DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS AND PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT / PIO

Salary: $81,452.80 - $134,409.60 Annually

Location : Hobbs, NM

Job Type: Full Time Exempt

Job Number: 202400966

Department: CITY MANAGERS OFFICE

Opening Date: 08/26/2024

Description

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Serves as the Director for the Communications Division and represents the City in outward communications to all external stakeholders including the public and media outlets.

Administers a wide range of public relations activities in a large, complex, multi-faceted department or on a Citywide basis in a centralized public information function. This position is an exempt position as defined by the Fair Labor Standards Act and regularly works in excess of a standard forty-hour workweek without overtime compensation. This position requires flexibility in scheduling and may often be responsible for working weekends, evenings, early morning hours, and various holidays.

Essential Duties

ESSENTIAL DUTIES

• Communicates the goals and directives of the City Commission and City Management team to media outlets and responds within the guidelines of the mission and philosophy of the organization.
• Serves as the Public Information Officer for the City including crisis communications as directed by the City Manager.
• Manages and supervises assigned operations to achieve goals within available resources; Leads, coordinates, trains, motivates and evaluates assigned staff; reviews progress and directs change as needed. Assists with final recommendations for hiring, promoting, reclassifying, transferring, assigning, laying off, recalling and termination of communication division employees.
• Provides guidance regarding communication activities to City management, City employees, and elected officials.
• Plans and coordinates overall media relations to enhance the City image and publish timely City information including but not limited to; press releases, press outreach, media events, media calls, videos, photography, brochures, website design and content, social media and correspondence responses on behalf of management.
• Ensures consistency in all aspects of communication by city departments.
• Coordinates activities and plans special events.
• Work involves conceptualizing, developing, and implementing major media and advertising campaigns, marketing programs, and various special projects.
• Coordinates public relations activities for City Commission and other City departments.
• Develops and coordinates the illustration and printing of publications.
• Prepares, reviews, and edits documents for publication to include information to be shared during news conferences, media releases, newsletters, publications and scripts.
• Serves as a liaison between City officials and outside organizations, departments, and specific groups.
• Demonstrates outstanding customer service, integrity, and commitment to innovation, efficiency, and fiscally responsible activity.
• Shows effective stress management during times of intense situations.
• Shows the ability to work cooperatively with internal departments, other employees, media representatives and the public.
• Implements the City-wide social media strategy and builds online traffic and support.
• Plans and coordinates in conjunction with management all internal communications, messages and communication outlets.
• Maintains confidentiality as appropriate of City matters.
• Performs a variety of routine and complex clerical, secretarial and administrative work in keeping official records, providing administrative support to the City Manager, and assists in the administration of the standard operating policies and procedures of the department and the City.
• Prepares and disseminates monthly, quarterly, and annual reports in accordance with approved standards.

• Work is performed within policies included in City ordinances and administrative regulations with latitude for the exercise of independent judgment and subject to periodic review on the basis of results achieved.
• Attends administrative staff meetings, commission meetings and other meetings as requested by the City Manager.
• Gathers, interprets, and prepares data for studies, reports and recommendations.
• Prepares and administers communications division budget.
• Demonstrates continuous effort to improve operations, decrease turnaround times, streamline work processes, and works cooperatively to provide quality seamless customer service.

The duties listed above are intended only as illustrations of the various types of work that may be performed. The omission of specific statements of duties does not exclude them from the position if the work is similar, related or a logical assignment to the position.

NON-ESSENTIAL DUTIES

May serve on various employee committees, as required and assigned.

Minimum Qualifications

This position is subject to the City of Hobbs' Drug and Alcohol Testing Policy which includes one or more of the following: pre-employment testing, post accident testing, random testing, reasonable suspicion testing, return to duty testing and follow-up testing.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

Education and Experience:

Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Marketing, Journalism, Communications, Public Relations or a related degree required. Four (4) years of progressively responsible compensable experience related to communications, marketing or public relations experience that includes a minimum of two years of supervising subordinates is required. An equivalent combination of education and experience that meet the minimum requirements may be substituted on a year-to-year basis. Bi-lingual preferred.

Skills, Knowledge and Abilities:

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Knowledge of various media outlets and technological advances in communication mediums.
• Ability to proactively identify communication opportunities and develop supporting programs.
• Strong organizational skills and the ability to handle multiple tasks and meet deadlines.
• Able to excel in a fast-paced environment with changing priorities and able to take a positive team approach to working with government and non-government partners.
• Knowledge of governmental organization and content of a wide variety of positions common to public agencies.
• Knowledge of principles of business and public administration.
• Knowledge of graphic design software along with Microsoft Office Suite to include Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Access.
• Ability to develop, improve, and install communication processes.
• Ability to work cooperatively with City officials, boards and commissions, employees and the general public.
• Ability to perform a broad range of supervisory responsibility over others.
• Ability to effectively communicate orally with individuals and groups in a face-to-face setting or by telephone both internally and externally.
• Ability to establish operational standards for the department.
• Ability to produce written documents with clearly organized thoughts using proper sentence construction, punctuation, and grammar.
• Ability to work safely without presenting a direct threat to self or others.

LICENSING AND CERTIFICATIONS

Valid state issued drivers license.

As a condition of employment, this position must maintain insurability and licensure requirements in order to operate personal and/or city vehicle in daily transportation throughout the city and state and meet the expectations of this job description.

SUPERVISION RECEIVED

Reports directly to the City Manager

SUPERVISION EXERCISED

Directly supervises subordinated staff within the communications division.

• The City of Hobbs will provide 80% to 90% Heath Insurance Coverage from Single to Family coverage.
• Employees are eligible for 100% short-term disability coverage provided by the City of Hobbs.
• Employer PERA contributions 14.8% for general, 28.775% for HPD, 30.9% for HFD.
• CDL pay - $6,000 per year (if applicable).
• PTO accruals start at 12 hours per month (144 hours per year) and progressively increase based on years of service to 20 hours per month (240 hours per year) at year 21.
• Bilingual Pay - $1,500 dollar incentive per year upon completion of yearly proficiency test.
• Education Incentive - ($1,000, $4,000, $6,000 dollars - Associates, Bachelor's, Masters; degree must be relevant to position and above the current minimum requirements of the held position).
• Longevity Pay - Begins at the completion of 10 years of service. Gradually increased.
• Retention Incentive - $600 incentive yearly with years 1-9 of completed service
• 13 Paid Holidays.
• Bereavement Leave - 5 days per calendar year per personnel rules guidelines.
• Military Leave - (120 hours per year for general, 183.75 per year for HPD, 360 hours per year for HFD).

01

Do you have a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Marketing, Journalism, Communications, Public Relations or a related degree? If yes, please list the degree you have.

02

Please describe any experience you have in Business Administration, Marketing, Journalism, Communications, and/or Public Relations. Please include the number of years of experience you have and where you received that experience.

03

How many years of experience do you have in a supervisory role? Please provide a detailed description.

Required Question