Community Development Specialist Jobs

Community Development Specialist jobs are open across nonprofits, local government, housing agencies, and community health organizations, with specializations in grant management, program coordination, and economic development, from entry-level coordinator to senior director roles. Scan the live roles below and apply to whichever ones fit.

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Overview

Open roles18
Top stateArizona
Top employerPark Slope Center for Mental Health
Top cityTucson, AZ
Work type63% On-site
Top credentialBachelor's degree in communications

Showing 5 of 18+ Community Development Specialist jobs

Regional Marketing & Community Development Specialist(Bilingual in Chinese)
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Added 1d ago
Regional Marketing & Community Development Specialist(Bilingual in Chinese)
yammii
Champaign, Illinois
Business Development
Partnerships & Business Development
Sales
$55k - $70k/yr

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Community & Market Development Specialist
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Community & Market Development Specialist
Nicolet Law
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Customer Service
Customer Success
Customer Support
On-Site
Bachelor's degree in communications

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Business Development & Community Relations Specialist
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Added 2d ago
Business Development & Community Relations Specialist
The Schwalbach Agency
Elkhorn, Nebraska
Customer Service
Customer Success
Customer Support
$38k - $50k/yr
On-Site

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Business Development & Community Outreach Specialist (ABA)
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Added 3d ago
Business Development & Community Outreach Specialist (ABA)
Kavana Group
North Carolina
Business Operations
Project Management
Quality Assurance & Testing (QA Testing)
$85k - $100k/yr

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Business Development & Community Outreach Specialist
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Added 1w ago
Business Development & Community Outreach Specialist
Care Clinic
Fairfax, Virginia
Content & Communications
Customer Service
Marketing
On-Site
Bachelor's degree in communications

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Community Development Specialist Job Market

Who's Hiring

Park Slope Center for Mental Health2 open roles
UPMC1 open role
yammii1 open role

What Employers Look For

The qualifications that appear most often in community development specialist jobs.

  • Bachelor's degree in social work, public administration, urban planning, or a related field
  • Experience writing or managing federal, state, or foundation grants
  • Proficiency with community needs assessments and data-driven program evaluation
  • Demonstrated ability to build partnerships with government agencies and nonprofit organizations
  • Strong written and verbal communication skills for public presentations and stakeholder reporting
  • Familiarity with HUD programs, CDBG funding, or similar community development funding streams

Tips for Your Community Development Specialist Job Search

Tailor your resume to funding cycles

Community development employers want to see grant management experience tied to specific outcomes. List the funding sources you have worked with, the award amounts you helped secure, and the programs those dollars supported. Vague impact statements get screened out fast.

Highlight coalition and stakeholder work

Many postings require demonstrated experience coordinating across community partners, city agencies, or faith organizations. Name the specific coalitions or task forces you participated in and what your role was, not just that you collaborated with stakeholders.

Apply early to roles that fit

Migrate Mate lists community development specialist openings from across the United States in one place, so you can find roles that match and apply directly to each listing. Applying early matters because many community organizations close searches once they reach a manageable candidate pool.

Filter by program area, not just title

Job titles vary widely: program specialist, community liaison, neighborhood development coordinator. Search by program area, such as affordable housing, workforce development, or youth services, to surface relevant openings that use a different title than you expect.

Prepare a community needs assessment example

Interviewers frequently ask you to walk through how you have identified and responded to community needs. Have one concrete example ready that covers your data sources, how you engaged residents, what you recommended, and what changed as a result.

Negotiate start date around grant timelines

Many community development roles are grant-funded with defined project periods. When negotiating your start date, ask when the current grant cycle began and when reporting deadlines fall. Starting before a major reporting period shows initiative and helps you ramp up faster.

Community Development Specialist Jobs: Frequently Asked Questions

Which companies are hiring the most community development specialists?

The most active employers for community development specialists right now are Park Slope Center for Mental Health, UPMC, and yammii, and the most openings are in Arizona, Pennsylvania, and Indiana, based on current listings on Migrate Mate as of November 2026. Demand is especially concentrated at community development financial institutions, housing authorities, and large nonprofit networks.

How many community development specialist jobs are remote?

About 38% of community development specialist openings are fully remote or hybrid as of November 2026, reflecting the hands-on, community-facing nature of most roles. Grant writing, program evaluation, and policy coordination positions tend to offer the most remote flexibility, while neighborhood outreach and case management roles are almost always in person.

How do you become a community development specialist?

Start with a bachelor's degree in social work, urban planning, public administration, or a related field, then gain hands-on experience through AmeriCorps, local government internships, or entry-level program assistant roles at nonprofits. Build familiarity with grant writing and federal funding sources like CDBG or HOME. Earning a credential such as a Certified Economic Developer designation or a master's in public policy strengthens your candidacy for senior roles.

Can you get hired as a community development specialist with little experience?

Yes, many organizations hire candidates with limited paid experience if they can show community engagement in other forms. Volunteer work with neighborhood associations, service on local advisory boards, AmeriCorps terms, or academic projects involving community needs assessments all count. Lead with concrete outcomes from those experiences rather than job titles, and target entry-level program coordinator or community outreach roles to build your record.

What does the community development specialist interview process look like?

Most hiring processes include an initial screening call, a panel interview with program staff and community partners, and a practical exercise such as reviewing a sample grant application or presenting a mock community outreach plan. Interviewers focus on your approach to community engagement, your experience with data collection or reporting, and how you have handled competing stakeholder priorities. Reference checks are common before final offers.

Where can I find and apply to community development specialist jobs?

You can find and apply to community development specialist jobs on Migrate Mate, which lists current openings from across the United States. Search for roles that match your program area, experience level, and location preferences, then apply directly to each listing that fits your background.

See All 18 Community Development Specialist Jobs

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