Senior Public Affairs Specialist

Senior Public Affairs Specialist - ( 24000421 )

Description

Many of the world's top engineers and scientists come together in our Water business because they view a community's interaction with water a bit differently-as a single holistic system, rather than unconnected networks divided by jurisdictional boundaries.

Working throughout the hydrologic cycle, we are delivering sustainable solutions to make sure water is where it should be and available when needed.

Our experts guide our work with scientific rigor, an innovative spirit, and a vision for growth. Every day, we help communities improve, reuse, and protect this precious resource for future generations.

By 2025 we're hiring 2,000 people (like you) to join our team. Grow with us, H2O+U.

Your Opportunity

Stantec's Water group is looking to hire a Public Affairs Specialist to join our team working on Safe and Affordable Funding for Equity and Resilience (SAFER) Drinking Water projects throughout California.

The SAFER Drinking Water Program furthers California's effort to achieve the human right to water for the one million Californians who currently lack accessible and safe drinking water.

This is a role for an experienced Public Relations Specialist to work alongside engineers, planners, and others on SAFER drinking water projects.

We envision you will co-lead on SAFER projects, which include administrating water districts looking for support, and serving to facilitate long-term sustainable solutions such as consolidation of water service districts.

You will ideally also work on financial planning, finding funding sources and administrating grants as a contributor to our broader global Stantec team.

You should be able to work independently to lead on both small and large public stakeholder issues as well as connect with Stantec team members throughout the US to bring our global expertise.

This position can be filled in our Sacramento, San Diego or Pasadena, California offices.

Your Key Responsibilities

This position is an external client facing position with our Communication and Engagement Team.

• Coordinate and collaborate with community members, clients, project managers, project engineers and staff, regulatory agencies, and subcontractors to create effective public policy.
• Prepare initial assessments and communications plans, facilitate meetings, serve as a strategic advisor and drive collaborative solutions.
• Lead preparation of presentations for client exhibits, in-person and online community engagement events, public presentations, and plan documents for online and hard copy publication.
• Leverage your experience with California communities about topics including water resources, environmental justice, watersheds, water-related infrastructure, applicable laws / policies / regulations, and efforts to achieve the California legislated human right to water.
• Lead multi-disciplinary teams of technical experts to develop curriculum tailored to the specific information needs of various audiences and communities to be engaged on complex water and environment topics.
• Implement educational components through proactive steps to deliver information matched to the needs, learning styles and most used language of the target audience.
• Perform project administration on behalf of the water district including exercising independent judgment to analyze issues, interpreting information, selecting methods / solutions to resolve problems and making financial decisions, as well as preparing facilitation plans, reports, gathering information, drafting proposals and correspondence, and completing progress reports.
• Mentor and supervise younger level staff.
• Serve as an independent reviewer of analysis prepared by peers or junior staff to ensure technical accuracy and appropriateness of methods and tools being utilized as well as solutions being evaluated.
• Not required, but this position would ideally support the Management Consulting Team, where you will be serving asset, organizational, financial, infrastructure funding, economic, and technology consulting services to local governments and utilities in North America.

Qualifications

Your Capabilities and Credentials

• Knowledge and understanding of the process, tools and techniques of community policy development and implementation.
• Capable of presenting / sharing analyses in an interactive work setting while being able to make adjustments in a live setting.
• Excellent skills in inclusive community engagement using a variety of tools and techniques suited to a variety of communities and audiences.
• Strong interpersonal abilities for working in diverse team environments with staff, clients, and interested parties.
• Desired but not required : familiarity with California water challenges and drinking water operations.
• Desired but not required : Working knowledge of and interest in local government organizational structure, budgeting / reporting, infrastructure funding, and types of services they provide is required.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, PowerPoint, Adobe Acrobat Pro and other business systems required.
• Desired but not required : Experience with additional data analysis tools is a plus, including but not limited to Access, Power BI / Tableau, GIS, SQL, Python, R, etc.
• Excellent written and oral communication and presentation skills.
• Self-starter capable of efficiently and proactively working independently as well as with a geographically dispersed team on multiple projects simultaneously.
• Strong sense of Team. Always willing to step in and take on additional responsibility for the good of the entire Team.
• Strong attention to details for quality deliverables.
• Willing to travel as needed. Travel may be up to 25%.
• Must have a good driving record and valid driver's license.
• Sincere desire to make a difference for our communities.

Education and Experience

• Greater than twenty (20) years of experience supporting communities with engagement, education, and decision-making related to water, natural resources, utilities, or similar.
• Master's or bachelor's degree from an accredited four-year college or university with major coursework in journalism, public relations, communications, political science, English, or a closely related field.

Professional experience serving as a technical facilitator may be a substitute for coursework in an unrelated field. Master's degree preferred.

• Excellent written and oral communication skills with a demonstrated ability to adapt to different audiences.
• Strong interpersonal and entrepreneurial abilities and a proven track record for working independently was well as part of a diverse team of staff, clients, and interested parties.
• Demonstrated ability to lead and management of projects and teams, including supervision of direct reports.
• Demonstrated experience working with disadvantaged communities.
• Spanish fluency is a plus.

Typical office environment working with computers and sitting at a desk for long periods of time. Field work may include exposure to the elements including inclement weather.

This description is not a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that may be required of the employee and other duties, responsibilities and activities may be assigned or may be changed at any time with or without notice.

Stantec is a place where the best and brightest come to build on each other's' talents, do exciting work, and make an impact on the world around us.

Join us and redefine your personal best.

Pay transparency laws require employers to provide the following information for positions that may be in the following jurisdiction(s) :

Salary Range(s) :

CA Other Areas $152,500 - CA Other Areas $253,600 Min / Max Pay Range for postings located in CA (SF Area includes SF, SJS & WLC)

The final agreed upon compensation is based on individual education, qualifications, experience, and work location. At Stantec certain roles are bonus eligible.

Benefits Summary : Regular full-time and part-time employees have access to medical, dental, and vision plans, a wellness program, health saving accounts, flexible spending accounts, 401(k) plan, employee stock purchase program, life and accidental death & dismemberment (AD&D) insurance, short-term / long-term disability plans, emergency travel benefits, tuition reimbursement, professional membership fee coverage and paid family leave.

Regular full-time and part-time employees will receive ten paid holidays in each calendar year. In addition, employees will be eligible to accrue vacation between 10 and 20 days per year and eligible for paid sick leave (and if more generous, in accordance with state and local law).

Temporary / casual employees have access to 401(k) plans, employee stock purchase program, and paid leave, in accordance with state and local law.

The benefits information listed above may not apply to union positions because benefits for such positions are governed by applicable collective bargaining agreements.

Primary Location : United States-California-Pasadena

Other Locations : United States-California-Sacramento, United States-California-San Diego

Organization : BC-1840 Water-US Pacific

Employee Status : Regular

Job Level : Individual Contributor

Travel : Yes, 25 % of the Time

Schedule : Full-time

Job Posting : Nov 12, 2024, 7 : 20 : 01 AM

Req ID : 24000421

Stantec provides equal employment opportunities to all qualified employees and applicants for future and current employment and prohibit discrimination on the grounds of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, marital status, genetic information, disability, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression.

We prohibit discrimination in decisions concerning recruitment, hiring, referral, promotion, compensation, fringe benefits, job training, terminations or any other condition of employment.

Stantec is in compliance with local, state and federal laws and regulations and ensures equitable opportunities in all aspects of employment.

EEO including Disability / Protected Veterans