Public Engagement and Communications Specialist I

Responsibilities

• Assists in the development and implementation of communication and outreach strategies to educate the public and stakeholders on infrastructure projects. This could include research, outreach strategies, and best practices.
• Conducts routine investigations and collects data needed for effective communications strategies and/or to fulfill federal regulatory outreach requirements, including environmental impact evaluations if applicable.
• Prepares and coordinates dissemination of outreach materials, facts and information on project messaging to stakeholders according to the public outreach plan including external agencies, associations, and news organizations using print, periodicals, radio, social and/or visual communication media.
• Tracks and maintains routine records and reports related to public involvement meetings, public hearings and outreach events.
• Drafts speeches, create and design presentation materials, and/or compose correspondence for use in mailings, meetings, or other public consumption.
• Responsible for initial fact checking for reports, articles, and other publications.
• May help coordinate community meetings, public forums, working groups and other public meetings including scheduling, determining location, advertising, and ensuring proper setup/tear down and relevant collateral materials according to client expectation and project goals and budget.
• May interact with clients to coordinate implementation of communication and outreach programs.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Political Science, Marketing, Communications, English, Journalism or related field, or
• In lieu of education, 4 years of relevant experience

Preferred

• Familiarity with Adobe Creative Suite, particularly InDesign, Illustrator, and Photoshop
• Experience developing presentations, fact sheets, graphics, digital content, or other public-facing materials
• Experience or coursework in public engagement, communications, public relations, marketing, planning, or a related field
• Familiarity with ArcGIS StoryMaps, website content management, social media, email marketing, or other digital engagement tools
• Experience translating technical or complex information into clear, accessible content