Senior Communications & Media Strategist

The County of Santa Clara; San Jose (CA); On-site; USD 100,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

The County of Santa Clara is seeking a seasoned communications leader to plan, develop, direct, coordinate, implement, and evaluate our county communications program. This role acts as primary media contact, develops news releases, and guides branding across platforms.

The position requires strong writing, strategic planning, and public outreach skills, with experience in crisis communications and staff leadership. A Bachelor’s degree and relevant management experience are expected.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Communications, Public Relations, Business Administration, Public Administration, Marketing, Journalism, or related field.
• Experience in planning, directing, coordinating, implementing, and evaluating a complex communications program.
• Ability to train and coach staff and manage projects and vendors.
• Knowledge of traditional and social media practices and branding principles.

Responsibilities

• Plan, develop, direct, coordinate, implement, and evaluate the county communications program.
• Serve as primary media contact and spokesperson; write and issue news releases; pitch stories.
• Organize press conferences; prepare talking points and questions for staff.
• Design and produce informational materials and manage content across channels.
• Develop and maintain social media presence; supervise content production.
• Advise management on communications strategies for stakeholders.
• Plan events, manage budgets, and supervise staff or contractors as needed.
• Coordinate with other departments and external organizations; manage newsletters.

Skills

Media relations

News writing

Public speaking

Social media management

Branding

Strategic planning

Crisis communications

Web content design

Community outreach

Education

Bachelor's degree in Communications or related field

Tools

Audio/video editing tools

Desktop publishing software

Word processing / spreadsheets / databases

Graphic design software

Job description

The County of Santa Clara is seeking a seasoned communications leader to plan, develop, direct, coordinate, implement, and evaluate our county communications program. This role acts as primary media contact, develops news releases, and guides branding across platforms.

The position requires strong writing, strategic planning, and public outreach skills, with experience in crisis communications and staff leadership. A Bachelor’s degree and relevant management experience are expected.