Communications and Engagement Specialist

Summary

Description

Full job description

The Communications and Engagement Specialist for the Town of Johnstown will work closely with the Communications Manager to create transparent and engaging communications for residents, businesses, and visitors to the Town of Johnstown. This position is responsible for social media strategy and execution, content development, website management, community engagement, web and document accessibility administration, and print media creation. This position will also take a lead role in the execution of Town events including the creation, planning, implementation, and promotion of events as directed by the Communications Manager. The Communications and Engagement Specialist will require someone with exceptional organizational skills, innovative ideas, the ability to think on one’s feet both creatively and critically, and someone who is personable and possesses superb communication skills. Occasional weekend and evening work may be required, and the candidate must maintain a flexible schedule and strong work ethic.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

The following statements are illustrative of the essential functions of the job and do not include other nonessential or peripheral duties that may be required. The Town of Johnstown retains the right to modify or change the duties or essential functions of the job at any time.

• Develop and execute a broad social media strategy, coordinating with stakeholders across the organization to ensure its effectiveness.
• Oversee and manage the Town’s presence across all social media properties, building and cultivating a vibrant community while maximizing brand equity, engagement, and site traffic.
• Assists in leading content and design for Town website including responding to departmental requests, adding images and documents, editing page content, problem-resolution, ensuring best practices for effective information delivery and contract management with the vendor.
• Responsible for monitoring and maintaining Town website pages, collecting and disseminating data and analytics related to site traffic and ensuring compliance with all applicable website accessibility standards.
• Interacts with Town staff on a regular basis to gather, draft, review, and release information to the public through the division’s various communication channels.

• Manages the Town’s monthly newsletter processes including writing content, designing, and managing the electronic newsletter process.
• Serves as backup to the Town's Communications Manager
• Supports the Communications Department's efforts to engage with the community through events and in-person functions.
• Design materials such as webpages, social media posts, reports, flyers, email campaigns, internal communications, etc.
• Expand, plan, organize, direct, supervise, and promote all events and festivals. These include but are not limited to BBQ Days, Arbor Day, National Night Out, etc.
• Schedule, coordinate, and supervise outside contractors for catering, entertainment, AV services, security, cleaning, and anything else necessary to execute the event.

• Engage with community groups and stakeholders with the goal of promoting and securing volunteers for festivals and events.
• Engage with fellow team members and with team members across departments to facilitate a thriving events program for the Town.

OTHER DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Special projects as assigned.
• Performs other duties as required and/or assigned by the Communications Manager.

EXPERIENCE AND TRAINING

Minimum Education: Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university with major course work in communications, marketing, journalism, event planning, hospitality, or closely related field is preferred.
Job Requirements: Valid Colorado Driver’s License.
Special Training or Experience:

• Strong writing skills in a variety of genres (press releases, advertising copy, digital media, etc.) essential.
• A combination of education and experience to provide the following knowledge, skills, and abilities.
• 2+ years of experience in managing events and volunteer coordination preferred.
• Grant writing and fundraising skills a plus.

Work Experience in Positions Similar or Related to This Job: Minimum three (3) years in media relations, public relations, marketing, or journalism, or other similar field.

REPORTING RELATIONSHIPS:
This Position Reports to: Communications Manager
This Position has Supervisory and/or Management Responsibility for: N/A

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES

• Excellent and diverse writing, editing (photo/video/text), presentation and communication skills. Requires excellent grammar, spelling, punctuation, and vocabulary.
• Creative and innovative thinker, tech-savvy with Microsoft Office Suite, Adobe Illustrator, InDesign, Photoshop, Canva, content management systems, and any software commonly used for creating marketing material and social content.
• Able to establish and maintain effective working relationships with Town employees across the Town, representatives of other agencies and organizations, and members of the community.
• Must be able to consistently prioritize and manage multiple tasks in a fast-paced environment, and to work independently. Ability to coordinate and organize numerous projects simultaneously.
• Ability to exercise judgment and react effectively in public and/or stressful situations.
• Must maintain a cooperative attitude and high degree of flexibility in changing priorities.
• Ability to handle sensitive situations with confidentiality, tact, and diplomacy.
• Requires the ability to learn, follow, apply and communicate guidelines, policies, rules and regulations applicable to social media and communications with citizens and fellow employees.
• Strong ability to create and/or develop new web content and pages—including graphics—as well as the ability to populate and maintain websites.
• Excellent skills and abilities in verbal and written communications to audiences of varying levels within an organization, in groups and individual settings.
• Demonstrated experience and ability to develop social media content.
• Ability to follow both verbal and written instructions, and the ability to issue clear concise verbal and/or written instructions to subordinates and other employees and report operations verbally or in written form to superiors.
• Demonstrated personal effectiveness, credibility, thoroughness, flexibility, and collaboration skills in adhering to and advancing the Town’s vision, mission, and values.

ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS:
While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to talk and hear, and to use hands to handle, touch or feel. The employee is frequently required to stand, walk, sit, and reach with hands and arms. The employee is occasionally required to climb or balance and stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl. The employee must frequently lift and/or move up to 10 pounds and occasionally lift and/or move up to 50 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus. Most work is performed in a typical office setting. Some work is performed outside at events, possibly in difficult weather conditions.
The job description does not constitute an employment agreement between the employer and the employee and is subject to change by the employer as the needs of the employer and requirements of the job change.
PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:

• While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit, stand, walk, talk, use hands, fingers, handle, feel or operate objects, and stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl. The employee is occasionally required to reach with hands and arms.
• Employee must communicate clearly and effectively; must understand and be understood.
• On rare occasions, the employee may be required to climb and balance. The employee must occasionally carry, pull, push, or lift up to 50 pounds.
• Specific vision abilities required by this job include close and distance vision acuity and the ability to adjust his or her focus, allowing a broad field of vision.
• It is essential that the employee be physically able to operate a variety of computer and office equipment successfully to fulfill the essential functions of this position.

OTHER REQUIREMENTS:

• Ability to understand verbal information and instructions. Ability to exchange information with others and to develop and present recommendations.
• Ability to read and understand written information. Ability to compose information and instruction in written form.
• Ability to translate verbal communication into effective written material, e.g., reports and other documents.
• Ability to use mathematical reasoning is necessary to carry out the budgeting and regulatory requirements.
• Ability to utilize analytical skills and apply results.
• Ability to use and apply technology.
• Other duties as assigned.

TO APPLY:

• Submit a resume, cover letter, and portfolio of work at: johnstownco.gov/employment

Deadline to apply: January 26, 2025

This position description is not intended to be an exclusive list of all of the requirements, duties, tasks, roles or responsibilities associated with the position. Nothing in this position description restricts the Town's ability to assign, reassign, or eliminate duties and responsibilities at any time. The Town is an at-will employer, and Town employees may be separated from employment at any time at the discretion of management.

The Town of Johnstown provides generous benefits including vacation, holiday, sick time, medical, dental, vision, life insurance, retirement plan contributions, and health savings accounts.

Expected Hiring range: $55k – $65k

Reasonable accommodations will be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

The Town of Johnstown is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, disability, or any other status protected by law or regulation. It is our intention that all qualified applicants be given equal opportunity and that selection be based on job-related factors.