Deputy Communications Director, Ops and Infrastructure

Deputy Communications Director

The Deputy Communications Director is the senior day-to-day operations leader for the Communications Division in the Office of Commissioner Rodney Ellis, responsible for helping the team run with clarity, discipline, speed, quality, and strategic focus. Reporting to the Communications Director, the Deputy translates OCRE-wide and division priorities into strong systems, clear workflows, visible calendars, accountable assignments, reliable budgets, useful reports, and polished public-facing work.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities:
Division Operations, Systems, and Workflow Management

Lead the day-to-day operating rhythm of the Communications Division, ensuring priorities, assignments, timelines, deliverables, approvals, and next steps are clear, visible, and moving forward.

Oversee and improve division-wide operational systems, including meeting cadences, documentation practices, file organization, onboarding tools, internal follow-up systems, trackers, scheduling routines, and cross-team coordination processes.

Work closely with the Operations Manager and administrative support staff to maintain consistent systems for routine reminders, meeting follow-up, vendor documentation, budget tracking support, and workflow visibility.

Lead scalable systems across the division while partnering with administrative and operations support staff on implementation, documentation, scheduling, reminders, tracker maintenance, and routine follow-up.

Production Calendar, Quality Control, and Approvals

Own and manage the division-wide communications production calendar, including major campaigns, press materials, digital content, creative projects, newsletters, mailers, speeches, talking points, recurring deliverables, rapid-response needs, media events, and communications-driven public moments.

Build, maintain, and improve systems for project tracking, status updates, deadline management, approval routing, and follow-through so major projects have a clear owner, timeline, status, next step, and escalation path.

Establish and enforce quality-control standards across communications products, including clarity, accuracy, accessibility, formatting, grammar, branding, message alignment, approval status, and readiness for publication or distribution.

Help enforce intake, review, and approval processes, including sensitivity tiers and escalation protocols.

Exercise delegated approval authority on routine and elevated materials within established approval structures, and escalate sensitive or high-risk matters as needed.

Strategic Communications, Editorial Support, and Infrastructure Storytelling

Support communications strategy, planning, and production for major office priorities, with a particular focus on infrastructure, including multimodal connectivity, flood mitigation, sidewalks, street lighting, parks and trails, mobility improvements, public facilities, and other capital projects that affect daily life for Harris County residents.

Translate complex infrastructure, engineering, funding, timeline, and implementation details into clear public-facing materials that explain what is being built, why it matters, who benefits, and how projects advance equity, safety, resilience, accessibility, and quality of life.

Review, edit, and help develop public-facing materials, including statements, talking points, press materials, newsletters, web content, event materials, infrastructure explainers, project fact sheets, and other communications products.

Ensure communications products are clear, accurate, values-driven, accessible, and aligned with Commissioner Ellis's voice and priorities.

Cross-Team Coordination, Press/Event Readiness, and Partner Management

Coordinate across narrative, media, digital, creative, events, Community Affairs & Advocacy, Policy, Programs, Development and Infrastructure, Engineering, Flood Control, Budget, administrative teams, external partners, and vendors.

Ensure communications work is integrated, timely, strategically aligned, accurate, and properly resourced.

Oversee communications planning and readiness for press conferences, media availabilities, announcements, briefings, mid-tier events, and other communications-driven public moments.

Ensure clear timelines, owners, approval paths, talking points, press materials, signage needs, media logistics, digital promotion, photography/video coordination, and post-event follow-up are in place.

For major infrastructure events, ribbon cuttings, groundbreakings, park openings, and large-scale public events led by the Events Director, serve as a communications thought partner and workflow lead.

Ensure message alignment, media readiness, content planning, approvals, and coordination with key teams are fully integrated into the broader event plan.

Team Leadership, Reporting, Capacity Management, and Process Improvement

Provide day-to-day direction, support, and accountability for designated staff, managers, projects, and workflows within the Communications Division.

Serve as a senior designee for the Communications Director when needed, including representing the division in internal meetings and coordinating cross-divisional communications needs.

Other Duties as Assigned

Harris County is an Equal Opportunity Employer. If you need special services or accommodations, please call (713) 274-5445 or email ADACoordinator@bmd.hctx.net. This position is subject to a criminal history check. Only relevant convictions will be considered and, even when considered, may not automatically disqualify the candidate.
Requirements

Education:
Bachelor's or graduate degree in Communications, Political Science, Public Administration, Management, or a related field preferred but not required; equivalent professional experience will be strongly considered.

Experience:
6+ years of experience in communications, operations, project management, public affairs, government, campaigns, advocacy, nonprofit leadership, journalism, agency work, or a related field.

Demonstrated experience managing complex operations, production calendars, cross-functional projects, approval processes, budgets, vendors, administrative systems, or high-volume deliverables.

Licensure:
Valid driver's license (Texas upon hire) and a good driving record.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:
Strong organizational and project-management skills, with the ability to create order, visibility, and accountability in a fast-paced environment.

Experience building or improving systems, templates, dashboards, SOPs, trackers, reporting tools, or other operational infrastructure.

Excellent writing, editing, and verbal communication skills, with the ability to review and improve public-facing materials for clarity, accuracy, tone, message alignment, and quality.

Strong judgment and discretion, including the ability to identify risk, understand context, manage sensitive information, and know when to escalate decisions.

Experience supervising staff, managing teams, or coordinating across multiple senior stakeholders with competing priorities.

Ability to translate big-picture strategy into concrete plans, timelines, assignments, workflows, and finished products.

Strong attention to detail and commitment to producing polished, accurate, high-quality work.

Experience with budget tracking, vendor coordination, contracts, invoices, procurement, or resource planning preferred.

Ability to lead systems and enforce process while working collaboratively with administrative and operations support staff.

Ability to push for clarity, accountability, and realistic timelines without becoming a bottleneck.

Commitment to equity, justice, and the values of the Office of Commissioner Rodney Ellis, and experience supporting communications, programs, or operations that engage or serve diverse communities, including communities of color.

NOTE: Qualifying education, experience, knowledge and skills must be documented in your job application. You may attach a resume to the application as supporting documentation but ONLY information stated on the application will be used for consideration. "See Resume" will not be accepted for qualifications.
Preferences

Government, campaign, advocacy, nonprofit, public-sector, or mission-driven communications experience is a plus.

Spanish fluency is also a plus.

General Information

Hours: