Community Development Specialist

MSA has an opportunity for aCommunity Development Specialist at our Bettendorf, IA or Dubuque, IA offices. You will collaborate with our internal staff of planners, engineers and architects to assist with and manage a wide variety of community improvement projects.  You will manage, prepare, and submit applications and administer the funds on behalf of communities and in coordination with engineers to ensure all funding aspects of loans and grants are managed according to prescribed regulations and within accepted timeframes. MSA provides funding, planning and design services to public and private clients to address issues ranging from comprehensive planning, transportation planning and downtown revitalization to infrastructure improvements such as water treatment and urban roadway reconstruction.

Who we are & how we help

What does it mean to serve communities for over 100 years? It means doing the type of work that helps people raise a family, grow a business, engage with their neighbors, and enjoy a variety of unique, enduring spaces that form the fabric of “home.”

MSA’s roots reach back to 1919. What began with an entrepreneurial solo practitioner in Baraboo, Wisconsin, has grown into a robust and thriving company of over 400 employee owners conducting work across the country. As a 100% employee-owned firm, when we say we “own” our work, we mean it. We stand behind the quality of our designs, the integrity of our people, and the generations of client relationships we’ve formed based on trust, firm handshakes, and the belief that together — we can accomplish anything.

Core Values

The work you may do

• Collect, analyze and summarize data from various sources
• Facilitate public engagement activities for planning and engineering projects
• Prepare applications for and administration of loan and grants for municipal clients
• Develop and maintain relationships with municipal, County and State level staff and elected officials
• Limited travel within the Midwest, rarely requiring overnight stays
• Complete wage rate monitoring for projects
• Funding coordination with local officials, contractors, agencies, and MSA staff. This person will interact with many agencies including the EPA, various State of Illinois funds, USDA Rural Development and HUD

What you bring
Skills & Knowledge / Education & Experience:

• Bachelor's Degree in Public Administration, Finance, Community or Regional Planning, Business Administration, Engineering or related degree required
• Minimum of 2 years of relatable experience required
• Experience with application and administration of various types of funding grants or strategies required
• Professional experience in grant writing with a developing track record for securing significant funding awards from State and Federal Agencies required
• Expertise in one or more of the following areas preferred: project management, client management, public engagement, strategic planning, economic development, community planning
• Previous experience with grant administration preferred
• Experience with ArcGIS and 3D graphic tools preferred
• Experience in Proposal writing and project/client development preferred
• This position requires you to have authorization to work in the United States for any employer. We will not provide sponsorship for this position

Benefits

Why MSA? We're glad you asked!

• Better Together – A collaborative work environment that promotes open doors, new ideas and honest opinions.
• Multi-disciplinary Opportunities – As multi-talented people in a multi-disciplinary firm, we encourage everyone to follow their interests, seek new experiences and apply their skills where they feel most impactful.
• We’ve Got Your Back – Support when you need it, independence when you don’t. We’re 400+ team members strong, operating as one cohesive MSA.
• Passion & Purpose – We’re passionate about what we do and proud of it! Join us to share inspirations, “geek out” and think big.
• Pay & Perks – We offer competitive industry pay and a variety of perks — just a few of the things that make us uniquely MSA.
• Communities of Practice – Our CoPs are our company think tanks and idea generators, the perfect means to regularly share, collaborate and learn together.
• Work-Life Integration – Life doesn’t stop when the work day begins. MSA supports our employees as professionals, parents, citizens and friends — with the understanding and flexibility to meet your obligations and balance your time.
• Commitment to Learning – We support the professional aspirations of our employees with ongoing training options, tuition reimbursement opportunities, and the technology to keep us connected, creative and competitive.
• Community Engagement – We give back to the communities in which we live, work and play. MSA employee owners are volunteers, educators, STEM outreach participants and event attendees, supported by dedicated corporate sponsorship and donations initiatives.

There’s more! Eligible employees will also enjoy the following benefits:

• Quality Insurance Options – Medical, dental and vision coverage for you, your spouse or domestic partner and eligible dependents — all starting on your date of hire (no waiting period).
• Paid Time Off – All full-time employees will receive, at minimum, 17 days (that’s 3+ weeks!) of paid time off in the first year alone.
• Paid Holidays – MSA offers time off pay for 8 holidays in every calendar year.
• Paid Parental Leave – Both parents will receive 2 weeks of paid time off and birth parents are eligible for additional paid time off under MSA’s Short Term Paid Leave. The paid 2 weeks of time also applies to adoption and foster care placement.
• Supplemental Insurance – MSA pays 100% for all employees to have life insurance, long-term disability insurance and short-term disability insurance.
• Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) – MSA is an ESOP S-Corporation, which means that our company is 100% owned by us! Through the ESOP, eligible employees receive MSA stock in the form of company shares as a percentage of compensation, at no cost to the employee.
• 401k Retirement Savings Plan – Employees can also choose to participate in a 401k plan, with a generous employer match that is immediately 100% vested.
• Short Term Incentive (STIP) – This program rewards employees who meet performance goals with a one-time annual STIP payment as a percentage of their eligible compensation — recognition of individual accomplishments and achieving organizational goals. STIP payments are awarded if MSA reaches its corporate financial plan for the year.

MSA is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer that is committed to diversity and inclusion in the workplace. At MSA, we value a diverse, inclusive workforce and we provide equal employment opportunity for all applicants and employees. All qualified applicants for employment will be considered without regard to an individual’s race, color, sex, gender identity, gender expression, religion, age, national origin or ancestry, citizenship, physical or mental disability, medical condition, family care status, marital status, domestic partner status, sexual orientation, genetic information, military or veteran status, or any other basis protected by federal, state or local laws.  If you are unable to submit your application because of incompatible assistive technology or a disability, please contact us at hr@msa-ps.com

Equal Employment Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer