MANAGER, COMMUNITY RELATIONS (ENVIRONMENTAL PLANNING)

Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (CA) • Los Angeles, CA • $90.52k - $135.74k / year • 5d ago

Develops and manages community outreach, programs, and activities in support of Metro's programs, projects, and initiatives.

Recruitment Timeline: Interviews are projected to be scheduled for the week of April 14, 2025. These dates are subject to change. We encourage you to monitor your governmentjobs.com profile and emails for the latest updates.

Supports Metro projects and programs during all project phases, including planning, project delivery, and operations
Develops, implements, and manages communication strategies and community engagement programs to inform the public, elected officials, and stakeholders of Metro projects, programs and initiatives
Serves as liaison between Metro executive management and local elected officials, Councils of Governments (COGs), city councils, neighborhood councils, chambers of commerce, public and private agencies, citizens, and community and advocacy groups to develop and maintain strategic relationships with various project stakeholders and opinion leaders in order to achieve resolution for transportation and public works related projects, programs, operations and initiatives
Identifies opportunities and risks for Metro's projects, programs, initiatives, and operations; and develops strategies/tactics to maximize the opportunities and minimize the risks
Develops goals, objectives, workplans, and budget for the assigned area of the county and/or project unit
Identifies opportunities and develops and implements strategies to promote Metro programs, services, and goodwill
Manages, trains, and motivates staff engaged in outreach programs to develop consensus and strategies for successful outcomes and promote Metro's goals, services, programs, and policies, including participating in the development of information for public dissemination
Manages consultants, which includes developing and reviewing scopes of work and budgets, reviewing and approving invoices, and managing performance
Evaluates and recommends the level of outreach participation at events; and organizes and attends community meetings, press conferences, and special media events
Represents Metro at public venues and meetings
Maintains communications with staff of elected officials regarding constituent interests on studies, projects and initiatives
Researches the more complex and sensitive incidents, complaints, and concerns, and works with staff and management at all levels of the organization, as well as stakeholders, to achieve solutions
Provides or supervises responses to transportation concerns and inquiries from internal and external customers, offices of elected officials, and stakeholders
Develops content and oversees the creation of project information, including fact sheets, newsletters, e-blasts, and presentations
Provides recommendations to project management teams regarding community impacts during the planning, environmental, and engineering phases of major transit projects
Manages internal communication with senior staff to receive new directives for Metro projects and programs for implementation
Serves as the coordinator of communications and strategic development for internal departments, such as community relations, media, and marketing on major capital projects
Provides expertise for Metro Board and Council, such as advising on agendas, briefings, and meetings
Provides day-to-day management and strategic direction to assigned staff
Acts as lead strategist for use and development of visual, online and graphic communications
Utilizes social media metrics to continually enhance social networks and online communications
Develops strategic plans to mitigate impacts related to construction
Facilitates community advisory committees on challenging projects and achieves stakeholder consensus
Conducts crowdsourcing efforts
Communicates and implements safety rules, policies, and procedures in support of the agency's safety vision and goals; and maintains accountability for the safety performance of all assigned employees
Contributes to ensuring that the Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) policies and programs of Metro are carried out

May be required to perform other related job duties

A combination of education and/or experience that provides the required knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform the essential functions of the position. Additional experience, as outlined below, may be substituted for required education on a year-for-year basis. A typical combination includes:

Education

Bachelor's Degree in Communications, Political Science, Public Policy, Public Administration, Business, or a related field; Master's Degree in Public Policy or a related field preferred

Experience

Six years of relevant experience or three years of relevant supervisory-level experience planning, implementing, and managing public affairs or community relations projects for a government agency, preferably transportation and large public works or construction projects; some positions in this class may require specialized experience in area of assignment

Certifications/Licenses/Special Requirements

A valid California Class C Driver License or the ability to utilize an alternative method of transportation when needed to carry out job-related essential functions

Preferred Qualifications

Preferred Qualifications (PQs) are used to identify relevant knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) as determined by business necessity. These criteria are considered preferred qualifications and are not intended to serve as minimum requirements for the position. PQs will help support selection decisions throughout the recruitment. In addition, applicants who possess these PQs will not automatically be selected.

The following are the preferred qualifications:

Experience working for an elected official, government agency, or political campaign at the federal, state, or local level.
Experience developing strategic communication materials, including background reports, memos, presentations, speeches, and talking points for public meetings or briefings.
Experience navigating dynamic political and community landscapes to build effective relationships with elected officials, civic organizations, and community groups to influence policy and achieve desired outcomes.
Experience speaking in public, either professionally or through extracurricular activities.
Experience working with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).

Knowledge of(defined as a learned body of information that is required for and applied in the performance of job tasks)

Principles and practices of community relations
Functioning and protocol of local and state government, public agencies and community groups
Theories, principles and practices for the effective use of online communication and digital media to reach targeted audiences
Theories, principles and practices of transportation and land use planning and regulation, and/or public finance
Engineering and construction disciplines, if applicable
Federal, state, municipal and related legislative processes, procedures and protocols
Research, and analytical techniques, methods, and procedures
Major public works and/or transportation infrastructure projects, programs and/or operations
Social media strategy
Marketing and branding
Protocol of communicating with and for public agencies
Group dynamics and community organizing techniques
Consensus building and conflict resolution
Modern Management theories
Applicable business software applications

Skill in(defined as the proficient manual, verbal, or mental utilization of data, people, or things)

Developing and implementing communication strategies for complex transportation, infrastructure, and/or environmental planning projects
Designing, implementing, and managing public or community programs to promote Metro's services and programs through traditional and social media platforms
Working and communicating with non-governmental and community-based organizations; as well as diverse populations
Analyzing situations, identifying opportunities and problems, recommending appropriate actions and solutions, and evaluating outcomes
Exercising sound judgment and creativity within established guidelines
Communicating effectively orally and in writing, including public speaking and presenting
Interacting professionally with various levels of Metro employees and outside representatives
Researching and framing complex issues for communication to non-technical audiences
Reaching consensus through community engagement

Ability to(defined as a present competence to perform an observable behavior or produce an observable result)

Conduct meaningful and appropriate outreach to support projects, programs and studies
Effectively communicate complex and technical information to diverse audiences
Work well with others across many departments and different external agencies
Represent Metro before the public and elected officials
Coordinate multiple projects and tasks, and meet critical deadlines
Understand, interpret, and apply laws, rules, regs, policies, procedures, contracts, budgets, and labor/management agreements
Compile, analyze, and interpret complex data
Prepare clear and comprehensive reports and correspondence
Supervise, train, and motivate assigned staff and consultants
Interpret technical documents
Read, write, speak, and understand English
Special Conditions: The physical demands described are representative of those that must be met by the employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Metro provides reasonable accommodation to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Working Conditions

Typical office situation
Close exposure to computer monitors and video screen
Work irregular hours, split shifts, weekends, holidays, or 24-hour-a-day on-call assignments -
Work after designated regular hours in case of special assignments or emergencies
Local travel

Physical Effort Required

Sitting at a desk or table
Operate a telephone or other telecommunications device and communicate through the medium
Type and use a keyboard and mouse to perform necessary computer-based functions
Communicating through speech in the English language required

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