Come work with us! Commute Seattle is looking for a new Education and Outreach Specialist. See the full job description below, and apply by May 15, 2023 for priority consideration.
POSITION TITLE
Education and Outreach Specialist
STATUS
Full-time, Non-Exempt
Commute Seattle is a 501c(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2004 with a mission to foster mobility partnerships and services to keep Seattle moving and thriving for all. Commute Seattle staff works to make it easy to walk, bike, ride, and roll for the 600,000 people who go to work or school in Seattle every day. We are supported by local governments, transit agencies, the Downtown Seattle Association, and the Metropolitan Improvement District. Commute Seattle partners with employers, community nonprofits, and institutions to implement sustainable transportation options that positively change people’s behavior, improve quality of life, and support economic and environmental goals. The Education and Outreach Specialist is a vital part of a team supporting a nationally recognized Transportation Demand Management program in a city with a growing transit system and a protected bike network.
POSITION DESCRIPTION
The person in this position will be part of the Commute Seattle team that works with businesses, nonprofits, property managers, and partner organizations to expand access to affordable public transit for Seattle travelers. This person will promote ORCA Business transit pass programs, educate employers about the commuter benefits available to them and their employees, and help develop promotional materials and campaigns.
Core elements of this role include:
- Daily meetings or phone calls with small and medium-sized organizations to help them understand their transportation needs and the options available to them.
- Weekly outreach and partnership development with community-based organizations to connect new employers with mobility resources.
- Ongoing development of messaging, promotional materials, incentive campaigns, and other marketing strategies.
- Commitment to expanding access to employer-provided transit passes, especially to individuals who have low or no income; are Black, Indigenous, or other people of color; are immigrants or refugees; have disabilities; or are linguistically diverse.
Above all, this person should listen compassionately to customers’ lived experiences, and think critically about how to develop fruitful, two-way relationships with community partners. A successful candidate will demonstrate commitment to stewarding relationships with care and authenticity and will be energized by working directly with people.
RESPONSIBILITIES
- Ensure that all customer inquiries are met with prompt, empathetic, and comprehensive responses from Commute Seattle staff; direct process for collecting customer feedback annually.
- Assist with the development of business-to-business marketing campaigns and generate promotional content for digital and print applications.
- Complete simple postcard, flyer, poster, and other design projects throughout the year, using Commute Seattle’s branding guidelines and stock photography.
- Support marketing campaigns, promotions, and communications that encourage individuals to use sustainable commute modes, including incentivizing transit use.
- Coordinate and staff outreach events including, but not limited to, commuter education events, employer seminars, open houses, and others. These events may be outside of typical 9 am-5 pm hours. Off-site engagements may comprise as much as 20% of this person’s staff time.
- Identify and steward new partnerships and strategies that reach new audiences, especially those who are likely to employ low-income and/or marginalized workers. Maintain existing relationships with similar organizations.
- Perform necessary administration and client relationship management functions such as data entry, recordkeeping, program measurement and evaluation, goal setting, reporting, correspondence, and protocol development.
- Other duties as assigned.
Minimum Qualifications
- Familiarity with, or enthusiasm to learn, Adobe products including Illustrator and InDesign.
- Strong customer service orientation, and passion for direct engagement with customers and partners. In-person outreach is a core element of the job.
- The candidate must be detail-oriented and have strong organizational skills to manage a high volume of customer service relations and database management. Experience managing ongoing customer relationships and/or accounts preferred.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills, as well as the ability to organize and share complex information clearly and concisely. Public speaking experience.
- Related employment or educational experience, which may include client management, relationship management, and public outreach.
- Competency and/or willingness to learn with Microsoft Outlook products, Google Suite, Zoom, and MailChimp.
Desirable Qualifications
- Passion for walking, biking, transit, sustainability, and affordability.
- Experience communicating with multicultural audiences, particularly BIPOC, immigrant, and English as a Second Language communities.
- Experience with marketing, including design work with Adobe Creative Suite or communications work through a product like MailChimp or WordPress.
CHARACTERISTICS
- Energized by working with people and moving about the city; enjoys attending educational events as part of their job, as well as their ongoing professional development.
- Demonstrates empathy and active listening when working with customers, coworkers, partners, and funders; responsive communication and desires to resolve issues completely and promptly.
- Commitment to equity and social justice with an understanding of the role that racism, ableism, sexism, and other forms of bias and oppression play in perpetuating inequity.
- Humility, sense of humor, comfort with ambiguity, and servant leadership.
- Respect that communities have the front-line expertise and experience essential in pursuing a just society and sustainable environment. We seek to support solutions that are self-determined by those impacted, respecting they are experts and balancing lived experience with data-informed practices.
- Ability to weave and work within all Commute Seattle’s intersecting areas of focus including sustainable transportation, improved quality of life, and a thriving and mobile city.
- Willingness and comfort to engage with evolving and shifting portfolio of job duties.
WHY WORK HERE
Located in the homeland of the Duwamish People, Seattle is a fast-growing city where 3 out of 4 people walk, bike, roll, bus, or telework to school or work. With 20 new light rail stations opening across the region in the next two years, the city is about to embark on the largest transportation change in its history.
Commute Seattle is a nationally recognized Transportation Management Association and community-driven nonprofit organization. We improve the quality of life for people in the Puget Sound region by making it easy, affordable, and stress-free to walk, bike, and bus to Seattle. Our staff enjoys team bike rides, transit trips to baseball games, trivia nights, walk-and-talks, and so much more!
A day in the life at Commute Seattle looks like consulting with people who make transportation and policy decisions at some of the largest businesses in our region, finding creative opportunities to collaborate with public agencies, and centering community partners like Peace Peloton, El Centro de la Raza, and many more.
COMPENSATION
We are committed to internal and market equity and offer an hourly rate of $28.88 to $32.03 for this position.
We also provide:
- *Medical/Dental/Vision Coverage
- PTO/Personal Holidays
- *Paid FMLA
- *Life Insurance
- *LTD
- *ORCA Card
- Flexible Spending Account
- Employer-Matched 401(k) Contribution with up to 5% Match
- *First Choice EAP
- Corporate Discounts
- Generous paid time off
- 11 paid holidays
*Employer-paid benefits
ACCESSIBILITY
We are committed to creating conditions where all candidates can fully express their talents and potential and invite you to let us know if there are accommodations that we can provide to support you in your pursuit of this role.
TO APPLY
This position is open until filled; apply by Monday, May 15th for priority consideration.
Please send ONE (1) document combining your resume and cover letter to Kendle Bjelland at kendleb@commuteseattle.com with the position title and your last name (e.g. Education and Outreach Specialist LASTNAME) in the subject line to ensure consideration.
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We recognize the value of the Downtown Seattle Association and our affiliate organizations and programs reflecting the diversity of the community we serve and are intentionally and actively seeking out applications from a variety of backgrounds, including members of the LGBTQIA+ community, and Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC).
Downtown Seattle Association is an equal-opportunity employer. All employees and potential employees will be recruited, selected, trained, promoted, and, if necessary, disciplined without regard to sex, race, religion, creed, marital status, age, national origin, ancestry, color, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, political ideology or activity, disability, honorably discharged veteran or military status. All applicants are carefully screened, and full consideration is given to their training, education, skills, aptitudes, experience, and previous work record. In addition, DSA does not discriminate based on genetic information in its employment-related policies and practices, including coverage under its health benefits program.
NO TELEPHONE CALLS PLEASE