J-1 Visa Community Engagement Specialist Jobs
Community Engagement Specialist roles in the United States are available to international professionals through J-1 visa sponsorship, typically under the Specialist or Trainee program category. These positions connect you with nonprofits, government agencies, and civic organizations focused on outreach, coalition-building, and public participation work.
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Work Arrangement: Remote
Requisition Number: 269695
Regular or Temporary: Regular
Location: Durham, NC, US, 27710
Personnel Area: UNIVERSITY
Date: May 1, 2026
Duke University:
Duke University was created in 1924 through an indenture of trust by James Buchanan Duke. Today, Duke is regarded as one of America’s leading research universities. Located in Durham, North Carolina, Duke is positioned in the heart of the Research Triangle, which is ranked annually as one of the best places in the country to work and live. Duke has more than 15,000 students who study and conduct research in its 10 undergraduate, graduate and professional schools. With about 40,000 employees, Duke is the third largest private employer in North Carolina, and it now has international programs in more than 150 countries.
Be You.
At Duke, we celebrate individuality and value diverse perspectives. The Oral History Intern for Community Engagement and DCL at Duke plays a vital role in helping document, preserve, and share the stories of Durham’s communities. This work contributes to a more inclusive and representative historical record, with a focus on African American history and cultural heritage.
Be Bold.
As part of the Rubenstein Library’s Community Engagement program and in collaboration with DCL at Duke, you’ll engage in community-centered archival work that connects oral history, public history, and preservation. You’ll help ensure that community voices are not only collected, but thoughtfully processed and made accessible for future generations.
What You’ll Do
- Report to and assist the Community Engagement Coordinator with multi-institutional collaborative oral history projects.
- Support oral history and community-based archival projects in collaboration with campus and external partner organizations.
- Review and edit oral history transcripts for accuracy, clarity, and consistency.
- Assist in creating and refining descriptive metadata to support discovery and long-term access.
- Help organize and manage digital files and project documentation using shared tools (e.g., spreadsheets, databases).
- Enhance public access and discoverability of oral history projects by contributing to digital storytelling efforts—such as project webpages, blog posts, and other creative initiatives—to promote and activate community stories.
- Regularly work in the Rubenstein Reading Room on the circulation desk.
- May work occasional evenings.
- Routinely move library materials weighing up to 40 pounds.
- Must be able to work in an environment in which exposure to materials containing dust and mold is possible.
- Perform other duties as assigned in support of community-engaged archival work.
What You’ll Bring
- Current enrollment or recent graduation from a master’s program in archival studies, public history, library/information science, or a related field.
- Interest in oral history, Black history, cultural heritage preservation, and community archives.
- Strong interpersonal, oral, and written communication skills.
- Advanced organizational, project and time-management skills.
- Ability to work both independently and collaboratively.
- Strong written and verbal communication skills.
- Commitment to inclusive practices and respectful representation of community voices.
- Preferred: Experience with transcription, metadata, or digital tools, or coursework in archival description or oral history methods.
Choose Duke
Duke is built on collaboration, innovation, creativity, and belonging. This role offers hands-on experience in oral history, archival processing, and community-engaged work. You’ll gain practical skills in working with primary sources, managing digital collections, and contributing to projects that preserve and share Black history and community memory.
Ready to Make a Difference?
Applications are accepted at https://careers.duke.edu/ — search for Requisition ID
This internship is onsite and part-time (up to 19 hours a week) from August 2026–May 2027 at a hiring rate of $18/hour.
Anticipated Pay Range: Duke University provides an annual base salary range for this position as USD $51,401.00 to USD $82,291.00. Duke University considers factors such as (but not limited to) scope and responsibilities of the position; candidate's work experience, education/training, and key skills; internal peer equity; as well as market and organizational considerations when extending an offer.
Your total compensation goes beyond the dollars on your paycheck. Duke provides comprehensive and competitive medical and dental care programs, generous retirement benefits, and a wide array of family-friendly and cultural programs to eligible team members. Learn more at: https://hr.duke.edu/benefits/
Equal Opportunity Employer: Duke is an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to providing employment opportunity without regard to an individual's age, color, disability, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, national origin, race, religion, sex (including pregnancy and pregnancy-related conditions), sexual orientation, or military status.
Duke aspires to create a community built on collaboration, innovation, creativity, and belonging. Our collective success depends on the robust exchange of ideas—an exchange that is best when the rich diversity of our perspectives, backgrounds, and experiences flourishes. To achieve this exchange, it is essential that all members of the community feel secure and welcome, that the contributions of all individuals are respected, and that all voices are heard. All members of our community have a responsibility to uphold these values.
Essential Physical Job Functions:
Certain jobs at Duke University and Duke University Health System may include essential job functions that require specific physical and/or mental abilities. Additional information and reasonable accommodation(s) can be requested with Duke Access and Accommodations Services (email: DAAS@duke.edu; phone: 919-668-1267).
Nearest Major Market: Durham
Nearest Secondary Market: Raleigh
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Get Access To All JobsTips for Finding J-1 Visa Sponsorship as a Community Engagement Specialist
Align your portfolio with civic outreach competencies
Document specific community programs you designed, metrics from engagement campaigns, and multilingual outreach experience. J-1 Specialist and Trainee program applications require evidence that your background directly maps to the host's community engagement objectives.
Distinguish Specialist from Trainee eligibility before applying
The J-1 Specialist category requires recognized expertise in your field, while Trainee fits early-career professionals seeking structured work experience. Applying under the wrong category delays your DS-2019 issuance and can derail an otherwise strong host placement.
Search Migrate Mate to find J-1-aligned host employers
Filter by role type and location to surface U.S. organizations whose community engagement positions have J-1 sponsorship history. Targeting hosts with prior exchange visitor experience significantly shortens the program setup timeline.
Confirm the host organization will fund program fees
Designated sponsors like Cultural Vistas and CIEE charge administrative fees to issue your DS-2019. Negotiate with your prospective host to cover these costs before accepting an offer, since fee responsibility is rarely spelled out in standard job postings.
Build a training plan that satisfies DOL activity codes
Your designated sponsor needs a detailed training plan linking each phase of your community engagement work to specific learning objectives. Generic job descriptions are rejected. Map activities to OFLC Wage Search occupational categories to speed approval.
Check whether your role triggers the two-year home residency requirement
Community engagement work funded by U.S. government grants or your home country's government often subjects you to the two-year home residency requirement. Confirm your funding source with your designated sponsor before signing your training plan.
Community Engagement Specialist jobs are hiring across the US. Find yours.
Find Community Engagement Specialist JobsCommunity Engagement Specialist J-1 Visa: Frequently Asked Questions
Which J-1 program category fits a Community Engagement Specialist role?
It depends on your career stage. The J-1 Trainee category fits professionals with a degree plus at least one year of related experience, or five years of equivalent work experience, who are seeking structured on-the-job development. The J-1 Specialist category applies if you hold recognized expertise in community organizing, public participation, or civic education and are placed as a subject-matter resource rather than a trainee.
Who actually sponsors the J-1 visa for this type of role?
The visa sponsor is a U.S. Department of State-designated organization, not your hiring employer. Organizations like Cultural Vistas, CIEE, or IIE issue your DS-2019 form and are legally responsible for your program compliance. Your employer is the host organization. They offer the position and sign the training plan, but they do not hold sponsoring authority under J-1 regulations.
How can I find U.S. employers open to hosting a J-1 Community Engagement Specialist?
Use Migrate Mate to search for community engagement and outreach roles at organizations with J-1 sponsorship history. Nonprofits, local government agencies, and civic foundations are the most common hosts for this category. Targeting employers who have previously worked with a designated sponsor reduces administrative delays because the host already understands the training plan and DS-2019 requirements.
Does the two-year home residency requirement apply to community engagement positions?
It can. If your community engagement role is funded by a U.S. government agency grant or by your home country's government, the two-year home residency requirement typically applies. This means you must return to your home country for two years before changing to most other U.S. visa statuses. Confirm your host organization's funding sources with your designated sponsor before accepting the offer.
What does a strong J-1 training plan look like for this role?
A strong training plan breaks your community engagement work into distinct phases, each tied to specific learning objectives rather than routine job duties. It should identify measurable outcomes, such as leading a stakeholder consultation process or designing a multilingual outreach campaign, and map each activity to a phase duration. Designated sponsors reject generic plans that read as standard employment descriptions rather than structured exchange programs.
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