Manager of Engagement

Job Description

Job Description

About Houston-Galveston Area Council

The Houston-Galveston Area Council is one of the largest regional planning commissions in the country with a diverse service area of 13 counties and more than 7 million people. We are the pulse of our region addressing issues that cross city limits and county lines every single day.  

We make decisions that affect our transportation system, ensure the safety and well-being of our seniors, connect people to jobs, help families recover from natural disasters, preserve water quality for our children, and so much more. We work to make the region a great place to live, work, and thrive. 
 
What will I be doing? 

The Manager of Engagement will be a founding leader responsible for launching and building a new Community Engagement team from the ground up. This role will establish comprehensive engagement strategies that connect the Metropolitan Planning Organization to the community by building strong relationships and providing value to internal and external stakeholders. This position will develop and implement programs that educate, involve, and communicate with diverse audiences about regional transportation planning, funding, programs, and policy.
Team Launch & Development

• Build and launch the Engagement team, establishing its vision, structure, and operational framework
• Develop team roles, responsibilities, and workflows to support effective engagement programming
• Recruit, hire, train, and mentor team members as the program grows
• Create systems, processes, and tools to ensure consistent and high-quality service delivery
• Establish the team's identity and position within the broader organization

Strategic Planning & Framework Development

• Create a comprehensive community engagement strategy that aligns with the MPO's mission and goals
• Develop policies, procedures, and best practices for engagement activities
• Establish performance metrics and evaluation frameworks to measure engagement effectiveness and community impact
• Build collaborative relationships with the Office of Government Affairs to coordinate on collateral development and media relations initiatives
• Design scalable programs that can grow and evolve with community needs

Stakeholder Relationship Building
Work with your team to cultivate internal and external stakeholder relationships, including:

• Local government officials and staff
• State government agencies and representatives
• Nonprofit organizations and community groups
• Residents and neighborhood associations
• Schools, universities, and students
• Employers and corporations
• Transportation Policy Committee (TPC) members
• Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) members
• Internal staff
• Consultant partners

Education & Outreach Program Development
Work with the team on behalf of the MPO to design and launch educational programs that increase public understanding of transportation planning processes and issues:

• Develop engaging content and presentations for diverse audiences
• Establish a speaker’s bureau and create protocols for public speaking engagements
• Create opportunities for meaningful, innovative, and effective public participation in planning processes in alignment with our public participation plan
• Build an outreach toolkit and resource library

Communication Infrastructure & Content Strategy
Work with the team and Outreach and Government Affairs staff to:

• Monitor, manage and implement communication channels including newsletters and email distribution systems
• Establish an effective social media presence and content strategy across multiple platforms
• Create communication standards, brand guidelines, and messaging frameworks for the division that complement and align with those at the overall agency
• Build templates, systems, and workflows for ongoing content creation and distribution

Program Design & Implementation
Manage an assortment of in-person and online engagement events including:

• Committees, subcommittees, and advisory groups
• Community events, seminars, workshops, and public meetings
• Awards programs to recognize excellence and innovation
• Ensure all engagement activities are designed with ADA accessibility requirements and Title VI civil rights provisions from inception

Accessibility Framework

• Establish strong ADA and Title VI programs to ensure meaningful access for all community members from day one
• Develop protocols to identify and address barriers to participation
• Create culturally responsive engagement strategies and standards
• Build systems to track and report on demographic reach and participation effectiveness amongst the region’s communities.
• Demonstrate a forward-thinking approach by championing innovative initiatives, such as a potential community ambassadors program and others, that continue advancing the MPO and elevating communication standards.

  Administrative Support

• Manage a team of administrative professionals that work closely with the various departments of the MPO for seamless operations support.

Key Qualifications

• Demonstrated experience launching or significantly expanding programs, teams, or initiatives
• Proven success in building partnerships with diverse stakeholders including government agencies, nonprofits, and community organizations
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills with ability to create frameworks and documentation
• Strong project management, organizational, and strategic planning abilities
• Experience with social media management and digital communications platforms
• Knowledge of public participation best practices and engagement methodologies
• Commitment to Title VI and accessibility principles
• Proficiency with common communication/design tools like Adobe Suite, Canva, etc. and experience using best practices to integrate artificial intelligence into the work of the team.
• Familiarity with public meeting facilitation techniques and the Texas Open Meetings Act
• Supervisory Experience

Do you have?

• Bachelor’s degree in an applicable academic discipline or related field of study.
• 3 years of experience working with local government, nonprofit programs, school or in job related duties.

Preferred

• Bachelor's degree in Public Administration, Communications, Urban Planning, Public Relations, Marketing or related field
• Minimum 5 years of progressively responsible experience in community engagement, public outreach, or stakeholder relations
• Experience working with metropolitan planning organizations, regional agencies, federal, state or local government
• Knowledge of transportation planning processes and federal requirements (e.g., Title VI, ADA)
• Experience with collateral development, including websites, other digital and print materials
• Familiarity with public meeting facilitation techniques

Salary Range: $102,000.00 to $117,000.00

All employees of H-GAC are required to reside within the agency’s region of service to support our commitment to excellence in service of our region.

H-GAC is an equal opportunity/ADA employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, national origin, or protected veteran status.

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