LIKEN KNOWLEDGE SEEKS A COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT COORDINATOR IN CUMBERLAND, KENTUCKY

Posted: September 5, 2025
Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis until the positions are filled. Applications must include current resume, cover letter, and contact information for three professional references.

LIVELIHOODS KNOWLEDGE EXCHANGE NETWORK (LIKEN), SEEKS A FULL-TIME COMMUNITY ORGANIZER TO WORK ON COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS IN EASTERN KENTUCKY FOR WATER AND FOREST PROJECTS.

Job Description: We are looking for an energetic individual with a passion for contributing to the well-being of communities in Harlan County, Kentucky. The office is located in Cumberland, but the Community Engagement Coordinator (CEC) will work throughout the county.
We seek a self-starter who enjoys working with people. A key responsibility will be to organize outreach and recruit participants in various community development projects. Your role will be to motivate and support people as they come together to identify needs and solve problems in their local communities. You will play an essential role in building effective communication and collaboration among diverse partners in this work – including community members and nonprofits, local and state officials, and researchers. Your first responsibility is to listen deeply to the diverse perspectives within the communities you serve. Other responsibilities will be to plan and conduct educational and planning workshops, write reports, and build leadership and skills among project participants with the support of other members of the LiKEN team.
From 2025-2027, this job will focus on two projects:
The “Water Pressure” project provides resources for local residents to come together to improve drinking water systems to ensure that their communities and future generations have healthy, affordable, and dependable water. We seek to build resilience to withstand flooding and other extreme weather. In 2025-2026, this project will continue piloting our and recruiting volunteers to document water-related needs in their communities, including stream testing for those who are interested. The CEC will plan and hold various meetings and forums to bring together stakeholders throughout the community to create action plans for improving their water systems and resilience. The CEC, working with others on the Water Pressure team, will engage in with their communities to get their perspectives, as well as employ their research skills to understand water systems and how they work.
The “Community Wealth from Healthy Rivers and Forests” project supports community-led efforts to restore ecosystems through regenerative forestry and agroforestry, and connecting land owners to new markets and services. Recruiting and connecting with land owners and hosting information sessions on agroforestry or heirs property and estate planning are among the most important activities in this project.
In addition, LiKEN’s Cumberland office serves as a hub for the Kentucky Watershed Watch, serving the Cumberland Watershed Basin as a location for stream samplers to check water testing gear and supplies. If interested, the Harlan CEC may have professional development training to become a stream sampler or even a trainer.
Applicants do not have to have experience with (agro)forestry, water systems, markets, or nonprofits in order to qualify. This information can be learned on the job.The most important qualification is that applicants are willing to learn and are passionate about the people, land, rivers, and forests that make up their local communities and ecologies. Next in line is the ability to talk with a variety of people, including people you already do not know.
Background: LiKEN is a link-tank, based in Winchester, KY, and Franklin, WV, serving communities across the United States, with special attention to Central Appalachia (). LiKEN’s mission is to help communities grow good livelihoods based on local assets, to build community health and wealth, and to take evidence-based action for future well-being based on a deep understanding of the past. We work on projects to protect and care for resources that people depend on for basic life needs – such as safe and affordable water, healthy forests and food, vibrant culture, equitable and dependable access to land and public revenues.

ESSENTIAL QUALIFICATIONS:

• A self-starter with the ability to work independently, think strategically, and be organized in a fast-paced work environment
• Working well as a team member, with a variety of people
• Demonstrated experience in bringing people together and guiding them toward collective action
• Ability to complete complex assignments in a timely manner, conduct research with accuracy and attention to detail, and document activities adequately for other team members
• Ability to work outdoors in a variety of weather conditions, especially around river and forest environments
• Ability to work with small groups and large crowds
• Strong speaking and writing skills
• Skills in conflict resolution
• Proficient with computers, Google Suite, Discord, Zoom, and Microsoft Office platforms

• Recruit project participants and volunteers
• Train community members in organizing and leadership skills
• Work one-on-one with land owners, connecting them to services and resources
• Conduct research, including reading scholarly articles and navigating internet sources
• Plan and generate turnout for events
• Participate in and assist in organizing educational workshops and community meetings
• Keep in communication with team members, partners, and project participants
• Create action plans, educational materials, blog posts and other communications products about the projects
• Help community members in their contacts with public officials, agencies, technical experts, and researchers and facilitate communication between them.
• Documenting work with community members through careful note-taking, photography, audio or video recordings.
• For the Kentucky Watershed Watch hub, ordering and checking out supplies for stream samplers.
• Working in the local LiKEN office and welcoming community members in, being sure to be available during some regular office hours. This position may include some remote work, but at least half of the work week must be spent in the office in Cumberland, Kentucky.