Communications and Engagement Manager

• Plan, prioritize, assign, supervise, and review the work of three dedicated staff members.
• Manage and participate in the development and implementation of public engagement and communication initiatives, policies, and procedures in support of the City’s Strategic Plan.
• Coordinate accurate, timely, and accessible public information to promote a positive City image and public perception, communicate local government issues, and maintain public awareness of City programs and services.
• Develop and oversee community engagement programing.
• Manage media relations to include writing and disseminating press releases, coordinating interviews for key leadership and the Mayor/City Manager, addressing key issues with local editorial boards, pitching story ideas to local reporters, writing articles for submission, preparing spokespersons and conducting media training.
• Coordinate, author, edit, and publish the City Calendar and Annual Report, staff newsletter City Lights, special event scripts and presentations for the City Manager and Mayor.
• Oversee and manage the design and content of the City’s websites and social media; collaborate with department staff to actively monitor, interact, and respond to internal and external interactions on the City’s websites and social media; implement staff policies related to communications.
• Manage outreach to and engagement with our underserved community including non-English speaking community members.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

• Five (5) years of increasingly responsible media relations, public relations or journalism experience including three years of supervisory responsibility.
• Equivalent to a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university with major course work in public relations, communications, journalism, public administration or a related field.
• Possession of, or ability to obtain, a valid Colorado Driver's License.

Notice to Applicants:

In compliance with the Colorado Job Application Fairness Act, we kindly request that you do not include the dates of your education to include years of attendance or graduation on your application, resume or attachments.

Explore the Area:

Grand Junction, Colorado is the gateway to the mountains and canyonlands of western Colorado and eastern Utah. Centrally located between Denver, CO (250 miles east) and Salt Lake City, UT (270 miles west), Grand Junction is surrounded by 1.2 million acres of public land. Residents enjoy world-class whitewater rafting on the Colorado and Green Rivers, golfing, fishing, skiing, and snowboarding, and exploring mountain bike and hiking trails through the Colorado National Monument and the Grand Mesa National Forest. Grand Junction has a robust downtown and hosts multiple arts, music, food, and market events annually. With a population of over 150,000 in Mesa County (65,000 within the City limits), we have many of the big town amenities without the big town stresses such as traffic and trail congestion. With an average of 245 days of sunshine, Grand Junction is the perfect place to work and play.  

Learn more about our area on Visit Grand Junction's website and Instagram!

At the City of Grand Junction, we proudly operate as an Equal Opportunity Employer, purposely building an inclusive workforce representative of various cultures, perspectives, and experiences. We believe in respect for all and do not discriminate based on hair, race, color, religion, creed, sex (including pregnancy, gender identity, gender expression and sexual orientation), national origin, age (40 or older), disability, genetic information, marital status, veteran status or any other status protected by applicable federal, state or local law.

Salary : $8,398 - $9,452