Description: The PRINCIPAL COMMUNITY RELATIONS OFFICERserves as the positive link between Metro, the community, and various stakeholders to create trust and an enduring relationship for Metro. This position conducts the more complex staff work in connection with community outreach, preparation, and dissemination of informational materials, training, mitigation, and rapid response resolution.
Work Location: For approximately the first year, this position will be based in Downtown Los Angeles. Thereafter, the position will primarily support work throughout the Southeast Gateway Line project corridor, including communities from Downtown Los Angeles to Artesia.
Total Compensation Package: $99,840 – $110,000 annually, inclusive of salary and employer-paid benefits, including healthcare, paid time off, and retirement benefits.
Duties and Responsibilities:
- Provides high-level liaison work between external stakeholders, such as elected officials, businesses, and community and special interest groups regarding Metro’s project assigned, transit service, systems, and programs.
- Serves as lead staff in planning, implementing, and managing assigned construction projects and other special projects designed to meet community needs
- Provides guidance and assistance to new or entry-level employees
- Plans and implements, or attends publicity efforts, strategies, and outreach programs to define community needs, obtain their input, gain their support, and promote Metro's projects, programs, and initiatives
- Meets and confers with Metro staff, external stakeholders, and project contractors to resolve conflicting or divergent opinions and to reach mutually acceptable solutions
- Researches incidents, complaints, and concerns, including difficult and sensitive problems, and interfaces with contractors and management at all levels of the organization to resolve issues
- Recommends strategies to promote Metro's strategic goals and objectives
- Prepares and makes presentations to management, public officials, community groups, schools and other stakeholders
- Provides support to project management and the department, and inter-department management in Board presentations, community outreach, and in coordinating construction activities and mitigations
- Provides input in creating useful communication tools and methods
- Develops content for collateral material to educate the public on construction activities
- Keeps the community and elected officials informed of construction impacts related to construction projects
- Remains up to date on current and proposed activities and programs, and applicable regulations by attending Board, project, and community meetings
- Prepares correspondence, reports, outreach and communication plans, newsletter, and talking materials, as requested, by management or public officials
- Plans and conducts safety education outreach before and during construction projects
- Coordinates and conducts tours of Metro construction projects
- Provides input for developing budget
- May be required to perform other related job duties
Essential Knowledge
Knowledge of (defined as a learned body of information that is required for and applied in the performance of job tasks)
- Theories, principles, and practices of community relations, government relations, and public relations
- Protocols when communicating with public agencies
- Metro transit system
- Group dynamics and community outreach techniques
- Structure, functioning, and protocol of local government agencies and community groups
- Research and analytical techniques, methods, and procedures
- Applicable business software applications
Skill in (defined as the proficient manual, verbal, or mental utilization of data, people, or things)
- Performing effective, diverse, and spontaneous communications
- Communicating effectively orally and in writing
- Exercising sound judgement and creativity in making recommendations
- Interacting professionally with various levels of Metro staff and outside stakeholders
- Designing, implementing, and coordinating public or community programs to promote Metro's projects, services and programs
- Working under pressure
Ability to (defined as a present competence to perform an observable behavior or produce an observable result)
- Relate to diverse community members
- Represent Metro before the public
- Write clear comprehensive reports
- Analyze situations, identify problems, recommend solutions, and evaluate outcomes
- Coordinate multiple projects and meet critical deadlines
- Understand, interpret, and apply relevant policies, laws, regulations, and contracts
- Ability to read, write, and communicate effectively in both English and Spanish is required.
Special Conditions
This job specification is not to be construed as an exhaustive list of duties, responsibilities, or requirements. 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. Contributes to ensuring that the Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) policies and programs of Metro are carried out.
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
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
Minimum Qualifications
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
Experience: Five years of relevant experience performing community relations work.
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
- Ability to read, write, and communicate effectively in both English and Spanish is required.
- Must be willing to be on call and work evenings and weekends
