The City of Kirkland’s Public Works Department is seeking to hire an Environmental Education & Outreach Coordinator!

Why Kirkland?  

The role of the Education & Outreach Coordinator is to research, develop, implement, and coordinate programs to promote community engagement, awareness, and/or behavior change in support of Department goals and projects. They are responsible for the oversight and coordination of assigned and developed communication and outreach programs, including the creation of web, print publications, media releases, and coordination of special events and outreach activities. They collaborate and coordinate with others to implement a variety of outreach and education programs. This position will primarily focus on stormwater and surface water projects and programs and will reside within the Storm & Surface Water Division.  The City has an interest in expanding the education and outreach program for water and sewer in the future and this position will likely help with that work. It will also support regional stormwater program development and implementation through participation on the STORM steering committee. An ideal candidate will be a data-driven decision maker with a strong skillset in data analysis and communication. They will have a solid understanding of behavior change principles and experience implementing behavior change programs. This position serves various internal and external customers, and a customer service-oriented mindset is a must.  

Distinguishing Characteristics: The Education & Outreach Coordinator independently facilitates activities and communications between departments, programs, cities, and other outside organizations, such as helping craft regional public outreach and education activities and materials through inter-agency committees. The Education & Outreach Coordinator performs the technical review and analysis of data and reports. In comparison, the Environmental Education & Outreach Specialist does not facilitate public engagement and primarily provides technical support for programs.  Multilingual skills are desirable but not required, particularly ability to speak, read, and/or write Spanish, Chinese, Korean, Russian, or Portuguese. 

Essential Functions: Essential functions, as defined under the Americans with Disabilities Act, may include any of the following representative duties, knowledge, and skills. This is not a comprehensive listing of all functions and duties performed by incumbents of this class; employees may be assigned duties which are not listed below; reasonable accommodations will be made as required. The job description does not constitute an employment agreement and is subject to change at any time by the employer. Essential duties and responsibilities may include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Develop outreach campaigns to inform, educate, and engage the public regarding City programs, projects, and relevant topics. Stay abreast of community trends and emerging issues, identify messaging needs, evaluate efficacy of existing materials, and create project plans including tactics and schedules. Provide outreach in support of one-time projects as well as ongoing programs.
• Develop community engagement and/or behavior change programs to build public support, solicit input and ideas, and help achieve division goals. Identify needs and assess gaps, set goals, research and develop possible approaches, and create project plans, budgets and schedules.
• Implement outreach campaigns, community engagement, and/or behavior change programs. Coordinate and host events, develop, procure, and distribute giveaways, and evaluating program and campaign efficacy.
• Coordinate with local, regional, and community-based outreach staff and partners on large-scale goals, programs, policies, and projects to meet goals and engage with the public effectively.
• Coordinate with internal stakeholders within and across departments to develop and implement programs, policies, and outreach campaigns to engage with the public effectively.
• Develop annual program outreach and engagement strategy and budget.
• Develop, implement and evaluate long-term outreach, education, engagement, and behavior change strategies. Analyze the effectiveness of programs and campaigns and assess progress towards division goals. Prepare reports with recommendations and updates on goals and projects.
• Create a variety of communications materials for use in social media, traditional media, digital, print, and other channels, as appropriate. Write communications material including press releases, email, social media, and advertising campaigns. Design, assist with, or oversee design of signs, advertising, and other visual materials.
• Create content for website and social media, including writing copy and designing or sourcing graphics. Manage and maintain division online presence, including City website and social media content and engagement.
• Coordinate and promote events and activities to educate and engage with community members. Provide planning and logistical support.
• Maintain understanding of current best practices and industry standards for public engagement, behavior change, and awareness outreach, especially in equitably reaching target audiences.
• Translate complex and/or technical information for a non-technical audience and communicate the value and importance of programs and goals. Edit, review, and proof annual reports and other material generated by others for accuracy, comprehension, and communication best practices. Maintain knowledge and understanding of current trends and practices in program industry and region. 

Peripheral Duties:

• May write or support preparation of grant applications. May manage grants and fulfill grant reporting requirements.
• Procure and manage consultant services to support outreach and engagement campaigns and programs. May include writing Requests for Qualifications, Proposals and Bids, interviewing and selecting contractors, approving contractor work and invoices, and negotiating and recommending contract changes.
• Serve as backup Public Information Officer during emergencies and disasters working within the City’s Emergency Operations Plan.

• Knowledge, experience, and/or training in division’s focus area.
• Knowledge of a range of public involvement and/or education/outreach methods and strategies.
• Knowledge of current literature, trends, and developments in the position’s specialization.
• Knowledge of the use of web-based communication and social media for communicating with the public.
• Knowledge of public opinion research techniques and various methods of application in governmental issues.
• Skilled in verbal and written communication.
• Skilled in operating personal computer hardware and software in developing written and graphical material.
• Skilled in organization, attention to detail, and ability to manage priorities simultaneously.
• Ability to interpret data to analyze community and program needs.
• Ability to work independently and as a member of a team.
• Ability to foresee and address potentially sensitive political situations.
• Ability to effectively de-escalate and respond to angry or upset customers.
• Ability to work with a diverse community and team.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Education: Bachelor’s degree in education, journalism, communications, marketing, public relations, environmental education, public policy, public administration, community planning, or related field.
• Experience: Three years of progressively responsible experience in developing and implementing communications, education, and/or outreach programs, including: two years program/project management experience in communications/education/outreach or a related field, preferably working in or with public agencies; and training and/or experience in community-based social marketing, graphic design, inclusive community engagement, project management, grant writing, conflict resolution, and/or video production.
• Or: In place of the above requirements, the incumbent may possess any combination of relevant education and experience which would demonstrate the individual’s knowledge, skill, and ability to proficiently perform the essential duties and responsibilities listed above.

Licenses and Other Requirements:

• Valid Washington State driver’s license.
• Civic or community organization experience is preferred.
• Ability to speak, read, and/or write other languages besides English, particularly languages with larger populations in Kirkland such as Spanish, Chinese, Korean, Russian, and Portuguese is preferred.

Physical Demands and Working Environment:  

• Position may require lifting of up to 20 pounds.
• Most work is performed in an office environment. Some work will be in the community or the field attending meetings, hosting trainings or workshops, providing outreach at public events, or conducting field visits. Requires occasional evening and weekend work.