Strategic Communications Manager

The purpose of this position is to develop strategic communications and public relations efforts for the City of Saint Charles. The Strategic Communications Manager will work collaboratively across the City and with all departments to ensure delivery of a broad range of strategic objectives and outcomes. This role will advise on communications strategy as well as community engagement. It will also contribute insight and communications collateral around operational or strategic opportunities as required.

This position will work as part of the communications and special events team but with reach across the organization to coordinate the following functions:

• Communications, marketing and campaign development and delivery.
• Monthly printed newsletter to residents, weekly electronic newsletter to residents, weekly communications to internal staff and City Council.
• Web and digital development and delivery.
• Brand and media management.
• Internal communications and stakeholder engagement.
• Communications support and advice to services to administration. Driving innovation, creative thinking, and alternative ways of delivering outcomes in line with City objectives.
Contributing to the delivery of strategic plans.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

The following duties are normal for this position. These are not to be construed as exclusive or all-inclusive. Other responsibilities may be required and assigned.

• Work closely with senior management to plan, advise and deliver appropriate communications, web and marketing strategies and annual action plans.
• Responsible for overseeing the planning and delivery of internal or external stakeholder communication on high profile projects.
• Oversee the proactive and reactive responses to all aspects of media, including social media, in a timely way ensuring that the City's reputation and integrity is maintained. Be responsible for managing complex queries where there is a significant reputational risk.
• Build trusted relationships with senior leaders to provide communications support as appropriate, on communication and marketing activities including providing or commissioning any necessary training.
• Develop and execute communications strategies for the City. Manage effective relationships with media sources.
• Implement proactive communications and community relations strategies, leveraging news releases, newsletters, emails, articles, postings, publications, scripts and electronic media, etc.
• Assist in the management of media relations efforts, to also include Crisis Communications Management.
• Work directly with Communication Director to provide communications support for special events and other activities sponsored on behalf of the Mayor, City Council or Director of Administration.
• Develop strategic communications strategies and planning for special initiatives on behalf of the Mayor, City Council and the Director of Administration.
• Proactively develop communication strategies to promote City accomplishments and activities.
• Ability to write position papers, as well as contact and possibly speak with the media.
• Ability to develop a comprehensive communications plan for the City.
• Assist with monitoring channels and postings, as well as digital marketing as applicable.

Minimum Training and Experience Required to Perform Essential Job Functions

• Bachelor's degree in English, Marketing, Communications, Public Relations or related area, with a minimum of three to five years on-the-job experience, or any combination of education and experience that provides equivalent knowledge, skills, and abilities.
• A minimum of three to five years of advanced-level PR/Communications experience, with public service experience preferred.

Physical and Mental Abilities Required to Perform Essential Job Functions

Language Ability and Interpersonal Communication

• Ability to analyze and categorize data and information in order to determine the relationship of the data with reference to established criteria/standards. Ability to compare, count, differentiate measure and/or sort data, as well as assemble copy and record and transcribe data and information. Ability to classify, compute and tabulate data.
• Ability to persuade, convince, and/or train others, including the ability to act in a lead worker capacity.
• Ability to advise and interpret how to apply policies, procedures and standards to specific situations.
• Ability to utilize a variety of advisory and design data and information such as technical equipment manuals, computer languages, City ordinances and non-routine correspondence.
• Ability to advise and interpret how to apply policies, procedures and standards to specific situations.
Ability to communicate orally and in writing with City residents, City personnel, public interest groups, elected officials.

Judgment and Situational Reasoning Ability

• Ability to use functional reasoning in performing influence functions such as supervising, managing, leading, teaching, directing and controlling.
Ability to exercise the judgment, decisiveness and creativity required in situations involving the evaluation of information against sensory and/or judgmental criteria.

Physical Requirements

• Ability to operate equipment and machinery with some requiring complex and rapid adjustments, computer terminal, photocopier and telephone.
• Ability to coordinate eyes, hands, feet and limbs in performing skilled movements such as video camera use.
• Ability to exert moderate physical effort in sedentary to light work, typically involving some combination of climbing and balancing, stooping, kneeling, crouching, crawling, lifting, carrying, pushing, and pulling.
Ability to recognize and identify degrees of similarities or differences between characteristics of colors, forms and sounds associated with job-related objects, materials and tasks.

Environmental Adaptability

• Ability to work under generally safe and comfortable conditions where exposure to environmental factors such as temperature variations.

How to Apply:

Online employment applications can be accessed on our City Website: www.stcharlescitymo.gov

The City of Saint Charles is an Equal Opportunity Employer and participates in E-Verify