Government and Community Affairs Specialist

Job Description:

Government and Community Affairs Specialist

Description

General

The Government and Community Affairs Specialist reports to the Manager, Government and Community Affairs and is responsible for assisting outreach and engagement efforts in support of the San Mateo County Transit District (SamTrans), the San Mateo County Transportation Authority (SMCTA), and the San Mateo County Express Lanes Joint Powers Authority (SMCEL-JPA). This position supports public outreach, stakeholder coordination, community engagement, and project communications related to agency infrastructure, planning, and policy initiatives.

Essential Functions & Duties

Examples of Essential Functions:

• Assist in planning and coordinating special public outreach campaigns and events related to SamTrans/SMCTA/JPA infrastructure and planning projects.
• Support robust, inclusive, and broad-based outreach and engagement efforts for planning, capital, and policy initiatives.
• Promote SamTrans/SMCTA/JPA projects and gather feedback from communities and stakeholders; work with project teams to integrate community engagement into the planning and construction process.
• Work closely with technical staff, consultants, and communications partners to support outreach planning and implementation.
• Assist in the development and dissemination of strategic communications about programs, plans, and projects using a variety of communication channels.
• Support SamTrans/SMCTA internal staff with their community, stakeholder and government affairs needs.
• Coordinate with internal staff to support timely stakeholder communications, project updates, and responses to community concerns.

• Support state and federal government affairs activities, including monitoring legislative and policy developments and assisting with related communications, reporting, and coordination efforts.

Examples of Duties:

• Help develop and execute Public Outreach Plans for key SamTrans/SMCTA/JPA projects, coordinating with project managers, consultants, and communications staff on outreach schedules, deliverables, and follow-up actions, including marketing, social media, website, and media outreach efforts.
• Coordinate activities that build awareness and effectively promote the agency’s overall activities, policies, priorities and goals, including ribbon cuttings, project tours, committee member briefings, public events, and community meetings in both in-person and virtual settings.
• Draft, write, review, and edit public-facing materials, including webpages, presentations, fact sheets, FAQs, project updates, work notices, newsletters, and correspondence, ensuring accuracy, clarity, consistency, accessibility, and alignment with agency messaging, including politically sensitive and technically complex topics.
• Represent Government and Community Affairs on cross-functional teams, working closely with planning, design, construction, and consultant teams on projects; track action items, deliverables, schedules, and follow-up items.
• Present project and program information to community groups, partner agencies, advocacy organizations, public committees, and other stakeholder audiences, including occasional evening and weekend meetings.
• Research and help respond to stakeholder inquiries, comments, and concerns, including coordinating with internal staff and subject matter experts to develop timely, accurate, and audience-appropriate responses; identify recurring questions and community issues and elevate them to management as appropriate.
• Support relationship-building and ongoing coordination with residents, community groups, advocacy organizations, businesses, local jurisdictions, partner agencies, and elected official offices.
• Maintain Government and Community Affairs distribution database lists.
• Support preparation of presentations, talking points, correspondence, briefing materials, and project support materials for public meetings, stakeholder meetings, and leadership engagement.
• Assist with state and federal government affairs work, including tracking legislation and policy developments, coordinating monthly legislative staff reports and preparing letters, briefing documents, talking points, and other written material.
• Perform all job duties and responsibilities in a safe manner to protect oneself, fellow employees, and the public from injury or harm. Promote safety awareness and follow safety procedures in an effort to reduce or eliminate accidents.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications

Sufficient experience, training and/or education to demonstrate the knowledge and ability to successfully perform the essential functions of the position. In lieu of a degree, work-related experience that demonstrates the skills and experience necessary to perform this role will be accepted. Development of the required knowledge and abilities is typically obtained through but not limited to:

• Bachelor’s degree in Communications, Public Relations, Political Science, Journalism, Planning, Public Policy, or relevant degree.
• Two (2) years of full-time experience in government and community affairs, community engagement, public outreach, communications, public relations, higher education, nonprofit, advocacy, political campaigns, community organizing, or related work supporting stakeholder engagement, public information, events, or policy and program initiatives.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Effective oral and written communication skills.
• Organized and detail oriented.
• Ability to manage multiple assignments, deadlines, and follow-up tasks simultaneously.
• Experience supporting public outreach, stakeholder engagement, or communications for public agencies, transportation, infrastructure, planning, or construction projects.
• Experience writing and editing public-facing materials such as fact sheets, FAQs, presentations, website content, notices, and stakeholder correspondence.
• Ability to communicate technical information clearly to non-technical audiences.
• Experience interacting professionally with community members, elected officials, advocacy organizations, local jurisdictions, and partner agencies.
• Familiarity with public policy and legislative processes, with the ability to monitor bills, follow key policy issues, and contribute to clear, concise written updates and support materials.
• Comfort speaking in public and responding professionally to questions in community or stakeholder settings.
• Experience with Mailchimp email design, management, and contact list maintenance.
• Able to work a flexible schedule (occasional nights and weekends as required).
• High level of comfort with using digital tools such as Microsoft Office Suite, database programs, website updates, slide deck creation, and email blast programs.

Below is a summary of the comprehensive benefits provided to District full-time employees:

Health and Welfare Benefits:

• Healthcare Benefits -District employees are offered a choice of healthcare providers under the CalPERS Health Benefits Program.The District will contribute ninety (90) percent towards monthly premiums for full-time employees. Fifty (50) percent for part-time employees.
  
• Free Dental and Vision Benefits provided - Employer Covers Premiums
  
• Free Employee Assistance Benefit - Employees are entitled to 5 face-to-face sessions or telephonic or web-video consultations for problem-solving support per incident, per calendar year.
  

• Flexible Spending Accounts - Pre-tax dollars to pay for qualified Health or Dependent Care expenses.
  

Retirement Medical Benefits:

• Long Term Disability Insurance - After 90 days of total disability, Administrative full-time employees are eligible for 60% of monthly income covered by the District.
  
• Health and Wellness - Gyms located at most work locations and discounted Weight Watcher Membership Option.
  

Holidays and Paid Time Off:

• Paid Time Off - Newly hired employees accrue 6.5 hours bi-weekly when hired (if Exempt 8.25 hours).As you move up in years of service credit, the rate of the amount of PTO accrued will also increase.
  
• Paid Holidays - The District provides seven paid holidays throughout the year - New Years Day, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day (July 4th), Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day
  
• Floating Holidays - District employees can earn up to five (5) floating holidays.
  

Financial Planning Benefits:

• Pension Benefits through CalPERS -You must have a minimum of 5 years of service to be eligible for this pension.
  

• CalPERS PEPRA vs. Classic - All employees hired on, or after January 1, 2013, are considered PEPRA members and will contribute 8% of their salary up to the maximum IRS cut-off. All Classic members will contribute 6%
  
• Deferred Compensation Options - Select to contribute to one or both of our Tax Deferred Compensation Options
  
• Reliance Standard Life Insurance with 100% premium paid by the District - 1 times annual salary of employee - max $200,000
  
• Optional Life Insurance - Employees may purchase additional life insurance for themselves and their eligible family members.
  

Growth and Education Benefits:

• Professional Development - Access to LinkedIn Learning and San Mateo County’s professional training. District Tuition Reimbursement Program - A maximum of $5,250 per year for courses related to your job or career goals with the District.
  
• Computer Loan Program - Interest-free two-year loan with a maximum amount of $2,000.
  

Other Amazing Benefits:

• Credit Union - Employees and family members are eligible to join the San Mateo Credit Union and Patelco Credit Union.
  
• Employee Clean Commute (ECC) - Car/Van poolers and Public Transit riders receive a monthly reimbursement.
  
• Commuter Benefits - Free Employee Parking; Free Bus Pass for employee as well as children/spouse; Clipper Card/Go Pass Program for Central employees.
  

For union employees, all of the above benefits are subject to the employee’s Collective Bargaining Agreement. Benefits listed are also subject to change with or without notice and are subject to contract/provider terms and conditions.

Closing Date/Time: 8/2/2026 11:59 PM Pacific

Salary:

$79,707.00 - $111,589.00 Annually