COMMUNCATIONS MANAGER

City of Lynchburg; Lynchburg (VA); On-site; USD 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

The City of Lynchburg is seeking a Communications Manager to lead strategic outreach for Water Resources and Public Works. You will craft content, manage digital platforms, and guide media relations while aligning messages with department goals.

You will analyze performance metrics, coordinate with designers, and serve as a liaison to stakeholders and residents. Evening/weekend hours and on-call responsiveness may be required.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree preferred; 5–7 years in communications/public relations/marketing.
• Government or public sector experience is a plus.
• Ability to translate complex topics for diverse audiences.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the primary communication lead for assigned departments, internal and external.
• Develop, implement, and manage comprehensive communication strategies.
• Create high-quality content for digital platforms and print materials.
• Act as Public Information Officer (PIO) for assigned departments as needed.
• Monitor metrics and refine strategies based on data.
• Coordinate with design teams for visuals and video content.
• Maintain and update website content and publish reports.

Skills

Writing & editing

Social media management

Public speaking

Data analysis

Photography

Videography

Project management

Team collaboration

Education

Bachelor's degree in communications

Tools

Adobe Creative Suite

Canva

Content Management Systems

Analytics platforms

Job description

Accounts: Water Resources, Public Works

The Communications Manager oversees the development and implementation of effective communication strategies to inform, engage, and build trust with the public, stakeholders, and employees. Acting as an account manager for designated departments, this role serves as a strategic advisor and primary liaison, tailoring communication plans to specific needs. The Communications Manager is responsible for creating high-quality content, maintaining digital platforms, analyzing performance metrics, managing public relations efforts, and ensuring clear, consistent, and transparent messaging across all channels.

The City of Lynchburg is an Equal Opportunity Employer and encourages all qualified candidates to apply.

Learn more about Living in Lynchburg.

• Serve as the primary communication lead for assigned departments, understanding their goals and priorities.
• Develop, implement, and manage comprehensive communication strategies tailored to each department’s needs for both internal and external communications.
• Support department leadership in the development of presentations, talking points, speeches and other messages.
• Coordinate with internal teams to ensure alignment and consistency across all messaging platforms for projects, from ideation to implementation.
• Develop a social media strategy to align with department goals and brand guidelines, collaborating on implementation.
• Work with team members to manage social media platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube by developing creative content, campaigns, and audience engagement strategies, while actively monitoring and responding to comments and messages to foster meaningful community interactions.
• Drive content creation efforts, including blog posts, press releases, newsletters, and reports.
• Collaborate with graphic designers and other team members or contractors to develop engaging visual and written materials, including photography and videography for social media, publications, and promotional materials.
• Act as Public Information Officer (PIO) for assigned departments, pitching news stories, responding to media inquiries, writing press releases, and coordinating interviews, when necessary.
• Coordinate with Public Relations Manager to identify and support public engagement and outreach opportunities for departments and collaborate to conduct and support public meetings, as needed.
• Maintain and update website content for assigned departments to ensure accuracy and relevance.
• Lead development of publications such as annual reports, brochures, and special projects; provide light graphic design support for print and digital materials.
• Monitor and analyze communication performance metrics, including social media engagement, website traffic, and campaign effectiveness; use data to refine strategies and improve outreach efforts.
• Utilize collaborative project management tools such as Asana for task tracking and team coordination, Microsoft Teams for internal communications, Dropbox for secure document sharing, and other designated platforms.
• Cross-training for coverage of other department accounts, as needed.
• May be required to be on-call and to work non-standard hours, including weekends or emergencies.

ACCOUNT-SPECIFIC DUTIES

• Public Works:Develop information for residents about public works services; on-call for crisis communication and construction-related PIO duties, build internal communications, and maintain relationships with media reporters to pitch community-interest stories regularly.
• Water Resources: Serve as a 24/7 crisis communication contact, producing consumer confidence reports, the Annual Report, and handling construction-related PIO tasks. Develop and execute a comprehensive communication strategy for water, wastewater, and stormwater services to enhance customer service and brand awareness. Maintain a crisis communication plan for water emergencies, including waterline breaks, boil water notices, sewer overflows, and water contamination events. Build and maintain relationships with local reporters, pitching stories of community interest.

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS

• Willingness to work evenings and weekends as needed for events or emergencies.
• Familiarity with government operations and policies is preferred but not required.
• Other duties to provide direct or indirect service to the citizens may be assigned.
• When unusual situations occur and/or the City Manager declares a State of Emergency, all City employees may be required to accept special assignments and perform as needed to ensure appropriate service delivery.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES

This position has no supervisory responsibilities, however, may be asked to lead team projects or manage contract support.

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE

Bachelor's degree in communications, marketing, public relations, journalism, or a related field preferred; 5-7 years of experience in communications, public relations, or marketing, preferably in a government or public sector role; a combination of education and experience can be used to meet these requirements.

SKILLS AND COMPETENCIES

• Strong writing and editing skills for a variety of formats and audiences.
• Proficient in social media management tools, website content management systems, and analytics platforms.
• Experience in basic graphic design tools (e.g., Adobe Creative Suite or Canva).
• Photography and basic videography skills.
• Ability to analyze data and present actionable insights.
• Comfortable speaking on camera and in public settings.

KEY TRAITS

• Strategic thinker with excellent organizational and project management skills.
• Strong interpersonal skills for collaboration with diverse stakeholders.
• Adaptable and resourceful in a fast-paced environment.
• High attention to detail and commitment to quality.

Other Qualifications

LANGUAGE SKILLS

The successful candidate must have strong communication and presentation skills. Ability to read, analyze, and interpret general business periodicals, professional journals, technical procedures, or governmental regulations. Ability to write reports, business correspondence, and procedure manuals. Ability to effectively present information and respond to questions from groups of managers, clients, customers, and the public.

MATHEMATICAL SKILLS

Ability to apply concepts of basic mathematics.

REASONING ABILITY

Ability to solve practical problems and deal with a variety of concrete variables in situations where only limited standardization exists. Ability to interpret a variety of instructions furnished in written, oral, diagram, or schedule form. Possesses the ability to pivot quickly from one situation to another and manage multiple community engagement opportunities simultaneously. Must be relentless in his/her commitment to community engagement.

INTERPERSONAL SKILLS

Advanced interpersonal and management skills, including conflict resolution and negotiation skills, to manage diverse and/or complex activities.

• Must successfully complete IS 100 and IS 700 National Incident Management (NIMS) training within 30 days of employment. May also be required to complete higher levels of NIMS training as determined appropriate for the position.
• Possession of a valid driver’s license issued by the Commonwealth of Virginia and acceptable driving record according to City driving criteria.