Strategic Advisor 2 - Communications Advisor

We are looking for a talented and passionate individual to join our team as a Communications Advisor supporting the Mayor’s Office. In this role, you will partner with Mayor Harrell, Mayor’s Office staff, and City departments on communicating upcoming shared initiatives, tracking media and coordinating interview requests, building proactive messaging, and writing public facing materials. 

This position will sit in the Mayor’s Office and report directly to the Communications Director. The most important qualification for this role is for the successful candidate to be able to write skillfully, quickly, and collaboratively.

The right individual will learn about and become an expert in communicating about the City’s housing, homelessness prevention and response, and other human services investments. You will play a key role in publicizing the efforts of Mayor Harrell and the City to improve the affordability and availability of housing in Seattle, including historic investments in affordable housing, a bold zoning proposal to double Seattle’s housing capacity, and ongoing work to reduce red tape and encourage development. 

You’ll work closely with the City’s Unified Care Team (UCT), which is a centralized body coordinating the work of multiple departments in responding to encampments and ensuring public spaces are clean and accessible for all, as well as with the Office of Housing and Human Services Department to tell Seattle’s story of a 72% reduction in tent encampments and a record number of referrals to shelter, helping put people on a path to exiting homelessness with the services and support to recover. Your portfolio will also include coverage of the City’s partnership with the King County Regional Homelessness Authority, who leads the strategic planning and program oversight for the region’s homelessness services system.   

You will play a key role in the City of Seattle’s housing, homelessness, and human services efforts through communication deliverables and coordination on messaging. You will deliver human-centered messages to the public through press announcements, media responses, social media, blogs, and constituent inboxes.  

Here’s more about what you’ll be doing:

• Telling the story of Seattle’s investments and actions to create more housing and more types of housing through the 2023 Housing Levy, the One Seattle Comprehensive Plan, and reducing red tape that delays projects.
• Drafting press releases and other media related materials
• Responding to media inquiries 
• Guiding and collaborating on constituent response efforts related to UCT work, including coordinating with experts across multiple departments and finalizing or approving responses drafted by staff
• Developing a universal system for tracking constituent and stakeholder inquiries
• Creating and maintaining external facing one-pagers, FAQs, and other deliverables about the citywide response to homelessness 
• Planning and staffing the Mayor at housing and homelessness events
• Creating regular proactive content, including social media campaigns, blogs, and other communication deliverables
• Creating and delivering effective presentations that are brief and impactful for various community and political audiences, including drafting talking points and related materials
• Building and maintaining strong relationships with key internal and external stakeholders

Minimum Qualifications:
  We recognize that women and people of color are less likely to apply if they don't see themselves perfectly in the requirements. We encourage everyone to apply and to supplement your history with good ideas and well-thought plans for implementation.

• Bachelor's degree in communications, social science, public relations, journalism, OR a related field OR a combination of education AND/OR training AND/OR experience which provides an equivalent background required to perform the work
• Minimum of 3 years of experience in communications, public relations, or a similar role, preferably with a focus on social issues or public policy
• Exceptional written and oral communication skills
• Proven ability to navigate complex relationships and work effectively with diverse stakeholders
• Strong organizational and project management skills
• An understanding of Seattle’s Race and Social Justice Initiative
• The most important qualification for this role is for the successful candidate to be able to write skillfully, quickly, and collaboratively. Candidates will be asked to demonstrate writing skills as part of the assessment process. 
   
  Desired Qualifications:             
  Experience with the following will increase a candidate’s ability to succeed in this role
• Experience serving as a media relations or public information officer
• Experience as a news journalist or editor
• Experience working for a government agency or service provider focused on housing or homelessness
• Professional certification(s) related to strategic communications, marketing, public relations, business communications, copyediting
• Formal training or understanding of digital or social media and related tools, applications, and standards
• Formal training or understanding of change management, organizational development, or strategic planning
• Formal training or understanding of project management
• Formal training or understanding of public records compliance
• Formal training or understanding of public policy, legislative affairs, or legislative analysis

Your application will not be reviewed if these items are missing or incomplete.

Hiring Process
   Applications are reviewed after the posting closes. Qualified candidates must submit the following to be considered:

1. Completed NEOGOV online application.
2. Current résumé indicating relevant experience and education. 
3. Cover letter stating how you meet the minimum and desired qualifications. 

Offers of employment are contingent on verification of information provided by the applicant as part of the application process, including background check. 

This position is exempt from the provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), and is ineligible for overtime compensation. This position may require occasional work on nights and weekends.  

The hiring manager is working within a pay range of $52.52 - $73.98 per hour.

This opportunity is open until filled with the first review of resumes being on December 24, 2024, and interviews anticipated the second or third week of January, 2025.

This assignment is attached to the Mayor’s office through Mayor Harrell’s term. 

Please note this job advertisement is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities and activities may change at any time with or without notice. 

The City of Seattle offers a comprehensive benefits package including vacation, holiday, and sick leave as well as medical, dental, vision, life, and long-term disability insurance for employees and their dependents. More information about employee benefits is available on the City's website at: https://www.seattle.gov/human-resources/benefits/employees-and covered family-members/most employees-plans 

Staff are required to be in the office/field a minimum of three days a week.

Salary : $53 - $79