Senior Communications Specialist

Boulder County Community Services Department is seeking to hire a Senior Communications Specialist. The Senior Communications Specialist is responsible for developing and executing communication strategies to promote department programs by crafting messaging, managing media relations, creating content for various platforms, and coordinating internal and external communications, often acting as a primary point of contact for public inquiries. This position ensures consistent messaging and branding across all communication channels; develops engaging content for websites, social media, newsletters, and other platforms; writes press releases and manages media inquiries; tracks the effectiveness of communication efforts and makes adjustments as needed; plans and executes marketing and communication campaigns aligned with strategic program goals.

This is a full-time, benefited  position that will work Monday - Friday 8:00am - 4:30pm, with flexibility. This position will work remote and out of 3482 N Broadway St., Boulder, Colorado. Under Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) guidelines, this position is exempt. 

Boulder County requires its employees to reside in the state of Colorado as of the first day of work.

Hiring Salary Range: $92,376.00 - $112,692.00 Annually 

Tentative Hiring Timeline:

• Phone Screening: February 17th 
• First Round Interviews: February 24th 
• Second Round Interviews: March 3rd 
• Reference Check: March 7th 

New employees receive an 80-hour bank of vacation at the time of hire, in addition to 8 hours of both vacation and medical leave accruals each month (Must not have been employed at Boulder County during the 12 months prior to re-hire date to qualify). Boulder County offers bountiful benefits, including pension contributions. 

Boulder County employees may qualify for Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF). Visit studentaid.gov for more information. 

1. Facilitates the development of a strategic communication and marketing plan for Community Services Department
2. Works in collaboration with the Department Director and Division Managers or their representatives to develop effective strategies for outreach and marketing
3. Develops working relationships with county, local and state public information officers to coordinate communication efforts
4. Serves as a spokesperson responsible for releasing and publishing information about current issues and opportunities, and coordinating responses to the media, other agencies, and the public
5. Monitors and evaluates department program activities to develop effective materials and publications for appropriate target audiences
6. Works to maintain consistent messaging and use of outreach materials across all divisions and units
7. Collaborates with appropriate staff to plan and implement internal and external social marketing campaigns
8. Oversees the development of effective communication tools including social media, collateral materials, and publications for distribution; assists in developing a variety of internal and external department communications utilizing various media sources (i.e. newspaper, social media, video, etc.) as directed or requested
9. Creates press releases and conducts outreach to media to generate publicity; responds to and helps coordinate responses to media requests for information
10. Serves as a liaison on the Web Governance Committee along with the department's graphic designer and assists in the development and publishing of web content and layout to county's internal and external site
11. Serves as a liaison on the County Communications Group and supports communications standards and projects across the county, including language access, digital accessibility, and updating county communications policies
12. Collaborates with staff and management in other departments and organizations on projects that have communications impacts on department clients and staff
13. Works with department staff to gather data for use in publications, press releases and other communications
14. Collaborates with community organizations and agencies to promote and disseminate relevant messages regarding program services, and to promote special events
15. Provides communications supports including presentations of department information to community groups, county departments, businesses, and other local organizations
16. Evaluates the effectiveness of communication strategies and updates plan accordingly
17. Requires some travel throughout Boulder County for events and press conferences
18. Participates in the county’s emergency crisis response and is present at the Emergency Operations Command in situations of activation; Learns or is knowledgeable about command structure in emergency response situations
19. May be reassigned during emergency situations
20. Performs related duties as required

PLEASE NOTE: When completing your application describe all relevant education and experience, as applications are assessed based on the required qualifications listed. Resumes and other attachments are not accepted in lieu of completed applications and will not be reviewed in the initial screening process. Any personally identifiable information (PII) such as name and address will be redacted from applications that meet the minimum screening requirements and are forwarded to the hiring manager. If the hiring manager selects you to advance in the hiring process, your attachments will then be shared with the hiring team.

EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE:

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS: 

• Bilingual/bicultural skills & experience 
  1. Additional compensation will be provided based on the use of bilingual skills. 
• Two years professional experience in media, communications, journalism, or public relations 

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, & ABILITIES:

• Ability to effectively listen and communicate in many contexts, including culturally, verbally, and in writing. 

• Ability to structure, prioritize, and organize tasks and projects to meet deadlines. 

• Ability to adapt and be flexible when projects or processes change. 

• Strong written, verbal, proofreading, and active listening skills. 

• Skilled in developing materials for a variety of communication platforms such as web, social marketing, video, print, and media (i.e. press releases). 

• Working knowledge of strategic communication planning and marketing/branding campaigns. • Skilled in conducting outreach to media to generate publicity and coordinating responses to media requests for information. 

• Working knowledge developing and publishing web content on internal and external sites. • Highly responsive and action oriented. 

• Ability to build effective relationships with staff and partners. Relatable, diplomatic, sensitive, approachable, patient.

• Understanding of digital marketing principles.

Boulder County is a workplace dedicated to supporting individuals and families of all types and to fostering a diverse, inclusive, and respectful environment for all employees. We prohibit unlawful discrimination against applicants and employees on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, socio-economic status, sexual orientation, genetic information, or any other status protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.

Salary : $92,376 - $133,008