Government Relations Associate Jobs in Oregon (NOW HIRING)

Role Overview

JLA is seeking a full-time Coordinator who is highly organized, has excellent communication skills, is a strong writer and is proficient in prioritizing tasks in a fast-paced environment. We're looking for someone committed to providing excellent customer service and problem-solving skills to help Oregon and SW Washington's diverse communities learn about and influence various governmental decisions. The ideal candidate is a strong communicator and writer who can effectively work with clients, community members, and colleagues, translating complex information into clear, accessible language. They are professional, attentive, accurate and willing to meet each challenge directly.

Every day is different at JLA (and that is part of the fun). As a Coordinator, you can expect to help the larger team provide quality products for our clients and ensure that we can engage with communities about the projects that affect their lives.

As a Coordinator, your daily work activities and responsibilities will include:

• Solving problems and being curious as you help clients and the JLA team figure out how to communicate, run a meeting or event and engage with the community. You will be gaining a better understanding of public involvement principles as you work on projects and through training.
• Gaining an understanding of public involvement principles by working on several projects at once, collaborating with multiple internal and external teams. You will learn about public decision-making processes and JLA's role in them, including working on planning/visioning projects that require a different focus than construction projects. You should feel comfortable and curious about learning about many aspects of our government.
• Working closely with managers to track the details on an average of 10 projects. Organization is a skill that will serve you well! This may look like scheduling and planning logistics for public and internal events and meetings; coordinating with other teammates to get materials produced, responding to emails and phone calls from stakeholders; helping facilitate and take notes at virtual and in-person meetings; and summarizing community feedback collected during meetings, events, and other engagement opportunities.
• Summarizing complicated or conflicting information by asking questions and capturing key messages from meetings, conversations, and written materials. You will need to rewrite and explain complex information so that the public can understand issues related to a wide range of projects: roadway and transportation, wastewater treatment, long-range planning, and others. You should feel comfortable and curious about learning about many aspects of our government.
  
• Able to communicate with a wide range of people with curiosity, respect, and kindness. You will need to feel comfortable both in front of the public and directly interacting with people from all walks of life, as well as working behind the scenes to complete summaries, reports, and data processing of what you've heard from the public.
  
• Being self-directed. You will be assigned work and will also need to seek out work from others. You must be able to work both independently and with others to manage your daily work and ensure each task is delivered on time and budget.
• Being responsive to internal team members and external clients (government agencies and the public) who expect us to be responsible stewards of public funds while balancing the needs of the wider community. You will also provide quality control review on others work products to ensure that clients receive polished work products. You should feel comfortable managing up and with your peers, as well as asking for help as needed.
• Being respectful, courteous, and kind as you interact with people who may be upset or with whom you disagree.

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

• Relevant work experience (1-4 years) and/or Associates/Bachelor's degree in a person-first (or public-facing) field such as journalism, public relations, communications, community outreach, education, event planning, politics/governance, planning, or similar.
• Ability to communicate effectively with diverse groups of people both in-person and in virtual meetings.
• Exceptional written communication skills and attention to detail, with the ability to organize information, identify key messages, and create clear, error-free materials for clients, stakeholders, and the public.
• Comfortable working with limited information, asking questions, and rewriting/explaining complex information so that the public can understand the issue; the ability to feel comfortable and curious about learning.
  
• Flexible and adaptable in a fast-paced environment with a strong attention to detail to ensure quality control. Desire to be proactive
  and create a positive experience for others.
• Customer/client service experience at any level. High emotional intelligence and ability to create an environment of trust and confidence in others. Passion for the principles of diversity, equity, and inclusion, as well as JLA's mission.
• Strong attention to detail, organization and time-management skills to smoothly navigate competing deadlines and priorities. Experience tracking multiple tasks/deliverables for at least three months.
• Proficient in Teams, Zoom and Microsoft Office Suite, including Word and Excel.

Desired

• An "eye for design," including comfort using headings, fonts, visuals, and style to create clear, engaging, and attractive documents and reports. Experience with Adobe Creative Suite, Canva, or similar design programs is preferred, as well as the ability to coordinate and review work with graphic designers.
• The ability to speak Spanish or another language besides English and use language skills to support engagement activities according to your comfort level. 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.
• Education, training, or volunteer experience related to working with people, which could include facilitation, de-escalation, mediation, communications, or similar topics.
• Construction/trade skills or working with others in these fields. We often work with contractors that are building roads, large infrastructure, and other government agency projects during construction.
• Experience using Esri ArcGIS Story Maps and Experience Builder to help communicate project information, share community engagement opportunities, or present complex information in a clear and accessible way.
• Experience working with project management software, such as Asana or similar tools, to track tasks, manage deadlines, coordinate with team members, and keep projects organized across multiple workstreams.

Compensation and Working Conditions

This is a full-time exempt position. You will typically work long periods at a desk but also have expectations of attending meetings and events in person, including attending large and small events, canvasing to residences and businesses, and staffing information booths. 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. It will occasionally be required to lift and/or move up to 25 pounds; accommodation can be provided.

There is the option to work remotely or from home when project needs allow, though some work in JLA's office and/or other project-specific locations will be required. This expectation may vary or change over time.

Salary: $60,000-70,000/year at 40 hours per week depending on experience (Coordinator, PI2)

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% retirement plan 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. We also offer employees access to a flexible spending account (cafeteria plan).

How to Apply

To apply for this position, please submit a one-page resume along with a one-page cover letter that describes a project/activity/publication/event/meeting you've managed through Indeed.

We love learning about people - so let's start a conversation! If you have questions about this job posting, please reach out to info@JLA.us.com subject heading "Coordinator Job Opportunity"

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 transportation to wastewater treatment to 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 inclusive outcomes.

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, planning, 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 the Pacific Northwest 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're flexible. We support home/off-hours and are a family-friendly company. We take care of one another with clear communication, honesty, integrity, and a passion for pitching in for the team.
• We have some pretty fast paced days. JLA teammates work together to assess project needs and implement projects. This can mean quick decisions or changes to provide quality products and hold events for our clients and the community.

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 practices to create effective, community-centered strategies. Our team engages in conversation and personal reflection around identity, bias, racism and equity, and what they mean to our team and our work.

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.