Lead Communications Officer

The City of El Paso Texas; El Paso (TX); On-site; USD 75,000 - 105,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Life and health insurance

Wellness program

Tuition assistance

Employee Assistance Program (EAP)

Job summary

The City of El Paso is seeking an experienced communications leader to coordinate media relations, develop social media programs and serve as a media contact and community liaison for a bilingual community. Under general direction, the role involves supervising staff, managing outreach efforts, and advising departments on publicity and media relations.

A Bachelor's degree and six years in journalism/public relations/marketing (with two years in leadership) are required, plus a Texas driver’s

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or higher in Journalism, Advertising, Marketing, Public Relations or closely related field.
• Six (6) years of professional work experience in journalism, public relations or marketing including two (2) years of lead or supervisory experience.
• Texas Class 'C' Driver's License.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate media relations, develop social media programs and serve as a media contact, spokesperson and community liaison.
• Manage and oversee media relations for assigned departments; build relationships with local media and prepare news materials.
• Serve as department liaison; assist city departments with media needs for projects and events; advise on publicity and media relations.
• Supervise assigned personnel; schedule, train, evaluate performance and enforce standards.

Skills

Journalism

Public relations

Marketing

Leadership experience

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher in Journalism, Advertising, Marketing, Public Relations or related field

Job description

MOS Code: None

Education and Experience: Bachelor's Degree or higher in Journalism, Advertising, Marketing, Public Relations or a closely related field and six (6) years of professional work experience in journalism, public relations, or marketing including two (2) years of lead or supervisory experience.

Requirements

Education and Experience: Bachelor's Degree or higher in Journalism, Advertising, Marketing, Public Relations or a closely related field and six (6) years of professional work experience in journalism, public relations, or marketing including two (2) years of lead or supervisory experience.

Licenses and Certificates: Texas Class "C" Driver's License.

General Purpose: Under general direction, coordinate media relations, develop social media programs and serve as a media contact, spokesperson and community liaison.

Typical Duties:

• Manage and coordinate public outreach programs for a bilingual community. Involves: Oversee research, perform statistical or benchmarking analyses to determine public relations and marketing needs. Review established objectives and develop strategies in conjunction with assigned departments. Analyze performance against objectives to determine program effectiveness and opportunities for program improvement. Oversee presentations promoting awareness of assigned programs, activities, actions and accomplishments to civic groups, school districts, and the public.
• Manage and oversee media relations for assigned departments. Involves: Network and build positive relationships with local and regional media outlets. Maintain media contact lists. Provide information on sensitive or controversial matters of public information to leadership. Act as a media spokesperson for assigned departments, when necessary. Oversee preparation of news releases, opinion columns, public service announcements and other communication products for the media. Gather messages and guidance from Subject Matter Experts for interviews with the media and handling specific customer complaints. Manage regular reports of media coverage. Archive important media stories. Manage strategic direction and participation in digital and social media platforms. Involves: Measure and track the impact of social media efforts. Develop and produce content for digital platforms such as posts, stories, videos, and infographics for use on website and social media platforms.
• Serve as department liaison. Involves: Respond to requests for information from elected officials or their constituents. Assist City departments and portfolios with media and public relations needs for major projects and City events. Partner with the Information Technology Department to establish City webpage content. Advise departments on publicity and media relations needs.
• Supervise assigned personnel. Involves: Schedule, assign, instruct, guide and check work. Appraise employee performance. Provide for training and development. Enforce personnel rules and regulations and work behavior standards firmly and impartially. Counsel, motivate and maintain harmony. Interview applicants. Recommend hiring, termination, transfers, discipline, merit pay or other employee status changes.

Please note: Applicants with foreign diplomas, transcripts and degrees must have all documents translated and evaluated by an agency of the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES) prior to submitting them to the Human Resources Department. Please visit www.naces.org/members for more information.

To qualify for this position, the required education, experience, knowledge and skills must be clearly stated on your application’s employment history. We do not use any information on your resume to review if you meet the minimum qualifications for this position.

Failure to fully detail all experience and job duties in the application, or copying/pasting directly from the job specification, or responses referring to your résumé will eliminate you from consideration for the position.

Benefits

LIFE AND HEALTH INSURANCE

The City of El Paso is a self-insured entity with a third-party administrator for Medical and Pharmacy benefits. Basic Life Insurance Coverage is available at no cost to eligible employees. Additional Life Insurance and coverage for your dependents are also available.

Employees can select optional Dental, Vision, and Short Term Disability coverage. Employees also have the option to participate in a Health Savings Account or Flexible Spending Account (healthcare and/or dependent care for daycare expenses). All of these insurance and coverage options can be configured within a month of your new employee orientation date.

An Employee Assistance Program (EAP) with access to mental health sessions, therapy, and more is available at no cost. A trained counselors are also available to help you and your dependents cope with life’s stressors so that you can live a happy productive lifestyle.

The City’s Wellness Program seeks to promote better health and wellness amongst the workforce through various programs and incentives in which employees may choose to participate in, to include wellness education, fitness tests, biometric screenings, group fitness, health coaching and so much more!

Keep Learning, Growing & Reinventing Yourself! The City of El Paso's Tuition Assistance Program encourages employee personal and professional development by sharing educational costs with those employees who have successfully completed their original probation, and in turn retain a skillful workforce. Each year, employees can obtain Tuition Assistance for Degree, Certifications, Continuing Education, and Books & Equipment.

ELIGIBILITY FOR VACATION LEAVE

All regular employees who are regularly scheduled to work on an average, a minimum of twenty (20) hours per week, who have held a position in the City Service for a period of six months from date of employment, shall be eligible for vacation allowance as hereinafter set forth. Part-time employees shall accrue vacation leave at a pro-rated amount of full-time entitlement based on the number of hours that they are scheduled to work. Employees covered by collective bargaining agreements shall accrue vacation as provided in the applicable agreement.

For 0 - 5 Years Of Service (12 Days)

Regular employees in the City Service shall accrue vacation credit at the following rates per pay period, calculated from the date of employment of each employee:

40 hour per week employees - 3.70 hours per biweekly pay period

For >5 to 15 years of service (17 days)

40 hour per week employees - 5.24 hours per biweekly pay period

For >15 or more years of service (20 days)

40 hour per week employees - 6.16 hours per biweekly pay period

SICK LEAVE WITH PAY

Employees shall be entitled to accrue sick leave with pay in accordance with the Rules of the Civil Service Commission.

ACCIDENT WITH PAY LEAVE

The Amended Section 4.4 of the Ordinance shall become effective upon adoption and shall apply to occupational injuries and occupational diseases occurring on and after date of adoption. Occupational injuries and occupational diseases occurring before such date will be governed by the Ordinance in effect at the time of the date of injury or disease.

PREGNANCY LEAVE

• Pregnancy shall be treated the same as any other temporary physical disability.
• An employee on pregnancy leave shall use accumulated and unused regular sick leave time and then (unless granted use of special sick leave) shall be on leave without pay, unless the employee chooses to use any accumulated and unused annual leave.
• An employee going on pregnancy leave shall give written notice to her department head with appropriate medical verification. Before returning to work from pregnancy leave, the individual will provide appropriate medical documentation releasing the employee to return to work, as is required for any individual who has been on leave for a temporary physical disability.

LEGAL HOLIDAYS

• First day of January (New Year's Day)
• Third Monday in January (Martin Luther King Holiday)
• Thirty-first day in March (Cesar Chavez Day)
• Last Monday in May (Memorial Day)
• June 19 (Juneteenth)
• Fourth day of July (Independence Day)
• First Monday in September (Labor Day)
• Eleventh Day in November (Veteran's Day)
• Fourth Thursday in November (Thanksgiving Day)
• The Friday following the fourth Thursday in November (Day after Thanksgiving)
• Twenty-fifth Day in December (Christmas Day)
• Employee's Birthday

In addition to the above days, the following days are also declared to be legal holidays: 1. Any day designated as a holiday by City Council. 2. When any legal holiday falls on a Saturday, the preceding Friday shall be considered a legal holiday. 3. When any legal holiday falls on a Sunday, the following business day shall be considered a legal holiday.