Public Engagement Ambassador

Department of Transportation; New York (NY); On-site; USD 23,000 - 30,000; Part time

Job summary

Department of Transportation seeks Public Engagement Ambassadors to support outreach for Vision Zero and SIP projects. Duties include in-person outreach, survey facilitation, and field logistics support for street improvements in NYC.

Preferred skills include customer service, public speaking, GIS familiarity, and MS Office proficiency. Bilingual abilities and a driver’s license are a plus.

Qualifications

• Preference given to candidates with customer service and public interaction experience.
• Proficiency in MS Office; GIS knowledge is preferred.
• Spanish or Chinese language ability is a plus.

Responsibilities

• In person community outreach and field events coordination.
• Facilitate merchant and intercept surveys; collect and organize data.

Skills

Customer service

Public communication

Conflict resolution

Spanish language

Chinese language

Tools

Microsoft Office

Adobe Suite

GIS

Job description

The Department of Transportation’s (DOT) mission is to provide for the safe, efficient, and environmentally responsible movement of people and goods in the City of New York and to maintain and enhance the transportation infrastructure crucial to the economic vitality and quality of life of our primary customers, City residents. The Transportation Planning and Management Division (TP&M) is responsible for the safe, efficient, and environmentally responsible movement of people and goods on the City’s streets, supporting the larger goals of economic and social vitality for people living, working, and doing business in New York City. The Division’s responsibilities include planning, street design, technical analysis, signs, transit development, freight mobility and markings, ensuring the safety of motor vehicle occupants, pedestrians, and cyclists.

TP&M is seeking motivated candidates to assist in outreach for the Public Engagement Group (PEG), a critical outreach support team for the TP&M Division. This unit supports Vision Zero safety initiatives cited in the Agency's Strategic Plan and NYC Streets Plan and has been critical to the agency's public engagement strategy. PEG provides capacity for public input in the development of Street Improvement Projects (SIPs) and supports the explicit goals of Project-Based Outreach and Public Awareness. Field duties include: In person community outreach, merchant and intercept survey facilitation and data collection, assisting with field logistics, disseminating informational/ educational materials in support of field campaigns, staffing workshops and on-site outreach efforts, and documenting outreach through photography and video capture. Typical outreach centers on projects supporting infrastructure such as public plazas, bike lane development, Open Streets, busway/ bus lane development, Citi Bike expansion, etc.

In addition, Public Engagement Ambassadors (PEAs) will perform blended roles while supporting projects in the office. PEAs will develop outreach plans, synthesize outreach efforts and support projects through the creation deliverables post deployment. Additionally, PEAs may be asked to directly support one of three sub-units (Communications + Design, Data Analytics, Strategy). Office duties will include: Communications + Design- Multimedia support through the organization and maintaining of digital media assets, assisting with the creation of visual content for deliverables, digital platforms, and other public engagement materials. Opportunities also include supporting the Projects & Initiatives website and as well as additional creative projects; Strategy- Planning engagement campaigns, field logistics, project scheduling, volunteer management, the growth of internal career pipelines related to retention; Data Analytics- Provide direct support to the Data Analytics team, reporting to the GIS Developer. The PEA will: organize and clean data collected by the PEG field team, analyze datasets to uncover public sentiment on current and future street designs and DOT programs, and visualize data into clear and accessible reports to clearly communicate findings to relevant stakeholders in the TPM division.

This is an opportunity to work with a team dedicated to improving safety, accessibility, and mobility throughout New York City. The schedule is normally Monday through Friday. Shifts can be staggered to include some early morning or evening events as needed. Hours/ Shift: 35hrs/ 9:30 AM to 5:30 PM. Work Location: 55 Water Street, New York, NY.

CITY SEASONAL AIDE - 91406

Minimum Qualifications

While there are no formal education or experience requirements, certain programs may require such standards. Good physical condition is required for certain programs.

Preferred Skills

Preference given to candidates who have experience in customer service, communicating with the public, and conflict resolution. Ability to speak Spanish, Chinese, or another language. Proficient knowledge of Microsoft Office Suite, knowledge of Adobe Suite and some GIS preferred. Driver’s license a plus. Support concentrations: Communications + Design- Photography, Videography, Basic editing (photo/video), Digital asset organization Strategy- familiarity with request acquisitions, research and development, experience vetting potential vendors Data Analytics- Experience working with data analysis and data visualizations preferred.

Public Service Loan Forgiveness

As a prospective employee of the City of New York, you may be eligible for federal loan forgiveness programs and state repayment assistance programs. For more information, please visit the U.S. Department of Education’s website at https://studentaid.gov/pslf/.

Residency Requirement

New York City residency is generally required within 90 days of appointment. However, City Employees in certain titles who have worked for the City for 2 continuous years may also be eligible to reside in Nassau, Suffolk, Putnam, Westchester, Rockland, or Orange County. To determine if the residency requirement applies to you, please discuss with the agency representative at the time of interview.

Additional Information

The City of New York is an inclusive equal opportunity employer committed to recruiting and retaining a diverse workforce and providing a work environment that is free from discrimination and harassment based upon any legally protected status or protected characteristic, including but not limited to an individual's sex, race, color, ethnicity, national origin, age, religion, disability, sexual orientation, veteran status, gender identity, or pregnancy.