OPT Community Engagement Manager Jobs
Community Engagement Manager roles on OPT sit at the intersection of communications, public relations, and nonprofit program work, all fields where F-1 students regularly find sponsorship. Your 12-month OPT window (up to 36 months on STEM extension) gives you time to build the employer relationships this role depends on.
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Get Access To All JobsINTRODUCTION
United Way for Greater Austin brings our community together to break economic barriers and build opportunity for all. We break the cycle of economic hardships for families and individuals, striving to create a vibrant, thriving community. Recognizing the urgency of addressing economic challenges, we focus on increasing the availability of high-quality early care and education and access to pivotal resources to address financial barriers in Central Texas. Our united front includes dedicated donors, volunteers, corporate and civic partners, staff, and a connected network of neighbors. Together, we leverage data, community alliances, services, and public engagement to transform Central Texas, responding to urgent needs with lasting, impactful solutions.
ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITIES
The Community Resource & Engagement Coordinator is detail-oriented and passionate about making vital social service information accessible to various audiences in multiple formats. You'll have excellent writing, editing, networking, and communication skills, and enjoy building relationships with community-based organizations, government agencies, and other non-profit organizations across the Laredo area. As a self-starter with strong time management skills, you'll manage high-quality community resources for the Laredo area while building partnerships and recruiting community-based organizations to engage with United Way programs. While based remotely in the region, you'll remain a full member of the Community Resource & Engagement team in Austin, connected through regular check-ins and team collaboration.
This is a remote position based within the Laredo area, with occasional in-region travel for outreach.
BASIC QUALIFICATIONS
- Bachelor's degree in a social service–related field, or
- 3+ years of equivalent experience in community engagement, non-profit, disaster response, or library settings
- Considerable knowledge of community resources, social service landscape, or disaster response efforts
- Knowledge of community resources, the social service landscape, and disaster response efforts
- Experience managing resource databases, case management systems, or referral platforms is a plus
- Familiarity with border-region social services and the community context of the Laredo area is a plus
- Excellent writing and editing skills
- Passion for improving access to information
- Excellent communication and customer service skills
- Bilingual (English/Spanish) strongly preferred, given the communities served
- Comfortable working independently with minimal day-to-day oversight
- Able to respond during scheduled disaster duty windows, including nights, weekends, and holidays, if needed
- Reliable transportation and a valid driver's license for regional travel
- Must reside within the Laredo area (Cameron, Hidalgo, Starr, or Willacy counties)
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
- Mission focused and results driven: You’re committed to breaking down barriers to economic prosperity in our community.
- Available and rooted in the community you serve: You live in the Laredo area, and you're able to respond during scheduled disaster duty windows, including nights, weekends, and holidays when needed.
- An excellent communicator: You listen actively and communicate complex information clearly to a variety of audiences, and you're comfortable with a range of communication tools, including social media.
- Detail-oriented and tactical: You organize and maintain accurate data across multiple systems and timelines, keeping resource information and disaster response documentation reliable and accountable.
- Interpersonal savvy: You organize and maintain accurate data across multiple systems and timelines, keeping resource information and disaster response documentation reliable and accountable.
- Collaborates: You work cooperatively across departments and partner organizations, and credit others for their contributions.
- A strong writer and editor, able to describe complex information clearly and in adherence to a style guide.
- Able to manage complexity: You ask the right questions, gather data from multiple sources, and evaluate options carefully.
WHAT YOU’LL DO
- Ensure that United Way resource databases for the Laredo area are comprehensive, up-to-date, accurate, and easy to use for callers and online users, and adhere to database policies, procedures, and criteria established by organizational, state, and national governing bodies. Research, gather, and analyze community service information, and complete daily database edits and full agency reviews.
- Build awareness of 2-1-1 and other United Way programs across the Laredo area.
- Engage and support community partners and social service providers to build strong working relationships across the region.
- Provide outreach and education to community-based organizations, attend community events, and represent United Way at local presentations and partner meetings.
- Respond to staff resource verification requests and new agency requests.
- Serve as an operational lead for disaster resource response for the South Central region, planning and executing response efforts before, during, and after disasters, in support of the Community Resource & Engagement Sr. Manager.
- Serve as an on-call point of contact for statewide 2-1-1 disaster resource coordination during South Central duty windows.
- Support the completion of seasonal resource and engagement projects.
- Assist other staff and perform other duties as assigned by the Community Resource & Engagement Sr. Manager.
WHAT YOU’LL RECEIVE
- Dynamic and rewarding work environment
- Competitive Compensation
- Hybrid Work Option
- Employer 403(b) Matching
- Employer-Sponsored Health Insurance (for employees)
- Dental Insurance
- Vision Insurance
- Flexible Spending Account (FSA)
- Generous Paid Time Off (PTO)
- Paid Parental Leave
- FMLA
- Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
This is a remote position based within the Laredo area, with occasional in-region travel for outreach. The team member will support the Community Resource & Engagement team, based in Austin, Texas, and will report directly to the Community Resource & Engagement Sr. Manager.
Notice: The job description in no way states or implies that these are the only duties to be performed by the employee occupying this position. Management can assign or reassign duties and responsibilities at any time. United Way for Greater Austin is an “at-will” employer.
INTRODUCTION
United Way for Greater Austin brings our community together to break economic barriers and build opportunity for all. We break the cycle of economic hardships for families and individuals, striving to create a vibrant, thriving community. Recognizing the urgency of addressing economic challenges, we focus on increasing the availability of high-quality early care and education and access to pivotal resources to address financial barriers in Central Texas. Our united front includes dedicated donors, volunteers, corporate and civic partners, staff, and a connected network of neighbors. Together, we leverage data, community alliances, services, and public engagement to transform Central Texas, responding to urgent needs with lasting, impactful solutions.
ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITIES
The Community Resource & Engagement Coordinator is detail-oriented and passionate about making vital social service information accessible to various audiences in multiple formats. You'll have excellent writing, editing, networking, and communication skills, and enjoy building relationships with community-based organizations, government agencies, and other non-profit organizations across the Laredo area. As a self-starter with strong time management skills, you'll manage high-quality community resources for the Laredo area while building partnerships and recruiting community-based organizations to engage with United Way programs. While based remotely in the region, you'll remain a full member of the Community Resource & Engagement team in Austin, connected through regular check-ins and team collaboration.
This is a remote position based within the Laredo area, with occasional in-region travel for outreach.
BASIC QUALIFICATIONS
- Bachelor's degree in a social service–related field, or
- 3+ years of equivalent experience in community engagement, non-profit, disaster response, or library settings
- Considerable knowledge of community resources, social service landscape, or disaster response efforts
- Knowledge of community resources, the social service landscape, and disaster response efforts
- Experience managing resource databases, case management systems, or referral platforms is a plus
- Familiarity with border-region social services and the community context of the Laredo area is a plus
- Excellent writing and editing skills
- Passion for improving access to information
- Excellent communication and customer service skills
- Bilingual (English/Spanish) strongly preferred, given the communities served
- Comfortable working independently with minimal day-to-day oversight
- Able to respond during scheduled disaster duty windows, including nights, weekends, and holidays, if needed
- Reliable transportation and a valid driver's license for regional travel
- Must reside within the Laredo area (Cameron, Hidalgo, Starr, or Willacy counties)
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
- Mission focused and results driven: You’re committed to breaking down barriers to economic prosperity in our community.
- Available and rooted in the community you serve: You live in the Laredo area, and you're able to respond during scheduled disaster duty windows, including nights, weekends, and holidays when needed.
- An excellent communicator: You listen actively and communicate complex information clearly to a variety of audiences, and you're comfortable with a range of communication tools, including social media.
- Detail-oriented and tactical: You organize and maintain accurate data across multiple systems and timelines, keeping resource information and disaster response documentation reliable and accountable.
- Interpersonal savvy: You organize and maintain accurate data across multiple systems and timelines, keeping resource information and disaster response documentation reliable and accountable.
- Collaborates: You work cooperatively across departments and partner organizations, and credit others for their contributions.
- A strong writer and editor, able to describe complex information clearly and in adherence to a style guide.
- Able to manage complexity: You ask the right questions, gather data from multiple sources, and evaluate options carefully.
WHAT YOU’LL DO
- Ensure that United Way resource databases for the Laredo area are comprehensive, up-to-date, accurate, and easy to use for callers and online users, and adhere to database policies, procedures, and criteria established by organizational, state, and national governing bodies. Research, gather, and analyze community service information, and complete daily database edits and full agency reviews.
- Build awareness of 2-1-1 and other United Way programs across the Laredo area.
- Engage and support community partners and social service providers to build strong working relationships across the region.
- Provide outreach and education to community-based organizations, attend community events, and represent United Way at local presentations and partner meetings.
- Respond to staff resource verification requests and new agency requests.
- Serve as an operational lead for disaster resource response for the South Central region, planning and executing response efforts before, during, and after disasters, in support of the Community Resource & Engagement Sr. Manager.
- Serve as an on-call point of contact for statewide 2-1-1 disaster resource coordination during South Central duty windows.
- Support the completion of seasonal resource and engagement projects.
- Assist other staff and perform other duties as assigned by the Community Resource & Engagement Sr. Manager.
WHAT YOU’LL RECEIVE
- Dynamic and rewarding work environment
- Competitive Compensation
- Hybrid Work Option
- Employer 403(b) Matching
- Employer-Sponsored Health Insurance (for employees)
- Dental Insurance
- Vision Insurance
- Flexible Spending Account (FSA)
- Generous Paid Time Off (PTO)
- Paid Parental Leave
- FMLA
- Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
This is a remote position based within the Laredo area, with occasional in-region travel for outreach. The team member will support the Community Resource & Engagement team, based in Austin, Texas, and will report directly to the Community Resource & Engagement Sr. Manager.
Notice: The job description in no way states or implies that these are the only duties to be performed by the employee occupying this position. Management can assign or reassign duties and responsibilities at any time. United Way for Greater Austin is an “at-will” employer.
See all 45+ OPT Community Engagement Manager Jobs
Sign up for free to unlock all listings, filter by visa type, and get alerts for new OPT Community Engagement Manager Jobs.
Get Access To All JobsTips for Finding OPT Sponsorship as a Community Engagement Manager
Target mission-driven organizations early
Nonprofits, universities, and community health organizations hire Community Engagement Managers regularly and tend to be more experienced with OPT work authorization than early-stage startups. Research their existing international staff before applying.
Connect your degree field to the role explicitly
OPT requires your job to relate to your field of study. Public policy, communications, social work, and public health degrees map cleanly to this role. Make that connection explicit in your cover letter and resume.
Apply well before your OPT start date
Many community organizations run slow hiring timelines due to committee-based decisions. Start applying two to three months before your OPT authorization begins so you have an offer before your work authorization window opens.
Quantify your community impact in applications
Employers evaluating OPT candidates want proof you can deliver results independently. Include specific numbers: events organized, attendance figures, volunteer hours coordinated, or engagement rates from campaigns you managed previously.
Ask about H-1B sponsorship before accepting an offer
Community Engagement Managers qualify for H-1B visa sponsorship as a specialty occupation tied to a bachelor's degree. Raise the H-1B question respectfully during final-stage negotiations, not at first contact, so it lands at the right moment.
Use Migrate Mate to filter for sponsorship-ready employers
Not every organization that posts this role will sponsor visas. Browse Community Engagement Manager listings on Migrate Mate to find employers with a documented history of sponsoring international candidates, saving significant time in your search.
Community Engagement Manager OPT: Frequently Asked Questions
Does a Community Engagement Manager role qualify for OPT work authorization?
Yes, as long as the position relates directly to your field of study. Community Engagement Manager roles typically qualify under degrees in communications, public policy, public health, social work, or nonprofit management. Your employer does not need to file any paperwork with USCIS for OPT, your EAD card is your work authorization, and you manage the timeline through your DSO.
Can I get a STEM OPT extension as a Community Engagement Manager?
It depends on your degree, not the job title. If you graduated from a STEM-designated program, such as health informatics, data-driven public policy, or certain communications technology programs, and your Community Engagement Manager role involves work related to that STEM field, you may qualify. Your DSO and employer both need to certify the connection. Review your program's CIP code with your international student office to confirm eligibility before assuming you qualify.
Do Community Engagement Manager roles typically lead to H-1B sponsorship?
Community Engagement Manager is classified as a specialty occupation when the role requires a bachelor's degree in a specific field like communications, public affairs, or social work, which makes it H-1B eligible. Nonprofits, government contractors, and healthcare organizations are among the most common sponsors for this title. Use Migrate Mate to identify employers who have sponsored this or similar roles for international candidates in the past.
How do I explain my OPT status and work authorization timeline to a hiring manager?
Keep it factual and forward-looking. Explain that your EAD authorizes you to work for any U.S. employer without them filing anything, that your current authorization runs through a specific date, and that you plan to pursue H-1B sponsorship before that expires. Framing it as a clear, managed process, rather than an open question, makes it easier for hiring managers unfamiliar with OPT to evaluate your candidacy without concern.
What types of employers hire Community Engagement Managers and are open to OPT candidates?
Nonprofits, public health agencies, universities, hospital systems, local government contractors, and advocacy organizations hire for this role most frequently. These employers often have established HR processes for international hiring and are more comfortable with OPT timelines than smaller organizations encountering it for the first time. Community Engagement Manager positions at these organizations appear regularly on Migrate Mate, filtered specifically for employers open to sponsorship.