Government and Community Affairs Officer

The Government and Community Affairs Officer reports to the Manager, Government and Community Affairs SamTrans/TA and is responsible for assisting with outreach and engagement for the San Mateo County Transit District (SamTrans), the San Mateo County Transportation Authority (TA), and the San Mateo County Express Lanes Joint Powers Authority (SMCEL-JPA).

Examples of Essential Functions:

Assist in leading community outreach for SMCTD projects working with Community Based Organizations (CBO), cities/agencies, stakeholders, employee volunteers and paid ambassadors and interpreters. Nurture and grow District relationships with CBOs, manage involvement in District projects including collaborating with CBOs for paid outreach activities. Work with CBO partners to develop CBO lead engagement plans including in person and virtual outreach, multi-lingual engagement, and small group conversations and events. Facilitate CBO members' ability to give direct feedback on District projects. Develop and implement culturally competent strategies and outreach plans for community and stakeholder engagement in San Mateo County. Assess outreach goals and develop plans that target different communities based on best practices for that community including when and where to use multilingual strategies. Act as primary point of contact for city and agency staff and other stakeholders. Respond to individual request from cities, agencies and other stakeholders as needed. Assist internal staff with requests they have to outside stakeholders and government organizations. Develop understanding of agency projects to present in public forums; create presentations, talking points, project support letters and other materials. Assess District engagement options in San Mateo County such as through event sponsorship and organizational membership.

Examples of Duties:

Manage day-to-day CBO engagement with District projects including schedule, budget, and activities. Run outreach campaigns including schedule, coordination, and action items. Train participants as needed. Work with District staff to develop responses to city/agency and other stakeholder inquiries, draft content, and act as liaison with city/agency staff and other stakeholders. Create outreach materials including talking points, PowerPoints, and handouts. Develop metrics for analyzing success of outreach efforts. Improve outreach strategies based on that data. Give public presentations on agency projects to agency committees as well as outside stakeholder groups such as Chambers of Commerce, Advocacy Groups, or other government entity Boards and Committees. Represent communications on cross-functional teams. Coordinate activities of different branches of communications department including marketing and customer communications, public affairs, and digital media. Significant usage of digital tools such as databases, email blasts, and virtual meetings. Perform all job duties and responsibilities in a safe manner to protect oneself, fellow employees, and the public from injury or harm. Perform other duties as assigned.

Supervision:

Works under the general direction of the Manager, Government and Community Affairs SamTrans/TA who establishes goals and objectives and evaluates performance.

Minimum Qualifications:

Sufficient education, training, and experience to demonstrate the knowledge and ability to successfully perform the essential functions of the position. Development of the required knowledge and abilities is typically obtained through but not limited to: Bachelor's degree in any field. Three years or more of experience in the field of Government and Community Affairs, Political Campaigns, Labor Organizing, Communications, Public Relations, Community Outreach or other relevant fields.

Preferred Qualifications:

Organized and detail oriented with ability to track multiple projects simultaneously. Ability to speak in front of and liaise with a variety of audiences and appropriately respond to difficult questions in a politically sensitive and technically correct way. Must have effective oral and written communication skills. High level of comfort with using digital tools such as Microsoft Office Suite, database programs, website updates, slide deck creation, and email blast programs. Experience working with community or government officials is desirable.