths, and barriers.

•Advocate for and connect students to resources for employment, housing, transportation, education, healthcare, childcare, and legal needs.

•Help students navigate unfamiliar systems, complete forms, and follow up to confirm referrals succeeded.

•Support urgent needs and crises in coordination with other staff and community partners; maintain documentation and confidentiality.

2. Employment & Career Support

•Learn students’ work history, skills, and career goals; help identify suitable opportunities.

•Assist with résumés, applications, interviews, understanding workplace expectations & employee rights.

•Connect students to workforce-development programs, job training, apprenticeships, and internships.

•Provide follow-up support to help students obtain and retain employment.

3. Employer & Business Partnerships

•Foster and grow relationships with Dubuque-area employers interested in immigrant/multilingual talent.

•Meet with employers to understand workforce needs and openings and match qualified students

•Educate employers on the strengths of immigrant workers and help address common workplace barriers (language, transportation, cultural differences).

•Develop partnerships for job shadowing, internships, mentoring, and job fairs; maintain a database of employer contacts.

•Represent the Lantern Center at business and community workforce-related committees and events

4. Community Partnerships

•Build relationships with Dubuque organizations serving immigrants, refugees, and families, including workforce agencies, schools, nonprofits, faith communities, and government agencies.

•Participate in events that promote inclusion and economic opportunity; identify service gaps and new partnership opportunities.

5. Education, Hospitality & Center Support

•Encourage consistent participation in English tutoring and if applicable/eligible, in citizenship preparation, and coordinate with volunteer tutors when educational needs affect other goals.

•Help students apply English skills in workplaces, schools, and community settings.

•Help create a welcoming, respectful, and safe environment for everyone who enters the Center.

•Support volunteers, tutors, interns, and staff; participate in Center events, celebrations, and orientations.

Qualifications

Required

•Bachelor's degree or higher in counseling, education or teaching, social work, human services, community development, business, HR, international studies, or a related field (equivalent experience considered).

•Experience working with immigrants, refugees, or culturally diverse/underserved communities.

•Bilingual in Spanish and English (advanced reading, writing, and speaking).

•Strong interpersonal, communication, and organizational skills; able to build trust across cultures and work independently as part of a small team.

•Valid driver's license and reliable transportation; willing to occasionally provide rides.

•Commitment to treating everyone with dignity, respect, and compassion, and basic awareness of the humanitarian, climate and historical crises driving migration.

Preferred

•Experience in case management, workforce development, recruiting, or community outreach; building relationships with local businesses.

•Extensive knowledge of Dubuque and tristate area community organizations, schools, medical system; experience with interpreters, multilingual clients, or volunteers.

•Familiarity with U.S. immigration system, citizenship preparation, English tutoring, nonprofits

Core Competencies

Hospitality, cultural humility, advocacy, and relationship building — paired with practical problem-solving, community engagement, professionalism, and flexibility in responding to changing student and community needs.

Salary and Benefits

•Pay: $50,000–$65,000 starting pay, based on experience, education, and skill set.

•Family/Wellbeing: 12 weeks paid leave (birth, adoption, etc.) upon approval.

•Vacation: 20 days (+5 more every 7 years), 7 paid holidays, plus sick/personal time.

•Healthcare: Up to 75% of employee's premium covered.

•Dental/Vision/Life/Disability: available currently to all full-time employees at 100% premium coverage

•Retirement: SIMPLE IRA -invest up to $7,500/year, matched by Lantern Center at 3% plus a 2% bonus.

•Professional Development: Shared budget for memberships, workshops, and conferences.