Public Involvement Lead Strategist

State of Utah Office of the Governor • Salt Lake City, UT

2d • $47 - $74 • Onsite

About The Position

The Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT) is seeking an experienced, forward-thinking Public Involvement Lead Strategist to serve as the statewide framework architect and primary technical advisor for public engagement. Operating as a strategic leader, this role is responsible for establishing system-wide governance, standardized toolkits, and vendor management guidelines across all UDOT Regions. Rather than managing day-to-day tactical outreach for individual local projects, you will focus on building the infrastructure, policies, and quality standards that "level up" UDOT’s public engagement. You will serve as an internal consultant to Region Offices, Project Managers, and Program Managers—ensuring compliance with federal and state regulations early in the transportation process, mitigating legal risks during NEPA studies, reducing project delays, and creating consistent, high-quality public experiences across Utah.

Requirements

• A Bachelor’s degree (or higher) in Urban and Regional Planning, Public Administration, Public Policy, or a closely related field, plus eight (8) years of professional experience in public engagement, transportation planning, NEPA, public involvement, or public affairs within infrastructure projects.
• Directly related professional experience may be substituted for the education requirement on a year-for-year basis (e.g., 12 years of total related experience if no degree is held).

Nice To Haves

• IAP2 (International Association for Public Participation) Certification.
• Demonstrated, hands-on experience with federal compliance requirements (Title VI, Environmental Justice, CEQ/FHWA regulations).
• Proficiency with modern engagement and GIS platforms (e.g., PublicInput, ArcGIS StoryMaps, virtual open house software).
• Demonstrated ability to analyze complex demographic datasets for Title VI and Environmental Justice outreach targeting.

Responsibilities

• Develop, maintain, and update a unified Statewide Public Involvement Plan (PIP) aligned with federal requirements and UDOT goals.
• Partner with Region Offices to embed robust public involvement strategies into early corridor studies, sub-area plans, and long-range modal plans. Document and centralize engagement lessons learned and messaging across project phases.
• Utilize GIS and demographic tools to identify Environmental Justice (EJ) and Title VI populations, ensuring equitable, early, and continuous access to the planning process.
• Establish quantitative metrics and feedback loops (public sentiment tracking, demographic reach analytics, digital engagement rates) to evaluate outreach effectiveness and drive continuous improvement.
• Serve as the central expert and internal consultant for Region Project Managers, offering technical assistance and strategic guidance on public engagement strategies.
• Design and deliver ongoing training for Region staff, Project Managers, and consultants on public involvement best practices, legal risk reduction, and proactive community engagement.
• Ensure public notices, hearing formats, comment periods, and responsiveness summaries strictly adhere to Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) and Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) legal standards.
• Modernize and standardize accessible digital and in-person engagement toolkits (e.g., virtual public meetings, interactive mapping, hybrid workshops).
• Establish vendor performance criteria and scoping guidelines to ensure contracted outreach aligns with state standards and expectations.
• Design and execute the annual public comment and engagement process for the STIP and major amendments. Benchmark Utah's STIP outreach against national DOT best practices.
• Translate complex financial, programming, and project-selection data into highly visual, easy-to-understand materials for stakeholders and the public.
• Synchronize outreach efforts with Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs) and Rural Planning Organizations (RPOs) to eliminate community outreach fatigue and conflicting messaging.
• Establish communication protocols to seamlessly transition stakeholder relationships and public commitments from the environmental study phase to construction teams, ensuring NEPA commitments are honored during construction.
• Maintain long-term community touchpoints to track and communicate project statuses—from early-stage needs to completed studies awaiting construction.
• Develop and implement uniform statewide standards for construction-phase public communications to address impacts, schedule changes, and concerns transparently.
• Provide direct advisory support and clear protocols for managing high-conflict projects, contentious public hearings, and complex community opposition.

Benefits

• A Mission That Matters – At the Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT), our mission is to “Enhance quality of life through transportation."
• Our Culture and Values – We aren't just a state agency; we are a team built on an internal culture of Trust, Teamwork, and Flexibility. We live by the values of Respect, Integrity, and Caring.

What This Job Offers

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