Hiring Now! Assistant Project Coordinator

About the role

The Assistant Project Coordinator (APC) is a full-time, entry-level role on the front lines of public outreach and stakeholder engagement for Arellano Associates' project teams. This position offers a launchpad into a career in public outreach and project delivery, with ample room for growth within the company.

Responsibilities

• Content Creation: Draft written text for collateral materials including fact sheets, brochures, newsletters, posters, e-communications, and social media content.
• Messaging Support: Help tailor draft content to project goals and different audiences, building an understanding of how messaging shifts depending on the community and client you're working with.
• Event Coordination: Support in-person public engagement events such as public meetings, pop-ups, and special events, including logistics, supplies, and staffing.
• Public Interaction: Engage directly with community members at outreach events, facilitate participation, and help gather public feedback that shapes project strategy.
• Tech Tools & AI: Apply the latest tech tools, including AI tools such as ChatGPT, Copilot, and Claude, to communicate project information and gather public input, using platforms like ArcGIS, SurveyMonkey, MetroQuest, Poll Everywhere, Typeform, Google Forms, Constant Contact, Salesforce, SharePoint, and WordPress.
• Creative Production: Use Adobe Creative Suite programs, including InDesign, Illustrator, Photoshop, and Premiere Pro, for basic file creation and editing.
• Vendor Coordination: Coordinate vendor services including printing, catering, translation and interpretation, and toll-free phone lines.
• Database & Website Management: Keep stakeholder databases, project websites, and social media content current and accurate.
• Digital Engagement: Monitor public input coming through email, project websites, helplines, and online engagement tools, and flag issues or notable responses to your project manager promptly.
• Task Tracking: Organize and maintain project documentation, support scheduling, and help the team track progress and coordinate resources.
• Project Support: Complete tasks within timeframes and budget parameters, helping ensure timely and cost-effective delivery.
• Issue Communication: Communicate issues and challenges to your project manager promptly.

What We Look For

• Learning Agility: You take feedback well and treat the unfamiliar as something to figure out rather than avoid. You are comfortable asking questions, jumping into something new, and curious about new technologies.
• Ownership and Follow-Through: You follow through on what you say you will do, whether that's a deadline on a fact sheet or a task from a morning check-in. When something's off, you speak up early instead of hoping it resolves itself, and you take pride in getting the details right.
• Collaboration and Mentoring: You work well with others and know a project runs better when everyone's pulling in the same direction. You help teammates succeed, whether that's covering an event when someone's out or walking a newer team member through a process you've already learned. Ultimately, you make the people around you better at their jobs.
• Curiosity with Technology and AI: You're comfortable picking up new software and tools, including AI tools like ChatGPT, Copilot, or Claude, and applying them to real tasks. Whether that's drafting a first pass at a newsletter or researching a project topic, you know good AI use means checking the work, not just accepting it.
• Professionalism: You represent yourself, Arellano Associates, and our clients well in every interaction. From a public meeting to an internal email. You ask questions rather than guess, show up on time and prepared, and handle mistakes with maturity.

Minimum Requirements

• Experience: 0 to 3 years of experience in public outreach, marketing, communications, public relations, government relations, planning, public policy, or a related discipline. This is an entry-level role, so prior experience is a plus, not a requirement.
• Education: A bachelor's degree is preferred, though not required, in a field such as Business, Communications, Urban Planning, Design, or a technology-oriented field like Computer Science, Information Technology, or Data Analytics.
• Availability: Available to attend public meetings and events during workday, evening, and weekend hours.
• Attitude: A genuine interest in making an impact on local communities, along with a positive attitude and enthusiasm for community engagement.