COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER

Description

If your skills, experience, and qualifications match those in this job overview, do not delay your application.

• Under direction of the Director of Administrative Services, the Communications Manager oversees and implements external and internal communications, campaigns, public education promotions and community relations activities for the City of Cerritos;
• charts the City’s public engagement strategy; develops and disseminates news, press releases and public announcements; drafts, coordinates and monitors posting of information on the City’s websites, social media profiles and Intranet;
• oversees the marketing efforts of its various Departments; responds to a variety of public information and media related inquiries;

performs related work as required.

Job Characteristic : May work a varying schedule of hours which may include early mornings, night, weekends and holidays.

Examples of Duties

• Develops, organizes and manages strategic external and internal communications and marketing campaigns for purposes of public education, promotion and community relations.
• Oversees and manages media coordination, press releases, graphic design, brochures, calendars, advertisements, government access channel, social media and City websites.
• Designs and deploys public engagement strategies as needed.
• Develops and administers City’s public information program to provide comprehensive media coverage for City activities;

gathers information and composes press releases, publicity, announcements, articles, letters and position papers on City programs, policies, actions, community events and activities.

• Responds to inquiries and requests for information from the media, government and other representatives and the public.
• Develops, coordinates and monitors placement of content on the City’s websites and Intranet; serves as liaison between the City and its web service provider.
• Oversees operations of the City’s government access channel and prepares public service messages for cable channel use.
• Serves as liaison to report customer issues to the local cable television providers.
• Maintains and updates media lists; plans and regulates content, format, structure and media sources for information dissemination and distribution;

assesses and determines manner and mode of information presentation.

• Assists the City Manager and department representatives in preparing public information materials for presentation and distribution as requested.
• Researches, designs and prepares newsletters; coordinates taking of photographs, videos, publication materials and media materials for presentations.

Coordinates publicity events and acts as a community relations liaison.

• Manages various social media channels.
• Serves as the City spokesperson and responds to community and media inquiries.
• Manages, trains and mentors division staff; conducts performance appraisals and recommends promotions; initiates disciplinary actions;

provides training, as needed.

• Prepares and tracks Division costs and expenditures; prepares budget recommendations; requests additional resources.
• Performs related work as required.

Typical Qualifications

EMPLOYMENT STANDARDS :

Knowledge of :

• Principles, methods and practices of public relations and information dissemination.
• Print and electronic media practices.

Speechwriting and event scripting.

Municipal government practices and operations.

Reporting methods, techniques and literary styles.

English usage, spelling, grammar and punctuation.

Public and customer relations techniques.

Photography fundamentals, including composition.

Advanced techniques of newsletter production.

Desktop publishing software.

Ability to :

Maintain the confidentiality of sensitive data.

Establish and ensure that the team meets clear deadlines, while balancing competing interests and priorities.

Communicate effectively orally and in writing.

Understand and carry out oral and written instructions and use independent judgment and initiative.

• Establish and maintain effective relationships with those contacted in the course of work.
• Meet the public with courtesy and tact.
• Write clear, concise, objective and interesting text and edit materials for objectivity.
• Determine design, layout, graphics and method(s) of presentation.
• Develop and deliver compelling presentations to a wide-variety of audiences.
• Operate a suite of communications software systems.
• Plan complex and multi-part campaigns, strategies and engagements.
• Develop marketing strategies to promote the City’s various Departments and interagency efforts.
• Engage meaningfully with print, broadcast, and digital streams to present the City’s priorities and activities.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS AND WORK ENVIRONMENT : Work is performed primarily indoors in an office environment. The incumbent may be required to deploy to the field for planned events and emergencies.

Uses a computer keyboard and sits for prolonged periods of time. An incumbent stands, walks, and may twist, reach, bend, crouch, kneel and may grasp and lift accounting records and other office items weighing up to 30 pounds.

Tasks require visual perception and discrimination as well as oral communications ability. An incumbent must be able to meet the physical requirements of the class and have mobility, vision, hearing and dexterity levels appropriate to the duties to be performed.

TRAINING AND EXPERIENCE : Any combination of education and experience in Communications which would provide stated knowledge and abilities.

A typical way to obtain these would be a Bachelor’s degree in communications, marketing, public relations, or a closely related field, with two (2) years of experience supervising employees performing communications, marketing, public information, public relations, or related work.

A valid California driver’s license is required.

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