The Center on Rural Innovation (CORI) is a social enterprise driving economic prosperity in rural America through entrepreneurship and tech job creation. Focused on the 500 U.S. micropolitan communities with populations between 10,000 and 50,000, our Rural Innovation Network spans 40 regions across 25 states. At CORI, we believe rural America can lead in the innovation economy. Our 35-person team works alongside local leaders to build thriving, tech-enabled ecosystems, combining community strategy, research, and talent development with the CORI Innovation Fund, our venture arm, investing in scalable rural startups. Together, our programs and capital create a powerful model for unlocking innovation and inclusive growth across rural America.

Requirements

The Opportunity

The Program Division is dedicated to serving and expanding the Rural Innovation Network, ensuring rural America thrives in the tech and AI era. Our work enables learners, leaders, and founders to access equitable pathways to skills and quality jobs, and build venture-ready startups.

Our north star is a more inclusive and resilient tech economy—one where rural people benefit from the economy of the future. The Program Division will play a vital role in advancing CORI's strategic goals: Growing the Rural Innovation Network while deepening engagement and peer connections; Accelerating the startup pipeline by expanding innovation spaces, founder support, and access to capital; and Leading AI skilling in rural America. We will achieve these goals by accelerating our delivery model through better use of technology, AI, and data to deliver greater value and impact for the communities we serve.

Reporting to the Director of Community Experience, the Community Learning & Engagement Manager designs and delivers learning experiences that strengthen peer-to-peer connections and build local capacity across the Rural Innovation Network.

This role curates and facilitates in-person and digital opportunities that help community leaders share insights, learn from one another, and apply new ideas to strengthen their local tech ecosystems. The Manager mobilizes CORI staff, Network members, and external experts to deliver engaging, actionable learning experiences, and works closely with the Entrepreneurship and Tech Workforce teams to align learning with community goals.

Success in this role is reflected in strong participation, active peer exchange, and tangible outcomes, such as new or expanded local programs, an increased number of tech jobs, successful rural startups, improved capacity, and increased collaboration across Network communities.

Essential Job Responsibilities

Learning program design and delivery (70%)

Design and facilitate peer learning programs, workshops, working groups, and events that foster collaboration, innovation, and skill building across the Network, ensuring inclusive and accessible participation
Lead the design and coordination of the Network's learning curriculum and annual member learning journey, incorporating diverse perspectives and addressing varying community contexts
Partner with members and experts to co-create and deliver engaging learning sessions for key events, including the annual CORI Summit, elevating a range of lived experiences and regional voices
Curate and share learning content and member-generated resources such as guides, playbooks, and templates—tailored to the needs of communities with varying capacities, geographies, and stages of development
Encourage active participation and cultivate a culture of shared learning within CORI and the Network
Collaborate with the Growth team to integrate field insights into CORI's research, data, and analysis — and bring research findings back to Network members through success stories and case studies from a diverse set of communities
Develop and maintain a database of partner organizations—including both tech-focused resources and essential community services that bolster a tech economy—and connect Network members to relevant partners for support where CORI is not the expert
Support ecosystem assessments and strategy development with rural communities, distilling insights to strengthen learning and engagement approaches across different community contexts

Digital Learning and Engagement (30%)

Strengthen member engagement through CORI's digital platforms by providing dynamic, relevant content and moderation that supports inclusive participation of leaders across geographies, cultural context, and experience levels
Train members to effectively use tools like Mighty Networks and other platforms supporting live and asynchronous learning and peer connections, accounting for varying levels of digital access and familiarity
Track and analyze engagement data to identify trends, measure participation, and improve the learning experience
Partner with the Innovation Manager to integrate AI-enabled tools and digital learning enhancements that are accessible and responsive to diverse user needs
Apply human-centered design and feedback loops to refine content, improve accessibility, and meet emerging member needs
Pilot new formats, such as cohort-based learning, micro-learning modules, or virtual exchanges, to enhance engagement and reach
Working in collaboration with CORI's communications team, coordinates the monthly Network Newsletter to keep members up to date on Network resources, programs, and peer connection opportunities
Contribute to the development and continuous improvement of CORI's community learning and engagement model by bringing field insights, member feedback, and emerging needs back into organizational learning

Qualifications

The ideal candidate will have the following professional and personal qualities, skills and characteristics:

Skills & Experience

2 - 5 years of experience facilitating learning communities, networks, or digital engagement programs, with an emphasis on inclusive and accessible participation.
Strong facilitation, event design, and community management skills that foster equitable engagement across diverse communities, including experience with virtual/remote facilitation techniques.
Experience with digital engagement platforms and knowledge management systems, with attention to accessibility and usability for varied audiences.
Curriculum or learning design expertise and proficiency managing virtual or hybrid learning environments.
Familiarity with learning analytics, KPIs, and content operations.
Data literacy and ability to interpret dashboards or performance metrics.
Excellent communication, collaboration, and relationship-building skills.
Demonstrated commitment to inclusive practices and the ability to design and facilitate experiences that reflect diverse perspectives and reduce barriers to participation.

Personal Qualities

Passionate about rural economic development and inclusive innovation
Curious, creative, and proactive problem solver
Collaborative and empathetic relationship-builder
Strategic thinker who balances vision with execution
Outcome-oriented, with a bias toward documenting and scaling what works.

Location

This role is fully remote, but will require travel 20-30% of the time to rural communities across the United States and/or 3-4 times a year for in-person staff / team meetings.

This position will close on Sunday, June 7, 2026 — apply early, as we will begin reviewing applications upon receipt.

Benefits

Competitive salary - $80,000 (Non-negotiable)
Annual professional development allowance
Medical, dental, vision, life and short-term disability insurance
5% employer matched 401k after 90 days
Home office set-up allowance
Employee Assistance Program
Fifteen days accrued PTO, plus eight floating holidays

Center on Rural Innovation jobs

Manager, Community Learning and Engagement