Engagement Director, Choose How You Move

Full Job Description

Choose How You Move (CHYM), approved by 66% of voters in 2024, is Mayor O’Connell’s transportation improvement program and the largest capital program in geographic scope and scale in Nashville’s history.

Implementation of the $3.1 billion capital program requires extensive collaboration among multiple Metro departments, project managers, and vendors; coordination of $111 million worth of annual operating expenditures; and robust engagement with neighbors.

CHYM will transform how people move around the city for decades to come.

CHYM is modernizing nearly 600 signalized intersections with smart technology, expanding transit with frequent, 24/7 service and 54 miles of high-capacity All-Access Corridors, building 86 miles of sidewalks to complete the WalkNBike Priority Sidewalk Network, and making safety improvements along 78 miles of the Vision Zero High-Injury Network.

With a population of over 729,000 and growing, Nashville is one of America’s most dynamic cities.

The Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County, with more than 10,700 employees, offers the opportunity to help shape the future of a region that millions of residents and visitors move through every day.

Position Summary

The Choose How You Move Engagement Director will be a member of the Mayor’s Office CHYM team and will lead the development and implementation of a comprehensive public engagement strategy for the program.

Delivering a program of this scale requires more than engineering and construction – it requires meaningful community partnership.

This role helps bring CHYM to life by engaging directly with neighborhoods, community organizations and stakeholders to ensure Nashvillians understand the program and can envision how their communities will benefit from projects.

The Engagement Director will design and scale engagement efforts across CHYM projects, ensuring that public input informs transportation planning, NEPA processes, project development, and implementation.

This role will ensure that Nashville’s residents, businesses, institutions, and community organizations are actively involved in shaping transportation investments.

The role requires collaboration with all Metro departments, including Nashville Department of Transportation (NDOT), Planning Department, and WeGo Public Transit, as well as Councilmembers, utility representatives, community leaders, and federal, state, and regional partners.

Listening to, documenting, and clearly communicating community priorities will be critical to building trust, strengthening partnerships, and supporting successful project delivery.

The Engagement Director will report to the CHYM Chief Program Officer.

Mayoral staff (non-civil service) receive 15 days of Paid Time Off and 12 sick days annually.

Requirements

• Leads, develops, and updates a comprehensive CHYM engagement strategy, and oversee its implementation.
• Integrates community engagement across planning, environmental review, design, and construction phases of transportation projects.
• Establishes and maintains partnerships with government agencies, community organizations, businesses, and educational institutions to advance CHYM and community priorities.
• Innovate, evaluate, and refine programs to ensure evidence-based effectiveness and measurable community impact.
• Fosters public-private partnerships that advance neighborhood and community well-being.
• Provides strategic oversight of consultant engagement efforts to ensure coordination across projects and alignment with program wide engagement standards
• Integrates engagement milestones into project schedules, utilities coordination, and construction timelines.
• Translates technical information into clear language and visuals; designs feedback loops showing how community input is used.
• Coordinates community events and media moments with CHYM Communications Director.
• Leads the CHYM Community Ambassador Program, including recruitment and training.
• Supports and coordinates engagement activity in partnership with the Mayor’s Advisory Committee on Transportation.
• Maintains public engagement tracking system including contacts, issues, and resolutions.
• Ensures language access, ADA compliance, and equitable outreach practices.
• Works a flexible schedule, including evening and weekend hours as needed to support community-engagement events.

Qualifications

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE

• Bachelor’s degree
• At least ten (10) years of experience in community engagement, civic leadership, communications, transportation, urban planning, nonprofit/government management, or related fields
• Demonstrated experience in leadership, project management, and building innovative cross-sector partnerships

SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE

• Experience leading public engagement for large-scale municipal multimodal transportation projects.
• Ability to explain transportation planning concepts in relatable ways, and capable of helping community members understand how street designs balance safety, mobility, access, and future growth.
• Familiarity with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) process as it relates to stakeholder engagement.
• Strong ability to oversee and lead consultants, design long-term strategies, and align engagement efforts with program priorities.
• Experience coordinating multidisciplinary teams and stakeholders, including planners, engineers, and environmental specialists.
• Skilled in public speaking, and relationship building with diverse stakeholders.
• Ability to navigate sensitive issues, manage conflict, and lead with inclusion.
• Experience identifying and managing large stakeholder networks, advisory committees, and multi-agency partnerships across local, regional and state transportation organizations.
• Strong background in strategic planning, project oversight, and evidence-based program evaluation.
• Ability to stay ahead of civic trends and implement innovative approaches to enhance program effectiveness.
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively in a fast-paced environment.
• Strong interpersonal skills and ability to engage with diverse communities.
• Ability to work effectively under pressure and adapt to changing priorities.
• Familiarity with Metro Government, federal, state, and regional agencies, Nashville and its surrounding communities, and the CHYM program is beneficial.

*Must upload a resume and cover letter with a fully completed application.*

Candidates with accreditations earned in a foreign institute are encouraged to apply.

Note: Per Metro Ordinance No. SO94-1078. All employees of the Metropolitan Government shall be residents of the State of Tennessee or become residents of the state within six (6) months of employment as a prerequisite to employment with the Metropolitan Government.

Additional Information

Master’s degree in Public Administration, Urban Planning, Political Science, Environmental Science, Geography, Nonprofit Leadership or related field

We are an equal opportunity employer. All individuals, regardless of personal characteristics, are encouraged to apply. Metro Nashville is committed to selecting the most qualified candidate for each of our roles.

Metro Nashville Government respects the religious beliefs and practices of all employees and will make, on request, an accommodation for such observances when a reasonable accommodation is available that does not create an undue hardship on business operations.

Requests for ADA or other protected accommodations for the recruitment process should be directed to Human Resources at 615-862-6640.