Communications & Engagement Manager

Socket.dev; Charlottesville (VA); Hybrid; USD 87,000 - 96,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Benefits Eligible

VRS Eligible

Job summary

Albemarle County seeks a Communications & Engagement Manager to lead the Communications & Engagement Section and act as a strategic communications advisor across county departments. The role oversees editorial planning, content creation, and community engagement initiatives while guiding staff and shaping messaging for public campaigns.

The position is hybrid-eligible in Virginia, with duties spanning digital, print, and multimedia storytelling, and requires strong leadership, analytics, and

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree and minimum 5 years in public relations, communications, or public engagement.
• Strong oral and written communication, facilitation, and presentation skills.
• Experience with public engagement programs, campaigns, and analytics.

Responsibilities

• Provides supervision and staff development for the Communications & Engagement Section.
• Leads strategic communications planning and countywide editorial content.
• Oversees content across digital, print, web, video, podcast, social media, and email channels.
• Guides community engagement efforts including advisory committees and public participation programs.
• Offers communications counsel to County leadership and departments.
• Monitors performance metrics and recommends improvements based on data.
• Supports emergency communications and on-call duties as assigned.

Skills

Communication skills

Public engagement

Data analysis

Strategic planning

Education

Bachelor's Degree in Public Relations, Communications, Marketing, Journalism, Sociology, Public Administration, Urban Planning, or related field

Job description

Communications & Engagement Manager

Communications & Engagement Manager
Communications and Public Engagement Office
Full Time, 12 Months
Exempt, Paygrade 35
Benefits Eligible; VRS Eligible

Job Summary/ Objective:

The Communications & Engagement Manager leads the Communications & Engagement Section while serving as an active communications strategist and department liaison. The position provides day-to-day leadership for the section and is responsible for implementing the County's strategic communications and community engagement programs in coordination with the CAPE Director. In addition to supervising staff, the manager leads communications planning for assigned departments, oversees countywide editorial planning and engagement initiatives, develops content and marketing campaigns, and provides communications counsel to County leadership and departments.

Supervisory Responsibilities:

• Provides supervision

Essential Functions:

• Supervises and develops staff by establishing priorities, assigning work, managing workloads, and evaluating performance within the Communications & Engagement Section.
• Leads section operations and strategic planning by developing work plans, operational priorities, performance measures, policies, procedures, and staff development initiatives in coordination with the Director.
• Serves as a communications strategist and department liaison, providing strategic communications support to assigned departments, including communications planning, public awareness campaigns, marketing, messaging, and multimedia storytelling.
• Oversees countywide content and communications across digital, print, web, video, podcast, social media, email, and other communication channels, including management of the editorial content calendar and major recurring communications initiatives.
• Leads the County’s community engagement efforts, including advisory committees, community outreach, online engagement platforms, public participation programs, and other initiatives designed to facilitate meaningful community input.
• Provides strategic guidance and training to County departments and leadership on communications, public engagement, messaging, branding, outreach, marketing, and related practices.
• Evaluates communications and engagement effectiveness using performance measures, participation data, digital analytics, community feedback, and other metrics, and recommends improvements based on results.
• Oversees digital communications and web governance initiatives, ensuring coordination and consistency across County communications platforms and related projects.
• Collaborates across the organization and with external partners by representing the Communications & Public Engagement Office on cross‑functional teams, committees, and intergovernmental initiatives.
• Supports emergency and incident communications, including assigned Emergency Operations Center and Joint Information Center activations and backup Public Information Officer on-call responsibilities.

Competency: Knowledge/ Skills/Abilities:

• Strong oral, written communication, and facilitation skills.
• Knowledge of public relations, mass communications, and marketing principles.
• Experience in data analysis and data visualization.
• Knowledge of various media production; including print, photography, video, graphics and web design principles.
• Ability to work under pressure.
• Ability to make effective presentations to diverse internal and external audiences, along with communications and engagement planning.

Required Education and Experience:

• Bachelor’s Degree in Public Relations, Communications, Marketing, Journalism, Sociology, Public Administration, Urban Planning, or a related field and a minimum of 5 years’ experience in public relations, communications, and/or public engagement.

Preferred Qualifications/Certifications:

• Working knowledge of local government operations.

• Supervisory experience

Physical and Mental Requirements:

• Regular contact is made with County department heads and staff, and community members.
• Contacts may be adversarial in nature and require a high level of professionalism.
• The position requires planned and unplanned work outside of normal business hours.
• Regular lifting of up to 40 pounds is necessary.
• Work is typically performed in County facilities, meeting rooms, and on scene at public safety incidents.
• Operation of a motor vehicle throughout Albemarle County in occasional inclement weather is required.
• Must be able to assume "on call" responsibility and participate in 24‑hour on‑call rotation as assigned.

Remote Work:

This role is designated as hybrid‑eligible, allowing employees to perform a portion of their work remotely, in accordance with organizational policy and operational requirements. On‑site presence may be required for meetings, collaboration, or business needs as determined by management. All County staff must maintain residence within the Commonwealth of Virginia.

Salary Range:

This hiring range for this position is $41.64 - $46.03 per hours, which is approximately $86,615.30 - $95,732.70 per year. Starting offer is based on applicable education beyond minimum requirements and internal equity. The position also provides excellent benefits including 12 paid holidays, paid vacation and sick leave, health insurance options with employer contribution, employer‑paid life insurance, VRS retirement, and continuing education/training opportunities. This is a full‑time, FLSA non‑exempt position. Internal candidate will receive pay adjustments in accordance with Local Government Personnel Policy, § P‑60.

Deadline for Applications: Position open until September 30th, 2026.

Albemarle County Core Values:

Albemarle County holds its employees to the highest standards in fulfilling the County’s Vision and Mission. We believe in excellence in public service through

Community: We expect diversity, equity and inclusion to be integrated into how we live our mission.

Integrity: We value our customers and co‑workers by always providing honest and fair treatment.

Innovation: We embrace creativity and positive change.

Stewardship: We honor our role as stewards of the public trust by managing our natural, human, and financial resources respectfully and responsibly.

Learning: We encourage and support lifelong learning and personal and professional growth.

Virginia Values Veterans:

Albemarle County is a Certified V3 organization.

EOE/EEO:

Albemarle County is an equal employment opportunity employer, and does not discriminate against any group or individual on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, age or disability in regards to any aspect of employment policy and practice: recruitment, testing, selection, assignment, pay, conditions of work, training, leave, overtime, promotion, discipline, demotion, and separation.