Urban Movement Labs is a first-of-its-kind public-private partnership with the goal of making Los Angeles the transportation innovation capital of the world. A collaboration between local government and mobility innovators, Urban Movement Labs is a 501c(3) not-for-profit organization where new transportation technologies are tested, proven, and brought to life.

Urban Movement Labs seeks an Urban Air Mobility (UAM) Fellow to lead a first-of-its-kind UAM partnership between Urban Movement Labs and the L.A. Department of Transportation. You will empower and engage with community members across L.A. to apply the Principles of the Urban Sky and shape the future deployments of UAM in L.A. 

Position description

The ideal candidate is a motivated self-starter who cares deeply about the future of L.A.’s and has previous experience in transportation or land use planning. You should have some knowledge of UAM (and will pick up additional knowledge quickly and with support from UML), and be ready to dive into ongoing discussions at the local, state, and federal levels around UAM operations and infrastructure. In your role, you will manage relationships and hold meetings with City transportation departments, companies developing the next generation of urban aircraft, and community stakeholders across L.A. You should be committed to a community-first approach to transportation technologies, and have experience communicating complex topics simply, running workshops, giving presentations, facilitating multi-stakeholder groups, and driving actions from discussion. 

The role and responsibilities

The UAM Fellow will be responsible for the day-to-day management of the UAM partnership. You will be supported in developing a public engagement and empowerment strategy for UAM, which you will then lead the deployment of in L.A. You will be supported in developing a concept for a “UAM station” (known as a vertiport), which you will then lead the deployment of an RFI on. You will directly manage relationships and hold regular meetings with public sector agencies in the L.A. region, companies developing the next generation of urban aircraft, community stakeholders across the City of L.A., and a multi-stakeholder advisory board for the partnership. Finally, at the conclusion of your fellowship, you will lead the development of a toolkit and case studies that can be used by other cities and governments across the U.S. 

• Day-to-day management of the partnership, including goal setting, task definition, and task management;
• Advise on a public engagement and empowerment strategy and then deploy it, including leading meetings and workshops, giving presentations, analyzing survey results, and more; 
• Identify and document the input from communities in Los Angeles, use them to identify opportunities to address in future policy planning efforts and technology deployment;
• Work with city departments to assess staffing and resource needs within the City to manage UAM;
• Lead a multi-stakeholder advisory board to guide the actions and outcomes of the UAM Partnership; and
• Represent LADOT and Urban Movement Labs at events to share best practices and lessons learned from this process.

Required skills and qualifications

The ideal candidate will have a background in transportation or land use planning, and should be able to demonstrate abilities in communication, coalition building, project management, and creative thinking. 

Compensation and location

This position is located in Los Angeles, CA. However as staff are currently working remotely on an indefinite basis due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the person filling this position can live anywhere in the United States during the remote working period. The fellowship is funded for a one-year term with the potential to extend longer. Salary commensurate with experience. 

To apply

If you possess the desired qualifications, please send a resume and cover letter to info@urbanmovementlabs.com with “UAM Fellow” in the subject line. In your email attaching your resume and cover letter, please indicate how/where you learned of this job opportunity. Applications will be accepted immediately on a rolling basis until the position is filled. No phone calls please.

Equal Opportunity Employment

Equal opportunity and having a diverse staff are fundamental principles for Urban Movement Labs. Employment and promotional opportunities are based upon individual capabilities and qualifications without regard to race, color, religion, gender, pregnancy, sexual orientation/ preference, age, national origin, marital status, citizenship, disability, veteran status or any other protected characteristic as established under law.  We are committed to building a diverse staff and strongly encourage applications from candidates of color.