Communications and Public Engagement Lead

Description

Hitachi Rail is looking for an enthusiastic self-motivated Communications and Public Engagement Lead with experience of communications, marketing and stakeholder engagement who thrives in a fast-paced environment. The position is based in Honolulu, HI.

Hitachi Rail is a fully integrated, global provider of rail solutions across rolling stock, signaling, service & maintenance, digital technology and turnkey. With a presence in 38 countries across three continents and over 13,000 employees, our mission is to contribute to society through the continuous development of superior rail transport solutions. 

Accountabilities:

Develop and deliver integrated communications, marketing and stakeholder engagements campaigns about designing, building, operating and maintaining of Hawaii’s first ever railway by Hitachi Rail, in coordination with the Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation (HART).

Responsibilities to fulfill all of the requirements set forth in the Project Agreement with HART, such as:

• Lead the communication and community engagement requirements, in coordination with HART, pertaining to the Project Company’s scope of work under the Project Agreement during the construction period;
• Ensure the public and Stakeholders are informed and engaged in a timely manner, and that appropriate action is taken to address complaints, mitigate impacts to residents and businesses, such as noise, vibration, and impediments to access.
• Effectively communicate such impacts and progress of the work to the public;
• Support and collaborate with the clients regarding all communication agendas;
• Proactively consider public and Stakeholder impacts in advance of potentially disruptive construction activities and take action to mitigate negative perceptions.

Client & Stakeholder Relations

• Oversee and lead all public outreach and engagement opportunities on behalf of Hitachi Rail Honolulu throughout the project phases (design-build-operate-maintain and operations and maintenance).  
• Assist the clients to ensure accuracy and technical details, where necessary, for publicly disseminated messages including, but not limited to press releases, media statements, marketing collateral, social media content and advertisements.
• Work with local and state government officials to arrange for and meet extraordinary access permitting requirements during times of crisis and emergency (e.g. COVID-19 travel quarantine exemption applications).
• Develop a plan to build, maintain and track relationships on behalf of HRH with political stakeholders, government officials and key community stakeholders.
• Develop and conduct educational presentations and tours for government officials, external stakeholders and community groups about the rail trains and system.
• Develop briefing materials and talking points for internal and external audiences to support positive stakeholder engagement on behalf of the project– this might include speaking engagements, stakeholder briefings and tours.
• Develop and implement scalable internal and external crisis/emergency communications policies and procedures.
• Maintain and nurture relationships with the Japanese Consulate in Hawaii as well as other international organizations and dignitaries, as needed.
• Craft talking points and scripts for organizational officials’ speaking engagements.
• Organize presentations and tours of the trains and rail system for key stakeholders for the project.

Media Engagement & Content Development

• Develop multi-faceted integrated public outreach campaigns leveraging a number of tactics including market research, earned media, multimedia advertisements (i.e. radio, television, print, social/digital, etc.) and grassroots community outreach.
• Advise Project leadership & Group ECM function of relevant media coverage and when required prepare project officials ahead of media interviews.
• Serve as HRH’s primary media contact and public information officer, fielding requests for information from media and the public, while coordinating media coverage, events and interviews in tandem with HART and DTS.
• Serve as HRH’s public information officer in emergency response situations in coordination with the corporate communications department, following Hitachi Rail’s crisis communication and incident escalation procedures.
• Develop news releases, talking points and official statements on behalf of HRH’s Project leadership in coordination with Hitachi Rail’s corporate public relations executives, HART’s Public Involvement team and DTS’ Public Information Team.
• Create written or rich content (images, video or other materials) to tell the positive story of the development of the new railway for the social and digital channels of Hitachi Rail, HART and DTS.
• Coordinate suppliers to create high quality photos and video of project activities that can be used for the promotion of the project through the company’s corporate communication channels.

Community Relations

• Develop and implement a Public Awareness and Community Relations (PACR) plan to guide HRH education and outreach initiatives; update the PACR regularly as required by CT-HRT-1200106.
• Build partnerships with local schools, businesses, community organizations and individual stakeholders and support the Human Resources Department to develop a mentorship/internship program that provides career pathways in rail and demonstrates Hitachi’s longevity in Hawaii.
• As defined by the project overall communication strategy, coordinate and positively PR HRH’s participation in community activities and events and represent HRH at public event, this might involve community sponsorships or volunteer opportunities with the surrounding community around the rail line.
• Update and organize the dissemination of notices to inform the public of construction activities, road closures, testing, training or any other activities along the railway that may have adverse community impacts that are aligned with both Hitachi and HART brand standards.
• Conduct community canvassing efforts and provide door-to-door/face-to-face outreach to educate local residents and businesses about construction activities and lane closures; log and report all contact to HART.
• On the occasions when the program is required to implement road closures, organize activities to provide businesses, community groups and the public with advance notice.

Internal:

•  Graphic design public notices to inform the public of construction activities, road closures and/or testing activities along the railway that may have adverse community impacts.
• Work closely with the Human Resources Department regarding employee events or activities that are public facing and when high profile positions are filled/become vacant.
• Propose and generate content for Hitachi Corporate’s social media platforms, internal and external communications and collateral (i.e. employee profiles for media, community service, tour highlights.)

Required Skills/ Knowledge:

• Ability to meet deadlines and work under pressure;
• Minimum ten (10) years of experience working in public relations, communications, news media and/or marketing.
• A post-secondary degree in Communications, Public Relations, Media Relations, Political Science or related field.
• Proficiency with MS Office applications (Excel, Word, Power Point, Sharepoint);
• Excellent organizational and time management skills and the ability to work on multiple demands simultaneously.
• Ability to develop and implement integrated public awareness and education campaigns.
• Exceptional writing, collaboration, coordination and organizational skills.
• Public speaking and presentation experience.
• Experience working in crisis communications and emergency management settings.

Desired Skills/ Knowledge

• Strong interpersonal skills, leadership, independence and ability to manage priorities;
• Skilled in interacting with direct and indirect reporting employees and with company managers;
• Skilled in interacting with subcontractors and with clients and client representatives;
• Excellent communication skills and a strong, self-motivated, work ethic;
• Experience in government and public affairs.
• Experience in graphic design and photography.
• Experience in grassroots community outreach and organization.
• Professional affiliations, certificates, or awards considered assets.
• Advanced degree such as MBA or MS preferred.

Equal Opportunity Employer (EOE)-Females/Minorities/Protected Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities

If you need a reasonable accommodation to apply for a job at Hitachi, please send the nature of request and contact information to [email protected]

Queries other than accommodation requests will not be responded to.