Communications-Outreach Principal
Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning
Professional Area:
Other topics not covered above
Experience:
More than 10 years
Contact person:
Catherine Holland-Hatcher
Phone:
312-386-8772
Email:
chollandhatcher@cmap.illinois.gov
Location:
Chicago, IL
CMAP Communications Program
Outreach Principal (COP092015)
Organization:
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Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning
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Job Category:
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Outreach Principal
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Experience Required:
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8 to 12 years
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Salary Range:
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$86,200 to $106,850
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The Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning (CMAP) is seeking to hire a full-time employee who will guide the organization's outreach to stakeholders in the region and state, including elected officials, civic and non-profit groups, the business community, and the general public. The position is expected to be filled at the Principal level. Compensation will be commensurate with qualifications and experience.
CMAP is the official regional planning organization for the northeastern Illinois counties of Cook, DuPage, Kane, Kendall, Lake, McHenry, and Will. CMAP developed and now guides the implementation of metropolitan Chicago’s comprehensive regional plan, GO TO 2040, which was adopted unanimously by leaders from across the seven counties in fall 2010. To address anticipated population growth of more than 2 million new residents, GO TO 2040 establishes coordinated strategies that help the region’s 284 communities address transportation, housing, economic development, open space, the environment, and other quality-of-life issues. See www.cmap.illinois.gov for more information.
Position Description
The Outreach Principal will develop and execute a region-wide campaign to build stakeholder networks in support of CMAP and its priorities for land use, transportation, and related factors that shape quality of life. The Principal will lead outreach for the agency's current, on-going activities in planning, policy, and programming and for a major update to the region's comprehensive plan that is now in development, scheduled for adoption in October 2018.
Outreach for the comprehensive plan update will build gradually to a peak in mid-2017, when the broadest engagement will involve not only partners and other CMAP stakeholders, but also residents across the region. The Outreach Principal will plan and implement outreach for this campaign, which will be highly visible to build support across the seven-county region.
In addition to engaging general and topic-specific stakeholders, the Outreach Principal will lead more intensive engagement with CMAP partners who are central to both developing and implementing the comprehensive regional plan. These include transportation implementers, municipalities, counties, civic organizations, and the private sector.
The position will require 30 percent in-region travel (i.e., out of the office but not overnight), which may briefly reach or exceed 80 percent during occasional periods of maximum engagement. Reporting to CMAP's Deputy Executive Director for Communications and Outreach, the Principal will directly oversee multiple professional staff members, with additional outreach support provided by other staff across the agency.
Responsibilities
The Outreach Principal will work closely with executive staff to craft near-term and long-term outreach plans that promote implementation of CMAP recommendations at regional, local, and state levels. Responsibilities include:
- Lead development and execution of a multi-year strategic plan to engage existing agency partners and build relationships with new ones.
- Conduct innovative outreach that adds value to agency-wide activities and to topic-specific activities in planning, policy, and programming.
- Establish and maintain effective relationships with officials from the government, non-profit, and private sectors.
- Identify and arrange external speaking opportunities for the Executive Director and other senior staff.
- Manage and mentor outreach staff.
- Organize, attend, and/or participate in special events and promotions.
- Occasionally attend or preside over meetings held after-hours or, very occasionally, on weekends.
- Procure and deploy specialized web tools for engaging stakeholders and the public.
- Collect and analyze metrics of outreach success.
Qualifications
The ideal candidate should be highly creative, with a passion for finding innovative approaches to engaging multiple constituencies. The Principal should be skilled at building relationships between businesses, non-profits, and government. Prior experience should ideally include work in the private sector reaching out to public agencies and elected officials, or at government entities reaching out to business leaders.
The Outreach Principal should have:
- Extensive contacts across the Chicago region in one or more of the following:
- Business
- Transportation
- Local, state, and/or federal government
- Non-profits
- Excellent communication skills, including spoken and written.
- Strong detail orientation with dedication to producing high-quality materials and results.
- Deep belief in public engagement as central to maintaining transparency and building broad support for agency objectives.
- Knowledge of how social media and community organizing software can build and measure stakeholder support.
- Experience at managing staff and consultants.
The following traits are also desirable:
- Skills in public speaking for audiences large and small.
- Familiarity with issues related to land use, transportation, and related topics of planning, policy, and programming.
- Willingness to "cold call" senior executives and their staffs to establish relationships.
- Strength in building contact lists for targeted engagement.
- Ability to establish rapport with varied individuals, including elected officials and business leaders.
Education and/or Experience
Minimum of Bachelor's degree (with Master's preferred) related to external relations, public administration, communications, or other relevant field. Should have at least two to three years' experience in managing staff and eight years' experience conducting public outreach.
How to Apply
Applicants should apply online at https://cmap.hyrell.com. Position open until filled.
The Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning is an Equal Opportunity Employer.