Project Assistant
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Job Location:
Portland, TX - USA
Yearly Salary:
$ 70000 - 75000
Posted on:
12 hours ago
Vacancies:
1 Vacancy
Job Summary
Benefits:
- 401(k)
- Health insurance
- Parental leave
- Vision insurance
Title: Project Assistant
Location: Los Angeles CA or Portland OR (HYBRID)
Full-time Exempt Position
Are you committed to advancing racial and gender equity to build a future where all communities can benefit from economic and climate investments Are you a motivated and organized team player ready to apply your skills to help deliver impactful policies and strategies for our most vulnerable communities Are you an early-career professional eager to gain a variety of experiences in the urban planning and policy field If so come collaborate with us! We are looking for a new team member to join either our Los Angeles or Portland Oregon office.
Estolano Advisors (EA) is an award-winning urban planning and public policy firm that provides clients with equity-focused solutions to create thriving healthy vibrant communities. We use an interdisciplinary approach to advising our clients in nonprofits philanthropy and government on policies programs and actions that benefit communities most affected by racial economic and environmental injustice. We are a Latina-owned small business headquartered in Downtown Los Angeles with staff in the San Francisco Bay Area and the Pacific Northwest. This is a hybrid position (two days in office).
EA is an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race color religion sex sexual orientation gender identity national origin disability age or any other characteristic protected by law.
What We Do
- Community Planning
- Equitable Economic Development Strategy
- Financing Strategies
- Grantmaking Program Design
- Housing Policy
- Implementation & Action Plans
- Meeting Facilitation; Multi-Stakeholder Process Management
- Non-Profit & Joint Powers Authority Management Services
- Organizational development
- Philanthropic Advisement
- Policy Education & Training
- Policy Research & Analysis
- Real Estate Advisory Services
- Spatial Analysis
- Strategic Planning
- Structuring and Facilitating Community Benefits Agreement Negotiations
- Technical Assistance & Grant Writing
- Workforce Development Strategies
Job Description
With EA you will help us grow our work with philanthropy frontline communities and Tribal nations and government to advance equitable outcomes. We work on programs and policies to transition to a climate-ready workforce create care-based and just economies shape large-scale mobility and climate projects and advance engagement strategies that move decision-making power closer to communities. As a Project Assistant you will work on a variety of projects across our areas of practice and have a chance to work closely with team members across the firm. The Project Assistant will gain experiences integral to growth and professional development as an emerging planning and policy leader. You will build on your skills in critical research and analysis multi-stakeholder coordination and communication writing for a variety of audiences and developing pragmatic and implementable strategies for our clients. The Project Assistant will work independently and as part of a team to demonstrate that a thoughtful and strategic interdisciplinary approach will create equitable healthy and sustainable communities. The Project Assistant will be guided by project managers and principals on and will be supervised by a senior-level team member.
With EA you will help us grow our work with philanthropy frontline communities and Tribal nations and government to advance equitable outcomes. We work on programs and policies to transition to a climate-ready workforce create care-based and just economies shape large-scale mobility and climate projects and advance engagement strategies that move decision-making power closer to communities. As a Project Assistant you will work on a variety of projects across our areas of practice and have a chance to work closely with team members across the firm. The Project Assistant will gain experiences integral to growth and professional development as an emerging planning and policy leader. You will build on your skills in critical research and analysis multi-stakeholder coordination and communication writing for a variety of audiences and developing pragmatic and implementable strategies for our clients. The Project Assistant will work independently and as part of a team to demonstrate that a thoughtful and strategic interdisciplinary approach will create equitable healthy and sustainable communities. The Project Assistant will be guided by project managers and principals on and will be supervised by a senior-level team member.
The right person for this position will be a reliable and effective day-to-day communicator and collaborator possess strong attention to detail have excellent organizational skills apply creativity and critical thinking to research and analysis and have a working knowledge of urban planning and policy subject matter. You must be an energetic self-starter. Previous experience in customer service (e.g. retail) is a plus. We are a client-focused firm.
Specific duties for the position include:
- Support project managers to coordinate and prepare for stakeholder interviews client meetings and other project engagement
- Provide support during in-person and virtual client meetings and stakeholder meetings
- Support the planning coordination and implementation of community and stakeholder engagement strategies
- Conduct web-based research and support primary research efforts
- Analyze qualitative data and some quantitative data
- Develop effective and engaging slide decks and presentation materials
- Prepare written summaries original analyses and other client-related work product
- Work closely with project managers to complete client requests
- Support business development efforts including proposal development and research
- Track local state and national policy issues; support the firms exploratory research efforts
- Administrative tasks as needed
Skills
Excellent written and oral communication skills. Excellent organizational skills and comfort using project management software (e.g. Trello Asana). Strong proficiency with Microsoft Office (Word Excel PowerPoint) web-based research and video teleconferencing software (Teams Zoom). Experience with Adobe InDesign Canva Esri GIS database analysis social media platforms (LinkedIn BlueSky) and web development software (e.g. Squarespace) are a plus.
Compensation/Benefits
Excellent written and oral communication skills. Excellent organizational skills and comfort using project management software (e.g. Trello Asana). Strong proficiency with Microsoft Office (Word Excel PowerPoint) web-based research and video teleconferencing software (Teams Zoom). Experience with Adobe InDesign Canva Esri GIS database analysis social media platforms (LinkedIn BlueSky) and web development software (e.g. Squarespace) are a plus.
Compensation/Benefits
Salary Range: This is a full-time position with a starting annual base salary range of $70000 - $75000 (based on location and relevant experience).
Benefits:
- Fully covered health dental and vision insurance for you and your qualified dependents
- Firm-sponsored 401(k) retirement plan with the firm automatically contributing 3% of your salary
- Paid Vacation and Sick Time
- 18 paid holidays each year
- Access to a Flexible Spending Account option (pretax benefits used for out-of-pocket medical expenses out-of-pocket medicine and medical purchases dependent care cost etc.)
- Life Insurance
- Long-Term Disability Insurance
- Annual professional development budget
- Transit rider stipend
- *New benefit* Flexible Fridays schedule (similar to a reduced work week)
Time/Duration
32 40 hours/week (full-time)
32 40 hours/week (full-time)
Qualifications
Candidates must have education and some work experience in one or more of the following:
- Urban Planning
- Workforce Development
- Climate Policy
- Economic Development
- Environmental Policy
- Housing and Homelessness Policy
- Public Policy
- Transportation Planning
- Real Estate Development
A Bachelors Degree and at least one year of relevant work experience (including internships) is required. Fluency in Spanish and cultural competency with communities of color are strongly preferred. We encourage applicants to also include experience from non-office jobs on their resume (e.g. service industry manual labor care-based jobs etc.).
Ideal Candidate
The ideal candidate will demonstrate a commitment to social and racial justice and building thriving inclusive communities. The ideal candidate will possess a desire for real world experience and knowledge in the fields of urban planning workforce development community development equitable economic development climate resiliency mobility justice and/or housing. Ideal candidates will be intellectually curious and have a driving desire to improve the world. For the early-career public policy or urban planning professional this position provides an opportunity to build a resume enhance professional credentials network with top professionals in these fields and develop as a thought-leader in emerging policy issue areas.
Application Process
We seek candidates with the relevant qualifications and experiences described above and who can demonstrate a strong commitment to racial economic and climate your cover letter please provide examples of your past experiences highlighting your contributions towards progress or achievements in any of these areas. This could include your previous involvement in initiatives programs or projects that aim to address and rectify disparities advocate for equitable practices and/or facilitate conversations for just outcomes.
Ideal Candidate
The ideal candidate will demonstrate a commitment to social and racial justice and building thriving inclusive communities. The ideal candidate will possess a desire for real world experience and knowledge in the fields of urban planning workforce development community development equitable economic development climate resiliency mobility justice and/or housing. Ideal candidates will be intellectually curious and have a driving desire to improve the world. For the early-career public policy or urban planning professional this position provides an opportunity to build a resume enhance professional credentials network with top professionals in these fields and develop as a thought-leader in emerging policy issue areas.
Application Process
We seek candidates with the relevant qualifications and experiences described above and who can demonstrate a strong commitment to racial economic and climate your cover letter please provide examples of your past experiences highlighting your contributions towards progress or achievements in any of these areas. This could include your previous involvement in initiatives programs or projects that aim to address and rectify disparities advocate for equitable practices and/or facilitate conversations for just outcomes.
To apply please upload the following materials as a single PDF document. If you are experiencing issues uploading your application please contact
- Cover Letter
- Resume
- Writing sample (if part of a group project indicate sections written by the applicant)
- Slide deck sample
- Three professional or academic references
After February 23 2026 interviews will be scheduled on a rolling basis until the position is filled.
Flexible work from home options available.
Compensation: $70000.00 - $75000.00 per year
Estolano Advisors
Estolano Advisors is an award-winning urban planning and public policy firm. We work with public agencies non-profits philanthropies and businesses to craft innovative solutions to address complex problems.
We see across fields and issue areas to help our clients find pragmatic context-sensitive approaches. This includes collaborating with national foundations to develop grant-making strategies. It is reflected in the technical assistance we provide to local governments housing developers and community-based organizations. And it is evident in our role as conveners and facilitators for clients across all sectors.
Working to build healthy thriving and inclusive communities.
Founded in 2011 as Estolano LeSar Perez Advisors Estolano Advisors is a Latina-owned firm headquartered in Los Angeles with expertise working on issues in the Bay Area across California and the Pacific Northwest and other parts of the country. Our team of technical experts specializes in managing multi-stakeholder processes to address complex public policy urban planning and social equity issues.
OUR VISION
Estolano Advisors envisions a world where all communities have what they need to thrive; shape the decisions that affect them; and steward our social ecological and economic resources for the benefit of future generations.
OUR MISSION
We break down structures of exclusion and inspire action beyond the status quo to generate transformative solutions to complex problems. We use an interdisciplinary approach to work with our clients on policies programs and interventions that advance racial economic environmental and spatial justice.
Required Experience:
Junior IC
Key Skills
- Microsoft Office
- Microsoft Access
- Bluebeam
- Construction Experience
- Microsoft Outlook
- Microsoft Word
- Office Experience
- Microsoft Powerpoint
- Microsoft Excel
- Project Management Software
- Microsoft Project
- Administrative Experience
