Public Engagement and Communications Specialist I

HNTB Corporation • South Portland, ME

7d

About The Position

HNTB is seeking an entry-level professional interested in public engagement, communications, and graphic design to support public-facing communications for transportation and infrastructure projects. The specialist will work alongside experienced staff and develop skills while supporting outreach materials, digital content, public meetings, and other engagement activities. The role offers opportunities for professional development and career growth within HNTB’s growing public engagement practice.

The public engagement team supports transportation and infrastructure projects of varying sizes in Maine, Vermont, and New Hampshire, connecting project teams with the communities they serve. Work is varied, fast-paced, and collaborative, with opportunities to contribute from early planning through design and construction. Activities span public engagement, communications, graphic design, and digital outreach, including public meetings, stakeholder coordination, project websites, presentations, outreach campaigns, and visual communications. Occasional travel throughout Maine, Vermont, and New Hampshire is required to support public meetings and stakeholder engagement activities.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Political Science, Marketing, Communications, English, Journalism, or a related field, or four years of relevant experience in lieu of education.
• Working knowledge of Microsoft 365, particularly Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to communicate clearly and professionally.
• Strong organizational, time-management, and attention-to-detail skills, with the ability to balance multiple assignments and deadlines.
• Creative thinking and problem-solving skills, with an interest in finding engaging and accessible ways to communicate information.
• An eye for visual communication and an interest in creating clear, polished public-facing materials.
• Interest in digital communications, including websites, social media, email communications, and online engagement tools.
• Ability to develop clear, visually engaging presentations and an interest in supporting public-facing meetings.
• Collaborative mindset and ability to work effectively as part of multidisciplinary project teams.
• Initiative, curiosity, and resourcefulness, including willingness to take on unfamiliar tasks, learn new tools and approaches, ask questions, and independently seek solutions when appropriate.
• Interest in transportation, infrastructure, planning, or public-sector communications.
• Occasional travel throughout Maine, Vermont, and New Hampshire is required.

Nice To Haves

• Familiarity with Adobe Creative Suite, particularly InDesign, Illustrator, and Photoshop.
• Experience developing presentations, fact sheets, graphics, digital content, or other public-facing materials.
• Experience or coursework in public engagement, communications, public relations, marketing, planning, or a related field.
• Familiarity with ArcGIS StoryMaps, website content management, social media, email marketing, or other digital engagement tools.
• Experience translating technical or complex information into clear, accessible content.

Responsibilities

• Assist in developing and implementing communication and outreach strategies to educate the public and stakeholders about infrastructure projects, including research, outreach strategies, and best practices.
• Conduct routine investigations and collect data to support communications strategies and fulfill federal regulatory outreach requirements, including environmental impact evaluations if applicable.
• Prepare and coordinate dissemination of outreach materials, facts, and project messaging to stakeholders according to the public outreach plan, using print, periodicals, radio, social, and/or visual communication media.
• Track and maintain routine records and reports related to public involvement meetings, public hearings, and outreach events.
• Draft speeches, create and design presentation materials, and compose correspondence for mailings, meetings, or other public consumption.
• Perform initial fact checking for reports, articles, and other publications.
• May help coordinate community meetings, public forums, working groups, and other public meetings, including scheduling, selecting locations, advertising, arranging setup and teardown, and preparing collateral materials according to client expectations, project goals, and budget.
• May interact with clients to coordinate implementation of communication and outreach programs.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

What This Job Offers

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