Assistant Director of Communications & Public Engagement
City of Charlottesville
Charlottesville, VA
PR / Media / Communications, Sales / Marketing, Writing / Editing
The Assistant Director of Communications & Public Engagement performs responsible professional work developing and executing comprehensive strategies for public engagement, communications, and community outreach. The Assistant Director will help lead the City’s effort in building trust, transparency, and two-way communication between the community and local government. The position will focus on expanding equitable engagement practices that ensure all community voices are heard and valued. Working closely with the Director, the position supports the strategic direction and supervision of the office, provides guidance to staff, and helps align communication and engagement efforts across all City departments.
A resume and cover letter are required and must be attached to your online application at the time of submission.
The preferred hiring range for this position is between $96,749.73 - $121,193.24 Annually. Starting offer is based on applicable education, experience, and internal equity. This is a full-time, exempt, position which provides excellent benefits including 13 paid holidays plus 1 floating holiday, paid vacation and sick leave, health insurance options with employer contribution, employer-paid life insurance, City's retirement options, gym membership reimbursement, tuition reimbursement, and continuing education/training opportunities.
Job Knowledge
A resume and cover letter are required and must be attached to your online application at the time of submission.
The preferred hiring range for this position is between $96,749.73 - $121,193.24 Annually. Starting offer is based on applicable education, experience, and internal equity. This is a full-time, exempt, position which provides excellent benefits including 13 paid holidays plus 1 floating holiday, paid vacation and sick leave, health insurance options with employer contribution, employer-paid life insurance, City's retirement options, gym membership reimbursement, tuition reimbursement, and continuing education/training opportunities.
- For a general summary of benefits offered by the City, please click the 'benefits' tab on this posting, or visit https://www.charlottesville.gov/1047/Employee-Benefits.
- The City of Charlottesville manages its own retirement system which offers both a defined benefit and a defined contribution option. While the City does not participate in VRS, the City has a Portability Agreement with VRS and there are certain provisions that must be met. For questions pertaining to the Portability Agreement, please contact the City's Benefits Administrator at 434-970-3462.
- Collaborates with and supports the Director in the office operations, developing and executing the City’s comprehensive internal/external communications strategy, and developing, implementing, and managing departmental policies/programs.
- Designs, implements, and evaluates citywide public engagement initiatives that promote inclusive, accessible, and meaningful engagement.
- Designs participation strategies that clearly define and communicate the level of community influence in decision-making processes.
- Develops tools, trainings, and best practices for City departments to conduct effective engagement with residents, businesses, and community organizations.
- Leads community engagement campaigns on key City initiatives and projects, ensuring consistency, transparency, and accessibility.
- Facilitates collaboration with community partners, nonprofits, neighborhood associations, and civic groups.
- Collaborates with City leadership, department heads, and elected officials to align engagement and communication strategies with organizational goals.
- Measures and reports on engagement effectiveness using data and community feedback.
- Identifies and removes barriers to participation. Monitors outreach and participation patterns to assess and ensure engagement efforts are connecting with diverse community segments and create meaningful opportunities for all residents to participate in outcomes.
- Supports continuous improvement of public engagement processes and technologies, such as online engagement tools and surveys.
- Oversees the creation of content for print, web, and social media platforms that reflect community priorities and promote civic engagement.
- Assists in crisis and emergency communications, including media coordination and public messaging.
- Assists with the coordination of logistics for City press conferences and events requiring video/audio recording and/or broadcast.
- Serves as a spokesperson for the City, as needed, ensuring clear, transparent, and timely communication.
- Assists the Director with drafting and delivering press releases and other communications in an accurate and timely manner.
- Supervises, trains, guides, coaches, assigns work, and evaluates performance of assigned staff. Assists the Director in the overall management of the office, including interviewing, hiring, and administering disciplinary action in accordance with established personnel policy and procedures. Assists in establishing professional standards for work quality, quantity, performance, and accountability.
- Assists in managing office budget, contracts, and performance goals.
- May be subject to be called back to work in emergencies or as needed to provide necessary services to the public.
- Responsible for appropriate use and maintenance of City equipment, tools and other resources, including work time.
- Regular and reliable attendance.
- May serve as a responder to emergency incidents as required by the City of Charlottesville or the Regional Emergency Operations Plan in role as PIO (or related capacity).
- May perform duties of Director in their absence.
- Performs additional duties to support operational requirements as apparent or assigned.
- Bachelor’s degree in communications, public administration, public relations, or related field AND 4 years of experience in public communications, community engagement, or related area.
- Associate degree communications, public administration, public relations, or related field AND 6 years of experience in public communications, community engagement, or related area.
- An equivalent combination of education and experience may be considered in lieu of the specific requirements listed above.
- Required to successfully pass a pre-employment background check and pre-employment drug screen.
- Must have the ability to be contacted in case of crisis communications support.
- Master’s degree in a related field.
- Previous work in a lead, senior, or supervisory capacity.
- Experience working in or with local government and familiarity with municipal processes and public policy.
- Certification in project management.
- Familiarity with digital engagement tools, data analytics, and performance measurement.
- Knowledge of public engagement frameworks.
Job Knowledge
- Thorough knowledge of best practices and methods of communication for organizational messaging.
- Advanced knowledge of the workings of media and public relations including crisis and emergency communications.
- Knowledge of a variety of the industry's concepts, practices and procedures, and of new media tools and technologies.
- Knowledge of public participation principles and spectrum models, with ability to select and apply appropriate engagement techniques based on community impact and level of decision-making authority being shared.
- Knowledge in the development and implementation of public relations and community engagement plans.
- Knowledge in the measuring and evaluating the effectiveness of community engagement.
- Knows and applies basic project management techniques, day-to-day activities planning, scheduling and coordination.
- Knowledge of city operations, policies, procedures, and protocols.
- Understanding of inclusive engagement approaches that address barriers and ensure participation processes that reflect and serve the entire community.
- Understands changing methods of communications and how best to utilize them in a City that embraces new technology while understanding that not all residents have access to the latest electronic devices.
- Advanced: ability to read and understand complex books, reviews, scientific or technical journals, abstracts, regulations, financial reports, and/or legal documents; as well as meeting agendas, software instructions, equipment operating details.
- Advanced: Exceptional writing and editing skills with ability to compose clear and concise communications. Ability to develop researched editorials, journals, speeches, manuals, or critiques. Ability to tailor writing to specific audiences and explain complex thoughts and ideas in writing. Strong content design and desktop publishing skills.
- Intermediate: ability to deal with number systems; simple formulas, practical application of fractions, percentages, ratios/proportions and measurement.
- Advanced: Develop and maintain effective working relationships with staff, management, citizens, media representatives, and others. Excellent written and verbal communication skills with the ability to convey and explain complex information clearly and effectively to a wide range of audiences. Communicates current and revised policies and makes recommendations on revised policies. Contact may involve support of controversial positions or the negotiation of sensitive issues or important presentations. Evaluates customer satisfaction, develops cooperative associations, and utilizes resources to continuously improve customer satisfaction.
- Requires Limited Direction: normally completes work according to their own judgment, requesting supervisory assistance occasionally. Special projects are managed with little oversight and assignments may be reviewed upon completion. Performance reviewed periodically. Must be resourceful and creative; prioritize needs; multi-task; troubleshoot and problem-solve quickly.
- Skilled: comprehensive, practical knowledge of a technical field with use of analytical judgment and decision-making abilities appropriate to the assigned and apparent job responsibilities. Skilled in public and media relations; crisis communications; civic engagement; policy and program development; multimedia production and management; social media marketing and content management; Adobe Creative Suite; live web streaming production. Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications and departmental systems/software.
- Assists in oversight of budget preparation for the office, has responsibility for monitoring a project or activity budget. May recommend budget allocations.
- Supervises and monitors performance of assigned staff. Assists the Director in the overall supervision, training, coaching, and monitoring performance for office staff. Input carries substantial weight or makes final decisions on hiring, discipline, work objectives/goals, performance evaluation and work assignments.
- Organization and time management skills, sometimes under strict time constraints.
- Frequent change of tasks.
- Working closely with others as part of a team.
- Tedious or exacting work.
- Strong project management skills and ability to independently perform multiple tasks simultaneously.
- Constant interruptions and requests for service.
- May require emergency response.
- May be required to work additional hours outside normal schedule, such as evenings, weekends, early mornings, or holidays.
- May require dealing with angry, frustrated and/or upset individuals.
- Medium Work: Exerting up to 50 pounds of force occasionally, and/or up to 25 pounds of force frequently, and/or up to 10 pounds of force constantly to lift, carry, push, pull or otherwise move objects. Usually when transporting or lifting video gear or related equipment.
- Frequently remain in a stationary position.
- Must be able to communicate information and ideas so others will understand. Must be able to exchange accurate information in these situations.
- Must occasionally move about inside the office to access file cabinets, office machinery, etc.
- Ability to observe at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
- Typically requires use of video equipment, standard office equipment and telephone, and related software and hardware; and any other equipment as appropriate or as assigned.
- Work is primarily performed in an office environment where there may be exposure to computer screen for extended periods of time, monitor glare and dust.
- Outside work may be required and include exposure to all weather elements, uneven terrain and traffic.
- The noise level is usually moderate.
About the company
Company website•Government Administration
Charlottesville, Virginia is an independent city with a population of approximately 45,000. Located in Central Virginia, Charlottesville sits in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, approximately 100 miles southwest of Washington, D.C., and 70 miles northwest of Richmond, Virginia.
Our community is known as a major university town and residents enjoy the very best of urban, suburban, and rural life. The City offers a wide variety of cultural, social, and recreational opportunities, including the Downtown Pedestrian Mall which is a center for art, music, dining, shopping, and entertainment. Residents also enjoy a wide variety of amenities, ranging from 25 City parks, to an outdoor performance pavilion, numerous venues for music/theater performances, festivals, and museums. Charlottesville is a diverse and unique community and is an ideal place in which to live, work, and play.
The City operates under a City Manager/Council form of government. City Council establishes policy in the areas of city planning and finance, human development, public safety and justice, public utilities, transportation and other areas and has specific powers to pass ordinances, levy taxes, collect revenues, adopt a budget, make appropriations, issue bonds, borrow money, and provide for the payment of public debts. Administrative and executive duties are performed by the City Manager.
The City of Charlottesville has a diverse workforce of approximately 950 benefit-eligible employees, in addition to temporary and seasonal staff, made up of administrative, professional, technical, public safety, and skilled/trade workers who are dedicated to public service in this exceptional city. Consider employment with the City of Charlottesville; be part of our team, make a difference in the community and build a meaningful career!