Senior Community Engagement Program Coordinator

Job Summary :

At the Mesulam Center for Cognitive Neurology and Alzheimer’s Disease at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine (Mesulam Center), we work to :

Investigate the causes and clinical characteristics of neurodegenerative diseases

Ensure that our patients are the beneficiaries of the latest advances, and

Explore the neural foundations of behavior and cognition in health and disease

We serve patients with neurological diseases that interfere with cognition and behavior. Areas of clinical and research emphasis include Alzheimer’s Disease, Primary Progressive Aphasia, Frontotemporal Degeneration, and Mild Cognitive Impairment.

Additionally, the Center’s research includes healthy brain aging that we call SuperAging. Our center represents more than 50 core and affiliated faculty members from 14 departments in the Chicago and Evanston campuses of Northwestern University.

The Mesulam Center has a long history of working with diverse and traditionally underrepresented communities to raise dementia awareness and engage in mutually beneficial partnerships (see our website brain.

northwestern.edu). We are committed to health equity, diversity, inclusion, racial justice, community engagement, and evidence-informed policy and advocacy.

The Community Engagement Coordinator (the CEC) would have experience in these areas and a passion for working with senior adult populations

The Community Engagement Coordinator will focus on facilitating partnerships with community partners in the Chicagoland area with primary and initial focus on Chicago South Side’s African American communities.

Internally, the CEC will assist on specific projects so that The Mesulam Center can meet study-specific recruitment goals and reporting requirements.

Statistics show and we acknowledge that there is much to accomplish in bringing equity of access to and trust in the advancement of medical science to this segment of our country and city’s population.

The Center’s contribution to bringing about such equity is through community partnership development, academic engagement, and research participation.

Specific Responsibilities :

Communication, Outreach & Recruitment

• Ensures program / project success in regard to revenue & expense goals including recruitment, participation, etc.
• Identifies opportunities and strategies for short- and long-term growth & expansion.
• Creates & implements program / project brand identity and marketing & advertising strategy.
• Oversees marketing of new and current programs, working with partner institutions & media to ensure marketing plan effectively targets applicants, sponsors, etc.
• Ensures that all advertising and marketing materials accurately represent programs.
• Pursues opportunities for alumni contact & solicitation.
• Work with the Outreach, Recruitment and Engagement Core director, research PIs and team leads to cultivate relationships across diverse communities to provide new opportunities for community engagement.

Foster relationship building and collaboration. This includes :

• Independently identifying possible community partners, attending and representing the Mesulam Center at community meetings, and building professional relationships;
• Systematically tracking and qualitatively and quantitatively summarizing partner communication, interests and involvement;
• Serving as liaison between community partners, the Mesulam Center and its affiliated Clinical Trials studies.
• Work with communications coordinator and team leads on communication (materials, newsletters, social media) that promote educational programming and research opportunities within, especially for the Clinical Trials programs, in addition to other identified studies.

Program Development

Assist with development of core training, capacity building and technical assistance for Mesulam Center staff and faculty and community partners.

Manage and deliver training and networking sessions on community engagement strategies and evaluation. Share resources and evidence-based best practices.

• Proactively identify opportunities to achieve Mesulam Center mission and vision. Includes building, supporting, and participating in relevant external networks and initiatives.
• Coordinate the Underrepresented Group (URG) Recruitment Task Force.
• Participate in the continuous quality improvement and data-driven decision-making processes to assess the efficacy of community engagement efforts and educational programming and to drive programmatic refinements.

Ensure adherence to data collection requirements for ORE Core reporting, Clinical Trials and other studies to which the coordinator contributes.

Miscellaneous

Performs other duties as assigned. ( some may be evening or weekend hours).

Minimum Qualifications :

Successful completion of a full 4-year course of study in an accredited college or university leading to a bachelor's or higher degree;

OR appropriate combination of education and experience.

2 years program / project administration or other relevant experience.

Preferred Qualifications :

• Program Management experience in the areas of sizeable collaborative efforts in health awareness, education, training and research within academic and / or community-based organization settings
• Intimate residential and working knowledge of Chicago South Side’s African American communities
• Expertise in recruitment and retention strategies, facilitation, training, and evaluation methodologies
• Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to communicate effectively with people from diverse racial, ethnic, socioeconomic, and gender backgrounds
• Great communication and interpersonal skills, including public speaking, group facilitation, and writing
• Able to interact effectively and tactfully with a broad range of people, professions, and affinity groups
• Proven desire and ability to work both independently and as a team member
• Willingness to commit to, at minimum 50% travel throughout the Chicagoland area. Access to reliable vehicle transportation
• Knowledge of healthy brain aging, dementia education, and research
• Understanding and experience with community-engaged research projects or partnerships within a university / academic setting
• Direct experience with diversity and inclusion strategies
• Work towards or completion of master’s degree or higher in relevant field of study

Target hiring range for this position will be between $56,782-$88,722 per year. Offered salary will be determined by the applicant’s education, experience, knowledge, skills and abilities, as well as internal equity and alignment with market data.

Benefits :

At Northwestern, we are proud to provide meaningful, competitive, high-quality health care plans, retirement benefits, tuition discounts and more! Visit us at to learn more.

Work-Life and Wellness :

Northwestern offers comprehensive programs and services to help you and your family navigate life’s challenges and opportunities, and adopt and maintain healthy lifestyles.

We support flexible work arrangements where possible and programs to help you locate and pay for quality, affordable childcare and senior / adult care. Visit us at to learn more.

Professional Growth & Development :

Northwestern supports employee career development in all circumstances whether your workspace is on campus or at home. If you’re interested in developing your professional potential or continuing your formal education, we offer a variety of tools and resources. Visit us at to learn more .

Northwestern strongly recommends COVID-19 vaccinations and boosters for people who can obtain them as a critical tool for minimizing severe illness.

More information can be found on the webpage.

The Northwestern campus sits on the traditional homelands of the people of the Council of Three Fires, the Ojibwe, Potawatomi, and Odawa as well as the Menominee, Miami and Ho-Chunk nations.

We acknowledge and honor the original people of the land upon which Northwestern University stands, and the Native people who remain on this land today.

Northwestern University is an Equal Opportunity, Affirmative Action Employer of all protected classes, including veterans and individuals with disabilities.

Women, racial and ethnic minorities, individuals with disabilities, and veterans are encouraged to apply.