Community Relations Officer

Community Relations Officer (CRO)

Business Engagement & Mitigation Programs

East San Fernando Valley Light Rail Transit Project

Primary Purpose

This position serves as Metro’s liaison to the public, elected officials, educational institutions, and private entities; communicates information of the Eat Shop Play program activation in transportation projects; and keeps the community informed of mitigation programs and promotions, as well as Metro transit services, systems, initiatives, programs, and projects.

Duties and Responsibilities:

·      Plans and implements outreach promoting construction mitigation programs to prospective business participants and consumer audiences in the East San Fernando Valley Light Rail Transit Project area.

·      Interacts directly with business stakeholders on program activation, promotion, content approvals and fielding business focused marketing requests, ideas, and other opportunities, as needed.

·      Coordinates business and general program promotions with Community Relations and project staff.

·      Plans, coordinates, negotiates, and facilitates community meetings, key business stakeholder briefings, in-person outreach, special events to promote construction mitigation to prospective business participants and consumer audiences related to the East San Fernando Valley Light Rail Transit Project and other Metro initiatives.

·      Represents Metro before public officials; private entities; professional, civic, and governmental groups, business stakeholders, community organizations; at community and special events.

·      Provides input and coordinates the development of useful communication tools, methods, traditional and non-traditional marketing tactics to support additional visibility strategies for businesses that are impacted during construction.

·      Develops and coordinates data related to program metrics, business interactions, and content for project updates on the program webpage, agency Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system, and internal business stakeholder project maps.

·      Builds relationships with business organizations and community-based organizations in the project area.

·      Recommends strategies to promote Metro′s strategic goal and objectives.

·      Maintains records and prepares routine and special reports and correspondence.

·      Performs administrative duties, such as coordinating program hotline and program e-mails; coordinating meeting logistics; identifying meeting venues and pricing, resolving issues; setting up and confirming participation at meetings and events, project tours; responding to, or forwarding telephone calls; reviewing incoming mail and electronic communications; and setting up meetings on behalf of the program team, including notifying and confirming attendees, locating and reserving sites, setting up room, and preparing and providing support materials, setting up purchase orders and processing vendor invoices.

·      Tracks current and proposed construction activities that may impact businesses, and applicable regulations by attending project coordination meetings, Board, council, or community meetings in the East San Fernando Valley LRT Project area.

·      Tracks and maintains program collateral, promotional items, and inventory of program materials at the East San Fernando Valley LRT Project offices and storage facilities.

·      Coordinates marketing content production and deliverables with program marketing team and businesses.

·      Develops draft reports for executive staff and public-facing communications channels.

·      Additional duties as assigned.

Job Requirements:

·      Understanding of entry level professional and community-based business engagement, grassroots organizing, marketing theories and precedents.

·      Experience using business software applications including Microsoft 365 (Word, Excel, Teams, Outlook, and PowerPoint).

·      Experience using Salesforce or other Consumer Relationship Management (CRM) system and/or other program or applications to track community interactions, outreach activities, program participation, and/or performance metrics.

·      Experience engaging customers or clients in a sales or networking capacity.

Preferred Qualifications:

·      Experience conducting grassroots, targeted, and culturally responsive marketing or stakeholder outreach and engagement in diverse communities in Los Angeles County.

·      Experience building and maintaining relationships with small businesses, business improvement districts, chambers of commerce, community-based organizations, elected offices, and other community stakeholders.

·      Experience presenting in person and virtually at public meetings and/or for a broad audience, client meetings, leadership meetings, etc.

·      Experience coordinating events, staffing pop-up outreach booths, workshops, business briefings, or other public-facing engagement activities.

·      Experience coordinating production or deliverables for marketing, branding, and promotional campaigns.

·      Experience drafting clear, concise, and audience-appropriate copy, talking points, presentations, newsletters, announcements, website content, or other public-facing communications.

·      Knowledge of the San Fernando Valley, including its neighborhoods, community organizations, and/or transportation needs.

·      Ability to speak, write and present in English and Spanish.

Minimum Qualifications:

·      Bachelor’s degree in communications, Journalism, English, Marketing, Media Studies, or a related field.

·      Two years of experience planning, organizing, and implementing in-person and virtual events.

·      Ability to work weekends, early mornings, and evenings.

·      Must be able to drive to any business or Metro project office in the East San Fernando Valley Project area and other Metro facilities in Los Angeles.

Salary Range: $ $77,750.40 - $97,156.80