Communications Officer (Manager III)

The Position

About the position

Job Appointment: Full Time, At Will
This position is exempt from Civil Service and is an "At Will" position. It serves at the discretion of the hiring authority, subject to City of Portland Human Resources Administrative Rules and Portland City Charter and Code.
Work Schedule: Monday-Friday, 8 am-5 pm. Work hours will vary to meet business needs during crises or critical events.
Work Location: Hybrid-Employee will report to Portland Building, 1120 SW 5th Ave, Portland, Or 97204 for in-person work. Please note, leadership positions may require more presence in the office. Remote work must be performed within Oregon or Washington. For more information, click here.For more information, click here .
Benefit: Please check our benefit tab for an overview of benefit for this position
Language Pay Premium Eligible: This position may be eligible for Language Pay Differential for qualifying employees.
Union Representation: This classification is not represented.

Application Material: Please click APPLY to submit your application via the City of Portland’s online portal. You will need to attach a cover letter and resume. You will also have to attach a work sample in the form of a web link or PDF attachment. This sample could be a press release, communications plan or strategy, or other piece of work that highlights your expertise.

Position Summary
There has never been a more exciting time to put your communications expertise to work for the City of Portland. Beginning January 1, 2025, The City of Portland is transitioning from a commission form of government to a mayor-council form of government, a new form of government, and has launched large-scale change management and internal reorganization. The Communications Officer will be at the nucleus of this change, providing leadership and strategic direction in both internal and external communications. Like many cities across the country, Portland is experiencing high-profile livability and economic challenges.

To help the newly elected and executive leadership navigate both the opportunities and challenges ahead, the City of Portland is recruiting a highly experienced professional to serve as the new Communications Officer for the City of Portland. Your daily schedule could include briefings with elected officials, leading teams, and workgroups to deliver high-quality communications products, coordinating with the mayor’s communications staff to advance the City’s coordinated communications plans, and problem-solving on internal messaging.

This is a new position at the City of Portland responsible for creating a new team and bringing best practices and innovation to how communications are managed and delivered at the City. The Communications Officer is responsible for leading the development of an organization-wide strategic communication plan (internal and external) and improving how the City of Portland communicates with our residents, community stakeholders, partners, and the media. Another exciting opportunity is that the Communications Officer will create and lead an organization-wide brand strategy, set citywide guidelines and identify communications priorities for the City and its leadership team.

The Communications Officer will regularly convene and lead a Communications Leadership Team made of Communications Managers from different bureaus across the City. The Communications Officer will work with this group to develop a citywide strategic communications plan that meets the current and future operational needs of the bureaus and service areas and elevates priority citywide messages.

The Communications Officer will provide communications leadership for programs within the Executive Office with the help of a Central Communications Team that they supervise. This team supports the implementation of citywide strategies and tools and runs citywide social media channels.

The mayor elected in November has the authority to appoint the City Administrator and will likely influence the direction of this role and the executive office. The Communications Officer is an at-will position, reporting to the Assistant City Administrator.

The ideal candidate will be an experienced leader who is ready to redefine how the City of Portland approaches communications. This person should be politically adept and informed on regional issues. An ideal Communications Officer will navigate high-pressure situations with poise and strategic insight, making them a trusted advisor to city leaders and a trusted leader for city employees. They will maintain strong working relationships with regional media partners and take a proactive approach to messaging. While public sector experience is a plus, there are many talents needed to be successful; organizational change management, leadership, and strategic and crisis communications are important skills for success.

As the City of Portland’s Communications Officer, you will:

• Lead your work with the City’s core values of anti-racism, equity, transparency, communication, collaboration, and fiscal responsibility.
• Direct and manage communications strategy and products for the Executive Office, which includes the city administrator and a variety of central programs.
• Convene and lead a citywide communications leadership team with representatives from different service areas to set strategic direction, track emerging issues, and identify opportunities for collaborative communications across Service Areas.
• Manage a talented and dynamic Central Communications Team and budget.
• Develop and oversee the creation, adoption and implementation ofthe City’s first organization-wide communications strategy informed by representatives from Service Areas.
• Establish graphic and branding standards and oversee organization-wide compliance to improve the consistency and quality of the City’s communications products.
• Provide strategy, oversight and guidance for media relations and City’s public communications. Advise on communication strategies and provide guidance on public relations and communication matters to city leaders
• Develop and manage protocols for City of Portland crisis communications and act as a key advisor during emergencies or sensitive situations, in collaboration with Emergency Management.
• Serve as communications lead during City emergencies, working within the City’s incident management system.
• Lead internal and external communications to support change management.
• Collaborate with members of the executive office and other Officers (Equity, Sustainability, Community Engagement) to develop operational policies related to areas with crossover (i.e., language access).

About Central Communications
The Central Communications Team, housed within the City’s executive office, delivers communications strategy and resources to over 70 communications staff citywide-and serves as the voice of the City of Portland. Under the supervision of the Communications Officer, this team provides critical external communications services, such as citywide social media account management, newsletter development and communications leadership during crisis events.

Key Reporting Relationships
Reports to: Assistant City Administrator .
Direct Reports (Central Communications Team): Press Officer, Senior Content Coordinator, Social Media Coordinator, Communications Resource Coordinator, Writer and Content Producer .
Collaborates with: Deputy City Administrators, Mayor’s Office, Bureau Directors, Bureau and Service Area Communications Managers, Executive Office leaders .

Virtual Zoom Meet & Greet Opportunity

Come meet the hiring manager and the senior recruiter! We'll be talking about the position duties and responsibilities, day to day life in the role, review the announcement, discuss how to apply, and answer questions you may have about the position.

Wednesday, November 6, 2024

12:00pm Pacific Time (US and Canada)

Zoom Meeting Link: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/86179685265
Meeting ID: 861 7968 5265

Have a question?
Contact Information:
Loan Tran Polanco, Recruiter
Bureau of Human Resources
Loan.Tran@portlandoregon.gov

To Qualify

Applicants should specifically address and demonstrate in their cover letter and résumé how their education, training, and/or experience meet each of the following minimum qualifications:
Experience developing strategic communications plans, managing organizational change and strategies for organization-wide priorities. Experience developing communications strategies or messaging for crises and excellent writing/verbal communication skills.Experience supervising and managing teams and budgets while promoting an equitable workplace environment. Experience developing, implementing, and managing programs, projects, and/or personnel functions within an organizational unit.Knowledge of the principles and practices of leadership, operational and strategic planning, emergency communications, public administration. Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with executive leaders, elected officials, media personnel; demonstrate tact, diplomacy, and patience, and gain cooperation through discussion and collaboration. Preferred Qualifications:

• Undergraduate degree in Civic Engagement, Public Relations, Public Administration, Communications, Journalism or other related field.
• A demonstrated track record of success as a senior leader in a large, complex organization.
• Demonstrated experience with large scale and dynamic change management .
• Ability to exercise and contribute to sound decision-making in a high-pressure, fast-moving, political environment.
• Experience working in the public sector.

The Recruitment Process

STEP 1: Apply online between October 21, 2024 to November 18, 2024

Required Application Materials:

• Cover letter
  • Details are key! The city uses a merit-based system, so your cover letter should be thorough and specifically address each qualification listed in the "To Qualify" section of the job announcement. Your cover letter can exceed one page, to ensure you are able to provide the detailed information for every qualification. Follow the instructions, as a subject matter expert will be evaluating your details to confirm that you meet the minimum requirements .
• Resume
• Answer to three (3) Supplemental Questions (click on the Questions tab to preview the questions)
• Work sample in the form of a web link or PDF attachment. This sample could be a press release, communications plan or strategy, or other piece of work that highlights your expertise.

Optional Application Materials

• If you would like to request Veteran's Preference, please submit your Veteran documents (ex, DD214-Member 4, VA Benefit Letter, etc) by the closing date of the recruitment.

Application Tips:

• Your cover letter should detail your qualifications for each item listed in the “To Qualify” section of this announcement.Be concise but thorough in describing your education, training, and/or experience, and where you obtained them. To ensure clarity, your cover letter can exceed one page to address each qualification full.
• Your résumé should support the details described in your cover letter.
• Salary Range/Equity Pay Analysis : Please note per the Oregon State Pay Equity Law your salary is determined based on the experience and education listed in your resume/application. It is strongly encouraged to include any transferable experience (paid or unpaid regardless of how recent) to ensure your offer is reflective of all directly related and equivalent experience.
• Do not attach any additional documents.
• Please note, all completed applications for this position must be submitted no later than on the closing date and time of this recruitment.
• You can use AI tools to assist with your job application, but please make sure to personalize your responses to supplemental questions. Avoid copying and pasting. We encourage use AI to generate ideas and then tailor them to reflect your own experiences and skills.
• All applications must be submitted via the City's online application process.
• E-mailed and/or faxed applications will not be accepted.

Step 2: Minimum Qualification Evaluation: Week of November 18, 2024

• An evaluation of each applicant's training, paid and unpaid experience, as demonstrated in their cover letter, and resume, weighted 100%.
• Your cover letter and résumé will be the basis for our evaluation of your qualifications for this position. Incomplete or inappropriate information may result in disqualification.
• You have 14 days from the notice of the minimum qualification evaluation results to let us know if you would like to review and discuss your evaluation result. Please read the City of Portland Administrative Rule 3.01 for complete information.
• Additional evaluation may be required prior to establishment of the eligible list and/or final selection.

Step 3: Establishment of Eligible List: Week of November 25, 2024

• Candidates who meet the minimum qualifications will be placed on the equally ranked eligible list.

Step 4: Selection (Interview): December 2024

• Hiring bureau will review and select candidates for an interview
• Work sample will be utilized during this step in the process.

Step 5: Offer of Employment: December 2024

Step 6: Start Date: TBD

• A start date will be determined after all conditions of employment have been met.

*Timeline is approximate and subject to change.

Additional Information

Click here for additional information regarding the following:

• City of Portland Core Values
• Recruitment Process - Work Status
• Equal Employment Opportunity
• Veteran Preference
• ADA, Pregnancy, and Religious Accommodations

An Equal Opportunity / Affirmative Action Employer

A Career with the City of Portland offers many Employee Benefits

We offer a comprehensive benefits package, including but not limited to

• Health Care (Medical, Vision and Dental)
• Carrot Fertility
• Wellness Benefits
• Life Insurance
• Long-term disability coverage to eligible employees and their families.
• Employee Assistance Plan
• Flexible Spending Accounts
• Retirement
• Oregon Public Employees Retirement System (PERS), includingcontributions to the PERS IAP plan paid by employer
• Family Medical Leave
• City Paid Parental Leave

AND SO MANY MORE!

Benefits may vary depending on bargaining unit and employment status. Click here to review the many different benefits the City of Portland offers .

Closing Date/Time: 11/18/2024 11:59 PM Pacific

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• City of Portland

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