Digital Communications Strategist

Digital Communications Strategist

Location

Skyline Center, 929 N. Front Street, NC

Job Type

Full Time-Regular

Job Number

FY26-00185

Department

Communication & Engagement

Opening Date

06/18/2026

Closing Date

6/28/2026 11:59 PM Eastern

Post-Offer Required Pre-Employment Screenings

Driving History Check

Criminal History Check

Education Verification

Drug Screen

Approved Hiring Salary/Range

$79,427.92 - $103,286.30

Full Salary Range

$79,427.92 - $127,111.40

Working Hours

Scheduled to work Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the office at Skyline Center. Occasional weekend and after-hours may be required.

• Description
• Benefits
• Questions

The City of Wilmington is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Position Description

One City. Informing, Engaging, Inspiring.

Shape how an entire community connects with its local government.

As the Citys Digital Communications Strategist, youll lead the strategy behind the digital platforms residents rely on most-including the City website, social media channels, and email communications. Youll oversee the governance, performance, and continuous improvement of these platforms, ensuring they are accessible, user-friendly, and aligned with organizational priorities and community needs.

In this highly collaborative role, youll establish digital communication standards and best practices, provide guidance to departments across the organization, and develop content strategies that educate, engage, and inform. Youll champion innovation by identifying opportunities for new technologies, platform enhancements, and improved digital experiences that make it easier for residents to access services and information.

Youll also serve as a trusted leader during high-profile initiatives, emergency response situations, and urgent public messaging, using strong editorial judgment and strategic thinking to strengthen the Citys digital presence and build public trust.

Why This Role Matters

The Citys digital channels are often the first place residents turn for information, services, and connection. In this role, youll shape how the community experiences local government-ensuring communications are clear, timely, and accessible while creating meaningful engagement and helping residents stay informed, connected, and supported.

Please note: City Council has approved a Living Wage increase, and the salary shown in this posting will take effect beginning July 1.

Typical Tasks

Website

Serves as primary strategist and content manager for the city's website. Maintains and continuously improves the city website in accordance with communications goals, accessibility standards, visual standards, and customer service priorities. Supports and guides approximately 25 content managers across all city departments by providing training, direction, governance, and platform standards. Identifies and evaluates opportunities for website improvements and leads major platform enhancements, upgrades, and long-term digital improvements on an ongoing basis.

• Oversees website governance, accuracy, user experience, search optimization (SEO), content structure, and service delivery to ensure residents can easily access information and city services.

• Leads compliance with digital accessibility standards across platforms and supports organization-wide accessibility best practices.

• Manages vendor relationships, platform contracts, and external partners related to website services and digital communication systems.

• Monitors website performance, audience behavior, keyword research, and analytics to identify opportunities for improvement and optimize digital engagement and customer experience.

Social Media

Develops and executes strategic social media plans that support City initiatives, public engagement, and organizational priorities. Creates editorial calendars, campaign strategies, and audience engagement plans to ensure proactive, consistent, and effective communication across platforms. Creates, edits, and manages content for social media platforms and coordinates multimedia production for digital storytelling, campaigns, and public information efforts.

• Supports governance and strategy for departmental social media accounts across the organization, including training, standards, and oversight for power users managing platforms for other departments.

• Ensures messaging is responsive, approachable, and consistent across social media platforms with a strong understanding of tone, voice, and audience, balancing engagement, education, transparency, professionalism, and alignment with citywide standards, brand expectations, and communications goals.

• Monitors platform performance, digital trends, algorithm changes, and emerging best practices to continuously improve strategy and effectiveness.

• Serves as a key communications lead during emergency response situations, supporting urgent public messaging and time-sensitive decision-making across digital platforms.

Email Marketing

• Leads strategy and execution for citywide email marketing efforts, including newsletters, campaign messaging, resident updates, and audience engagement communications. Develops content plans and messaging strategies that support City priorities, strengthen direct communication with residents, and drive meaningful follow-up engagement across initiatives and public outreach efforts.

• Creates and manages editorial calendars, audience segmentation strategies, campaign planning, and follow-up communication workflows to improve reach, responsiveness, and engagement across email platforms.

• Supports public engagement efforts by developing email communication strategies that encourage participation, provide timely updates, and maintain ongoing connection with residents before, during, and after community initiatives, meetings, and campaigns.

• Uses analytics, open rates, click-through rates, and audience behavior to optimize performance, improve effectiveness, and support long-term communication goals.

• Ensures email communications are consistent with citywide messaging, visual standards, accessibility requirements, and customer service expectations.

Qualifications

Education:

Bachelor's degree in communications, public relations, journalism, marketing, digital media, or a related field.

Experience:

Three (3) years of relevant experience; or an equivalent combination of education and experience sufficient to perform the essential functions of the position.

Other Requirements:

Valid US Drivers License

As part of the application process, candidates are required to complete the a written exercise. Please submit the completed document with your application to be considered for this opportunity.

Follow the link below to access the exercise.

Written Exercise

This role requires a high level of trust, discretion, sound judgment, and the ability to make independent decisions in high-visibility and time-sensitive situations.

Additionally, the successful candidate must demonstrate:

• Experience managing websites, digital communications platforms, social media strategy, and email marketing with a strong understanding of user experience, accessibility, customer service delivery, and audience engagement.

• Experience adapting tone, voice, and messaging across digital platforms to balance engagement, education, transparency, and professionalism in government communications.

• Knowledge of Adobe software programs, including Premiere, Photoshop, InDesign, and Lightroom; experience working with content management systems, social media platforms, social media management and analytics tools, email marketing systems, and digital platform management tools.

• Experience with platform strategy, content scheduling, audience engagement, analytics, community management, digital accessibility, and emerging trends across digital communications.

• Ability to write, edit, and produce strategic digital content across multiple platforms and audiences.

• Ability to analyze platform performance, communication data, and audience behavior to improve outreach effectiveness and optimize digital strategies.

• Ability to think strategically, build long-term content planning systems, and manage multiple projects with strong organization and independent decision-making.

• Ability to adapt quickly to changing digital trends, emerging technologies, social media algorithms, and urgent communication needs.

• Ability to promote programs, services, and events through digital storytelling, video, graphic design, website strategy, and social media.

• Ability to work collaboratively across departments, build trust, support a positive work environment, and achieve organizational goals.

• Ability to meet deadlines, balance competing priorities, and communicate complex information in a way that is clear, accessible, and useful to the entire community.

Supplemental Information

PHYSICAL DEMANDS:

• Office Work: Sedentary, involving prolonged sitting, computer use, telephone and office equipment operation, and standard office tasks. Requires visual acuity, hearing, and manual dexterity for reviewing documents, analyzing data, and completing administrative responsibilities.
• Field Work: Exposure to various weather conditions for various events and site visits. Such work may require standing, walking, stooping, kneeling, crouching, reaching, pushing, pulling, and lifting or carrying objects up to 10-20 pounds occasionally. Employees may encounter uneven terrain and must use appropriate personal protective equipment.
• General Requirements: All work is performed in compliance with applicable State and Federal OSHA regulations, including hazard communication, personal protective equipment, and slip, trip, and fall prevention.

WORKING CONDITIONS:

• Required office-based work utilizing standard office equipment in a climate-controlled setting and adhering to applicable safety and ergonomic guidelines.
• Site visits and community events may require exposure to outdoor conditions, traffic, noise, and uneven terrain, and occasional standing, walking, or lifting of light materials with appropriate safety measures in place.
• The position functions in a fast-paced, collaborative, and public-facing municipal environment, involving interaction with elected officials, employees, community members, and external partners. Employees may regularly address complex compliance issues and complaints and may encounter individuals who are upset, frustrated, or dissatisfied. The position requires the ability to remain professional, exercise sound judgment, and apply conflict resolution techniques while resolving concerns.

Our Core Values:

INCLUSION | COLLABORATION | CREATIVITY | ACCOUNTABILITY

Our Mission Statement: Through forward-thinking policies and responsible stewardship, we are creating a better city every day with excellent core services and quality of life for all.

What we offer:

The City of Wilmington believes that employees are one of our most important resources. We offer an excellent salary and competitive benefits package to serve the needs of our employees and their families. Our benefits package includes:

• Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision insurance + many other insurance options
• Excellent retirement benefits, including a city provided 4.5% contribution each pay period into a 401(k) account and automatic enrollment into the North Carolina Local Government Employees' Retirement System
• Employer-paid health & wellness clinic
• Free on-site city gym access
• Paid sick and vacation leave + 13 paid holidays per year
• 6-weeks paid parental leave
• Paid volunteer & blood donation leave to give back to our community
• Flex schedule and telework availability, depending on your position
• Professional development trainings & leadership initiatives
• Tuition assistance benefits

Applicant Status Updates: After the closing date for this position, applications will be screened by Human Resources. Applicants who meet the minimum and/or preferred qualifications will be referred over to the hiring department. All updates regarding an application can be viewed through your applicant portal.

Health Benefits are offered to employees working at least 30 hours per week.

Health Insurance - The City offers two options for health coverage: a standard PPO plan and a High Deductible Health Plan with an associated Health Savings Account. Coverage becomes effective the first day of the month following hire for employees and their eligible dependents. Both you and the City contribute to the overall cost of coverage.

Dental Insurance - Coverage becomes effective the first day of the month following hire. Employees, their spouse and dependent children are eligible for coverage.

Life Insurance - The city pays to provide coverage valued at one times your annual salary. Supplemental insurance is available for employees to purchase. Optional coverage for dependents is also available for purchase.

Retirement:

• NC Local Government Retirement System - All benefits eligible employees make a mandatory 6% contribution every pay period.
• Deferred Compensation - The city contributes an amount equal to 4.5% of the annual salary to a 401(k) plan regardless of employee contribution. Employees may choose to contribute additional money to the 401(k) or 457 deferred compensation plans, without a match from the City, within the IRS guidelines.

Paid Leave (offered to employees working at least 1,000 hours annually*):

• Sick Leave - 12 days accrued each year
• Annual Leave - Accrual based on years of service and classification. Employees can earn from 10 to 24 days each year.
• Holidays - 13 paid holidays annually
• Paid Parental Leave - Six weeks of paid leave for the birth, adoption or placement of a child (must run concurrently with FMLA).
• Part-Time Employees will earn paid leave benefits on a pro-rated basis.

Miscellaneous:

• Tuition reimbursement
• Employee Assistance Program
• Short & Long Term Disability
• Cancer & Critical Illness
• Accident Insurance
• Whole Life Insurance
• Credit Union membership

Note: The City of Wilmington is on a bi-weekly pay cycle. New employees should expect to recieve their first paycheck approximately 3 weeks after their start date.

This is intended to be a brief overview of the benefits offered. Please visit our website at https://www.wilmingtonnc.gov/Government/Departments-Divisions/Human-Resources/Benefits for more information.

01

Please acknowledge that you agree to fully complete all required sections of the application, including work experience, education, and the supplemental questionnaire; and that your responses are truthful and complete and can be verified within your application. Entering "N/A or "See Resume/Application" does not qualify as an acceptable response.

• Yes

02

Which best describes your highest level of education in communications, public relations, journalism, marketing, digital media, or a related field?

• High School Diploma or GED
• Vocational/Technical Training or Certificate
• Some College
• Associates Degree
• Bachelors Degree
• Masters Degree
• Doctorate Degree
• None - N/A

03

Do you have a valid US Drivers License?

• Yes
• No

04

How many years of relevant experience do you have?

• I have no experience
• less than 1 year
• 1 year to less than 3 years
• 3 years to less than 5 years
• 5 years to less than 7 years
• 7 years or more

05

Please identify the company/agency/organization where you gained the experience described in question #4. Note: These employers must be listed in the work history section on your employment application to receive credit. Entering "N/A or "See Resume/Application" does not qualify as an acceptable response.

06

Do you have experience working for a local government/municipality?

• yes
• no

07

Please indicate the type(s) of governmental work experience that you have (responses should be supported by experience detailed on the application).

• Local / Municipal Government (City or County)
• Public School / University
• State Government
• Federal Government
• other ( contract worker for government agency)
• I have no experience working for a government agency

08

Please acknowledge that you understand the written exercise is a required component of the application process and must be completed and uploaded at the time of application submission to be considered.

• Yes

09

Do you understand that if hired, the schedule is Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the office at Skyline Center. Occasional weekend and after-hours may be required.

• Yes

10

The hiring salary for the position is posted on the job posting. Salary determination is supported by budget availability and qualifications of the candidate to maintain internal equity. Please acknowledge that you understand this process.

• Yes

11

City Council has approved a Living Wage increase, and the salary shown in this posting will take effect beginning July 1. Please acknowledge that you understand this.

• Yes

Required Question

Employer City of Wilmington

Address PO Box 1810

929 N. Front Street, 11th Floor

Wilmington, North Carolina, 28401

Phone 910-341-7840

Website http://www.wilmingtonnc.gov/jobs