About our opportunity

We are excited to hire a new full-time, exempt Communications and Engagement Director to join our team at York County Government! The ideal candidate is a dynamic leader with a strong background in brand strategy and brand management that has a passion for developing and executing multi-disciplinary campaigns to drive change, support organizational strategic goals, and provide transparent engagement. They will have a track record for proactively translating strategic thinking into action plans and outcomes. They will have supervisory experience in leading a creative department ensuring engagement and communication efforts are effective. The ideal candidate will possess the ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously in order to meet stringent deadlines while maintaining a professional demeanor during stressful situations.To be considered for our Communications and Engagement Director position, please submit a resume, cover letter, application and related work sample.

View ourRecruitment Brochure{tabindex="0"}for more information.

Work Schedule:Monday - Friday, 8:00 am -5:00 pm; hours may vary based on operational needs.

Projected Hiring Range:$91,692.06 - $114,615.07depending on qualifications and negotiable. Relocation assistance may also be available as needed.

This position will remain open until filled with the first review of applications beginning on October 20th.

Our Total Compensation Package:

• Compensation - competitive market-rate pay, and negotiable based on qualifications.
• Comprehensive State Medical Insurance, Dental and Vision Insurance
• Life Insurance
• Long-term disability
• Deferred Compensation 401K Plans
• Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA)
• Public Loan Forgiveness Program (Student Loan Forgiveness Program)
• 11 Paid Holidays + 3 Optional Holidays
• Longevity Pay
• SC State Retirement Plan Pension
• Paid Vacation and Sick Time
• Sick Bank
• Critical Care and Cancer Insurance
• Wellness Screenings
• Employee Assistance Programs
• Professional Development / Trainings / Conferences

Duties and Responsibilities: Strategic Planning and Leadership:

• Supervises, directs, and evaluates assigned staff, processing employee concerns and problems, directing work, counseling, disciplining, and completing employee performance appraisals.
• Coordinates, assigns and reviews work and establishes work schedules; maintains standards; monitors status of work in progress; inspects completed work assignments; answers questions; gives advice and direction as needed.
• Develops and executes marketing strategies to ensure effective engagement and measurable outcomes that leverage data analytics and technology to create compelling communication and marketing campaigns that engage various audiences.
• Develops the Countys brand to align with the organizations strategic plan and Mission and Values.
• Provides comprehensive direction and oversight on all internal and external aspects of the Countys marketing and communications.
• Serves as a trusted advisor to Council, County Management and other leaders by providing leadership and guidance on key communication decisions and by developing strategic messaging in regard to sensitive issues and engagement initiatives that will enhance and protect the organizations brand.
• Leads and manages the Communications and Engagement Department in the curation of high quality and consistent visual content, that tells York Countys story, across all marketing channels ensuring timely and efficient execution.
• Develops and manages the Communications and Engagement departments strategic plan, including identification of measurable strategies, initiatives and milestones.
• Establishe strong relationships with internal and external stakeholders in order to advise and collaborate on engagement and communication strategies, messages, and approaches across disciplines, cultures, and departments.
• Establishes metrics to evaluate the effectiveness of engagement and communications efforts, providing regular KPIs to Council and County Management.

Strategic Engagement and Communications:

• Develops, adapts, and implements long-term and short-term comprehensive strategic communications and engagement plans based on organization strategic goals, changing trends and circumstances, anticipated outcomes and issues, and available resources.
• Develops the Countys brand style guide and associated marketing materials in alignment with the Countys strategic plan and Mission and Values to ensure consistent branding across all marketing materials, communication channels, signage, vehicles, etc.
• Leads and implements brand awareness and marketing strategies in order to increase the volume and diversity of the Countys communication efforts and to increase physical and online audiences.
• Conducts market research to support branding initiatives and creates various methods for community feedback loops in order to analyze and respond to public feedback.
• Develops and manages relationships with media outlets to ensure coverage and to enhance public awareness; as well as manages high profile press events to ensure efficient delivery of York Countys key messages.
• Advises Council, County Management, and Emergency Management professionals in developing and executing strategic crisis communication campaigns; as well as serves as the communication point of contact for crisis communication during an emergency.

People and Resource Management:

• Leads, manages, and mentors communication staff by fostering a creative, innovative and solution-oriented culture.
• Assesses communication and engagement staff skill levels and provides pathways and coaching to team members to grow and strengthen their skills by providing guidance, direction, training opportunities and constructive feedback.
• Develops and manages the Communications and Engagement Department budget, and all associated contracts, to ensure resources are aligned to meet strategic goals and communication and engagement initiatives are delivered on time and within budget.
• Develops and leads an organizational wide team of communication professionals to ensure strategic and aligned communication efforts.
• Develops and provides various organizational wide communications and marketing trainings for York County personnel (media relations, communication trends, managing social media etc.)
• This position may have to work after hours, weeknights, and/or weekends and driving to multiple locations may be required to attend meetings and other functions related to the position.
• Performs related work as assigned.

About you

Experience and Education Requirements:

Bachelor's degree in Communications, Marketing, Public Relations, Journalism, Public Administration or a related field Required. Masters Degree in related field preferred.

At least Eight (8) years relevant experience designing and implementing communications strategies and engagement activities with measurable outcomes for a government agency and/or related organization.

Proven experience overseeing an organizations internal and external brand; including marketing materials, website, media, social media accounts, and engagement initiatives.

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