Position Overview

Zan Associates is in search of a full-time team leader to manage our associate-level community engagement and communications specialists. This person would lead, support, develop, and train our project delivery staff. Project delivery staff help to position communities to have a voice during the planning, designing and building phases for public infrastructure projects by overseeing communications and community and engagement activities. Public infrastructure projects include places where people walk, bike, roll, take transit and drive; and places where people gather like parks, community centers, and recreation centers. This position comes with a competitive salary and benefits package, and long-term career advancement opportunities. We offer a flexible, hybrid work schedule with an equivalent of three days in our office and two days remote. 

In this manager-level position, you would be part of a group of team leaders, reporting to the operations manager. You would be responsible for three key functions: leadership, management and accountability. This includes responsibility for your team’s workload management, task assignments, quality assurance, utilization targets, core competency training and professional development.  You may also serve as a project manager that leads projects or as a senior project delivery staff that oversees tasks including oversight and implementation of community engagement and communications activities. 

Specific tasks associated with this role include: 

• Lead and manage project delivery staff providing accountability for billable goals, work quality, and deliverable completion.

• Support operations manager in workload management for project delivery staff. 

• Advocate for project delivery staff and provide advice and guidance.

• Support staff development for your team including identifying training needs and professional development opportunities.

• Possibly lead projects, including management of project scope, schedule, and budget; or possibly deliver project tasks through oversight and coordination.

• Proactively manage multiple project schedules and work tasks.

• Provide quality assurance and quality control of all activities and materials.

• Plan, implement, and facilitate community engagement plans and strategies, including in-person and virtual events, pop-up tables, public meetings, presentations, and interactive activities.

• Advise clients on strategies for reaching and engaging priority communities and populations including communities typically underrepresented in the public engagement process.

• Oversee and/or prepare communications materials such as project fact sheets, project/event notifications (mailings, flyers, e-newsletters, media releases), event materials, social media posts, and website content.

• Oversee and/or prepare meeting/event notes and engagement summary reports.

• Stay up to date on community engagement, communications, and social media trends and innovations.

• May support company business development including marketing and networking, and possibly proposal pursuits and writing.

• Support company strategic visioning process and implementation.

• Work evening and weekend hours as needed. Zan is committed to activities that engage people who are historically underserved and meeting people where they gather, which is often during evenings and weekends; frequency of these hours varies by season.

Desired abilities and experience

The ideal person would have the following skills, experiences, and education:​​

• Aligns with Zan’s core values

  • ​We are passionate about the work

  • We’re resourceful

  • We get the job done

  • We are experts and are professionally opinionated

  • We believe in excellence and innovation

  • We’re fun to work with

  • We care about and support our staff

• Master’s or bachelor’s degree in urban planning, communications or a related field, and five or more years of experience, or equivalent mix of education and work experience.

• Experience and/or interest in community engagement, public process and infrastructure planning and design.

• Experience leading, supporting and inspiring staff. 

• Experience successfully managing or working on multiple projects; managing and/or desire to learn how to manage project scope, schedule and budget. 

• Experience working for a consulting or professional services firm or a job where you need to track and report the hours you work to specific projects or clients; experience as a consultant in the architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) industry is a plus.

• Excellent organizational skills and the ability to perform work as part of a team and in a self-directed environment.

• Strong verbal and written communications skills including public speaking and the ability to rewrite/explain complex information so that the public can understand the issue.

• Growth-oriented mindset and ability to work in a fast-paced environment.

• Proficiency with the MS Office software suite, including Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.

• Experience supporting diversity, equity and inclusion principles is a plus.

• Proficiency in multiple languages is a plus.

• Experience in visual communications is a plus.

• Must have a valid driver’s license.

• Interest in career advancement.