Program Manager

 PROGRAM MANAGER

ROLE OVERVIEW

JLA is seeking a full-time program manager to plan, manage, and complete public engagement and outreach activities for a variety of government agency clients, with a focus on strategic communications or facilitation. Every day is different at JLA (and that is part of the fun). As a program manager, your daily work activities and responsibilities will include:

• Managing multi-faceted public involvement projects that include a focus on strategic communications and/or facilitation in our target sectors of transportation, water, wastewater, natural resources, land use, and public facilities (energy, transit, education are smaller sectors of our work). As a highly skilled and experienced public involvement specialist you will provide high level strategic communications and facilitation services. You will work directly with clients and JLA team members to develop and implement approaches to engagement, communications and public policy Experience working with BIPOC and other marginalized communities and implementing strategies to increase authentic engagement with these communities will be vital.
• Tracking work-flow details, budgets and deliverables, including due-dates and the status of public materials developed by internal and external teammates, as well as providing quality control review to ensure that clients receive polished work products. You must feel comfortable working closely with others in a team environment, as well as working on your own to complete tasks on time and within a You must be able to work both independently and with others in a fast-paced team to manage your daily work. You will work with our Marketing and Business Development Lead to bring in work that supports you and other members of the JLA team. You will handle direct requests and should average acquiring two new projects per quarter.
• Bringing your solid knowledge of public involvement principles and practices to the work. Your diverse background and experiences strengthen your work and allow you to connect with the community. You love working with people, learning and growing your skill sets, and engaging communities in understanding and influencing the work of state, county, and local governments. You’ll also lead concept development, writing, and editing of collateral materials such as surveys, newsletters, websites, handouts, videos, advertisements, press releases, and public notices, plus coordinate with our internal creative team for graphic design, web development, and social media.
• Solving problems and being curious. We aim to keep our clients satisfied by creating collaborative, meaningful, and exceptionally effective public processes that lead to better, more lasting decisions that connect communities to the work of public agencies. You will help us be responsive to clients who expect us to be responsible stewards of public funds. We must also be responsive and understanding with members of the wider community, including during emotionally charged situations. You must be able to listen, ask questions, and capture key messages from meetings, conversations, and written You will need to rewrite and explain complex information so that the public can understand the trade-offs considered for a wide range of public projects. The public involvement and communications programs we lead result in projects or outcomes that are responsive to what we learn by engaging communities.

KEY EXPERIENCE

Studies show that women and people of color are less likely to apply for jobs unless they can meet every experience or skill listed in the job description. However, we know that each new JLA staffer brings unique skills (some that we haven’t considered) to our collaborative team. We encourage you to apply, even if you

don’t feel like you have all of the listed skills! If we sound like a good fit, we’re interested to hear what you can bring to the role.

Required

• 5-10 years of work experience in public involvement, mediation, journalism, education or a similar public- facing field.
• A minimum of two years of management experience including coaching, delegation and working with a team.
• The following focus areas are highly desired: facilitation, conflict resolution, mediation, for complicated and controversial projects and a range of groups (committee, presentations, one-on-one). strategic communications, DEI principals and best practices, including the ability to research and implement new industry developments and best practices.
• Strong communication skills, including public speaking and writing, including the ability to communicate effectively with a wide variety of populations both in-person (dependent on health protocols) and in virtual meetings.
• Ability to work with limited information, ask questions, and then rewrite/explain complex information so that the public can understand the issue; the ability to feel comfortable and curious about learning.
• High emotional intelligence and ability to create an environment of trust and confidence in others.
• Project management, organizational, and time management skills to navigate and deliver complex projects with collaborative teams.
• Experience providing informal coaching to junior staff and/or managing sub-committee or other company- wide initiatives (such as DEI group, staff functions and meetings, etc.).
• Passion for the principles of diversity, equity, and inclusion, and JLA’s mission.
• A strong proficiency in standard office procedures, software, and communications technology.
• Fully vaccinated for COVID-19. This position requires onsite client visits, meetings, and facilitation.

Desired

• The ability to speak Spanish or another language besides English and provide informal translations/interpretations at events/with the Professional interpretation is not necessary.
• Previous experience working for a consulting firm or a job where you needed to track and report the hours you work to specific jobs or clients.

About JLA

Founded in 1988, JLA Public Involvement is a leading public involvement consulting firm in the Pacific Northwest. We help people communicate with and influence local, regional, and state government and non- profit projects that affect their everyday lives. We’re not advocates for an outcome, but rather champions for a fair and equitable process that empowers, educates, and involves the community in ways that help our clients meet their goals of serving the public good. We are “public process specialists,” dedicated to building constructive two-way communication between government agencies and the communities affected by their planning and decision-making efforts.

We communicate complex information to the public about a range of projects from streets and transportation to wastewater treatment and parks development. We use a wide variety of engagement tools and tactics including video, websites, postcards, in-person interviews, going door-to-door to local businesses, public meetings, virtual meetings, surveys, and more.

Our mission is to create collaborative, meaningful, and exceptionally effective public processes that lead to better, more lasting decisions.

We are a small, women-owned firm in Portland, but we work across Oregon and SW Washington. Here’s what it’s like to work with us:

• There’s always something New. We work for a variety of public clients, topic areas, and project types (construction, design, policy), so there is always something new to learn.
• We believe in what we do. Our work helps create a better life for people living and working in Oregon and SW Washington by supporting transportation, water, wastewater, park, and other beneficial projects.
• We want new ideas. We value and encourage collaboration and creative problem solving. We want to ask questions, to grow, and help provide new and better solutions to how we engage and communicate with communities.
• We want you to grow. You will have opportunities for continued education, training, promotion, and personal growth.
• We have a good time.  We are a fun, values-based, close-knit community of 25 employees who like to spend time chatting about family, inventing new cocktails/mocktails, and bike-commuting together.
• We’re flexible. We support home/off-hours and are a family-friendly company that understands the demands of children, aging parents, and family We take care of one another, but expect clear communication, honesty, integrity, and a passion for pitching in for the team.

Compensation and Working Conditions

This is a full-time (30-40 hours per week, which will be negotiated during the interview/offer phase) exempt position. You will typically work long periods at a desk, regularly facilitate meetings and presentations to small and large groups. Our work requires a flexible work schedule, and you will be expected to work evenings and weekends both virtually and in-person around the state, with adequate notice. Employees may work under the stress of contact from clients, community members, co-workers and business partners, and the pressure to meet deadlines. Must occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds.

JLA’s staff is now on a hybrid work schedule. Office is available for staff to use when maintaining COVID protocols. The firm is continuing conversation with staff and making changes as needed.

Salary: $85,000-105,000/year at 40 hours per week depending on experience

Benefits: JLA Public Involvement pays 90% of medical insurance premiums for employees and 50% for dependents for regular, full-time employees (working 30 or more hours per week). Dental insurance and paid sick time are also provided for full-time staff. We provide ten vacation days in your first year, with an additional day for each year worked, plus nine paid holidays. A 3% Simple IRA match, with access to a financial advisor through an EAP (employee assistance program). Opportunities for professional development and paid training, including tuition reimbursement for relevant programs, internal trainings, and attending relevant courses/trainings to support your career development. Short- and long-term disability is paid by the company to cover 60% of an employee’s annual salary, with optional additional coverage. We also offer employees access to a flexible spending account for child-/elder-care and direct deposit paychecks. We like to come up with fun perks as we go.

How to Apply

We love learning about people — so let’s start a conversation!

If you have questions about this job description, please reach out to Kendra Roberts, HR Manager at kendra@jla.us.com subject heading “Program Manager Application Questions.”

To apply for this position, please submit your one-page resume and one-page cover letter that describes a project/activity/publication/event/meeting you’ve managed and a project example (such as a link to a website, content you’ve created, or a video of you facilitating) Bamboo HR. 

A FOCUS ON EQUITY

Engaging diverse communities in a meaningful way is the most pressing issue facing our profession. We are committed to continually learning, listening, and improving to improve practices and create effective, community-centered strategies. Our team is making time to engage in conversation and personal reflection around race, racism, and equity.

COMMITTED TO SUSTAINABILITY

Environmentally sustainable practices are at the core of our operations and our work for clients. We think of ourselves as part of an environmentally sustainable supply chain with our clients, partners and suppliers. JLA began certifying our sustainability practices with the City of Portland in 2008 (RecycleWorks) and has held Gold-level certification from the Sustainability at Work Program by the Portland Bureau of Planning & Sustainability.