Public Communications Manager / Public Information Officer

Salary : $94,203.20 - $146,827.20 Annually
Location : Fort Myers, FL
Job Type: Full-Time
Job Number: 24-970
Department: City Manager
Opening Date: 01/16/2024
Closing Date: Continuous
FLSA: Exempt
Description
The City of Fort Myers strives to be an employer of choice and most of our employees turn jobs into long term careers. The salary shown in the job description is the full range for this position from entry to later career.
NEW EMPLOYEES ARE HIRED AT, OR NEAR THE ENTRY POINT SHOWN, DEPENDING ON QUALIFICATIONS AND RELEVANT EXPERIENCE.
FLSA Status: Exempt Safety Sensitive: NO Level II Screening: NO
Under the general direction of the City Manager, the Public Communications Manager/Public Information Officer provides strategic guidance to senior leadership on a variety of issues, handling both internal communications and external relations to include responding to media inquiries, planning and executing public engagement campaigns, and creating messaging around city initiatives and crisis response.
Carries out supervisory responsibilities in accordance with the City's policies and applicable laws. Responsibilities include planning, assigning, and directing work, addressing complaints and resolving problems.
Responsibilities and Reporting During an Emergency Situation:
Essential Employees may be required to work during a declared emergency. Depending on the nature of the emergency, this may require working around the clock for several days on short notice.
Non Essential Employees will not be required to work during a declared emergency. The employee's Department Head will determine when the employee will be required to work.
Duties/Responsibilities

• Provides oversight in all projects with city image and public relations impact. Monitors emerging social, political and environmental issues of significance, anticipating city involvement.
• Convenes rapid response team when necessary. Apprises city officials of public relations opportunities, providing experienced, professional guidance to all departments regarding media contacts, publications and image matters.
• Receives and processes confidential material and information. Able to convey sensitive information in easily understandable terms.
• Assists with complex problem-solving and provides expertise citywide with short notice and compressed deadlines, readily adjusting to shifting priorities.
• Maintains awareness of emerging public policy, legislative, regulatory and political issues that could impact the city's objectives, priories and activities.
• Possesses comprehensive knowledge of applicable laws, regulations and best practices pertinent to activities, including Freedom of Information requests.
• Serves as the Public Information Officer for the City, and works in coordination with all City Departments to provide clear and consistent communications to the media and general public.
• Oversees all social media administration platforms of the city, managing users/content creators and reviewing content within city departments.
• Incumbent is spokesperson for CFM Emergency Management, ensuring coordination across all communications platforms and a unified voice to the media and general public.
• Flexible in responding to multiple daily media inquiries with professionalism and in a timely manner, including breaking news, after hours and weekend requests.
• Performs detailed research, often with multiple CFM/FMFD/FMPD points of contact prior to responding to media inquiries to ensure accuracy. Monitor subsequent stories and social media posts to evaluate public sentiment around issue(s) concerning city government.
• Analyzes and frames strategic issues. Routinely collaborates with senior leadership on proposals, summaries and talking points detailing city accomplishments, city council actions, legislative initiatives, budget announcements, construction projects, sustainability initiatives, board/committee actions, special programs/events, legal actions, court decisions and human resources announcements.
• Able to work effectively with all city departments.
• Manages external consultants providing public relations, stakeholder engagement, federal and state government relations, and website/data/media service providers and project teams for CivicPlus, OpenGov and Meltwater.
• Leads the public rollout of new city programs and services, creating compelling visual images to go along with concise narratives utilizing AP style for press releases, media advisories, website, social media and collateral materials. Creates website content and updates emergency response information. Works with CFM departments to format information in a consistent manner and review for ongoing relevance.
• Edits city documents for style and consistency; formats information to the specifications of different media platforms. Updates strategic communications, crisis communications and Emergency Management plans.
• Organizes special projects including citywide charitable campaigns and employee engagement initiatives.
• Create and update internal web page content within Sharepoint to provide accurate information to CFM workforce.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES

• Proficient in the use of standard office computer equipment and software applications.
• Fluent in key platforms including Hootsuite, Canva, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Nextdoor, CivicPlus, OpenGov, Meltwater
• Demonstrated Creative writing skills along with graphic design skills
• Strong teamwork and customer service skills.
• Strong time-management skills, project management skills
• Ability to make decisions recognizing established precedents and practices and to use resourcefulness and tact in solving new problems.
• Ability to exercise judgment and discretion in applying and interpreting department rules, regulations, policies, and procedures.
• Demonstrated ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships.
• Proven ability to speak clearly and persuasively in positive or negative situations.
• Experienced in leading teams and developing staff members.

Minimum Requirements

• Bachelor Degree in Communications, Public Relations, journalism or public affairs and five (5) years of progressively responsible public relations, media or any equivalent combination of related experience and/or training that provides the required knowledge, skills, abilities and essential job functions may be substituted for the degree.
• Must possess a valid Florida Driver's License with an acceptable driving record.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Masters' degree preferred

Physical Demands and Working Conditions
This work typically requires the following physical activities to be performed:

• Balancing - maintain equilibrium to prevent falling while walking, standing, or crouching.
  
• Climbing - ascending, descending ladders, stairs, ramps, requires body agility.
  
• Reaching - extending hands or arms in any direction.
  
• Repetitive Motion - substantial movements of wrists, hands, fingers.
  
• Crouching - bending body forward by bending leg, spine.
  
• Feeling - perceiving attributes of objects by touch with skin, fingertips.
  
• Fingering - picking, pinching, typing, working with fingers rather than hand.
  
• Grasping - applying pressure to object with fingers, palm.
  
• Handling - picking, holding, or working with whole hand.
  
• Hearing 1 - perceiving sounds at normal speaking levels, receive information.
  
• Speaking - expressing ideas with spoken word, convey detailed, important instructions accurately, concisely.
  
• Standing - for sustained periods of time.
  
• Stooping - bending body downward, forward at waist, with full motion of lower extremities and back.
  
• Talking 1- expressing ideas by spoken word
  
• Visual Acuity 1 - prepare, analyze data, transcribing, computer terminal, extensive reading.
  
• Visual Acuity 2 - color, depth perception, field of vision.
  
• Visual Acuity 3 - determine accuracy, neatness, observe facilities/structures.
  
• Visual Acuity 4 - operate motor vehicles/heavy equipment.
  
• Kneeling - bending legs at knee to come to rest at knees.
  
• Lifting - raising objects from lower to higher position, moving objects side to side, using upper extremities, back.
  
• Mental Acuity - ability to make rational decisions through sound logic, deductive reasoning.
  
• Walking - on foot to accomplish tasks, long distances, or site to site.

Work performed is primarily:

• Sedentarywork: Exerting up to 10 pounds of force occasionally and/or negligible amount of force frequently or constantly to lift, carry, push, pull or otherwise move objects, including the human body.

WORK ENVIRONMENT

• Contact with internal and external customers and the general public
• Works in an office environment and sits for long periods of time
• May be required to work hours other than the regular schedule including nights, weekends, and holidays.

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform the essential job functions satisfactorily. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the primary job functions described herein. Since every duty associated with this position may not be described herein, employees may be required to perform duties not specifically spelled out in the job description, but which may be reasonably considered to be incidental in the performing of their duties just as though they were actually written out in this job description.
Click or enter the link below to see a list of benefits.
Please note: Benefits do not apply to On-Call, Temporary or Seasonal positions. Benefits only apply to regular Full-time positions and Part-time positions that are regularly scheduled to work 40 hours or more bi-weekly.
01
Do you currently possess a minimum of a Bachelor's Degree in Communications, Public Relations, journalism or public affairs AND five (5) years of progressively responsible public relations, media; OR or any equivalent combination of related experience and/or training that provides the required knowledge, skills, abilities and essential job functions may be substituted for the degree

• Yes
• No

02
If the answer is Yes to question #1, please explain. If you answered "No" please enter "n/a".
03
Do you currently possess a valid Florida Driver's License with acceptable driving record, or the ability to obtain a Florida driver's license at time of hire?

• Yes
• No

Required Question