Associate/Senior Associate, Transportation Focus
Permanent Position
San Francisco, CA

The Organization

Kearns & West, Inc. is a stakeholder engagement, communications, and collaborative solutions firm. Our staff is passionate about engaging communities in the planning and decision-making process for transportation, community and environmental planning projects.

Kearns & West’s specialists take a diverse range of issues, opinions, goals and interests, and organize them into clear, productive processes that lead to successful conclusions. The Kearns & West ap­proach involves assessment, outreach, process and meeting design, facili­tation, dispute resolution, and development of communications tailored to each project’s unique process. Collectively, these tools and techniques build produc­tive stakeholder relationships, integrated approaches, and strategic partnerships with the goal of developing long-term, sustainable solutions.

Kearns & West is involved in several high-profile transportation projects including outreach for high-speed rail in Northern California, strategic communications for a major TNC, information tools and resources for an urban paratransit provider, community engagement for a complete streets project, facilitation of alternative fuels forums for transit agencies, and many others.  

The Position

Kearns & West seeks to hire an Associate or Senior Associate with responsibilities in planning/logistics, outreach, stakeholder engagement, project task management, facilitation and communications, and business development in support of our transportation work.

The Associate/Senior Associate will carry out communications, outreach and public engagement on transportation and may also support efforts on other infrastructure issues such as climate adaptation and energy. The Associate/Senior Associate will work with stakeholders representing local communities, as well as representatives from transportation providers, state and federal agencies, tribes, advocacy organizations, business industries and local interests. Most of the projects are based in Northern California and are centered in the San Francisco Bay Area, but projects could include work throughout California and across the United States.

Given our expanding portfolio of transportation projects, a candidate’s interest and experience in passenger rail, public transit, active transportation, and/or transportation demand management is highly desirable. Candidates come from a variety of backgrounds, but past work with local, state and/or federal government agencies on planning, collaborative problem-solving, communications, community development, public policy, and/or dispute resolution projects is preferred.  

Key responsibilities include the following:

• Interaction with diverse stakeholders, including clients, community members, and others on a range of sensitive topics
• Facilitation of stakeholder discussions, group meetings, and events
• Graphic communication (e.g., presentations, videos, brochures, websites)
• Coordinating and participating in community outreach events
• Planning and executing stakeholder and public meetings or other forums (including logistics)
• Research and writing of survey summaries, meeting summaries, public comments, and outreach plans for many types of audiences (including environmental justice communities, multilingual communities, business groups, elected officials, etc.)
• Implementing engagement plans, including maintaining detailed calendars, schedules, and task lists
• Development of strategic plans
• Development of project proposals including budgets, business development, contract administration, and invoice and expense report preparation.

Qualifications

We’re looking for someone who is:

• Organized and prepared to contribute to our team organization
• Adaptable and flexible
• Self-motivated and comfortable working independently, yet successful at balancing working as part of a team
• An effective and reliable communicator
• Comfortable facilitating discussions and making presentations
• Comfortable taking direction and empowered to take the initiative
• Able to reliably set priorities, manage multiple tasks, and meet project deadlines on multiple projects for multiple clients
• Comfortable working in a small 20-person office environment and collaborating virtually with inter-office teams (based in Sacramento; Portland; Southern California; Washington, DC; and Atlanta). 
• Able to travel in Northern California, as needed

Education, Certifications and Experience

MINIMUM EDUCATION: Bachelor’s degree or equivalent. Possession of a master’s degree, other advanced degree, or educational equivalent is a plus, and may be considered in lieu of work experience.

PREFERRED EXPERIENCE: Successful Associate or Senior Associate candidates will have 3-7 years of work experience, with a background in transportation and infrastructure issues, environment, land-use, conflict management and resolution, public stakeholder engagement and strategic communications, local and regional government, public policy, and/or community relations.

REQUIRED SKILLS: Strong writing, presentation, and teamwork skills. Fluency in MS Office (Word, PowerPoint, and Excel).

DESIRED SKILLS: Experience with online collaboration tools. Proficiency with database management, Adobe Creative Suite software, and social media tools. Graphic design and video editing experience. Fluency in Spanish.

Compensation

Compensation will be dependent upon the qualifications and experience of the selected candidate. Kearns & West provides a competitive package of benefits.

How to Apply

Please apply with a cover letter and resume to personnel@kearnswest.com.