Early Careers Communications Advisory Services Specialist

About the Role

Join our Communications Advisory Services Team and be a part of a growing organization that meets our client’s objectives and solves their challenges. WSP is currently initiating a search for an Early Careers Communications Advisory Services Specialist for our Seattle, WA office. The position will support and offer guidance to WSP projects and clients in public involvement, outreach and communications. This role is about connecting with people and the community on a personal level through in-person and virtual engagement. This role will have a hybrid work format with a strong emphasis on flexibility. There will be some in-person requirements at the Seattle office and throughout the Puget Sound region for periodic client meetings and events.

Key Responsibilities

• Serve as a liaison between projects and the community
• Coordinate and participate in public meetings and community events with community groups, including underrepresented or historically marginalized communities
• Support public involvement tasks to engage with and solicit feedback and input from the public
• Be responsive to public inquiries and escalated stakeholder issues
• Attend external project, agency, and community meetings to support public involvement objectives
• Assist with developing strategic messages that educate the community on the purpose, need, benefits, and perceived impacts of projects and programs
• Work closely with project teams on communications alignment with client priorities and program messaging
• Research and write content for a variety of communication channels, including websites, social media, talking points, presentations, marketing materials, and media notifications
• Collaborate with creative professionals on development of visuals, including graphics, website development, video, and photography
• Research and develop responses to a variety of media requests in a timely manner
• Monitor, track, and escalate media coverage of project issues
• Analyze the effectiveness of outreach campaigns, including website and social media content
• Manage a community outreach database and provide regular reporting and updates
• Interact in a clear and approachable manner with a variety of diverse audiences
• Perform other duties as assigned or required by WSP USA Inc. and our clients

Requirements & Tech Stack

• Bachelor's Degree or equivalent experience in Communications/Public Relations, Marketing, Journalism, English, Urban Planning or a related field
• 0-1 years of experience in communications and/or outreach, including volunteer work, academic programs, community service, customer service, or a related field
• Interest in community outreach, public programs, and infrastructure projects
• Ability to work occasionally at events, including those on nights and weekends
• Strong oral and written communication skills
• Excellent organizational, time management, and creative skills
• High attention to detail; proofreading skills
• Deadline-driven with the ability to multitask and adapt in a fast-paced environment
• Ability to work effectively with teams and adapt to changing priorities, project needs, or conditions
• Strong computer skills with proficiency in Microsoft Office: Outlook, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint
• Willingness to learn and execute stakeholder management using software tools
• Enthusiasm for connecting with people across different communities, lived experiences, or perspectives

Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree or equivalent experience in Communications/Public Relations, Marketing, Journalism, English, Urban Planning or a related field
• 0-1 years of experience in communications and/or outreach, including volunteer work, academic programs, community service, customer service, or a related field
• Interest in community outreach, public programs, and infrastructure projects
• Ability to work occasionally at events, including those on nights and weekends
• Strong oral and written communication skills
• Excellent organizational, time management, and creative skills
• High attention to detail; proofreading skills
• Deadline-driven with the ability to multitask and adapt in a fast-paced environment
• Ability to work effectively with teams and adapt to changing priorities, project needs, or conditions
• Strong computer skills with proficiency in Microsoft Office: Outlook, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint
• Willingness to learn and execute stakeholder management using software tools
• Enthusiasm for connecting with people across different communities, lived experiences, or perspectives

Preferred Qualifications

• Work experience in public information, communications, community outreach and engagement, or related field
• Experience using social media for outreach campaigns
• Proficiency with Spanish, Vietnamese, Mandarin, Cantonese, Amharic, Somali, Hindi, Korean, Tagalog, Russian, and Ukrainian, or other languages spoken in communities across the Puget Sound region and Washington state
• Experience and/or comfort with public speaking
• Experience writing content for websites, social media, and media notifications
• Ability to understand and translate complex, technical information into easy-to-understand content for public consumption

Compensation

• Expected Salary: $63,000 - $80,000

About WSP

WSP USA is the U.S. operating company of WSP, one of the world's leading engineering and professional services firms. Dedicated to serving local communities, we are engineers, planners, technical experts, strategic advisors and construction management professionals. WSP USA designs lasting solutions in the buildings, transportation, energy, water and environment markets. With more than 15,000 employees in over 300 offices across the U.S., we partner with our clients to help communities prosper. www.wsp.com

Benefits

WSP provides a comprehensive suite of benefits focused on providing health and financial stability throughout the employee’s career. These benefits include coverage related to medical, dental, vision, disability, and life; retirement savings; paid sick leave; paid vacation (or other personal time); paid parental leave; and paid time off for purposes of bereavement, voting, and/or attendance at naturalization proceedings.