Transit Outreach Coordinator presso City of Santa Maria, CA

About the Department

The Transit Division of the Public Works Department is recruiting for a Transit Outreach Coordinator (Outreach Coordinator classification). The Transit Outreach Coordinator is the primary public-facing representative of the Transit Division, responsible for developing outreach strategies, coordinating events, and managing communications to keep the community informed about Transit services. Working under general direction, this position collaborates with City staff, partners, and stakeholders to promote services, gather feedback, and strengthen community connections. This position also performs field checks to monitor transit on-time performance and driver/passenger quality standards.  

Under general direction of assigned supervisor, works closely with City staff and community partners to promote Department services and programs to target audiences. Supervision is not normally a responsibility of this classification, but may act as lead worker for temporarily assigned employees, or special projects.  

The Outreach Coordinator position is an Individual Contributor role that serves as the primary public-facing representative for its assigned Department. Their role enables community members to stay informed on City services and programs.  

The ideal candidate is a collaborative and community-focused professional who brings strong communication, organizational, and outreach skills to the Transit Division. They will have experience developing and implementing outreach programs, preparing marketing materials, and coordinating public engagement strategies that reflect community needs. They are comfortable representing the City at public events, conducting presentations, and building partnerships with stakeholders, contractors, and community organizations. The ideal candidate is technologically adept, with the ability to manage social media, maintain records, and support website content.

The ideal candidate is comfortable working in a fast-paced environment and can balance multiple priorities. Above all, the individual is customer-oriented and committed to providing excellent service to Santa Maria residents, upholding the City’s values, and contributing to the success of the Transit Division.

REQUIRED SUBMITTALS 

1. Complete online application. 
2. A cover letter that explains how your education and experience align with the Ideal Candidate Statement. 
3. Applicants are highly encouraged to upload examples of work from previous outreach campaigns.

Full Job Description: Outreach Coordinator

Position Duties

ESSENTIAL DUTIES/RESPONSIBILITIES

These duties are a representative example; position assignments may vary depending on the business needs of the department and organization.  This position:

• Develops,  plans, and,  implements community outreach programs and marketing materials while complying with Department budget.
• Coordinates focus groups  and public engagement strategies to gather community input, concerns, and needs.
• Coordinates and attends outreach events to promote Department services and programs.  
• Conducts reports, written and oral correspondence, and presentations.
• Works closely with City staff, community partners, stakeholders, and other external parties to accomplish Department objectives. Scope of assigned area will depend on departmental structure and is at the discretion of the department director.  
• Upholds the values of the organization and has strong customer service orientation.
• Performs other related projects and duties as assigned.
• Demonstrates regular, reliable and punctual attendance.

 Positions assigned to the Transit Division within the Public Works Department may:

• Perform transit field checks such as on-time performance and driver/passenger quality standards.  
• Assist with managing the Division’s website and social media pages. 
• Monitor the performance of contractors assigned to public engagement development. 
• Maintain and organize Division records. 

Individual Contributor:

Incumbents should have a solid foundation of the following core competencies identified by the organization to be essential and listed in order of importance (click the hyperlink to see the full definition of Individual Contributor Competencies):

• Team Player - Effective performers are team oriented, share resources, respond to requests, and support a spirit of cooperative effort.
• Customer Orientation - Effective performers are in touch with community needs and review the organization through the eyes of Santa Maria residents. They go out of their way to anticipate needs. 
• Integrity - Effective performers think and act ethically and honestly, take responsibility for their actions and foster a work environment where integrity is rewarded.
• Communicativeness - Effective performers recognize the essential value of continuous information exchange and the competitive advantage it brings. They actively seek information from a variety of sources  and  disseminate  it  in  a variety  of  ways.  They  use  modern  technologies  to  access  and circulate information, even across great distances. They take responsibility for ensuring that their people have the current and accurate information needed for success.
• Initiative - Effective performers are proactive and take action without being prompted. They do not wait to be told what to do or when to do it. They see a need, take responsibility, and act on it. They make things happen. 
• Composure - Effective performers maintain emotional control, even under ambiguous or stressful circumstances, and demonstrate emotions appropriate to the situation.
• Functional/Technical Expertise - Effective performers are knowledgeable and skilled in a functional specialty (e.g., finance, public works, planning, information technology, human resources, etc.), and remain current in their area of expertise.
• Problem Solving & Decision Making - Effective performers identify problems, solve them, act decisively, and show good judgment.
• Learning Agility - Effective performers continuously seek new knowledge, are curious, learn quickly, and use new information effectively.
• Drive/Energy - Effective performers have a high level of energy and are ambitious and passionate about their role. They have stamina and endurance to maintain a fast pace.

Minimum Qualifications

• Ideally, one year of experience working with community outreach programs; and
• An equivalent combination of education and experience sufficient to successfully perform the essential duties of the job such as those listed above; or
• Current technical/professional knowledge of complex principles, methods, standards and techniques associated with the scope of work of a recognized profession, such as:
  • Public outreach
  • Effective verbal, written, and interpersonal communication skills.
  • Microsoft Office Suite (or equivalent). 
  • Use computer and other office equipment effectively. 

Other Qualifications

CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT

• Possession of a valid and appropriate Driver License. Must have and maintain a satisfactory driving record and meet City liability requirements to drive for City business.  
• Requires completion of a background investigation to the satisfaction of the City.
• The incumbent must meet the physical requirements of the job class and have mobility, balance, coordination, vision, hearing and dexterity levels appropriate to the duties to be performed. 

SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION

• May require completion of a pre-employment physical to the satisfaction of the City.
• Reasonable accommodation(s) for an individual with a qualified disability will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

Candidates who meet the minimum qualifications for this recruitment will be certified to an eligibility list. Your online application materials will be thoroughly evaluated and scored to determine your rank on this list. The Hiring Department will then select and interview those candidates from the eligibility list whose qualifications most closely align with the Department's specific needs.