Join our team

Do you want to find your campus community, gain leadership and career readiness skills, and get paid?

Community Engagement & Leadership (CEL) inspires and nourishes relational leadership practices that enrich communities through collaborative learning, service, and action. Learn more about our approach to community engagement and leadership. We believe that the world should be a more just place for everyone, leadership is for everyone, and that students have the power to shape and change their communities. We support students in learning about and practicing relational leadership, being a part of community building, and progressing positive change. 

CEL provides unique, on-campus, paid student employment opportunities that support students in developing community-engaged leadership skills. Our student staff:

  • Plan and coordinate events and programs
  • Facilitate workshops, reflection, and dialogues
  • Build partnerships with community and campus partners
  • Consult and advise peers on community engagement and leadership topics
  • Gain experience in project management, marketing, and teamwork
  • Learn about leadership, service, social change, and justice

What We Look For

  • Enthusiasm for building community 
  • Compassion
  • Communication skills
  • Organization skills
  • Commitment to self-development and community development
  • Desire to learn about and support community engagement, sustainability, leadership, and social justice

What You Will Gain

In this position, students gain transferrable leadership and career readiness skills that support you in being future ready:

  • Problem solving and critical thinking
  • Communication
  • Collaboration and teamwork
  • Project management and event planning
  • Facilitation and public speaking
  • Equity, justice, and inclusion
  • Technology 

We are committed to quality student employment experiences. Here what current or recent student employees have had to say:

  • "My employment in CEL has taught me incredibly valuable facilitation and public speaking skills. These are skills that I had very limited opportunity to explore and develop before my time in CEL, and I'm very excited that I know I have them moving forward in my professional career.” 
  • “I have an easier time identifying both my strengths and areas of improvement as a result of being a student employee. I have a broader vocabulary to describe myself and my view of life. I also know in general now that I am capable of a lot more than I previously thought I was.”
  • “Working here for a little over a year now has vastly broadened my awareness in equity and social justice. I have gained much more awareness about the importance of accommodations, acknowledging and uplifting different social identities, recognizing privileges that I have, and learning about my positionality in the world.” 
  • "Working at CEL has been a highlight of my college experience so far. I have developed so much both a person and a community member. I feel honored and appreciated for what I bring to the table, and I feel that I am making a tangible impact in the world."
  • "As part of CEL, I was able to redefine leadership in a more inclusive way. I learned the value of community engagement and how a group of like-minded individuals can come together and create meaningful change, even if it only affects a handful of people. I loved working in CEL because I was surrounded by a culture of positive strengths-based leadership. I was able to fully be myself always."
  • "Working for CEL has definitely been one of my most fulfilling adventures to date. . By taking volunteers out to project sites every week, I’ve had the opportunity to meet so many amazing people and have had the privilege of watching our impact grow week after week."

Employment Opportunities

CEL Student Program Specialist

  • Position Description
  • Applications: we are not accepting applications at this time. We typically hire new student staff in spring term for the following academic year with employment beginning in fall.

View and Apply 

If you have any questions regarding the positions or employment at CEL, please reach out to: [email protected] or stop by SEC 250.

Be sure to connect to us on Instagram and sign up for our email updates to learn about upcoming offerings. Generally, our application process for the following academic year begins towards the end of Winter term.

Community Engagement & Leadership is a part of Student Experiences & Engagement (SEE). You can also check out other employment opportunities with our organization.

View Open SEE Jobs

Need Support Preparing a Resume?

You will need to have an up to date resume for your application. Please make sure you have your resume completed in a word or PDF file (.doc, .docx, .pdf). If you would like to know more about creating a resume, please contact the Career Development Center.

3 Ways the Career Development Center Can Help!
  1. Improve your resume. Use Oregon State’s online resume reviewer, Vmock, to get instant, personalized feedback before you submit your application. Based on tips from Vmock, improve your resume to boost your odds of getting hired.
  2. Practice interviewing. Use an interactive video platform, Standout, to practice your interviewing skills in your own space. Hear how you sound out loud and see how you present yourself to an interviewer.
  3. Get help with your cover letter and other career topics one-on-one. The Career Development Center offers consultations with career assistants who can answer your questions about resumes, cover letters, Handshake, and finding a job on campus. If you have additional questions, such as about career exploration for your major, make an appointment with a college-specific career advisor through Handshake.

Visit career.oregonstate.edu for more tips on interviewing, job searching, and resumes. Questions? Contact 541-737-4085 or [email protected].