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Southwest Strategies

Public affairs firm delivering coalition-driven campaigns

Manager

Full-TimeUpdated on 10/16/2026
$85k - $110k/yr+ $5,000 sign-on bonus
Mid
San Jose, CA, USA
HybridApproximately four on-site days per week; travel required up to 30%.
Project & Program ManagementProject Management

About the job

Requirements
  • Strong project management, communications, and stakeholder engagement skills.
  • Ability to support transportation and infrastructure public outreach and communications projects.
  • Ability to serve as a primary point of contact for clients and project stakeholders and collaborate with project teams and public agencies.
  • Ability to provide guidance and support to junior staff.
Responsibilities
  • Support the development and implementation of project communications and stakeholder engagement strategies.
  • Coordinate public communications and stakeholder outreach efforts, helping keep residents, businesses, and community groups informed throughout project delivery.
  • Assist in implementing construction outreach programs and issue response plans, helping address community concerns and support project objectives.
  • Manage community coordination activities, including stakeholder notifications, project updates, and outreach related to project impacts and schedules.
  • Plan and execute public meetings, open houses, stakeholder briefings, and other community engagement activities.
  • Coordinate with multidisciplinary project teams to ensure accurate, timely, and consistent project communications.
  • Facilitate stakeholder meetings, advisory groups, and community forums, documenting feedback and supporting follow-up actions.
  • Serve as a day-to-day point of contact for public agencies, community stakeholders, elected officials, residents, and businesses.
  • Monitor stakeholder feedback and community concerns, escalating issues as appropriate and supporting resolution efforts.
  • Draft, review, and distribute public-facing materials, including fact sheets, presentations, newsletters, project updates, meeting summaries, and outreach collateral.
  • Track outreach activities, stakeholder engagement efforts, and project communications metrics, providing regular updates to clients and project teams.
  • Support project budgeting, scheduling, invoicing, and overall account management activities for assigned projects.
  • Provide guidance and mentorship to junior staff, supporting project execution and professional development.
  • Participate in business development efforts, including networking, proposal support, and relationship-building activities.
  • Perform additional responsibilities as assigned.

About the company

Southwest Strategies is a California public affairs firm that designs and runs outreach campaigns for clients in both the public and private sectors. They handle research, planning, communications, visual materials, and crisis management to influence policy, public opinion, and regulatory outcomes, focusing on land development, energy, water, and transportation. They work by researching industries and communities, becoming experts in those areas, and using integrated services to craft strategies, build coalitions, and execute campaigns through a network of relationships. Their goal is to help clients secure approvals, funding, and favorable policy and project outcomes.

Company Size

51-200

Company Stage

N/A

Total Funding

N/A

Headquarters

San Diego, California

Founded

2000

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Simplify Jobs

Simplify's Take

What believers are saying

  • February 23, 2026 rebrand to Bodewell Group expanded to roughly 140 employees.
  • Kiterocket added semiconductors, renewable energy, and sustainability, broadening revenue beyond California public affairs.
  • The firm now covers San Diego, Fresno, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Phoenix, and Seattle.

What critics are saying

  • Sunsetting legacy brands in February 2026 risks client confusion and talent churn through 2027.
  • Integration after four acquisitions since 2023 can disrupt service quality and margin discipline.
  • A failed Bodewell integration would unravel the single-brand strategy and force expensive client reacquisition.

What makes Southwest Strategies unique

  • Since 2000, Chris Wahl and Alan Ziegaus built California's best-known infrastructure public affairs shop.
  • Bodewell unifies Katz, BergDavis, ColLAborate, and Kiterocket under one integrated communications platform.
  • Its specialization in water, energy, transportation, and land use matches California permitting battles.

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Benefits

  • Health Insurance
  • Health Savings Account/Flexible Spending Account
  • Paid Vacation
  • Profit Sharing
  • Hybrid Work Options

Growth & Insights and Company News

6 month growth

20%

1 year growth

17%

2 year growth

17%
GlobeNewswire
Jul 1st, 2025
Southwest Strategies Acquires Kiterocket Agency

Southwest Strategies Group has acquired Kiterocket, a leading public relations agency specializing in emerging technologies, semiconductors, renewable energy, and sustainability. This acquisition expands Southwest Strategies Group's reach in the western U.S. and adds technology and sustainable living to its services. The combined entity will have over 120 employees across six offices in three states. CEO Chris Wahl will continue to lead the company.

PR Newswire
Sep 5th, 2023
Southwest Strategies Invests in Katz & Associates

/PRNewswire/ -- Southwest Strategies (SWS) announced today it has agreed to invest in and partner with Katz & Associates (K&A), one of the largest and most...

REP Publishing, Inc.
Sep 5th, 2023
SD Metro Daily Business Report: Sept. 5, 2023

San Diego public affairs agency Southwest Strategies announced it will acquire Katz & Associates, creating what officials described as the largest firm of its type in California.

Times of San Diego
Dec 5th, 2022
MarketInk: San Diego Family Magazine's New Gift Guide Benefits People With Disabilities

A statement said Palladium has “partnered” with Southwest Strategies “to support the company’s growth.”

PR Newswire
Dec 1st, 2022
Palladium Heritage Invests in Southwest Strategies, One of the Premier Public Outreach and Communications Firms in California

/PRNewswire/ -- Palladium Equity Partners (along with its affiliates, "Palladium Heritage"), announced today that it has partnered with Southwest Strategies...