Public Involvement Specialist

Public Involvement Specialist
Location: Albuquerque, NM
Employment Type: Contract-to-Hire

We are seeking a Public Involvement Specialist for a contract-to-hire opportunity with our client in Albuquerque, NM. This position will support communication, stakeholder engagement, and community outreach efforts for large-scale permitting, planning, and construction projects.

Responsibilities:

• Develop and implement public involvement strategies, community outreach plans, key messages, and communication materials.

• Coordinate with clients, project managers, technical teams, contractors, and field personnel to understand project activities, schedules, and potential community impacts.

• Plan and coordinate public meetings, information sessions, stakeholder briefings, special events, surveys, and other outreach activities.

• Develop project communications including fact sheets, brochures, newsletters, mailers, notices, presentations, website content, social media posts, videos, and other outreach materials.

• Communicate construction and project impacts such as traffic changes, detours, access restrictions, schedule changes, noise, and other potential disruptions.

• Conduct outreach with residents, property owners, businesses, community organizations, government agencies, and other stakeholders.

• Respond to and track public questions, concerns, complaints, and requests while coordinating with project teams to ensure timely follow-up.

• Translate complex technical and project information into clear, easy-to-understand communications for diverse audiences.

• Participate in government briefings, community meetings, public presentations, and meetings with external organizations.

• Maintain stakeholder contact lists, outreach records, issue logs, and other project documentation.

• Identify emerging or sensitive community issues and communicate potential concerns to project leadership.

• Support media relations efforts, including development and delivery of key messages related to project news, events, and emerging issues.

• Assist with proposal development and other strategic communication initiatives.

• Perform other duties as assigned and comply with applicable policies and standards.

Requirements:

• Bachelor's degree in Communications, Public Relations, Journalism, Marketing, or a related field and at least 4 years of strategic communications experience; OR

• Master's degree in a related field and at least 3 years of strategic communications experience preferred.

• Experience supporting communications for engineering, infrastructure, permitting, or construction projects is a plus.

• Experience with media relations and working with media outlets to develop and deliver key messages.

• Proposal writing experience strongly preferred.

• Experience developing social media content, news releases, website content, and other digital communications is a plus.

• Excellent written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills.

• Ability to understand large-scale permitting and construction projects and the communications processes associated with them.

• Strong analytical, organizational, and problem-solving skills.

• Ability to manage multiple priorities, work under pressure, and meet deadlines.

• Strong attention to detail with the ability to perform quality reviews.

• Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite.