Communications Specialist

Responsibilities

• Plans, develops, implements, and evaluates City-wide marketing, branding, and both internal/external communication strategies and campaigns;determines appropriate communication methods, audiences, timing, and messaging based on organizational goals and community needs.
• Serves as a communications resource and advisor to City departments and KEDC staff; evaluates communication opportunities and challenges,recommends strategies and solutions, and coordinates implementation across multiple departments and initiatives, including emergency and time-sensitive public information.
• Independently develops, creates, edits, schedules, and manages website and social media content, branding, campaigns, and programming; identifies stories and content opportunities; research audience preferences and emerging platforms; and determines appropriate content formats and distribution methods.
• Administers the City’s and KEDC’s websites and serves as a primary content editor; establishes and coordinates content priorities with departments and evaluates content for accuracy, relevance, consistency, accessibility, and compliance with applicable City standards and requirements.
• Research, develops, implements, and evaluates public engagement and outreach strategies; recommends approaches to strengthen relationships with target audiences, improve public understanding, and encourage citizen participation.
• Develops and oversees the production of advertisements, brochures, flyers, presentations, digital graphics, reports, and other promotional materials for City departments and KEDC, ensuring consistency with established branding and communication objectives.
• Tracks, analyzes, and interprets digital communication performance metrics, audience engagement data, campaign results, and other relevant information; prepares recommendations and adjusts communication strategies to improve effectiveness and reach.
• Plans and coordinates photography and videography needs for City and KEDC communications;determines appropriate visual content and maintains or organizes communication assets as needed.
• Coordinates and prepares KEDC business prospect requests for information (RFI) responses and available commercial sites.
• Supports KEDC business development and retention initiatives, including targeted prospect outreach, marketing initiatives, trade shows, downtown business needs, and related economic development activities.

Requirements

• Experience developing communication or marketing plans, media relations materials, digital content, photography/videography, website content, and social media campaigns, and branding.
• Experience with Microsoft Office products, virtual meeting applications, website content management systems, social media platforms, and Adobe Creative Suite or comparable design tools.
• Knowledge of professional principles and practices of strategic communications, public relations, marketing, branding, digital communications, media relations, and public engagement.
• Ability to independently analyze communication needs, identify alternatives, exercise sound judgment, and recommend and implement effective communication strategies.
• Exceptional writing, editing, proofreading, grammar, spelling, and presentation skills with the ability to adapt tone and content for different audiences and platforms.
• Ability to manage complex projects, establish priorities, coordinate multiple stakeholders, meet deadlines, and adapt to changing or time-sensitive circumstances.
• Ability to interpret data and communication metrics, identify trends, and use findings to make recommendations and improve communication effectiveness.
• Ability to establish effective working relationships with elected/appointed officials, executive staff, employees, KEDC representatives, media, community partners, businesses, vendors, and the public while maintaining professionalism and appropriate confidentiality.
• Working knowledge of website accessibility, digital content standards, public records considerations, and governmental communication practices appropriate to assigned responsibilities.
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively in a deadline-driven public-service environment.

Preferred

• Bachelor’s degree in Communications, Public Relations, Marketing, Journalism, Public Administration, or a related field preferred; an equivalent combination of education and progressively responsible experience that provides the required knowledge, skills, and abilities may be considered. Experience may be substituted for degree.
• Two (2) years of progressively responsible professional experience in communications, marketing, public relations, digital media, public engagement, or a related field preferred.
• Graphic design experience preferred.
• Municipal government, public-sector, or economic development marketing/communications experience preferred.