Public Safety Community Engagement Lead

City-of-Champaign,-I; Champaign (IL); On-site; USD 94,000 - 131,000; Full time

Job summary

The City of Champaign is seeking a Community Engagement Coordinator in the Champaign Fire Department. This role offers a front-row view of emergency response and public safety, with the chance to craft meaningful content and share the department’s story with the community.

You will develop communication strategies, respond to incidents to gather information, create visual and written content, and represent the department at community events throughout the year, aligning department goals with

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in communications, marketing, English, public administration or related field.
• Progressively responsible related experience in public administration, public information, public relations, communications, marketing or a related field.
• Professional or volunteer experience with social media content management.
• An equivalent combination of work experience and training that demonstrates the required knowledge, skills, and abilities will be considered.
• Current, valid driver’s license.
• Ability to respond to emergencies outside of normal business hours, which can include evenings, weekends, or holidays.
• Public sector or public safety experience.
• Experience developing clear, engaging, and audience-focused content for communication across multiple platforms (e.g. websites, social media, email, public-facing documents).
• Experience preparing news releases and/or public service announcements.
• Experience with media interactions and/or community briefings.
• Experience with coordinating and/or planning community events.
• Experience delivering presentations, trainings, or educational programs to target audiences.

Responsibilities

• Creating and delivering communications that help residents understand Fire Department programs, services, and emergency responses.
• Developing and executing outreach strategies through social media, printed materials, videos, presentations, and public-facing digital content.
• Preparing press releases, public service announcements, and other public communication for routine and emergency situations.
• Managing website and social media updates to keep public information accurate, timely, and accessible.
• Responding to media inquiries and gathering verified information during incidents to support transparent public communications.
• Building relationships with community partners, advisory groups, and residents to strengthen fire/community relations and encourage public participation.
• Monitoring the effectiveness of communication channels and adjusting strategies to improve engagement and reach.
• Preparing presentations, reports, and messaging that support department objectives, City initiatives, and command-level decision‑making.

Skills

Public relations

Content creation

Social media management

Crisis communications

Emergency response readiness

Education

Bachelor’s degree in communications, marketing, English, public administration or related field

Job description

The City of Champaign is seeking a Community Engagement Coordinator in the Champaign Fire Department. This role offers a front-row view of emergency response and public safety, with the chance to craft meaningful content and share the department’s story with the community.

You will develop communication strategies, respond to incidents to gather information, create visual and written content, and represent the department at community events throughout the year, aligning department goals with