COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER

COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER

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City of Ormond Beach

Job Description

Communications Manager

The City of Ormond Beach is an Equal Opportunity Employer, a drug free workplace, and participates in the E-verify system.

Summary:

Under the direction of the City Manager, the Communications Manager serves as the City's lead communications and public information professional and strategic advisor on internal and external communications, media relations, digital communications, community engagement, branding, and crisis communications. The position develops and implements comprehensive communication strategies that support City priorities, promote transparency and public trust, and ensure residents, businesses, employees, media, and community partners receive timely, accurate, accessible, and consistent information. The Communications Manager oversees the City's communications across digital, social, print, multimedia, and emerging platforms and serves as the City's Public Information Officer during emergency operations.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

Develops, implements, and evaluates comprehensive internal and external communications strategies aligned with City goals, priorities, and initiatives.

Serves as strategic communications advisor to the City Manager, City Commission, leadership staff, and departments regarding public messaging, media relations, emerging issues, and high-profile or sensitive matters.

Produces speeches, correspondence, presentations, reports, and other communications regarding City programs, priorities, and issues.

Serves as the City's primary media liaison; responds to media inquiries, coordinates interviews, develops talking points and key messages, prepares news releases, pitches stories, and proactively identifies opportunities to communicate City programs, services, projects, and accomplishments.

Oversees the City's website content and digital communications strategy, including content governance, accuracy, timeliness, accessibility, organization, user experience, and coordination with departments, Information Technology staff, and vendors.

Creates, coordinates, and/or oversees written, photographic, video, graphic, digital, and multimedia content for City communications, including social media, website content, newsletters, presentations, public information campaigns, special events, and other communication channels.

Monitors and analyzes traditional and digital media, social media, website performance, community feedback, and other relevant data to evaluate communications effectiveness, and recommend appropriate communication strategies and improvements.

Develops and coordinates communications strategies for emergencies, crises, high-profile incidents, rapidly evolving events, and sensitive or controversial issues; develops key messages and ensures timely, accurate, coordinated information across City communication channels.

Develops specifications and assists with selection and management of communications-related vendors, consultants, contracts, and software platforms.

Participates in city events, meetings, and intergovernmental activities as necessary, including outside regular business hours.

Key member of emergency preparedness, response, and recovery team, leading communication efforts both internally and externally; serves as the City's Emergency Operations Center Public Information Officer (PIO) and is subject to call-back and extended or non-traditional work hours during emergencies and critical incidents.

Promotes positive customer service environment internally and externally.

Performs other job-related functions as assigned.

Meets attendance requirements.

Supervisory Responsibilities:

Directly supervises Public Safety Public Information Officer; provides functional guidance to departmental staff engaged in City communications activities.

Education and/or Experience:

Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university in communications, public relations, journalism, marketing, public administration, digital media, or a closely related field. Five (5) to eight (8) years of progressively responsible experience in strategic communications, public information, media relations, journalism, marketing, digital communications, community engagement, or a related field, including experience developing and implementing organization-wide communications strategies. Experience in local government or another public-sector environment is preferred. An equivalent combination of education, training, and experience that provides the required knowledge, skills, and abilities may be considered.

FEMA/NIMS Public Information Officer and Incident Command System training is preferred at hire and may be required within a specified period following appointment.

Qualification Requirements:

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Knowledge of principles and practices of public communication management and strategic planning.

Advanced written, verbal, and presentation skills, including the ability to develop clear, compelling, accurate, and effective communications for diverse audiences and to communicate confidently in public settings.

Knowledge of the role of strategic communications in a council-manager form of government and of applicable federal, state, and local laws, regulations, and requirements affecting government communications, public information, public records, accessibility, and records retention.

Ability to exercise political acumen, impartiality, discretion, sound judgment, and decisiveness in sensitive, controversial, rapidly evolving, or high-profile situations involving elected officials, executive leadership, media, and the public.

Advanced skills in organizing work, setting priorities, meeting critical deadlines, and completing assignments with a minimum of direction.

Ability to analyze complex information, identify relevant facts and trends, exercise sound judgment, and translate information into clear, accurate, and effective communications for diverse audiences.

Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with employees, elected officials, media representatives, other governmental agencies, committees, and the public.

Proficiency with contemporary communications technologies and platforms, including productivity applications, content management systems, social media management and analytics tools, graphic design and multimedia editing applications.

Physical Demands:

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully meet the essential function of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Long periods of sitting and/or standing at designated work station.

Work Environment:

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

General office environment.

Position : 5145001

Type : INTERNAL & EXTERNAL

Grade : PAY GRADE 509

Posting Start : 10/14/2026

Posting End : 12/31/9999

BASED ON QUALIFICATIONS: $82,854.35-$136,710.83

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