Communications Specialist I

Who We Are
McCormick Taylor, Inc. is a full-service civil engineering firm providing communications, public engagement, planning, and environmental solutions to the challenges of everyday life. Since 1946, we have focused on our relationships with people—our employees, our clients, and the communities we serve. Our culture matters because our people matter. We strive to create pathways for career advancement that suit the individual. We embrace hybrid work flexibility and the cultural shift toward a greater work-life balance. As a company, we have grown over 75 years and 17 offices by building our team around people that share our passion for meaningful and impactful work. We are an Equal Opportunity Employer that celebrates and recognizes the unique backgrounds of each of our employees and applicants.

This Role’s Reach
A Communications Specialist at McCormick Taylor is an integral and impactful member of our team, our clients’ operations, and the wider community. The person in this role will take part in the development and implementation of communications strategies that effectively inform, educate, and engage audiences in our clients’ project development processes at any stage ranging from the study phase through final engineering design and/or construction. They will assist with the implementation of public engagement opportunities that enable interested individuals to learn more about planning processes and projects that shape their local communities; help government agencies, transit agencies, and non-profit advocacy groups solve problems; educate the public and decision makers with creative visualizations and interactive web tools; and preserve critical environmental resources, farmland, and open space.

Who We’re Looking For
McCormick Taylor has an immediate opening for a Communications Specialist in its growing Communications & Planning Services group. The ideal candidate will have experience coordinating and supporting public-facing communications plans and programs, while utilizing various outreach platforms and publicity tools, including social media and websites, videos, infographics, newsletters, fact sheets, reports, and presentations. The role includes client-facing opportunities in support of projects across McCormick Taylor’s various office locations.

The position involves supporting community outreach and public involvement programs for public-sector clients, including state departments of transportation (DOTs), transit agencies, regional planning entities and metropolitan planning organizations (MPOs), and county and local governments. Projects may include multimodal transportation plans and programs, community planning initiatives, environmental studies, cultural resources (historic and archaeological), and energy projects. The desired candidate will work with project teams in the completion of various communications deliverables designed to reach various audiences, including elected officials, key stakeholders, and communities. The applicant should bring strong writing and organizational skills and be willing to work across various technical disciplines to convey complex information in an easy-to-understand way.

Responsibilities:
•    Coordinate and implement communications strategies.
•    Support communications programming and development.
•    Collaborate with creative and technical staff members.
•    Work with key staff to brainstorm and develop creative content.
•    Research and write content for project websites, social media programs, infographics, blogs, and newsletters, and other communications collaterals.
•    Compose technical documents that present findings using clear language and graphical elements.
•    Organize, plan, and coordinate meetings and events with officials, stakeholders, and the public.
•    Support and evaluate results of communication campaigns.
•    Develop relationships with clients and industry partners.
•    Acquire and maintain a detailed knowledge of industry activities, and keep up-to-date with relevant policies, legislation, and regulations.
•    Maintain a detailed knowledge of leading-edge communication practices and technologies.

Minimum Qualifications:
•    Bachelor’s Degree in Communications, Public Relations, Journalism, or a related field
•    2-5 years of experience
•    Excellent communication, interpersonal, and presentation skills
•    Strong organizational, time management, and critical thinking skills with superior attention to detail
•    Knowledge of communications best practices and concepts
•    Ability to multi-task and work collaboratively within a large team of planners, engineers, graphic designers, web designers, and communication specialists
•    Ability to organize and present data and technical information in an efficient and clear manner
•    Experience in writing, proofreading, and editing
•    Maintain high standards and work quality while demonstrating innovation and creativity on client projects
•    Strategic and creative mindset
•    Is open to learning, growth, and development
•    Effective experience with the Microsoft Office Suite
•    Experience with social media scheduling software and website content management systems

Preferred Qualifications:
•    Experience in graphic design, website design, photography, video creation, and/or content production
•    Experience with Adobe Creative Cloud

We value your interest in our organization! At McCormick Taylor, our people are our greatest asset. If you join us, we hope for the opportunity to grow and succeed together. We offer an unparalleled, comprehensive benefits package—including no-deductible medical plans, free vision and dental plans, programs to enhance work-life balance, and flexible and hybrid work schedules.

McCormick Taylor is an Equal Opportunity Employer that strongly supports and celebrates the unique backgrounds of all our employees and our applicants. Our commitment to inclusion spans age, race, gender identity, sexual orientation, nationality, religion, and physical and mental ability. Our focus is on building a culture that promotes, supports, and values the diverse backgrounds and voices of our employees so that everyone feels welcome and can succeed. We strive to build a diverse workforce that is representative of the communities we serve.