The Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC) is the regional planning and intergovernmental coordination agency that focuses on issues critical to the region’s success, including growth and development, transportation, water resources, services for older adults and workforce solutions. ARC is dedicated to unifying the region’s collective resources to prepare the metropolitan area for a prosperous future. This is done through professional planning initiatives, the provision of objective information, and community involvement in collaborative partnerships.

The Atlanta Regional Commission is looking for an experienced Planner to provide daily oversight for community engagement activities for ARC’s Transportation, Access & Mobility Group, which functions as the Atlanta region’s Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO). This Community Engagement Planner (CEP) will lead the development of a community engagement strategy for ARC’s transportation programs with a focus on enhancing diversity, equity, and inclusion. The strategy will include developing and implementing engagement plans for the Regional Transportation Plan and modal studies. The strategy will also require the development of guidelines and standards for special transportation studies funded and managed by ARC staff, outreach protocols and advertisement notices for the Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) and project solicitation process. The purpose is to ensure all projects and programs meet federal transportation requirements.

Additionally, the CEP will periodically update ARC’s various resident guides to transportation and community engagement, ARC’s Limited English Proficiency (LEP) Plan and the Title VI plan per federal requirements. They will manage to place public meeting notices in legal organs for a plan and TIP Amendments and providing oversight for public comment at all transportation committee meetings (including MPO Committees such as the TAQC and TCC). The position co-facilitates the Transportation Equity Advisory Group (TEAG). This position will also provide in-house technical assistance to internal and external stakeholders on community engagement plans, outreach and survey tools, websites, social media and other techniques. When called upon, the position also provides staff support on agency-wide initiatives or events that involve the public, local state, and regional stakeholders or community groups.

The ideal candidate will be a professional with skills and experience working with the public, a strong strategic and innovative thinker, exceptional people and organizational skills, and self organized and motivated. The position requires a team-oriented individual and advanced knowledge of community planning and engagement principles, and an interest in transportation planning and policy. Some meetings are outside of the regular hours of business operations and may include evening and weekend meetings.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
• Serves as the lead staffer in developing and executing a community engagement strategy for the Regional Transportation Plan, Transportation Improvement Program and the planning initiatives of the Transportation, Access and Mobility Group;

• Leads and prepares federally mandated community engagement planning processes and documents, including the Limited English Proficiency Plan, the Title VI Plan, the federally required Community Engagement Plan, public outreach requirements for the Regional Transportation Plan, Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) amendments, as well as other requirements that may come about through federal legislation or rule making;

• Serves as public comment lead for ARC committees (TAQC and TCC), communicates with ARC Board and committee members, including interacting with county commissioners, mayors, state and local agency leadership, and other elected officials and senior staff;

• Serves as a project manager on major regional projects; serves as a liaison with federal, state and local officials; serves as project team member for projects undertaken by other groups and/or organizations; consults and/or leads community engagement tasks of local and regional transportation studies; facilitates public engagement process, attends meetings, prepares and delivers public presentations; develops new strategies and initiatives; manages budgets, contracts and/or consultant teams; attends partner events; develops and manages project information including digital communications;

• Serves as a technical and/or subject-matter expert in community engagement in an urban and regional planning context; researches and deploys useful and innovative public engagement tools and practices, with a focus on equity and inclusion; provides advice and consultation to partners and clients in the region; develops and nurtures relationships with partners and member organizations;

• Convenes and facilitates meetings; prepares content and presentations; coordinates with other ARC groups to support agency events, conferences and workshops, leadership programs, and communications and marketing;

• Serves as a lead worker, assigning work and monitoring work completion and/or supervises contract and/or temporary staff, as assigned;

• Perform other duties as assigned to support agency goals and objectives.

REQUIRED KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, ABILITIES AND COMPETENCIES:
• Knowledge of community and public engagement best practices, current and innovative approaches, techniques and tools;

• Knowledge of urban and regional planning principles and federal transportation planning at the regional level, including federal regulations, policies and procedures;

• Ability to chair and facilitate interagency meetings, including local, state and federal partners; • Ability to work well with all ranges of a diverse group of stakeholders, including elected officials, senior staffers and the public;

• Ability to work independently and work effectively in a team environment;

• Ability to think critically while managing multiple tasks at the same time;

• Ability to travel periodically (local and regional) and attend some meetings after hours;

• Proficient with Microsoft Office applications.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS (equivalent combination acceptable):
• Master’s degree in urban or regional planning, public administration, social sciences, marketing and communications, or related field

• Three (3) years of professional planning or community engagement experience

PREFERRED QUALIFICATION:
• Five (5) years of professional planning or community engagement experience in a regional planning setting

SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS:
In addition to the detailed examples of responsibilities and abilities contained herein, all Atlanta Regional Commission employees are expected to model behavior consistent with the guiding principles outlined in our Evolution Strategy. Specifically, incumbents are responsible for demonstrating work habits that are:

1. Interdisciplinary by promoting professional and interpersonal connections and integration across functional disciplines;
2. Holistic by seeking expertise within the team, Group, or Agency to produce his/her work output, and demonstrating a strong understanding of and support for interrelationships between their work and the work of others in the team, Group, or Agency;
3. Actionable by continuously striving to improve his/her capabilities to produce sustainable outcomes and displaying a strong need for achievement and a high energy level to attain goals;
4. Outcome-Based by taking the initiative to meet goals and expectations, and consistently striving to produce tangible results with significant visible impact, and; 5. Targeted toward Ensuring Colleagues’ Success by willingly and deliberately providing his/her expertise to others to build and sustain effective internal and external working relationships and modeling behaviors that consistently demonstrate concern for colleagues’ success, needs, respect, trust, and integrity.

ANNUAL SALARY RANGE:
$58,604 – $99,627 (no SS deductions except for Medicare portion, approx. 1.45% of salary)

ARC is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, religion or disability in employment or the provision of services.