Project Coordinator (6 mo. position) - Active Transportation Alliance - Chicago, IL

Project Coordinator - Partnerships to Improve Community Health
Active Transportation Alliance 

Chicago, IL

In 2014, the Cook County Department of Public Health was awarded a federal Partnerships to Improve Community Health (PICH) grant by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to combat the high prevalence of obesity and heart disease in 33 underserved suburban Cook County communities. PICH is the newest generation in CDC’s long history of community health initiatives that aim to improve health and reduce the burden of chronic diseases. The program uses evidence- and practice-based strategies to create or strengthen healthy environments that make it easier for people to make healthy choices.

Active Transportation Alliance has been contracted to provide technical assistance services for this high profile, national project through September 2017, focusing on increasing opportunities for daily physical activity through walking, bicycling and transit use. Under the general supervision of the PICH Project Manager and the Senior Transportation Planner, the Project Coordinator’s primary responsibility is to provide coordination for planning and hosting community engagement activities that demonstrate Complete Streets approaches in eight suburban Cook County municipalities. The Coordinator will plan public workshops, develop site plans, and coordinate event-day activation of temporary demonstration projects.

This full-time, 6-month position will run from April 1, 2016 to September 30, 2016. Compensation will be $17/hour. Benefits are available.

Essential Duties and Accountabilities Project Coordination 

• Organize pre-workshop meetings, public workshops, and community events in coordination with Active Transportation Alliance staff, project consultants, and municipality partners. 
• Prepare promotional materials, including flyers and PowerPoint presentations. Deliver presentations and speak publicly on behalf of the project. 
• Prepare a how-to resource based on lessons learned during the project. 
• Track and report progress on project deliverables. 
• Community Engagement 
• In coordination with municipality partners, assist with promotion of community workshops to help ensure equitable representation from community members. 
• Attend community meetings and workshops, and document community feedback during the workshops. 
• Develop site plans summarizing feedback derived from diverse stakeholders. 

Site Activation

• Co-produce demonstration events in each of eight focus communities 
• Develop and execute ‘run of show’ plans for each event 
• Coordinate procurement of supplies 
• Manage day-of-event activities and tasks 
• Other Duties and Responsibilities 
• Frequent travel throughout suburban Cook County (roughly 60%) via public transportation and car share. An Illinois driver’s license is required. Project-related travel will be compensated. 
• Evening and weekend work hours required for community meetings, etc. 

Qualifying Experience

• A passion for and understanding of the transformational nature of walking, bicycling and transit on health, community livability, and sustainability. 
• Experience juggling multiple tasks in a dynamic, goal-oriented environment. 
• Superior communication skills and the ability to work with people of diverse racial, economic, and professional backgrounds, especially municipality staff and community stakeholders. 
• A bachelor’s or master’s degree in urban planning, or at least two years of work experience as an urban planner, is required. 
• Proficiency in ArcGIS and Adobe Creative Suites. 
• Fluency in Microsoft Office, including Word, Excel, Outlook and PowerPoint. 

Preferred Experience 

• Sophisticated understanding of active transportation issues, advocacy, and facilities. 
• Previous experience coordinating projects in a non-profit or public sector setting. 
• Experience with place-making projects and/or planning community events with at least 50-100 attendees. 
• Familiarity with suburban Cook County communities and units of government. 
• Physical Requirements 
• Ability to lift and carry items up to 25 lbs. 

For consideration:
Send a resume, cover letter, and two to three work samples (map, writing sample, and an Illustrator or InDesign generated product) to Hanna Kite at hanna@activetrans.org by March 15, 2016. You must include the words ‘PICH Project Coordinator’ in the subject line. Electronic submissions only; no mailed or faxed submissions will be accepted. No phone calls, please.

Project Specialist - Chicago, IL

Project Specialists
Place Lab, Knight Foundation Grant
Chicago, IL

As part of the University of Chicago’s efforts to enhance the arts, the Arts and Public Life Initiative actively encourages the development of relationships between the creative and artistic projects taking place at the University of Chicago with those that are taking place throughout the South Side of Chicago, the city and beyond. Arts and Public Life (APL) will strengthen and develop sustainable partnerships with local artists, design professionals, architects, developers, commerce professionals and researchers to focus on the creations of innovative placemaking models in Chicago, and various other US cities, to support small-scale, culture-driven development among traditional players in the enhancement of distressed neighborhoods, among traditional players in the development ecosystem. By advancing artistic ambition through collaborations, master planning, architecture, landscapes, product mix, and interiors, the place can be a catalyst for public art, creativity and placemaking. Arts and Public Life Initiative, through a 3-year grant entitled the Place Lab, will seek to implement demonstration projects in selected cities and host learning events, workshops and convenings to complete demonstrations, and publish research and lessons from the projects.

About the Job:

Place Lab is seeking three individuals for one-year term positions. The Place Lab Project Specialists will be responsible for working with the Program Manager of Place Lab to manage and implement community engagement strategies and oversee local demonstration initiatives. Place Lab, a University of Chicago project, will help to document and demonstrate a community development model that supports arts and culture as a strategy for transforming communities and promoting local growth and vibrancy. Place Lab will jumpstart cultural development by bringing together artists, designers, organizations, urban planners, and policy experts in cities across the country. The successful candidates will work closely with the Program Manager, community members, and partner organizations to further the Place Lab initiatives and to implement the Place Lab’s demonstration projects.

Place Lab is seeking applicants across a broad spectrum to fill multiple specialties and is looking for a candidate pool with experience including but not limited to: urban planning, design, community organizing, community engagement, and workshop facilitation.

The positions require a high degree of organizational skills, attention to detail and the ability to complete independent projects as well as to work in a team environment. The successful candidates will be responsible for assisting the Program Manager with the creation and implementation of public programming, crafting and editing Place Lab narratives and other publications, synthesizing content, drafting and delivering presentations, and creating and maintaining effective public relations with educational, institutional and governmental representatives, business and community agency personnel, students and members of the community. Other responsibilities include collaborating with local organizations to implement activities to advance the Place Lab initiatives. The Place Lab Project Specialists report to the Program Manager.

The individuals will serve as liaisons between partner organizations and other collaborators by attending meetings, responding to information requests and resolving issues as they may arise. The successful candidates will manage multiple tasks with a demonstrated ability to review and prioritize work.

Education:
Candidates must have a bachelor’s degree in the social sciences, architecture, urban planning, design, cultural studies, humanities, or related field of study.

Experience:
A minimum of three years of progressively responsible experience in the applicable field.

Competencies:

• Must be able to facilitate group meetings to identify and assess the needs of the community.
• Must be able to provide active participation in projects designed to reinforce the Place Lab initiatives as they relate to the individual needs of the community. 
• Provide a community leadership role through mentoring individuals serving in the local organizations.
• Ability to maintain calm and courteous demeanor and to work productively despite heavy workload, competing priorities, complex problems, and tight deadlines required. 
• Must have the ability to set-up effective systems and processes and follow them. 
• Ability to follow an issue through to the requisite resolution. 
• Considerable skill in working both independently and as a team member required. 
• Must exhibit demeanor appropriate to the office and to work with other units collaboratively, cooperatively, and productively. 
• Ability to take initiative and organize and complete projects with minimal supervision required. 
• Must have excellent interpersonal, oral, and written communication skills required.
• Must be proficient with Microsoft Office Suite software, including MS Outlook, Excel, and PowerPoint, and also with Adobe Acrobat Professional. Must have proficiently with other Adobe software. 

To apply:
Visit http://www.uchicago.edu/jobs/
Requisition number: 099941