Director of Communications

Location

Providence, RI | United States

Job description

Job Type: Non-Union

Job Posting: COP-00118-23

Salary: $100,000-$115,000

Job Grade Level:

Department: Mayor’s Office

The City of Providence welcomes and encourages diversity in our workforce at all levels of the organization. We provide equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibit hiring discrimination of any type. All City hiring decisions are made without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local laws.

PLEASE NOTE:
All persons employed by the City of Providence are required to have achieved a fully vaccinated status against the COVID-19 virus. “Fully vaccinated status” shall be defined as having received the full number of doses required to complete the vaccination series of one of the currently recognized COVID-19 vaccines. Proof of vaccination completion will be required before beginning employment with the City.

Job Summary

The Director of Communications leads the City of Providence’s Communications team to direct the implementation of communications strategies and marketing campaigns for the various initiatives of the Administration and on behalf of all city departments.

The Director is tasked with managing a team of communications professionals to communicate information to the general public and the press corps in a timely, accurate and inclusive way. The Director leads all messaging, marketing, press relations, digital and print communications on behalf of the city.

The Director of Communications reports to the Chief of Staff and works in a demanding, fast-paced office. The Director works closely with citywide Department Directors to assure that their initiatives, information and events are being communicated to the general public in a clearly and concisely.

The successful candidate will demonstrate editorial and visual sensibility, the ability to meet tight deadlines, and an understanding of how to effectively communicate public information through earned media, social media, visual supplements and a willingness to develop new skills on the job.

Duties & Responsibilities

• Develop and implement a long-term strategic communications plan to support the City’s mission, goals and objectives.
• Oversee staff and the professional development of staff.
• Develop messaging and ensuring that programmatic messaging is aligned across city departments.
• Develop speeches and talking points for the Mayor and other city leaders
• Oversee all preparation for interviews and major speeches for Department Directors.
• Oversee all crisis communication responses including serving as a liaison to other State and Federal organizations as needed.
• Oversee all marketing plans and budgets associated with city initiatives and Departments.
• Oversee all press advisories, press releases and press responses with support of the Press Secretary.
• Oversee development of the City’s communication policies, procedures and objectives.
• Manage social media profiles and digital presence for multiple city departments with the support of the Director of Digital Communications.
• Drive the planning and execution of media events, including the preparation of press kits, letters to the editor, op-eds, web content, blog posts, social media content, weekly e-newsletters and the maintenance of communications archives.
• Advise the Mayor, Department Directors and other senior staff on communication strategies and implementation methods based on needs and best practices.
• Perform other related duties assigned by the Chief of Staff.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in communications/political science or related fields and/or 5-10 years of experience in communications, political relations or media relations.
• Strong writing and communications skills with a particular attention to detail and copyediting.
• Demonstrated experience in working with print, broadcast and digital media is required.
• Strong project management and analytical skills demonstrated by experience or work product.
• Ability to work a flexible schedule, including nights and weekends as needed.
• Demonstrated skill and ability in team management or experience managing a team.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with a variety of stakeholders including press and city officials.
• Acute cross-cultural awareness, with a demonstrated ability to center equity in communications.
• Experience with Microsoft Office Suite, Social Media Platforms (Facebook, Instagram and Twitter specifically), WordPress and iContact.
• Familiarity with local media landscape and reporters preferred.
• Familiarity with the City of Providence including the neighborhoods and community.
• Excellent organizational, time management, and follow-up skills.
• Bilingual fluency in English and Spanish preferred, but not required.

Posting expires when the position is filled.

Job tags

Salary

$100k - $115k