POSITION SUMMARY:
Under the supervision and at the direction of the Superintendent of
Schools, the Chief Communications and Community Engagement Officer plans and
conducts a broad information program concerning public education and all
functions and services of the school system.
The broad scope of the position includes the development of comprehensive
and proactive communications strategies, the cultivation of media relations,
and the delivery of relevant news and analysis to the Board of Education, the
Superintendent’s Executive Cabinet, school district employees, news media and
community leaders.
DUTIES and RESPONSIBILITIES: To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily.
Serves as chief communication strategist on
PGCPS initiatives, goals and priorities to provide comprehensive and proactive
communications, strategies and planning to enhance the district’s image and
“brand” while imparting public information in a transparent manner;
Builds and maintains public support for public
education and the school system in collaboration with the Superintendent,
Superintendent’s Executive Cabinet, executive staff, and PGCPS
administration;
Serves as a member of the Superintendent’s
Executive Cabinet;
Leads the strategic work of a team of
professionals across all aspects of media, internal and external
communications, public relations, public affairs, diversity outreach, web
design and communications and marketing
Develops, directs, and evaluates the District’s
public relations, marketing, communications, and public affairs strategy to
execute effective campaigns/programs on a local, state, and national basis;
Serves as a
key ambassador for the organization and represent PGCPS at community, state,
and national functions, as requested by the Superintendent;
Develops and maintains brand image, positioning,
and messaging for PGCPS tailored to offices that support employee/student
diversity matters; family and community outreach/engagement; and business/corporate partnerships;
Builds capacity among administrators and
departments as to ensure that messages are coherent, consistent,
cost-effective, and coordinated;
Develops and update key internal and
external communications, presentations, fact sheets, and messages – in various multimedia formats – for the
Superintendent and other key officials to use as
needed to highlight the exemplary work and achievements of the school system as
the opportunity to use them arises, often with short notice;
Drafts and edits remarks, speeches, addresses,
presentations, letters to the editor, submissions for social media, and
commentaries (with the input and assistance of subject matter experts within
the school district) to be delivered or submitted by the Superintendent or other
senior leadership, with the intent of reflecting the mission, vision,
and goals of the School District;
Leads the
District's crisis communications and rapid-response efforts as an essential member of the executive leadership team; Oversees crisis
management in responding to exigencies of the day or emergencies as they occur,
fashioning a coordinated effort that is communicated
both within and outside the school district and to key stakeholders;
Leads the development and delivery of news to
broadcast, print, and online media to create media coverage of the School
District on a daily basis;
Serves as a liaison between the District and the
media, and serves as the District’s chief spokesperson, handling sensitive and
controversial issues;
Develops District-wide advertising and public
relations campaigns and collateral materials to enhance
PGCPS’s image in the eyes of the public, elected officials, and the corporate
and grant community, with a recognizable “brand” reflective of a school
district on an upward trajectory able to meet the needs of all its students;
Utilize public interest polls and surveys to
gather feedback from staff, students, and/or parents; Provide analysis of
results, and recommend public relations/marketing strategies and tactics;
Manage the development and production of
District marketing communications, including print and electronic publications,
collateral materials, presentations, website content, social networking sites
such as Twitter and Facebook, new media productions, advertising, media
relations, and television broadcasts for staff and the community; and
Performs other duties as assigned.
QUALIFICATIONS:The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required.
Proven experience as a leader in communicating
with a diverse community;
Experience in leading and managing a team of
communications professionals;
Experience working proactively with media,
establishing influential productive working relationships;
Experience functioning successfully as a
communications strategist and spokesperson in a politically charged
environment;
Outstanding oral and written communication
skills;
Experience working with senior
management in an organizational structure;
Ability to work independently in a variety of
situations, and establish strong partnerships with public leaders, media
representatives, community members, parents, staff, and special interest
groups;
Stimulates
new ideas and initiatives to build communications capacity throughout the district,
including in the schools;
Ability to maintain sensitive and confidential
communications
Experience in planning, implementing,
evaluating, budgeting, and personnel management; and
Excellent analytical and critical
thinking and judgment skills.
EDUCATION and/or EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS:
Master’s degree in Communications, Public Relations,
Journalism, or related field preferred, not required.
Bachelor's degree required. Seven (7) or more years
of increasingly higher-level leadership experience in the field of
communications or media relations in the public and/or private sector is
required.
CERTIFICATION REQUIREMENTS:
None Required.
SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES:
Supervisory responsibility for assigned departments.
PHYSICAL DEMANDS:
The physical demands are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently required to stand, talk, hear, walk, sit, and use fingers, tools or controls. The employee is occasionally required to reach with hands and arms and stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision such as to read handwritten or typed material, the ability to adjust focus, and depth perception. While performing the duties of this job, the employee may occasionally push or lift up to 25 lbs.
WORKING ENVIRONMENT:
The work environment characteristics are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of the job.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
Work schedules may include evenings and weekends. The incumbent may be required to work beyond normal hours with little or no advanced notice. Driver’s License is required inasmuch as there will be a need to travel to sites throughout the school district.