Communications Director

Public Relations Society of America Inc.; Pelham (AL); On-site; USD 135,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

The City of Pelham is seeking a dynamic Communications Director to shape and execute Pelham's enterprise-wide communications strategy. This senior leadership role combines strategic oversight with hands-on content creation across internal and external channels.

Reporting to the City Manager, the Director will supervise the Communications team, manage branding, media relations, crisis communications, and budget, and serve as the Public Information Officer during major events.

Qualifications

• Senior leadership with strategic vision for citywide communications.
• Experience directing internal/external communications, media relations, branding, and crises.

Responsibilities

• Develop and manage Pelham's comprehensive communications strategy.
• Lead internal and external communications, media relations, branding, and crisis communication.
• Oversee budget and manage the communications team and consultants.
• Serve as Public Information Officer during major events and emergencies.
• Collaborate with city management, department heads, officials, and the public.
• Personally write, edit, design, and produce communications materials when needed.

Skills

Strategic leadership

Staff supervision

Relationship building

Media relations

Brand strategy

Analytics & social media

Content creation

Crisis comms

Public information officer

Stakeholder engagement

Job description

The City of Pelham is seeking a dynamic, visionary, and strategic communications professional to serve as its next Communications Director. This is a senior leadership position that reports to the City Manager and is responsible for developing, leading, and executing Pelham's comprehensive communications strategy—including internal and external communications, public relations, media relations, branding, crisis communication, marketing, and reputation management. Given the size of the Communications team, this is very much a working leadership role: the Director sets strategy and direction while also rolling up their sleeves alongside staff to produce content, manage campaigns, and execute day-to-day communications work.

The Communications Director works with the City Manager to develop, lead, and direct Pelham's comprehensive communications strategy. The Director provides professional and technical expertise to senior staff, is responsible for the staff's execution and management, identifies and recommends solutions at the organizational level, makes organizational policy recommendations, creates and manages the communications budget, and is accountable for the work carried out by the City Communications team as well as professional consultants. The Director is expected to be a hands-on contributor as well as a leader—writing, editing, designing, and producing communications materials directly when needed to support the team's capacity and meet deadlines. This position also serves as the Public Information Officer during major events and emergency operations.

A defining feature of this role is its scope across Pelham's enterprise portfolio. In addition to citywide communications, the Director develops and oversees marketing and advertising strategies for Ballantrae Golf Club, the Pelham Racquet Club, and—in coordination with the City's professional management company—the Pelham Civic Complex and Ice Arena. This makes Pelham's Communications Director one of the most broad-based and entrepreneurial communications roles in Alabama local government, requiring someone equally comfortable setting strategic direction and personally executing the work that brings it to life.

The Ideal Candidate

The City of Pelham is seeking a communications professional who combines strategic vision with strong execution skills. This role requires courage and integrity: the courage to provide honest counsel on difficult issues and the integrity to ensure the city’s public voice reflects its values. The ideal candidate is team-oriented, collaborative, and focused on long-term success rather than short-term recognition.

The ideal candidate will be:

• A visionary leader who can develop and manage a comprehensive communications strategy while balancing daily operational demands across multiple platforms and audiences
• An accomplished professional with experience leading strategic communications initiatives and supervising, mentoring, and evaluating staff
• A collaborative team player who fosters strong relationships with department heads, elected officials, media representatives, and the public
• A relationship-focused professional who builds trust through transparency, consistency, and accountability
• Proficient in modern communications technology, including social media platforms and analytics, video production and editing, livestreaming, AI-driven marketing tools, and content management systems
• An approachable leader who values feedback, exercises sound judgment, and operates with professionalism and integrity
• Experienced in marketing and brand strategy, with the ability to develop and execute promotional campaigns for enterprise facilities such as a golf course, racquet club, and arena
• Creative, data-driven, and entrepreneurial in identifying opportunities to increase visibility, engagement, and revenue for city assets

Salary

Hiring Range: $135,000 - $150,000