Communication Specialist Ii Jobs

Salary Range: $61,500 - $83,100 annually

Job Summary

This position is an integral member of the Communication & Engagement Department team, working collaboratively with designated leadership to develop, implement and manage high-level strategic communication and engagement plans. The Communication Specialist II will provide direction and context for the communication, promotion, public education, and public engagement aspects of work related to the various city departments/divisions that primarily include, but are not limited to, Parks, Natural Areas & Trails, and Economic Health &Housing. This team member will use a range of tactics including marketing and advertising, social media, websites, and community dialogue to ensure the public is well informed about the state of city projects, services, operations, and infrastructure.

The ideal candidate will demonstrate knowledge of integrated communications strategies, education and outreach strategies, and marketing. They will work well in a collaborative, dynamic, and results-driven environment. The ideal candidate must be comfortable working with many stakeholders and distilling complex information.

Experience, Knowledge, Skills

• Use AP style and grammar to create and edit professional content.
• Proficient at organizing content and data, and reporting outcomes.
• Experience with digital cameras.
• Bachelor’s degree gained through a four-year college/university academic program or specialized technical training of equivalent length in the field of Communication and Engagement or a related field or equivalent years of experience in a related field is required
• Experience assessing, monitoring, and measuring strategic communication initiatives.
• At least three to five years of progressively responsible professional experience involving 21st-century communication practices (i.e., marketing, communications, media relations, public engagement, brand management, or related fields.)
• Strong verbal and written communication skills.
• Experience with Office 365 and MailChimp
• Strong customer service skills and diplomacy.
• Ability to utilize components of project management to successfully schedule, lead and facilitate communication.
• Bilingual in Spanish preferred, but not required
• Ability to monitor and support the online presence of department content on website(s).
• Experience with current social media applications and online platforms for communication and engagement.
• Ability to update city and city-owned, websites utilizing basic web design skills, accessibility standards, knowledge of SEO and basic HTML knowledge preferred.

Essential Functions

Strategic Communications and Engagement

• Initiate planning efforts in the development and execution of strategies including coordination of budget, timelines, media purchases, and communication tools to meet the objectives of various departments/divisions.
• Conceptualize, design, implement, manage, and assess the impact of high-level strategic communication plans that meet the marketing, advertising, public relations, and community engagement goals for multiple city departments/divisions.
• Align communication and public participation initiatives with the overall City of Greeley mission, goals, values, and brand priorities.
• Work as a project coordinator to organize and align various components of work between stakeholders, consultants, and partners.

Copywriting and Editing

• Write and edit news releases, advertising/promotional copy, annual, technical, and program reports, e-newsletters, blog posts, social media content, video scripts, website updates, presentations, and handout materials.
• Edit/revise written materials created by city officials and staff.

Strategic Operational Support

• Work with the digital team to create messaging to build proactive communications, community outreach, and engagement across social media channels
• Create and gather materials for meetings and public events that may include displays and signage.
• Manage project processes including printing needs, ordering promotional items, and collaborating with graphic design and video teams in the production of marketing materials.
• Provide direction and context for the communication, promotion, public education, engagement, and public relations aspects of work related to the identified department/divisions.
• Work collaboratively with various department staff to support and/or perform face-to-face outreach at special event booths and community forums.
• Assist with photography or videography projects related to communication projects as needed.

Media Relations

• When appropriate, serve as a spokesperson, coordinate and schedule interviews, and generally monitor public sentiment.
• Submit press releases, pitch stories, answer questions, and respond to media inquiries.
• Work collaboratively with other team members to build and maintain a professional network of reporters and media professionals

The Ideal Candidate Will

• Easily adapt to the changing needs and circumstances of communications work
• Be capable of setting strategy while also navigating relationships with different stakeholders across the organization and collaborating with colleagues.
• Be strategic in connecting big-picture, intersecting messages and capable of communicating sensitive and nuanced concepts.
• Effectively conduct industry research and knowledge-gathering and expand professional expertise to understand the current and future goals of various departments
• Be comfortable multi-tasking.
• Contribute to the collaborative experience of information exchange across all city platforms.
• Be comfortable operating autonomously and exhibit the ability to draw connections between current situations and long-term impact to determine necessary or proactive action.
• “Listen for understanding" and check for clarity to guide relevant communication.
• Be comfortable with face-to-face outreach at public meetings and events.
• Understand communication, engagement, and public relations industry best practices.

Work Environment And Physical Requirements

• Employee may have frequent interruptions and be required to manage competing priorities while having inflexible deadlines.
• Employee may be asked to drive personal vehicle for business purposes.
• Environment is safe to having minimal hazards that are typically found in a general office environment where there is rarely little or no exposure to injury or accident.
• Requires ability to manage competing priorities with frequent interruptions
• Frequent contact with public and employees in person and by telephone; and may experience adverse or confrontational situations with internal/external customers.
• Vision enough to interpret computer screens and documents to assist the public and complete work assignments; specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and ability to adjust focus.
• Operate standard office equipment requiring continuous or repetitive hand/arm movements.
• Employee is subject to conducting business in alternate locations within City buildings and in the community, sometimes in formal settings.
• Manual dexterity enough to accurately input, retrieve, and verify work assignments; employee is regularly required to use hands to finger, handle, or feel and reach with hands and arms.
• Employee is not substantially exposed to adverse environmental conditions; work performed is sedentary, generally in an office environment.
• Duties may occasionally include light to moderate physical effort that includes: stooping, kneeling, crouching, crawling; frequent standing or walking; frequently lifting and/or moving up to 10 pounds; maintaining arms and hands in the same position for repetitive tasks and frequently working with light objects and light hand tools.
• Employee spends extended periods of time at fixed workstation.
• Employee may be required to work overtime, holidays, evenings, shifts, or weekends.
• Extensive work is performed on a computer; work is primarily performed at a desk.
• Exposure to frequent background noise.
• Employee is subject to working alone and/or with groups and/or attends meetings.
• Communication skills enough to hear and convey information to/from the public via telephone and in person.

Conditions of Employment: Candidates must successfully complete all pre-employment screenings and employment eligibility verification. Pre-employment screenings include a drug test, a background and national sex offender search, a motor vehicle record search, and for some positions, a physical demands evaluation. For more information about City policies and practices during the recruitment process, including but not limited to EOE, Reasonable Accommodation, and pre-employment screenings, please visit our career page HERE.