Manager, Community Relations

Reporting to the Director of Stakeholder Engagement, this role is responsible for overseeing the Community Relations Office for the Metropolitan Airports Commission (MAC).

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This position designs and implements outreach strategies that build and maintain relationships with a wide range of stakeholders.

The position manages an industry-leading airport noise program that supports the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP) and six general aviation reliever airports, which entails serving as the technical advisor to the MSP Noise Oversight Committee (NOC).

Duties include managing staff and communicating information related to aircraft noise, facility planning, and other notable topics to a broad public audience.

The Community Relations Office is within the Stakeholder Engagement Department, part of the Strategy and Stakeholder Engagement Division.

This division functions as an in-house team serving as stewards of strategy, developing strategic communications and creating stakeholder champions to ensure the organization delivers on its purpose, values and strategic goals.

ACCOUNTABILITIES AND FUNCTIONS

Engagement Strategy and Implementation

• Assist the Director, Stakeholder Engagement in planning, implementing and evaluating stakeholder engagement programs to achieve MAC's strategic plan
• Lead a team in executing Community Relations engagement opportunities in support of the department’s annual plan
• Assess and understand local community dynamics and key issues affecting MAC and its airports and make recommendations to the Director, Stakeholder Engagement on engagement and communications to address emerging and future issues
• Find creative ways to engage with the public and community leaders to communicate the MAC brand with a focus on educating stakeholders about the broader community benefits of airports and the MAC
• Advise colleagues in other MAC departments about emerging issues on aviation noise, local community dynamics and best practices for engagement
• Conduct regular outreach to various stakeholder groups such as city and community leaders, FAA Air Traffic Control personnel, industry pilot groups and regulatory agencies to understand key concerns and issues
• Develop and maintain strong internal and external relationships and exchange information with community groups, city and township governmental representatives, regulating agencies and other stakeholders to inform decision making
• Oversee the outreach strategy and execution of MSP Noise Oversight Committee (NOC) Listening Sessions
• Manage aircraft noise programs to communicate MAC’s strategic interests, ensure stakeholders are engaged, and compliance is maintained with local and federal regulations and agreements
• Conduct ongoing tracking and impact measurement of youth engagement activities across the organization
• Work with Strategic Marketing and Communications to create standardized materials to support youth engagement activities conducted across the organization
• Oversee the strategic work plan development and engagement execution of reliever airport advisory groups
• Track federal regulations on aircraft noise policy, metrics, thresholds and analysis and advise the Director, Stakeholder Engagement on emerging issues and changes
• Identify opportunities and coordinate engagement with local colleges and universities to stimulate new business ideas and enhance community partnerships
• Assist with planning and activating outreach activities and events in support of MAC’s airports
• Support the development and implementation of outreach strategies for NEPA and MEPA environmental documentation and long-term planning efforts
• Ensure website content, collateral, meeting presentations and other communications related to noise and community relations is fresh, accurate and user-friendly
• Assist Airport Development in the administration and communication of MAC’s residential noise mitigation program
• Perform other duties as assigned by the Director, Stakeholder Engagement

Technical Analysis and Reporting

Serve as technical advisor to the MSP NOC, which entails presenting technical information at public meetings; developing and executing the annual work plan;

preparing and distributing analyses, notices of meetings, agendas and meeting minutes

• Oversee the operation, accuracy and advancement of MAC’s Noise and Operations Monitoring System (MACNOMS)
• Oversee the development of monthly and quarterly reports for MSP and reliever airports
• Develop a GIS strategy in alignment with the MAC's enterprise GIS program through the leadership of technical teams that perform geospatial data stewardship, geospatial analysis and reporting to advance the MAC's Community Relations and noise initiatives
• Oversee aircraft noise modeling for MAC's system of airports using the FAA's noise modeling software
• Direct the preparation of noise and land use evaluations for environmental documentation and long-term planning efforts
• Provide analytical and strategic support on legal disputes related to noise and land use planning around MAC airports
• Monitor and report trends and changes in flight tracks, aircraft noise and public noise complaints
• Manage the development of techniques, methods, procedures and rules to measure noise exposure in compliance with state and federal regulations
• Manage the development of the MSP Annual Noise Contour Report in accordance with MAC’s legal requirements
• Provide state-required technical components for the development of the MAC’s Annual Report

People Leadership

• Serve as an internal advisor to other teams to grow an organizational culture that values and produces best-in-class stakeholder engagement strategy
• Manage the activity of the Community Relations Office employees and integrate MAC’s strategic plan into areas of responsibility
• Oversee implementation of staff training and development plans to ensure skills are maintained and aligned with evolving business needs
• Conduct regularly scheduled meetings to communicate organizational goals, issues and information to employees
• Conduct regular performance review discussions and provide appropriate coaching, counseling, direction and resolution to direct reports
• Exercise supervisory authority in accordance with MAC Human Resource Policy and the MAC Administration Manual
• Facilitate effective working relationships among employees
• Lead and mentor team members to effectively engage with external-facing groups and members of the public
• Create and maintain a rewarding, safe and productive work environment and facilitate effective working relationships among employees
• Implement MAC’s Performance Management System with employees and ensure managers do the same
• Hire, develop, recognize, transfer, discipline and discharge employees

Budget Management

• Develop, implement and manage Community Relations operating budget under the guidance of the department director
• Oversee budget requests for the Community Relations Office and approve the expenditure of budgeted funds
• Manage the Community Relations Office accounts payable process and key vendor relationships
• Work with finance team to assist ongoing tracking and forecasting

COMPETENCIES

Manager of Managers (MOM) Competencies

• Customer Focus - Building strong customer relationships and delivering customer-centric solutions
• Strategic Mindset - Seeing ahead to future possibilities and translating them into breakthrough strategies
• Plans and Aligns - Planning and prioritizing work to meet commitments aligned with organizational goals
• Ensures Accountability - Holding self and others accountable to meet commitments
• Drives Results - Consistently achieving results, even under tough circumstances
• Collaborates - Building partnerships and working collaboratively with others to meet shared objectives
• Values Differences - Recognizing the value that different perspectives and cultures bring to an organization
• Builds Effective Teams - Building strong-identity teams that apply their diverse skills and perspectives to achieve common goals
• Communicates Effectively - Developing and delivering multi-mode communications that convey a clear understanding of the unique needs of different audiences
• Drives Engagement - Creating a climate where people are motivated to do their best to help the organization achieve its objectives
• Organizational Savvy - Maneuvering comfortably through complex policy, process, and people-related organizational dynamics

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS

• Bachelor’s degree in aviation, environmental planning, communications or a related field
• Five years of experience in airport operations, community relations, or aircraft noise abatement programs
• Two years of experience managing and supervising direct reports which may have included responsibility for hiring, disciplining, coaching, rewarding and terminating employees
• Working knowledge of airports, aviation noise issues, and environmental noise regulations
• Excellent oral and written communication skills with the ability to convey complex technical information in a simple, easily understood manner to diverse groups of stakeholders
• Experience with outreach strategies which are sensitive to cultural diversity and political situations
• Experience delivering presentations
• Ability to manage tense situations in a public environment
• Experience facilitating meetings
• Aircraft noise monitoring experience and knowledge of noise measurement metrics, methods and analysis procedures
• Extensive knowledge of an Airport Noise and Operations Monitoring System and its analytical capabilities
• Intermediate experience with Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook
• Detail oriented
• Valid driver’s license and reliable vehicle to commute between work sites
• Ability to attend occasional evening and weekend meetings

DESIRABLE REQUIREMENTS

• Master’s degree in a related field
• Experience in a staff support role with a public policy committee / board
• Previous public engagement activities within the public sector
• Experience in aviation noise-related analysis and documentation for federal and state environmental documents and processes in accordance with NEPA and MEPA
• Familiarity with relational databases, spreadsheet applications, and data evaluation applications
• Aircraft pilot’s license
• Familiarity with web-based applications and publication techniques

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