Manager of Engagement

Houston-Galveston Area Council•Houston, TX

48d•Onsite

About The Position

The Manager of Engagement will be a founding leader responsible for launching and building a new Community Engagement team from the ground up. This role will establish comprehensive engagement strategies that connect the Metropolitan Planning Organization to the community by building strong relationships and providing value to internal and external stakeholders. This position will develop and implement programs that educate, involve, and communicate with diverse audiences about regional transportation planning, funding, programs, and policy.

Requirements

Demonstrated experience launching or significantly expanding programs, teams, or initiatives.
Proven success in building partnerships with diverse stakeholders including government agencies, nonprofits, and community organizations.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills with ability to create frameworks and documentation.
Strong project management, organizational, and strategic planning abilities.
Experience with social media management and digital communications platforms.
Knowledge of public participation best practices and engagement methodologies.
Commitment to Title VI and accessibility principles.
Proficiency with common communication/design tools like Adobe Suite, Canva, etc. and experience using best practices to integrate artificial intelligence into the work of the team.
Familiarity with public meeting facilitation techniques and the Texas Open Meetings Act.
Supervisory Experience.
Bachelor's degree in Public Administration, Communications, Urban Planning, Public Relations, Marketing or related field.
Minimum 5 years of progressively responsible experience in community engagement, public outreach, or stakeholder relations.
All employees of H-GAC are required to reside within the agency’s region of service to support our commitment to excellence in service of our region.

Nice To Haves

Working with metropolitan planning organizations, regional agencies, federal, state or local government.
Knowledge of transportation planning processes and federal requirements (e.g., Title VI, ADA).
Experience with collateral development, including websites, other digital and print materials.
Familiarity with public meeting facilitation techniques.

Responsibilities

Build and launch the Engagement team, establishing its vision, structure, and operational framework.
Develop team roles, responsibilities, and workflows to support effective engagement programming.
Recruit, hire, train, and mentor team members as the program grows.
Create systems, processes, and tools to ensure consistent and high-quality service delivery.
Establish the team's identity and position within the broader organization.
Create a comprehensive community engagement strategy that aligns with the MPO's mission and goals.
Develop policies, procedures, and best practices for engagement activities.
Establish performance metrics and evaluation frameworks to measure engagement effectiveness and community impact.
Build collaborative relationships with the Office of Government Affairs to coordinate on collateral development and media relations initiatives.
Design scalable programs that can grow and evolve with community needs.
Work with your team to cultivate internal and external stakeholder relationships, including: Local government officials and staff, State government agencies and representatives, Nonprofit organizations and community groups, Residents and neighborhood associations, Schools, universities, and students, Employers and corporations, Transportation Policy Committee (TPC) members, Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) members, Internal staff, Consultant partners.
Work with the team on behalf of the MPO to design and launch educational programs that increase public understanding of transportation planning processes and issues.
Develop engaging content and presentations for diverse audiences.
Establish a speaker’s bureau and create protocols for public speaking engagements.
Create opportunities for meaningful, innovative, and effective public participation in planning processes in alignment with our public participation plan.
Build an outreach toolkit and resource library.
Monitor, manage and implement communication channels including newsletters and email distribution systems.
Establish an effective social media presence and content strategy across multiple platforms.
Create communication standards, brand guidelines, and messaging frameworks for the division that complement and align with those at the overall agency.
Build templates, systems, and workflows for ongoing content creation and distribution.
Manage an assortment of in-person and online engagement events including: Committees, subcommittees, and advisory groups, Community events, seminars, workshops, and public meetings, Awards programs to recognize excellence and innovation.
Ensure all engagement activities are designed with ADA accessibility requirements and Title VI civil rights provisions from inception.
Establish strong ADA and Title VI programs to ensure meaningful access for all community members from day one.
Develop protocols to identify and address barriers to participation.
Create culturally responsive engagement strategies and standards.
Build systems to track and report on demographic reach and participation effectiveness amongst the region’s communities.
Demonstrate a forward-thinking approach by championing innovative initiatives, such as a potential community ambassadors program and others, that continue advancing the MPO and elevating communication standards.
Manage a team of administrative professionals that work closely with the various departments of the MPO for seamless operations support.