Communications Specialist / Senior Communications Specialist

Hazen and Sawyer • Silver Spring, MD

13h

About The Position

Hazen and Sawyer is seeking a Communications Specialist or Senior Communications Specialist to join our growing Communications and Public Outreach practice. This role supports strategic communications for Hazen clients including tailored communication planning, strategic messaging, stakeholder engagement processes and tools, communication counsel for client leadership, clear understanding of community demographics and key issues, and other related efforts for water and environmental projects across the Mid-Atlantic region and nationally.

Experience in the water or environmental sector is preferred, especially prior experience working with or for water utilities; previous communications consulting experience preferred; strong transferable experience in public facing, issue driven communications is essential.

Requirements

• 5–8 years of professional experience in communications, public outreach, public affairs, community engagement, or stakeholder engagement
• Bachelor’s degree in communications, public relations, journalism, or a related field
• Demonstrated experience developing and executing strategic communication efforts tailored to key audiences and issues, using tools and practices relevant to meet defined outcomes
• Strong writing, editing, and message development skills, with the ability to synthesize complex information
• Comfort engaging directly with clients, public agencies, and diverse stakeholders
• Proven strategic thinking skills

Nice To Haves

• Experience working for a water or wastewater agency, or in a consulting agency working with water and wastewater agencies
• Experience working in a consulting agency, or multi-client environment
• Experience supporting infrastructure, environmental, public health, or water related projects
• Familiarity with risk or crisis communications principles
• Experience planning or supporting public meetings and community engagement activities (in person and virtual)
• Experience collaborating with designers, videographers, or web developers to produce outreach materials

Responsibilities

• Develop and implement strategic communication plans and processes that are tailored to the unique demographics, issues, and available resources of clients
• Meet with client representatives to gain understanding of needs and issues of concern
• Engage with Hazen technical teams to understand complex engineering and utility management issues
• Collaborate closely with other Hazen communication team members to share expertise, resources, and insights
• Advise clients on communications strategy and engagement best practices
• Translate complex technical and regulatory information into clear, accurate, audience appropriate messages and how best to deliver those to key audiences
• Identify and analyze stakeholder groups and recommend effective engagement approaches tailored to diverse audiences
• Prepare compelling content tailored to key audiences for use in outreach materials such as fact sheets, presentations, mailers, infographics, web content, and digital engagement tools
• Attend community meetings, client discussions, and other gatherings as needed

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level