Smart Growth America – Thriving Communities Senior Program Associate

Smart Growth America’s Transportation and Thriving Communities Team seeks a motivated individual interested in Complete Streets and the connection between transportation and public health. This position will contribute to the Thriving Communities team’s technical assistance, writing, and resource development and will report to the Director of Thriving Communities. To apply, please send a cover letter and resume to jobs@smartgrowthamerica.org with “SGA Thriving Communities Senior Program Associate” in the subject line.

Are you passionate about creating communities where all people can be safe, healthy, and connected? Are you eager to use your skills to inform policy, build capacity, and capture the story of an ever-growing movement?

Smart Growth America is seeking a skilled and motivated individual with knowledge, experience, and interest in the intersection of transportation, health, and equity, especially as supported by Complete Streets and changes to the built environment. The ideal thriving communities senior program associate is keenly interested in how the way our communities are designed informs mobility independence and addresses racial inequities, has an analytical mind that can capture stories out of data, and finds satisfaction in working with communities to build their capacity to prioritize health, safety, and resiliency. They will be detail-oriented and able to juggle multiple projects, deadlines, and timelines. They are a dependable team player who can perform regular duties but also use their curiosity to identify and take advantage of emerging opportunities. Candidates must demonstrate an ability to work successfully independently and within a team.

Responsibilities

Programs and Technical Assistance Support

• Coordinate and provide support for Thriving Communities programs with an emphasis on work related to Complete Streets adoption and implementation at the local and state level; identifying and addressing barriers to collaboration around Complete Streets; and incorporating Complete Streets into broader safe transportation efforts.
• Scope, manage, and execute technical assistance for communities and champions interested in drafting, adopting, and implementing Complete Streets policies and projects.
• Identify and implement ways to use technical assistance opportunities to advance racial equity, address disparities in transportation and health, and create resilient communities.
• Assist the Director of Thriving Communities with identifying opportunities to assess the evolution and success of the Complete Streets movement.

Communications and Storytelling

• Author and contribute content, in coordination with the communications team, for case studies, reports, and resources including notable publications Dangerous by Design and the Best Complete Streets Policy report.
• Prepare content to support Thriving Communities communications, including building and editing presentations, developing case studies from technical assistance programs, creating worksheets, fact sheets, and informational documents, and other resources as needed.
• Serve as an ambassador for Complete Streets and SGA within the industry and related fields; deliver presentations and information to partners about SGA’s thought leadership, advocacy, and technical assistance efforts around Complete Streets.

Research and Analysis

• Conduct research and analysis of existing and upcoming Complete Streets policies and projects; conduct research and analysis of intersecting policies and issues related to Complete Streets.
• Summarize and distill analysis and program successes into clear reporting, recommendations, and story-telling for broader stakeholders and audience groups.
• Monitor, analyze, and evaluate emerging best practices and trends in addressing the intersections of transportation, health, equity, and climate to better amplify, coordinate, and potentially collaborate with other leading practitioners and innovators in the field.