Senior Program Manager - Communications & Engagement

Company: City of Carlsbad, CA
Location: Carlsbad
Posted on: September 15, 2020

Job Description:

Senior Program Manager - Communications & Engagement | City of Carlsbad page has loaded.

Senior Program Manager - Communications & Engagement The Position The City of Carlsbad has an immediate opening for a senior program manager specializing in community outreach and engagement. This management level position will report to the city’s director of communication and engagement and play a key role in the management and leadership of the city's Communication & Engagement Department.

About Carlsbad

Nearly seven miles of coastline, three lagoons, world-class resorts, family attractions, well-planned neighborhoods, a diverse business sector and a charming village atmosphere have made Carlsbad one of the most desirable places to live and work in all of California (or the country, if you ask us). We are located in northern San Diego County and home to about 115,000 residents.

The City of Carlsbad is a full-service city following the council-manager form of government. We have about 700 full time employees and about 1,200 employees total (depending on the season). Known for sound planning and responsible stewardship, the City of Carlsbad maintains an AAA credit rating from Standard and Poor's and a general fund reserve of more than $80 million.

Background

Communication is one of the City of Carlsbad's core organizational values. City leadership has continually emphasized its importance, including establishing a centralized Communication & Engagement Department staffed with professionals who have specific education, training and experience in the field of communication.

Our mission

In recent years the city's communication needs have grown and become more complex. To ensure city communication continues to meet the expectations of our community, elected officials, city department leaders and staff, the city's Communication & Engagement Department is fast-paced, multi-disciplinary and highly strategic. Our mission is to support the city’s mission: improve the lives of all who live, work and play in Carlsbad by setting the standard for effective and efficient local government service.

The department

The communication function at the City of Carlsbad was formalized in the early 2000s, evolving into a full-service department that oversees external communication for all city operating departments and well as employee communication. Its practice areas include public involvement, media relations, social and digital media, video production, graphics and public information. The department director reports to the City Manager and is supported by a team that includes: this new senior program manager position, two community relations managers, a communication coordinator, a media and graphics supervisor, a staff writer, and part time graphic designers and administrative support.

The ideal candidate

We are looking for someone who has a passion for excellence and can get truly excited about helping the public engage with its local government. Flexibility, enthusiasm, creativity, diplomacy and a strong work ethic are all important traits. The ideal candidate for this role is a well-rounded communication professional with experience supervising staff and leading effective communication programs within a public agency context.

Oral board interviews are tentatively scheduled for the week of October 5 via Microsoft Teams, date TBD. Key Responsibilities Within the broad duties of the  senior program manager job classification , available on the city website, this position will focus on the following key responsibilities: Serve as the department’s second in command, helping to lead, manage and develop the team.

Develop community outreach and engagement strategies and plans for city priorities and projects.

Manage and oversee public outreach and engagement programs for city issues, programs and services.

Provide strategic guidance to staff in city departments regarding public outreach and involvement programs to meet city objectives.

Serve as a media spokesperson on assigned issues.

Develop and monitor performance measures to assess the effectiveness of city outreach and involvement programs.

Write and edit informational materials for print and digital formats.

Develop creative concepts for and oversee the production of graphics materials to reinforce a common visual identity.

Oversee and provide strategic direction to support effective marketing of city services, programs and events targeting families, youth (toddler through teen), adults and seniors.

Supervise assigned staff, providing direction, professional development and day to day performance coaching.

Serve as backup emergency public information officer for incident response and the emergency operations center as needed.

Attend meetings of the City Council and Boards, Commissions and Committees.

Develop and monitor project budgets.

Qualifications Knowledge of:

Public outreach, marketing and community engagement principles and practices (IAP2 and APR certifications highly desired)

News writing, copywriting and editing

Media relations

Social media and other forms of digital communication

Video production

Graphic design and production

Performance measurement

Procurement and contract management

Project management

Public agency management, administration and regulations

Staff supervision, performance management, coaching and development

Abilities: Strategic communication planning

Managing multiple broad and complex programs

Leading high performing and engaged teams

Communicating about complex and nuanced topics for a lay audience

Managing projects (with and without consultant support) including monitoring scope, resources and outcomes

Conducting research; analyzing and interpreting a variety of data and/or information and making recommendations based on findings

Developing mutually beneficial relationships with staff at all levels of the organization

Experience & Education The successful candidate will possess a bachelor's degree in a field related to communication and a minimum of five years of related professional experience in the specific program area, or an equivalent combination of education and experience sufficient to successfully perform the essential duties of the job such as those listed above. A master's degree is desirable.

A minimum of 5-7 years of professional experience managing multi-year, high level, broad, complex programs for a government agency and/or comparable experience.

In addition to the core requirements, training in public participation, facilitation and staff supervision is a plus.

Keywords: City of Carlsbad, CA, San Diego , Senior Program Manager - Communications & Engagement, Other , Carlsbad, California