Communications / Media Manager

COMMUNICATIONS / MEDIA MANAGER

City of Salina, Kansas

City Manager’s Office

The Communications/Media Manager plays a vital role in connecting the City of Salina with the people it serves through clear & timely public information. This long-term leadership opportunity helps strengthen community engagement by guiding media relations, digital communications, public awareness campaigns, & outreach on City services, projects, & events. The position makes a meaningful impact on Salina by ensuring residents have accessible information & opportunities to stay informed, involved, & prepared—including during emergencies. With broad collaboration across City departments, local media, & community organizations, this role offers a rewarding chance to translate important municipal initiatives into communications that benefit the entire community. The position combines purposeful public service with a primarily office-based work environment & flexibility to support occasional irregular scheduling needs, promoting a sustainable balance between professional responsibility & personal life.

Duties:

Serves as principal media contact & spokesperson, supporting transparent & timely public information.

Develops proactive communications/marketing strategies; coordinates responses to media inquiries & emerging issues; oversees content across web, social media, video, print, & other channels; supports public communications during emergencies & incidents.

Advises City leadership & departments on communications opportunities, public messaging, & sensitive issues; recommends strategies to bring public attention to & involvement with initiatives.

Produces educational & informational news content related to City services, functions, & events; prepares & launches a variety of promotional messages & public awareness campaigns in various formats, including press releases, newsletters, professional journals, website content, public presentations, videos, radio shows, mail campaigns, media outlets, & social media venues to assist in educational & branding efforts.

Organizes press conferences; supports emergency public-information operations, including coordination with emergency management; serves as Public Information Officer.

Engages & informs citizens by providing timely, accurate, concise & strategic information regarding organizational initiatives, projects, services, & programs; meets with citizens, neighborhood organizations & other groups to answer questions & provide service information.

Performs continual assessment & use of analytics to evaluate reach, public understanding, & effectiveness; builds collaborative partnerships with local media, agencies, & organizations.

Reviews organizational webpages & other electronic forms of information to make recommendations regarding form of message, content, timeliness, communication approach & grammar.

Manages open records requests & approves release of City information in accordance with the Kansas Open Records Act.

Direct oversight of division staff.

Education:

Bachelor’s degree in communications, marketing, business, journalism, public relations or related field.

Experience:

Strong communication skills; demonstrated competency regarding the use of current electronic media & engagement tools, desktop publishing, & graphics software.

Three (3) years of public relations, marketing or relevant work experience.

Two (2) years of supervisory experience preferred.

Requirements:

Possession of a valid Kansas driver’s license required.

Work Type:

Light, exerting up to 20 pounds of force occasionally, and/or up to 10 pounds of force frequently, and/or a negligible amount of force constantly to move objects.

Works inside with limited work outside.

Equipment:

Calculator, computer, copy machine, fax machine, printer, scanner, tablet, telephone, & video camera.

Hours:

Monday – Friday.

8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Attends meetings outside of normal office hours.

Compensation DOQ EOE:

Full pay range: $56,099-89,760/yr.

Starting pay range: $56,099-58,926/yr.

Paid Time Off:

60 hours of vacation available upon hire; additional 60 hours earned during the year (120 hours in first year).

96 hours of sick leave during first year.

Benefits Summary

Position Description

Application Deadline:

Until filled

Contact Information:

City of Salina

Human Resources Department

Office: 785-833-8018

Email: human.resources@salina.org

Website: salina-ks.gov

The City of Salina is an Equal Opportunity Employer & Drug-Free Workplace.

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