COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR

Job Details

Job Location

City of Fairburn - FAIRBURN, GA

Position Type

Full Time

Education Level

Bachelors Degree

Salary Range

$91,579.96 - $100,737.96 Salary

Job Shift

Description

The City of Fairburn is seeking to fill an experienced and professional Communications Director. This position is responsible for providing strategic guidance and oversight to a centralized team of media, communications, and multimedia service professionals;

creating and administer the City's communication plans to promote City initiatives, foster a culture of engagement, maximize communications resources, and ensure a unified city message.

Reports to the Assistant City Administrator.

Hiring Range : $91,579.96 - $100,737.96 Annually (Depending on qualifications)

Work Days / Hours : Monday - Friday

8 : 00 a.m. - 5 : 00 p.m.; This position is considered essential personnel.

Posting Start : 10 / 25 / 2024

Posting End : 11 / 08 / 2024

JOB SUMMARY

This position is responsible for providing strategic guidance and oversight to a centralized team of media, communications, and multimedia service professionals;

creating and administer the City's communication plans to promote City initiatives, foster a culture of engagement, maximize communications resources, and ensure a unified city message.

Reports to the Assistant City Administrator.

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS

Provides leadership and strategic direction for determining priorities, goals and objectives to ensure City communications are current, accurate, effective, and timely;

ensures appropriate dissemination of information from all City departments and services.

Leads, develops, and executes communications strategies through collaboration with City's leadership team; serve as a member of the City's leadership team;

work collaboratively with City departments to develop and implement communications strategies and messaging consistent with the City's goals and objectives.

Provides leadership and strategic direction for determining priorities, goals and objectives of the Communication Department;

plans, organizes and coordinates complex project activities including the development and execution of a comprehensive Communications Plan.

• Coordinates public special events, comprehensive informational campaigns and other promotional, educational, or communications strategies to support major city initiatives and build community awareness.
• Prepares and distributes press releases to media outlets; prepares talking points or presentations / scripts for elected officials and City staff for general information, news interviews and / or conferences.
• Directs, designs, and develops a variety of publications, surveys, and promotional items and print media to share information and increase awareness of the City's goals to both internal and external constituents.
• Manages the City's website content consistent with the City's communications strategies; assist staff to develop and maintain department-level pages.
• Supervises, directs, and evaluates assigned staff, processing employee concerns and problems, directing work, counseling, disciplining, and completing employee performance appraisals;

promotes staff collaboration, innovation and critical thinking in developing solutions and approaches to departmental issues.

Responsible for effective employee relations, staff development and administration of human resources policies and procedures.

Provides overall management of the Communications department; including budget research, development, preparation and budget monitoring to ensure cost effectiveness.

Ensures that purchasing and financial transactions are properly conducted in accordance with City administrative policies and procedures.

• Exercises a high degree of accuracy, correctness and discretion when preparing communications materials including managing essential and highly confidential and sensitive information.
• Coordinates with City Administration related items for placement on City Council Agenda.
• Conducts research, prepares special reports, prepares position papers, recommends solutions and makes presentation to the City Administrator, Mayor, elected officials and general public.
• Provide training on messaging, marketing, and branding to ensure departmental staff are consistent in carrying forth the City's goals and objectives.
• Represents the City at various meetings and events; work collaboratively with departments to develop and organize City-sponsored events.
• Plan strategies to manage emerging issues and crises and serve as the first responder for relevant information during hurricanes, inclement weather, or other emergency situations.
• Stays abreast of new trends and innovations in the field of technology as related to public relations / communications.
• Performs other related duties as assigned.

Qualifications

QUALIFICATIONS

Education and Experience :

• Requires a Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration, Public Administration, Public Relations, Communications, Marketing, or related field;
• supplemented by eight (8) years of progressively responsible experience in communications, with 3-5 years of supervisory experience;

or any equivalent combination of education, training, and experience which provides the requisite knowledge, skills, and abilities for this job. Master's degree preferred.

Licenses or Certifications :

Valid State of Georgia driver's license

Accreditation in Public Relations (APR) credential through Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) a plus.

Special Requirements :

Requires an acceptable general background check to include a local and state criminal history check and an acceptable driving record.

Requires satisfactory results from a pre-employment alcohol and controlled substance testing.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities :

• Comprehensive knowledge of knowledge of the principles, techniques and methods of media / public relations, marketing and communications.
• Knowledge of Knowledge of the processes and equipment used in the design and preparation of multimedia graphics, brochures and other visual aids.

Knowledge of advertising and publicity techniques.

• Knowledge of the proper methods and techniques of researching, preparing and disseminating public information.
• Knowledge of government policies specifically related to strategic planning, organizing, directing, and coordinating local government operations.
• Knowledge of management principals and supervisory practices.
• Knowledge of modern office practices, methods, equipment and standard clerical procedures, including computers and related software applications.
• Knowledge of Business English, spelling, arithmetic and municipal budgeting procedures.
• Skill in communication strategy planning and implementation.
• Microsoft Suite, desktop publishing, photography, citizen response management tools and website and social media management and monitoring tools.
• Ability to develop creative ideas in relation to public information projects.
• Ability to create informational graphics using desktop publishing, images and photography
• Ability to ability to synthesize, hypothesize, and / or theorize concerning data involving modification of existing policies, strategies and / or methods to meet unique or unusual conditions.

Requires the ability to do so within the context of existing organizational theories and management principles.

• Ability to develop policies related to communication procedures / strategies.
• Ability to apply principles of influence systems, such as motivation, incentive, and leadership, and to exercise independent judgment to apply facts and principles for developing approaches and techniques to resolve problems.
• Ability to exercise judgment, decisiveness and creativity in situations involving the direction, control and planning of an entire program or set of programs.
• Ability to interpret and apply related federal, state and local laws.
• Ability to effectively manage, organize and supervise department employees; ability to give clear instructions; monitor and assess operations, workload, projects and staff performance.
• Ability to use independent judgment and discretion in managing subordinates, including the handling of emergency situations, determining and deciding upon procedures to be implemented, setting priorities, maintaining standards, and resolving problems.
• Ability to develop and maintain effective working relationships with those contacted in the course of work.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

The work is sedentary work which requires exerting up to 10 pounds of force. Work requires ability to exert very light physical effort in sedentary to light work, involving some reaching, handling, fingering and / or feeling of objects and materials.

Some tasks require the ability to perceive and discriminate visual cues or signals. Some tasks require the ability to communicate orally.

WORK ENVIRONMENT

Work is performed in an office environment. Essential functions are regularly performed without exposure to adverse environmental conditions.

The City of Fairburn is an Equal Opportunity Employer. To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform the essential job functions satisfactorily.

In compliance with the American Disabilities Act (ADA) reasonable accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential job functions.

Prospective and current employees are encouraged to discuss accommodations with the employer.