Project Coordinator/Associate

Project Coordinator or Associate, Community Engagement Focus
Locations: Southern California – Orange County, Los Angeles, San Diego Regions
Salary Range: $45K-$70K

Kearns & West is a leader in the collaborative communications field, providing services in public involvement, stakeholder facilitation, community outreach, and mediation, primarily for government agencies. Founded in 1984, the has nearly 120 team members, in areas spanning the country, including in Los Angeles, San Juan Capistrano, Riverside, and San Diego in Southern California and further beyond in Sacramento, San Francisco, Portland, Denver, New York City, Austin, and Washington, DC.

Focusing on positive, mutually beneficial results has allowed Kearns & West to maintain long-term relationships with the people and organizations they assist. The firm’s high-stakes projects include work at local, state, and national levels and cover a variety of sectors including land use and community planning, transportation, energy, water, major public facilities and infrastructure, and natural resources. At the core of all of our projects is finding solutions to advance essential policies and programs.

Kearns & West’s Southern California team is conducting stakeholder and community engagement for cities, water districts, regional agencies, the State of California, and some federal agencies. Most of our projects intersect with climate resiliency, equity, health, and involve formulating participatory processes where community members, tribes and stakeholders can share knowledge and inform the development of multi-benefit solutions. We are experts in multi-pronged in-person and virtual engagement methods. We are also specialists in inclusive and equitable engagement methods and are helping our government clients to meaningfully involve communities that are particularly vulnerable and/or marginalized due to racism and socioeconomic disparities.

Kearns & West is the ideal match for professionals seeking meaningful work, opportunities for growth, and colleagues that are smart, capable and supportive. Once on board, our employees stay for the long term. The entrepreneurial culture at Kearns & West values employee initiatives in practice innovation and business development – principal tracks are open to all team members. Compensation and benefits at Kearns & West are also highly competitive with firms in our field. Post-pandemic, we’ve retained a hybrid work model where each week a day or two is typically spent in a local office.

The Position
Kearns & West seeks a Project Coordinator or Associate (depending on experience) in one of our Southern California offices. The position provides an opportunity to work on projects throughout greater Southern California (particularly Orange, Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Diego, Imperial, and Ventura counties), as well as involvement in state-wide and national projects. As a Kearns & West team member, the successful candidate will:

· Assist with facilitating and documenting stakeholder engagement and community meetings, including notetaking, report preparation, and database management.

· Work alongside the K&W team to engage with tribes, stakeholders, and community members.

· Lead or support coordination of meeting logistics

· Support development of engagement strategy through research, direct interaction with stakeholders, and local knowledge

· Prepare basic informational materials for stakeholders and the public.

· Have an interest in learning about the subject matter of projects that they support (community planning, water, clean and renewable energy, environmental resources, etc.)

· Conduct administrative duties.

· Prepare advertisement placements and media releases.

· Proofread reports and other documents.

· Help to maintain and grow strong relationships with clients and project partners.

· Coordinate and contribute to visual communication materials.

· And more…

Qualifications
The successful candidate will have a master’s or bachelor’s degree and a background/interest in community/regional planning, transportation, natural resource management, renewable energy and energy transmission, environmental/public policy issues, air quality, public involvement, collaboration, and mediation. One to two years of experience is preferred for Project Coordinator and two years’ experience for the Associate position. Fluency in Spanish is highly desirable but not required.

We are looking for a self-starter who can work well both as part of a team and independently. Ability to successfully manage multiple project assignments simultaneously is a must. Some travel is required. Staffing community meetings on occasional weekday evenings and weekends is also required. This position requires initiative, excellent organizational skills and attention to detail, strong written and oral communication skills, and the ability to work in a fast-paced, deadline-oriented environment. Applicant must demonstrate strong computer skills with proficiency in Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, and Excel. Interest in graphic design/layout and proficiency with Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, and/or InDesign are desirable, but not required.

Compensation
Salary Range- $45k-$70k

Kearns & West is committed to maintaining a diverse workplace and is an Equal Opportunity employer. We do not discriminate based upon race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, status as a protected veteran, status as an individual with a disability, or other applicable legally protected characteristics.