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Duties & Responsibilities:
• Develop and ensure the success of a city-wide strategic communications plan that communicates to employees, residents, businesses and regional partners.
• Advise and coordinate with staff in departments on strategic communications issues, including ways the City can be positively positioned and portrayed in the news media, social media, the community, other government agencies and City partners.
• Develop and deliver the City's message through social media. This includes monitoring and posting to the City's Facebook page and Twitter account
• Convey complex issues, events and concepts in succinct, easy-to-understand language, both in writing and orally.
• Establish rapport with people easily, developing and maintaining a network of contacts who can provide information, help, and access to others.
• Cultivate relationships, on behalf of the City, with members of the press, including journalists, bloggers and other media outlets understanding the interest of each contact.
• Develop and coordinate internal and external communications strategies by working with the Office of the Mayor and City Manager, the City's team of department Directors, and the Police Department.
• Write and edit communications plans, news releases and op/eds to advance community priorities.
• Initiate media campaigns; respond to press inquiries and breaking stories; pitch stories to reporters; and coordinate community outreach and media events.
• Develop and maintain a coordinated network of information sharing among internal staff to integrate communications efforts across the City organization.
• Ensure municipal leaders are aware of city priorities through the review and dissemination of talking points, news clips, news releases and other information to inform appropriate parties of key messages.
• Collaborate with the City's management team to recommend and implement a proactive communications program.
• Develop budget priorities for the budget process and prepare program budget information for review and approval.
• Develop and production of City's media.
• Performing other duties as assigned.
Knowledge of and skills in:
• Thorough knowledge of effective media, public relations and communications.
• Advanced knowledge of all aspects of external communications, including - but not limited to - traditional and social (Facebook, Twitter) media, direct mail, online communications, conferences, press and events.
• Demonstrated understanding of the news media, its structures and technology for reporting news.
• Excellent oral and written communications skills, including capacity to communicate complex ideas compellingly to a variety of audiences.
• Effectively using principles of written communication, graphical layout and multimedia techniques appropriate to web-based communication, ensuring that work products are clear, usable and effectively convey the intended messages and information.
• Understanding complexity and viewing situations from a broad strategic perspective. Effectively translating organizational/divisional strategy into strategy for own area(s) of responsibility.
• Understanding trends in marketing, identity building, and communication strategies for governmental organizations.
• Expertise in conducting research, locating information related to the request and critically evaluating the research findings.
• Strong presentation and platform skills.
• Use of personal computer equipment and software.
Ability to:
• Ability to stay ahead of City issues and current news and matters related to the City's areas of focus.
• Work with elected officials and staff at all levels to execute organization-wide communication strategies.
• Ability to be a strong working manager, with the ability to perform key communication tasks as necessary.
• Work independently.
• Prioritize workload and manage time efficiently, meet deadlines and complete assignments in a timely manner.
• Provide supervision, leadership, training and work direction for assigned staff.
• Develop, implement and manage a relevant program work plan.
• Demonstrate expertise in conducting research and critically evaluating the research findings.
• Embody the City values of Commitment to Service, Integrity and Accountability.
