Construction Public Information Officer

Somerville is a city that upholds progressive principles for both employees and residents alike. If you are looking for a culture that embraces innovation, empowerment, and collaborative involvement, Somerville not only embraces these talents, but encourages them. Creative, hands on collaboration with passionate dedication are at the core of the City’s workplace culture.  Challenging and fast paced, Somerville also offers a generous benefits package that embodies a strong work life balance. Not only is it a “Model City”, as termed by The Boston Globe, but it is also a model employer.

Statement of Duties

The Construction Public Information Officer is responsible for using multiple research and outreach strategies to acquire and disseminate essential information regarding a wide range of governmental, utility, and related construction projects—and construction-related impacts and efforts—citywide, including schedules, impacts to Somerville residents and businesses, project updates, tree impacts, opportunities to engage, and other relevant needs.

Essential Functions:

• Research, create and distribute information regarding existing and/or planned construction projects or other disruptions in cooperation with a range of City departments and divisions as well as external partners including but not limited to Capital Projects, Public Works, Transportation and Infrastructure, Traffic and Parking, Engineering, Water and Sewer, Planning, Housing, Economic Development, Somerville Police, Somerville Fire, Arts Council, City Arborist, Recreation (Field Management team), MassDOT, MWRA, MBTA, State Police, etc.
• Serve as community liaison to residents and businesses related to construction and maintenance projects, including attending external meetings, responding to constituent correspondence, conducting in-person community outreach (block walking for businesses, etc.) and working with departments to address concerns.
• Coordinate with legislative liaisons and departmental staff to keep elected officials up to date on all project information and outreach efforts.
• Assist with creation and distribution of project schedules, informational project maps, regular updates to community members via a variety of media, and other critical information for any and all construction projects including but not limited to roadway reconstruction, park renovations, housing projects, tree canopy maintenance, utility projects, and others as assigned.
• Provide assistance as needed to relevant departments, community partners, and government partners for the planning, promotion, facilitation, and documentation of community meetings as well as sharing of outcomes.
• Support departmental and project staff in matters relating to construction planning and communications; attends regular internal and external planning meetings; support Deputy Director of Communications in researching, developing, and managing communications plans for existing and planned construction projects, including but not limited to major regional transportation initiatives, local road and/or infrastructure projects, utility projects, housing projects, tree canopy maintenance, water and sewer work, and park improvement projects.
• Maintain contact with regional project information officers and managers and staff of neighboring municipalities to coordinate communication and information flow on regional impacts and non-City managed infrastructure projects.
• Coordinate with Economic Development and community partners on the planning and promotion of initiatives designed to drive customers to impacted businesses and business districts and lesson potential patronage impacts during construction. 

Recommended Minimum Qualifications                                      

Education and Experience: Bachelor’s Degree in Communications, Community Engagement, or related field and three to five (3-5) years’ professional communications and/or community engagement experience; or any equivalent combination of education, training and experience which provides the required knowledge, skills and abilities to perform the essential functions of the job.

Other Requirements:

• Valid Class D driver’s license
• Employee may be required to work beyond normal business hours in response to attend evening meetings or complete work assignments. 

Knowledge, Abilities and Skill

Knowledge:  Excellent knowledge of grammar and usage; good knowledge of and strong interest in local government; strong understanding of the media landscape and methodologies; proficient in the full range of traditional and digital communications methods; general knowledge of construction and/or infrastructure processes desirable but not required.

Ability: Proven ability to ability to juggle multiple assignments and collaborate well with others; proven facility with direct constituent or customer service; ability to work effectively and maintain good relationships with the public, coworkers, department heads, media contacts, City officials, and diverse community partners; ability to handle problems and emergencies effectively and diplomatically; ability to communicate clearly, both orally and in writing; ability to maintain confidential information; ability to maintain, manage, and organize records; ability to coordinate and run public meetings and/or presentations.

Skill: Excellent written and verbal communication skills across all platforms; excellent organizational skills; superior social media, web content, digital communication skills; mapping skills desirable but not required.

Work Environment                                                                                     

The work environment involves everyday discomforts typical of offices, with occasional exposure to outside elements.  Noise or physical surroundings may be distracting, but conditions are generally not unpleasant.  Employee may be required to work beyond normal business hours in response to attend evening meetings or complete work assignments.

Physical and Mental Requirements

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the position’s essential functions.

Physical Skills
Few physical demands are required to perform the work. Work effort principally involves sitting to perform work tasks, with intermittent periods of stooping, walking, and standing.  Work may require some agility and physical strength, such as moving in or about construction sites or over rough terrain, or standing or walking most of the work period.  May also be some occasional lifting of objects such as office equipment and computer paper (up to 30 lbs).

Motor Skills
Duties are largely mental rather than physical, but the job may occasionally require minimal motor skills for activities such as moving objects, operating a telephone, personal computer and/or most other office equipment including word processing, filing and sorting of papers.

Visual Skills
Visual demands require constantly reading documents for general understanding and analytical purposes.

Send your resume and cover letter by April 9, 2018 to:

City Hall Personnel Office
93 Highland Avenue
Somerville MA 02143
Fax: 617-666-4426
TTY: 1-866-808-4851
Email: employment_opportunities@somervillema.gov

City of Somerville residents are especially encouraged to apply.

The City of Somerville is an affirmative action/equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, age, national origin, disability or any other protected category. Women, minorities, veterans, and persons with disabilities are encouraged to apply. Auxiliary aids and services, written materials in alternative formats, and reasonable modifications in policies and procedures will be provided to qualified individuals with disabilities free of charge, upon request.

Individuals with disabilities who need auxiliary aids and services for effective communication, written materials in alternative formats, or reasonable modifications in policies and procedures, in order to access the programs and activities of the City of Somerville or to attend meetings, should contact the City’s ADA Coordinator, Nency Salamoun, at 617-625-6600 x2323 or NSalamoun@somervillema.gov.