Senior Associate — Public Engagement & Negotiation

University of Virginia; Charlottesville (VA); Hybrid; USD 65,000 - 75,000; Full time

Job summary

University of Virginia’s Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service seeks a Senior Associate for the Institute for Engagement & Negotiation (IEN) in Charlottesville, VA. The role focuses on stakeholder engagement, client communication, and meeting facilitation, with responsibilities in budget management, proposal development, and intern supervision.

The ideal candidate brings 4+ years in project management or facilitation, a Bachelor's degree, and a commitment to equity-focused engagement.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or combination of education and related experience in lieu of a degree required.
• 4+ years of relevant experience required. (Relevant work experience must be in project management or facilitation.)
• Master’s Degree and/or 5+ years of related work experience preferred.
• Experience in facilitating spaces where issues of systemic racism, equity, and historical disparities inform stakeholder engagement and desired outcomes
• Virginia Mediator certification
• Experience in two or more the following: stakeholder engagement, conflict management, mediation, negotiation, facilitation.
• Substantive experience in two or more of the following: natural resources, health, climate resilience, community resilience, environmental and social justice, environmental and racial and social equity, land use, sustainability, or food systems.
• Knowledge of public outreach and stakeholder best practices and ethics
• Knowledge of current issues relating to Virginia's built and natural environment
• Familiarity with local, state, and federal environmental policy, regulations, programs, and institutions
• Multilingual skills (Spanish preferred)
• High proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite and One365/ SharePoint/ Teams

Responsibilities

• Support IEN project teams via stakeholder engagement and client communication.
• Lead meeting facilitation and coordinate meeting logistics.
• Manage project budgets and assist with proposal development.
• Supervise student interns and contribute to IEN trainings and presentations.
• Demonstrate proactive planning, coordination, and ability to manage multiple complex projects.

Skills

Project management

Facilitation

Stakeholder engagement

Negotiation

Conflict management

Multilingual Spanish

Education

Bachelor's degree

Master’s degree preferred

Tools

Microsoft Office

SharePoint/Teams

Job description

University of Virginia’s Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service seeks a Senior Associate for the Institute for Engagement & Negotiation (IEN) in Charlottesville, VA. The role focuses on stakeholder engagement, client communication, and meeting facilitation, with responsibilities in budget management, proposal development, and intern supervision.

The ideal candidate brings 4+ years in project management or facilitation, a Bachelor's degree, and a commitment to equity-focused engagement.