Messenger Specialist

Position Title: Trusted Messenger Specialist

Location: Hybrid (Utah – frequent in-state travel)

Position End Date: 12/31/26

Salary: $85,000 plus benefits

The CDC Foundation is seeking a Trusted Messenger Specialist who will lead strategic efforts to identify, map, and engage trusted community voices across Utah. This role focuses on strengthening public health outreach by connecting with individuals and organizations that communities rely on for credible information, ensuring effective communication across diverse populations.

• Bachelor’s degree in Public Health, Sociology, Communications, Community Development, Anthropology, or a related field required;
  Master’s degree (MPH, MSW, or related field) preferred
• Minimum 3 years of experience in community engagement, outreach, organizing, or public health-related work
• Experience working with state or local health departments, nonprofits, or grassroots organizations
• Demonstrated experience in partnership development, stakeholder engagement, and community relationship management
• Familiarity with Utah’s cultural, geographic, and community landscape, including rural, urban, and diverse populations
• Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to build trust and rapport across diverse groups
• Demonstrated cultural competency and ability to work effectively in varied community settings
• Strategic thinker with the ability to identify networks of influence and community connectors
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including experience summarizing data and presenting findings
• Ability to analyze and synthesize both qualitative and quantitative information into actionable insights
• Experience using mapping tools, databases, or community asset frameworks (e.g., Asset-Based Community Development – ABCD)

• Conduct deep-dive research to identify formal and informal nodes of influence, including faith leaders, grassroots organizers, local business owners, and digital community moderators.
• Coordinate with Local Health Department leaders to proactively identify and vet potential community partners that can bridge gaps between our organization and populations.
• Create a comprehensive database that maps and organizes local, regional, and sector-specific trusted messengers. This includes a dynamic, searchable database of messengers by expertise, audience, geography, and influence for tailored outreach.
• Conduct an audit of existing community connections across local health departments, documenting and formalizing these relationships within the mapping framework to ensure accurate tracking and alignment.
• Identify gaps where trusted messengers are not yet established and initiate targeted outreach only when needed, ensuring all partners both new and existing are appropriately connected with their respective local health departments.
• Conduct interviews, listening sessions, and focus groups to validate trusted sources of information within communities.

This role is involved in a dynamic public health program. As such, roles and responsibilities are subject to change as situations evolve. Roles and responsibilities listed above may be expanded upon or updated to match priorities and needs, once written approval is received by both the CDC Foundation and Utah Department of Health and Human Services in order to best support the State of Utah in their public health programming.

This position requires the operation of a motor vehicle as a component of the job responsibilities and duties. In adherence with CDC Foundation’s Driver Safety Motor Vehicle Policy (“Policy”), offers for employment for this position require the Applicant to provide authorization to the CDC Foundation to conduct a Motor Vehicle Record (“MVR”) review both pre-employment and also annually post-employment while in this position.

Additionally, if an offer of employment is accepted, employees in these positions must possess and maintain a valid driver's license in their state of residence, self-report motor vehicle violations/convictions, and provide proof of acceptable insurance coverage with mandatory minimum coverages as set forth within the Driver Safety Motor…