Public Affairs and Communications Specialist

$91,235 - $95,775/Yr

Jefferson County - Broomfield, CO

Full-time - Entry Level

Hybrid - Broomfield, CO

Executive, Legislative, and Other General Government Support

About the position

Jefferson County is seeking a Public Affairs and Communications Specialist to support the Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport (RMMA). RMMA is owned and operated as a division of Jefferson County Government and is an important component of the national air transportation system and the Denver metropolitan area. The Airport is designated as a reliever for Denver International Airport and provides a home to a diverse set of airport users, including corporate aviation facilities, commercial aviation businesses, charter companies, flight training operations, and general aviation tenants. The Public Affairs and Communications Specialist will be responsible for facilitating public and employee engagement through the airport's Community Engagement Plan, which will include events, emails, newsletters, websites, and social media. This position represents the county at meetings, interacting with local media, advising on communication strategies, creating project budgets, assisting with executive communications, developing training materials, and participating in emergency operations. This position creates and manages content, develops multimedia presentations, and other designated materials. They maintain website content, produce newsletters and news releases, and create marketing and social media content. Building collaborative relationships with stakeholders of the airport and promoting engagement are key responsibilities of this role. The ideal candidate for the Public Affairs and Communications Specialist position is a proactive and creative professional with a passion for Marketing, Digital Communications and Media/Multimedia, or Public Relations. They excel in creating and managing engaging content across various platforms. Strong customer service skills, attention to detail, and the ability to articulate effectively to diverse audiences are essential. The ideal candidate will have a collaborative approach to building relationships with stakeholders, peers, and members of the community. A passion for making an impact and a commitment to staying updated on industry best practices will be key to succeeding in this role. This schedule typically operates on a 10-hour workday, 4 days a week. This position is hybrid, with the option to work some hours remotely after the 6-month training period. Occasional off-hours and weekend work will be required as needed. Remote work arrangement is subject to supervisor approval and shall comply with Jefferson County's Remote Working Policy.

Responsibilities

• Develop and implement a comprehensive Community Engagement Plan that guides the airport's communications and engagement with airport stakeholders and community members.
• Facilitate public and employee engagement through coordination of direct contact events, emails, meetings, newsletters, websites, social media sites, and other publications.
• Create, edit, and manage public and employee engagement materials for county departments including writing and editing articles, talking points, web content and other publications for both internal and external audiences.
• Develop multi-media presentations and design graphic materials in collaboration with public engagement staff and other personnel.
• Use technology to coordinate, create, and manage engagement mechanisms such as video production, telecommunications, photography, and web content.
• Develop and maintain accessible website content.
• Write, design, and produce newsletters and other communication publications.
• Write, edit, and prepare news releases for the media and the website.
• Create marketing materials for assigned projects and communication campaigns.
• Develop engaging social media content.
• Establish and maintain constructive, engaged, and collaborative working relationships with employees, internal and external stakeholders, and citizens to enhance communications.
• Coordinate and assist with activities to encourage and maintain a beneficial work environment, promote programs, and encourage employee and citizen engagement.
• Take a proactive approach to contributing to strategic thinking and planning for public engagement and participation efforts for various audiences and groups both internally and externally.
• Develop and implement program evaluation tools, collect data for measurement, and perform analyses of public engagement activities.
• Research and assist with implementation of public engagement best practices, industry trends, and suggested strategies.
• Represent Jefferson County and the Public Affairs Office at meetings of elected officials, committees, directors, departments, and the community.
• Interact and build relationships with local media to help extend the reach of county messages and promote the programs and services of the county in a relevant and educational way to the community.
• Advise Jefferson County employees regarding future projects and communication strategies by collaborating and proactively identifying and developing strategies to further communications efforts of the impacted departments.
• Complete organizational tasks related to the execution of the programs for those departments and effectively communicate with those stakeholders.
• Create project budgets, track expenses, and maintain complete and accurate documentation of communication and marketing campaigns.
• Assist with executive communication in the development and delivery of presentations, creating talking points and media notes, creating and improving scripts, providing metrics and measurements of the work from the Public Affairs Office that they can share and more as is requested.
• Develop training and training materials for internal and external use including online, interactive materials, training videos, training documents and job aides for specific software or programs, and in-person training classes.
• Develop, test, and implement external and internal training.
• Participate in emergency operations and communications in collaboration with other departments when called upon by the Emergency Management division.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Marketing, Digital Communications and Media/Multimedia, or Public Relations.
• Minimum of five years of work-related experience which may include community engagement, executive-level communications, and/or media coordination.
• Strong customer service skills.
• Ability to articulate clearly and effectively to varying levels of customer.
• Experience with Microsoft Office/Microsoft 365.
• Strong time management and prioritization skills.
• High attention to detail when proofreading/correcting written reports.

Nice-to-haves

• Media training
• Experience developing Communication Plans, Community Engagement Plans, Public Outreach campaigns, etc.
• Graphic Design proficiency is desired.

Benefits

• Medical, dental, and vision insurance
• Paid time off and holidays
• Retirement matching
• Wellness programs
• Tuition reimbursement
• Flexible schedules
• Remote work options