This position will serve as a community engagement specialist and language and cultural expert on Spanish-speaking communities in the U.S. This position will support community engagement, communications, government relations, outreach, demographic analysis, and facilitation activities in Spanish and English for projects around the country. This includes transcreating and translating materials, strategic communications guidance on outreach to Spanish-speaking communities, focus group facilitation, and ongoing community outreach.

This team member will also support our team of language services specialists and coordinate their work with multiple project managers and the language service program manager to educate and advise PRR staff.

The successful candidate must have demonstrated experience managing multiple tasks in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment and providing client or customer service. The successful candidate will also have excellent oral communication and reader-friendly writing skills in English and Spanish. Candidates with demonstrated commitment to social and racial justice and experience creating successful campaigns to reach diverse audiences will be prioritized.

Experience and strong interest in transportation, health, or the environment field is also desirable.  

Duties and Responsibilities

Language Services

• Translate written materials from English to Spanish and Spanish to English
• Edit and review translated materials with sophisticated language for quality control, accuracy, cultural sensitivity, and language accessibility, including websites, social media posts, surveys, fact sheets, and other informational materials
• Interpret from Spanish to English and English to Spanish at meetings and with individuals
• Facilitate focus groups in Spanish and coordinate focus groups in multiple languages
• Collaborate with creative team on creative deliverables in Spanish and coordinate on creative deliverables in other languages
• Create language services plans and assessments, including strategy and tactics. Recommend translation, interpretation, and communications media for target populations appropriate to client needs
• Coordinate in-house translation, transcreation, and interpretation in multiple languages
• Coordinate translation and interpretation by outside vendors
• Work with language services staff to create messages and draft copy that will translate well into languages other than English
• Support business development efforts, such as proposal writing

Community Engagement

• Help develop and oversee implementation of strategic communications and community engagement plans, including developing strategies and tactics to reach historically underserved populations
• Lead equitable community engagement initiatives to meaningfully involve historically underserved communities in decision-making
• Lead event planning and help implement meetings, briefings, and special events
• Research, write, and edit English and Spanish content for newsletters and press releases, social media, fact sheets, informational brochures, display boards, presentations, summary reports, and websites
• Produce PowerPoint presentations and meeting summaries
• Maintain a database to track briefings and public correspondence
• Respond to questions and correspondence from community members
• Conduct outreach activities, virtual or in-person with social distancing measures as COVID-19 conditions evolve, such as briefings, open houses, partner interviews, and in-person outreach

Project management

• Manage and support multiple project teams
• Manage scope, schedule, and budget for projects
• Ensure work is on time, on budget, and on target with objectives; troubleshoot any issues as they arise
• Develop and manage project and event work plans

Client Relations

• Establish and support effective working relationships with clients, vendors, community-based organizations, and communities
• Provide excellent customer service
• Provide best possible solutions to project team
• Set and maintain the highest client service standards
• Provide responsive and timely information to clients
• Maintain confidentiality of client information
• Lead client meetings
• Anticipate and respond to client needs

Productivity/Efficiency

• Maintain or exceed utilization goals
• Proactively complete tasks

Administrative

• Review invoices and provide progress reports
• Complete timesheets and expense reports on time and with accurate information
• Coordinate language service team availability and scheduling
• Track language services requests
• Maintain language service templates
• Create databases
• Update excel spreadsheets
• Miscellaneous graphics coordination with PRR design team
• Provide accurate and timely billing information to accounting department
• Other admin support as needed

Experience/Education

• 4+ years of work experience in public involvement, community engagement, or communications
• Experience working with historically underserved communities highly desired
• Experience working in customer or client service and/or the public sector highly desirable
• 3+ years of experience in professional translation/localization work, both technical and creative

Skills Required

Project management

• Project management skills; demonstrated ability to manage multiple tasks on time and within budget

• Program management skills; demonstrated ability to develop and implement programmatic goals and objectives
• Be able to both manage and support a project team
• Basic knowledge of customer service principles, and best practices with data entry and documentation

Communication

• Written and verbal proficiency in English and Spanish
• Excellent public speaking and oral communications skills in Spanish and English
• Superior written communication; able to write concisely and quickly in a variety of styles, appropriate to the client voice chosen for a project, in reader-friendly language in English and Spanish
• Ability to analyze complex technical information, translate into easily understood language, and tailor messages for the target audience
• Ability and enjoyment in talking to community members and clients in English and Spanish; excellent interpersonal skills

Community engagement

• Proven ability to create community engagement plans that effectively reach diverse audiences, including people of who are Black, people who are Indigenous, and people of color, people with disabilities, people living in poverty, people who use languages other than English
• Analytical skills to determine what’s working in target communities and what isn’t, and offer solutions
• Knowledge of the diverse communities who speak Spanish and how they relate with government; emphasis on the Puget Sound region
• Ability to work with people from diverse backgrounds

General

• Strong work ethic and ability to take initiative and work independently and efficiently
• Ability to stay on task and meet deadlines in a deadline-driven environment
• Superior commitment to quality
• Understanding of and interest in public policy, public affairs, and current events
• Comfort working in a variety of settings, including a busy office, remote settings, meetings with elected officials, or out in the community
• Proficient with PCs and MS software, including Word, Excel, and PowerPoint
• Ability to quickly learn new software, including content management systems and design software, is essential
• The successful candidate will have the poise and maturity to lead meetings with clients and/or teammates

Desirable, but not Essential, Skills and Interests

• Interest in planning, transportation infrastructure, transportation, water quality, and/or environmental sustainability
• experience conducting focus groups in multiple languages
• Experience planning and overseeing events
• Knowledge of Adobe Suite programs
• Facilitation skills
• Valid driver’s license

Physical Demands

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee may be expected to work extended hours; including, but not limited to, standing or sitting for extended periods. The employee will often have to lift over 30 pounds. The employee is regularly required to talk or hear. The employee will regularly operate office equipment.

Salary is competitive and dependent on experience. We offer a full benefits package, including health and dental insurance, short-term disability, long-term disability, a 401(K) plan, an Employee Stock Ownership Program (ESOP), onsite fitness center, and subsidized mass transit benefits.