Strategic Communications Specialist III

AECOM•Austin, TX

20h•Onsite

About The Position

AECOM's West Region Strategic Communications Group is seeking a senior-level communications specialist with a strong technical focus to lead communications on major transportation projects entering the construction phase. This full-time role will be based in Austin, TX, co-located with one of AECOM's largest clients. The position involves creating and executing communication plans and outreach strategies for transportation and engineering projects, engaging stakeholders, communities, and residents through various channels. Responsibilities include managing content development for diverse materials, translating complex technical information into accessible language, overseeing website updates, developing presentations, and coordinating public outreach events. The role also requires managing rapid-response communications, assisting with media relations, exercising sound judgment, and mentoring junior staff.

Requirements

BA/BS degree with 4+ years of relevant experience or demonstrated equivalency in experience and/or education.
Proven ability to understand technical project details and develop an effective communications strategy that translates technical language into clear, accessible messaging.
Strong technical writing skills—able to create comprehensive reports, briefs, and digital content from scratch.
Intermediate level skills in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint).
Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to interact effectively with technical teams, leadership, and community stakeholders.
A collaborative “leader-doer” mindset with the capacity to work independently in a top-down leadership environment while delivering high-volume production work with precision.

Nice To Haves

Bachelor’s degree in communications or a related field with over 4 years of communications experience in the engineering/infrastructure industry.
Preferred experience performing communications tasks for light rail or other transit projects in the construction phase.
Significant experience managing multiple projects, tasks, and deadlines on complex infrastructure projects.
Experience overseeing and quality controlling work products from various sub-discipline contributors, such as graphic designers and social media content developers.
Familiarity with WordPress/CMS platforms, with comfort in performing updates and minor coding adjustments.
Familiarity with the Adobe suite of tools.

Responsibilities

Creates Communications Plans/strategies and executes related campaigns/outreach for transportation and engineering projects.
Engages and informs stakeholders, communities, and residents on projects in-person and/or virtually, or through written materials.
Manages the drafting of content for e-newsletters, stakeholder communication, fact sheets, FAQs, exhibit content, and other materials as needed.
Owns from-scratch technical writing and content development – developing core messaging, technical narrative, and comprehensive reports such as annual management briefs, board updates, and fact sheets.
Translates complex technical inputs from engineers and technical meetings into clear content suitable for public, leadership, and stakeholder audiences.
Attends technical meetings to extract key points, verify facts, and convert detailed technical information into understandable content.
Manages website and CMS tasks on WordPress including day-to-day updates (documents, links, images, page edits) and light web development needs such as minor functionality changes.
Develops PowerPoint decks, performs document formatting, and leads brand cleanup efforts—refreshing visuals, legacy graphics, and large technical documents to ensure consistency and on-brand quality.
Coordinates with other AECOM and client staff to prepare graphic displays, layouts, and presentations that align with client brand standards.
Plans logistics, execution, and facilitation of public meetings, workshops, open houses, focus groups, and other community outreach events, both in-person and virtual.
Develops themes, core messages, and collateral for diverse audiences including digital users, media, local communities, statutory bodies, technical groups, and elected representatives.
Manages rapid-response communications tasks such as tracking down facts, coordinating print pickups, and responding to quick-turn internal requests.
Assists client with media relations and reporter inquiries as needed.
Exercises sound judgment when communicating with internal and external stakeholders, ensuring quality and consistency in all outputs while mentoring and coaching junior staff.
Maintains organization, quality control, and version control discipline by using SharePoint for file management.
Demonstrates software agility by confidently switching between various communications tools, with a willingness to learn new platforms as needed.