Associate Director Of Communication And Public Information Officer

General Summary

Posting will remain open until filled. Priority consideration for applications received by January 21, 2024.
Reporting to the Director of Marketing, Design & Production, the Associate Director of Communications plays a creative and important role in promoting to and educating the employees, students (current and prospective), stakeholders, and the surrounding community on college activities, opportunities and programming. This position acts as the primary Public Information Officer and media contact for the college, writes and edits for both print and web, and plays an active role in managing the college’s top-level social media channels. This position requires project management, polished writing skills, and the ability to communicate with people of different cultures and ethnic backgrounds.
This position is an exempt, at-will, full-time position.

Essential Tasks

Reporting to the Director of Marketing, Design & Production, this position will:
DUTIES:
Public Information Officer

• Acts as primary Public Information Officer for the college;
• Develops and maintains relationships with media representatives, including media outlets publishing or broadcasting in languages other than English in the Highline College service area;
• Provides needed information in response to media inquiries;
• Pitches stories to the press, acts as a point of contact, maintains media contact list and establishes relations with media professionals to exchange information and promote the college;
• Meets with, and writes emails to, individuals and representatives of other organizations to gather background information about activities and to solicit participation in personal interviews under established guidelines;
• Supports the emergency and crisis communications team in communications support;
• Collaborates with students, staff and faculty to promote the college and student success;
• Provides guidance and ensures consistency in college voice, writing style and communication guidelines;
• Collaborates with college programs, committees or task forces focused on communications with local communities where English is not their first language to share information about the college and relevant programs;
• Participates in professional organizations, including regular engagement with the State Board of Community and Technical Colleges and its Public Information Commission (PIC);
• Participates as a member in various committees and working groups across campus.

General Communications

• Plans, implements and coordinates Highline College’s communications efforts to reflect the goals and mission of the college;
• Independently develops and acts as the lead writer for a variety of print and electronic (web and social media) publications and communications targeted to internal and external audiences, including prospective students, supporters, faculty, staff and other constituents;
• Writes and edits communication/marketing materials, such as brochures, quarterly bulletin, press releases, website news posts and student profiles, and media backgrounders;
• Provides communications support to college president and vice president of institutional advancement, including drafting and editing of messages to campus and community;
• Reviews and assists in editing marketing materials created by others on the Communications and Marketing team to ensure proper grammar, clarity, and form of presentation;
• Actively engaging with campus departments to seek out event posting opportunities for the college's web-based calendar of events;
• Actively support and participate in college-wide efforts to become a federally designated Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI);
• Works in a dynamic, team environment to develop and implement communications and/or marketing plans, such as guidelines, procedures, flowcharts, and timelines;
• Understands the importance of customer service while assisting in liaison work between campus clients and other Communications and Marketing staff.

Social Media

• Helps maintain and grows the college’s social media presence by writing and posting original and repurposed content to the college’s top-level social media channels;
• Monitors activity on the college’s top-level social media channels (questions, comments, likes, mentions) and actively engages and responds in a timely and professional manner;
• Attends select campus events for the purpose of live social media posting;
• Applies technical knowledge of computer software for basic image and graphic manipulation.

COMPETENCIES:

• Experience in writing and editing copy for a wide variety of mediums, including print, web and social media;
• Experience creating editorial content within the organizational style and brand guidelines;
• Competency in various styles of writing, including relational, creative, feature and marketing;
• Strong working knowledge of Associated Press style writing and experience with style guides;
• Experience managing social media platforms, including Instagram, Facebook, X, TikTok and LinkedIn;
• Experience using a digital camera and understanding of principles of good photography;
• Computer skills, including strong proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite and basic image editing skills using Adobe Photoshop;
• Organizational skills;
• Strong attention to detail;
• Demonstrated ability to survey, question, listen, translate and implement changes based on feedback from campus clients and supervisor;
• Familiar with marketing strategies;
• Ability to grasp an overview of projects and to organize and prioritize each step in the process of project production;
• Ability to communicate effectively and to work with a range of people at various stages of a project;
• Be able to use lay terms in communicating with non-marketing and non-communications staff and customers.

Qualifications

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor's degree in Public Relations, Communications, Journalism, Technical Writing or related field; AND
• Five (5) years of Communications/marketing experience including experience writing for social media.

DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Fluency in a language other than English, preferably Spanish;
• Seven years of combined experience in communications/marketing, journalism and Public Information and writing for social media;
• Previous employment at a large organization, preferably an educational institution.

Supplemental Information

Applicants considered for this position will be required to disclose if they are the subject of any substantiated findings or current investigations related to sexual misconduct at their current employment and past employment. Disclosure is required under Washington state law.THE COLLEGEHighline College prides itself on its commitment to diversity and equity, its institutional culture of collegiality and innovation, its globalization of curricula and its inclusion of the community in its programming. Founded in 1961, Highline College is situated in a diverse community just 15minutes south of Seattle. The college annually serves more than 16,500 students –– a student population of over 70% students of color, representing 35 nations and more than 100 languages. The college embraces equity, inclusion and social justice, with core goals of student attainment, diversity, community Engagement and sustainability. The student body at Highline College is made up of Transfer students, Running Start students, Professional- Technical students, International students, Comprehensive Transition Program for students with intellectual disabilities, Adult Basic Education and English Language Learners. In addition, we offer six bachelor of applied science, four-year degrees.MISSION AND VISIONAs an essential part of our mission and vision, diversity, equity and inclusion are promoted and fostered in all aspects of college life.APPLICATION PROCEDUREYour online application must include the following to be considered complete:1. A detailed resume that addresses the MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS of the position;2. A letter of application/cover letter (two-page maximum, recommended) that addresses your ability to meet the QUALIFICATIONS, and KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES for theposition;3. A one-page response to the Supplemental Question.CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT:

National Criminal Background Check may be required.APPLICATIONS MUST BE FILED ONLINE AT:https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/highlineNEED APPLICATION HELP?Should you have any difficulties uploading your documents or navigating the application process, please contact NEOGOV Technical Support at 1-855-524- 5627, Monday - Friday 6:00 AM to 6:00PM Pacific Time.HIGHLINE COLLEGE IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYERHighline College is an equal opportunity employer. The College is committed to enhancing the diversity of our faculty and staff, as well as our student population. We strive to create a working environment that includes and respects cultural, racial, ethnic, sexual orientations, and gender identity diversity. We strongly encourage applicants to apply without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, age, marital or veteran status, disability, or any other legal protected status.REASONABLE ACCOMMODATIONSThe College complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Applicants needing accommodations in the application process in an alternative format may contact the Human Resources office at (206) 592-3812. Persons who are deaf or hard of hearing may dial 711 to place a call through Washington Relay, the state's free telecommunication access service.TITLE IX POLICYHighline College complies with Title IX regulations. For details on our policies, see our website https://humanresources.highline.edu/faculty-and-staff/policies/title-ix/The College appointing authorities reserve the right and may exercise the option to make an employment decision prior to the conclusion of the recruitment process.

NON-DISCRIMINATION STATEMENT

The college provides equal opportunity in education and employment and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, creed, religion, or status as a veteran of war. Prohibited sex discrimination includes sexual harassment (unwelcome sexual conduct of various types).

The Title IX Coordinator, Danielle Slota, can be reached at (206) 592-3600 or DSlota@Highline.edu. 2400 S. 240th St. Des Moines, WA 98198. Building 12, President’s Office.

The 504 Coordinator, Jenni Sandler, can be reached at (206) 592-3474 or JSandler@Highline.edu. 2400 S. 240th St. Des Moines, WA 98198. Building 25, 5th Floor.

The Chief Human Resources Officer, Steven Sloniker, can be reached at (206) 592-3320 or SSloniker@Highline.edu. 2400 S. 240th St. Des Moines, WA 98198. Building 12, Human Resources.

You can receive this information in an alternate format by contacting Access Services (206) 592-3857; TTY (206) 870-4853.