Deputy Director of Communications

City of Scottsdale; Scottsdale (AZ); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Vacation and holiday leave

Medical, dental, vision, life, short/长

Disability insurance

Commuter transit benefits

Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF)

Job summary

The Deputy Director of Communications in City of Scottsdale will help shape how Scottsdale tells its story and connects with the community. Serving as the Communications Department’s second-in-command, this leader will help guide strategy, operations and staff while supervising the video network and design team to produce timely content across platforms.

The role emphasizes decisive, collaborative leadership capable of turning ambitious ideas into results and modernizing the city’s

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in communications or a related field.
• Minimum five years in communications/public relations with supervisory experience.
• Equivalent education/experience may be substituted.

Responsibilities

• Help shape how Scottsdale tells its story and connects with the community.
• Oversee Scottsdale Video Network and the city’s design team to guide content across video, digital and print.
• Lead strategy, operations and staff, providing counsel on high-profile issues.
• Modernize the city’s communications and ensure clarity, creativity and quality.

Skills

Strategic leadership

Public communications

Team supervision

Crisis communications

Education

Bachelor's degree in Communications, Journalism, Public Relations, Marketing, Public Administration or a related field

Job description

Introduction

DUE TO THE LARGE VOLUME OF APPLICATIONS RECEIVED, THIS RECRUITMENT WILL CLOSE ON OCTOBER 15, 2026 AT 5:00PM.

The Deputy Director of Communications is a key leadership position responsible for helping shape how Scottsdale tells its story and connects with the community. Serving as the Communications Department’s second-in-command, this person will help lead strategy, operations and staff while providing trusted counsel on high-profile and sensitive issues.

The deputy director will directly oversee Scottsdale Video Network and the city’s design team, guiding the creation of compelling, timely and accessible content across video, broadcast, digital and print platforms. The ideal candidate is a decisive and collaborative leader who can inspire creative professionals, manage competing priorities, strengthen accountability and turn ambitious ideas into results.

This is an opportunity to help modernize the communications of a nationally recognized city, lead talented teams and ensure Scottsdale’s work is presented with the clarity, creativity and quality our community expects.

Anticipated starting salary for this position may be up to mid-point depending on candidate’s experience and internal equity. The full salary range is listed above and mid-point for this position is $140,920 annually.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Communications, Journalism, Public Relations, Marketing, Public Administration or a related field from an accredited educational institution.
• A minimum of five years of progressively responsible professional experience in communications, public relations, journalism, public affairs, marketing or a related field, which includes five years of supervisory experience.
• Any equivalent combination of education and/or job-related experience that meets the minimum qualifications may be substituted.

Licensing, Certifications and Other Requirements

• Every person employed by the City of Scottsdale shall reside in the State of Arizona during active employment by the city, regardless of whether the employee is approved to remote work.

Other pertinent licenses and/or certifications may be required of some positions depending on division/department/service assignment.

Education

Applicants whose education, training and experience most closely meet the needs of the position may be invited to participate in a selection process that may include a panel interview. Successful candidates will receive a post-offer, pre-employment background screening that may include:

• Fingerprinting search of the national FBI Database
• Criminal Background screening

The City of Scottsdale reserves the right to change this process at any time, potentially without advance notice.

PLEASE NOTE: Years of experience are based on a work schedule of 2,080 hours per year for full-time positions and 1,040 hours per year for part-time positions, and while work experience may substitute for education on a year-for-year basis, depending upon the job classification, education may not be substituted for work experience.

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY: It is the policy of the city to provide employment opportunities to all persons based solely on ability, regardless of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, or disability.

When advised, reasonable accommodations will be made in order for an "otherwise qualified applicant" with a disability to participate in any phase of the recruitment process. Please contact Human Resources to request an accommodation. Persons with a disability may request a reasonable accommodation by contacting HR at [phone]. Requests should be made 24 hours in advance or as early as possible to allow time to arrange the accommodation. For TTY users, the Arizona Relay Service (1-800-367-8939) may contact HR at [phone].

This position description does not constitute an employment agreement between the employer and employee and is subject to change by the employer as the needs of the employer and requirements of the position change.

Full-Time Positions

The City of Scottsdale offers a comprehensive benefit package including vacation, holiday and medical leave as well as insurance for medical, dental, vision, life, short and long term disability insurance. For a more detailed overview of the employee benefits, click here.

Part-Time Positions

The City of Scottsdale offers paid medical leave for part-time staff.

Commute Solutions Program

City of Scottsdale provides free Valley Metro Platinum passes to employees for the bus and light rail systems when commuting; a vanpool subsidy is also available. Employees can decrease stress, decrease wear & tear on their vehicle, and help the environment all at the same time.

Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program (PSLF).

The City of Scottsdale is considered a qualified employer for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program (PSLF). You may find more information about the PSLF program by going to the Federal Student Aid website by clicking here.