Public Relations Director jobs in North Carolina

GUILFORD COUNTY GOVERNMENT

Empower Successful People to thrive in a Strong Community supported by Quality Government

Transparency & Communication | Equity & Inclusion | Accountability

Service & Outcomes Excellence | Our People Matter

Description

Applications will be accepted electronically by Raftelis. Applicants complete a brief online form and are prompted to provide a cover letter and resume. Open until filled with the first review of applications on June 14, 2024.

Questions

Please direct questions to Catherine Tuck Parrish at ctuckparrish@raftelis.com and Alexa Worrell at aworrell@raftelis.com. Download the recruitment brochure.

Compensation

The full salary range is $111,509 (minimum) – $142,174 (market rate) – $199,467 (maximum). Salary placement will depend on directly related qualifications, with an excellent benefits package.

Guilford County is a high-performing local government organization that maintains a culture of embracing diversity, striving for equality, and inspiring individual and organizational excellence. Dedicated to internal and external communication strategy that is aligned with the County’s purpose and core values, the Communications and Public Relations Director will oversee Guilford County's comprehensive public relations and communications activities, working closely with County Administration to build strong internal and external communications partnerships, strengthen the County’s communication and public relations presence and practices, maximize media value, and cultivate community engagement and high visibility for the County with a consistent voice.

This Communications and Public Relations Director reports to the County Manager and works closely with the Assistant County Managers, department heads, and other key staff throughout the organization. The position supervises three positions – the Marketing and Outreach Manager, Multimedia Communications and Public Relations Manager, and Internal Communications Manager.

The Communications and Public Relations Director is responsible for creating and providing oversight for Guilford County’s Communications and Public Relations strategy, efficiently disseminating information on County services and initiatives to the public and employees. Internal communications are a high priority, and the Communications and Public Relations Director will lead the strategic plan around unifying Guilford County employees through integration and collaboration. The Director will coordinate external communication needs to support and enhance varied department goals.

Communications department activities will include writing and editing newsletters, news releases, annual reports, website and social media postings, any related event and presentation materials, as well as creating and managing community relations and public information campaigns on behalf of the County and its departments. The Communications and Public Relations Director is the media relations contact, sharing information with community partners and residents, and leads the County’s communication efforts during times of crisis and emergencies.

The Director’s work will support the following goals and initiatives:

External Communications and Public Relations Support:

• Communicate purpose and vision to the public with a common voice.
• Design inclusive messaging and materials to spotlight and promote services and events to raise awareness of county programs and encourage participation.
• Assist departments in gathering community feedback about County services and programs to inform communication strategies.
• Define, develop, and unify County branding to support resident engagement and economic development.
• Create and implement a comprehensive social media strategy.
• Build strong relationships with and enhance collaboration among communications and public relations stakeholders and partners across the County.
• Oversee the development of a new County website and governance structure that is responsive to community and resident needs, accessible and easy to use, and supports the County’s purpose and core values.

Internal Communications and Public Relations Support:

• Communicate and celebrate department successes.
• Develop staff media relations training.
• Enhance and coordinate internal communication for employees that supports the County’s purpose and core values.
• Partner with County departments to assess and evaluate current internal and external communication practices and resources while strategizing about future communication needs and ways to address those needs.
• Spotlight and promote services and events across departments to encourage cross-departmental collaboration.
• Enhance the County’s critical information and emergency communications programs.

Guilford County and its dedicated and diverse team members are guided by a strong set of core values that support its purpose to Empower Successful People to thrive in a Strong Community supported by Quality Government. The County prioritizes transparent communication, equity and inclusion, accountability, service and outcomes excellence, and ensuring team members know their well-being matters.

The County operates as a Council-Manager form of government, with the Board appointing a professional County Manager to administer a variety of County functions. The County Manager's office provides professional management and leadership for the County government by directing and supervising all County offices, departments, and agencies under the general control of the Board of Commissioners. The Manager is the Chief Administrator of the County government and is appointed by the nine-member Board of Commissioners. Under the County Manager are three Assistant County Managers overseeing Successful People, Strong Community, and Quality Government service areas. Assistant County Managers are responsible for assisting the County Manager in directing operations; preparing and administering an annual budget and capital improvement program; advising the Board on fiscal and policy matters; and equitably administering the policies, laws, ordinances, and other directives and goals of the Commissioners.

Adherence to our purpose and core values gets Guilford County noticed. Guilford County is one of about 50 counties nationwide to earn the highest credit ratings from all three major credit rating agencies; it has received national awards for its services, including its innovative work to reduce racial disparities in infant mortality; and has turned heads with its OneGuilford approach to collaborative and transformational solutions to address community needs, such as implementation of a $2 billion school bond program – one of the nation’s largest school facility improvement initiatives.

The County has adopted a total budget (all funds, net) of $932 million for fiscal year 2023-2024. The Communications and Public Relations Department budget is $1.19 million. Guilford County employs personnel in approximately 2,900 positions. The budget includes specific new investments in the Guilford County Schools and Guilford Technical Community College, public engagement and communication, data analytics, school medical services, and initiatives to address health disparities and support equitable access to services. Guilford County spends most of its revenue on Education, followed by Law Enforcement, Health and Human Services, and Emergency Services.

Inside the Department

Guilford County Communications and Public Relations Department was initiated in June 2022 with the hiring of a new Communications and Public Relations Director. With additional team members added to the department by February 2023, it became a foundational department. The department’s first year was focused on building a collaborative communications culture and structure, establishing core processes, and initiating key County-wide initiatives such as establishing a county brand and overhauling the County’s website. The year ahead will be focused on completing the branding and website initiatives, leveraging the knowledge gained over the last year to refine and implement communications best practices, strengthening external stakeholder partnerships, and continuing to raise resident awareness of and engagement with county services. The department is over marketing and outreach, public relations, media relations, multimedia, and internal communications.

The department’s Values, Mission, and Vision developed in 2023 are as follows:

Values: Integrity, honesty, positive intent, disruptive, collaborative, kind, flexible with boundaries, mindful, accountable, and giving grace to our partners.

Vision: The Guilford County Communications and Public Relations department is a trusted, reliable, and knowledgeable resource to both internal and external partners, and is a team that leads with innovative approaches and champions the work of our Commissioners, County government, and Community.

Mission: To draw upon our knowledge and expertise to provide our residents, employees, and partners with consistent strategic communications guidance and quality creative products with a focus on innovation, impact, transparency, accessibility, and integrity.

Examples of Duties

The Successful Candidate

The next Communications and Public Relations Director has demonstrated knowledge of community relations, as well as public and media relations principles and practices, paired with successful experience managing internal and external communications strategies. The successful Director has communications leadership experience working in local, state, or federal government organizations with services similar to those provided by Guilford County and has demonstrated success working with internal departments and external partners to build diverse and inclusive relationships that advance common goals and support success for the entire community. The ideal Communications and Public Relations Director has consultative expertise in nurturing innovation capacity and helping departments enhance their communication strategies. The new Director remains calm and thoughtful under pressure, is politically savvy, and maintains objectivity in working with elected officials. Demonstrated experience with brand development, website content and management, multi-media communication, and the ability to reach multicultural audiences is preferred.

With demonstrated success building teams, the Communications and Public Relations Director is adept at assessing needs, building staff profiles, and empowering employees. The ideal candidate
believes in supporting the professional development, growth, and retention of staff. The Director is a strategic systems thinker with strong leadership skills necessary for managing change in support of a growing and evolving department. With strong emotional intelligence and well-defined leadership skills, the Communications and Public Relations Director values the diversity of thought, builds a strong understanding of equity, and serves as a catalyst for broad, County-wide change. The preferred candidate understands the importance of balancing the overall vision with day-to-day activities.

The Communications and Public Relations Director has the ability to deliver sensitive and controversial information appropriately, can discern between information appropriate for public consumption and information that should remain internal, and has experience managing communications and serving as the corporate spokesperson during times of crisis and emergencies. With a willingness to dig into the details, the successful candidate recognizes trends hindering progress, identifies opportunities for improvement, and develops and implements better practices to drive necessary change. The Director has robust interpersonal skills and builds strong and effective working relationships, quickly establishing trust and rapport in order to partner with different levels of the organization to achieve desired results.

Attributes of a Successful Candidate:

Organized: The new Communications and Public Relations Director will take an organized and structured approach to running the department and setting foundational practices, office rhythms, and workflows.

Creative: Government communications is complex work that often requires creatively distilling complex information into content that is easy to access and share. Creative writing, visual thinking, narrative creation, and direct knowledge/experience with government communications platforms are qualities we’re seeking in a Communications and Public Relations Director.

Visionary: The new Communications and Public Relations Director is responsible for creating and implementing a long-term vision and roadmap for the structure of the Guilford County Communications and Public Relations team, answering the question “What will Guilford County Communications and Public Relations look like in 1, 5, and 10 years?”

Analytical: Leads the team in measuring growth across communications platforms. Takes time to celebrate successes and to identify and address opportunity areas in the department’s work.

Culture Builder: Creates a safe atmosphere where differing opinions and approaches can be voiced and talked through within the department. Fosters a culture of respect, honesty, and collaboration. Is approachable, patient, and open to difficult questions and conversations.

Typical Qualifications

Minimum requirements include a bachelor’s degree in a related field with a combination of education and experience that would provide the necessary knowledge, skills, and competencies to perform the essential duties and tasks of this position, including at least three years of related supervisory experience. Education and experience should be clearly documented with demonstrated linkages to the essential duties and tasks of this position.

Preferred qualifications include a master’s degree in a field closely related to public relations and communications and at least five years of successful experience working in a leadership role in local, state, or federal government public communications in a complex local government or similar public organization with services similar to those of Guilford County.

Supplemental Information

Applications will be accepted electronically by Raftelis. Applicants complete a brief online form and are prompted to provide a cover letter and resume. Open until filled with the first review of applications on June 14, 2024.

Questions

Please direct questions to Catherine Tuck Parrish at ctuckparrish@raftelis.com and Alexa Worrell at aworrell@raftelis.com. Download the recruitment brochure.

Compensation

The full salary range is $111,509 (minimum) – $142,174 (market rate) – $199,467 (maximum). Salary placement will depend on directly related qualifications, with an excellent benefits package.

Quick Facts
Population: 546,457 | Median Household Income: $62,880 | Median Home Value: $215,700 | Median Age: 37.2

Physical Demands and Work Conditions

Must be able to physically perform the basic life operational functions of standing, walking, pushing, pulling, lifting, fingering, grasping, talking, and hearing. Must be able to perform light work 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. Must possess the visual acuity to prepare data and statistics, operate a computer terminal and audio-visual equipment, and do extensive reading. Some positions in this class require the operation of a motor vehicle to go to various agency sites and locations.

Driving is an essential requirement of this position whether driving a County owned or personal vehicle to conduct county business. Motor Vehicle Reports may be verified for valid driver’s license and that the driving record is compatible with the county’s driving criteria.

If a personal vehicle is operated for county business proper insurance is maintained as per Guilford County’s vehicle use policy.

Special Note - This generic class description gives an overview of the job class, its essential job functions, and recommended job requirements. However, for each individual position assigned to this class, there is available a completed job description with a physical abilities checklist which can give further details about that one specific position. Those documents should be reviewed before initiating a selection process. They can provide additional detailed information on which to base various personnel actions and can assist management in making legal defensible personnel decisions.

Guilford County is committed to providing Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) to employees and applicants for employment regardless of color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, sexual orientation or political affiliation. The County is committed to complying with all applicable federal, state and local laws that pertain to employment, and to providing a work environment that is free from discrimination of any kind. If you need an auxiliary aide, make the request forty-eight (48) hours in advance of the time the accommodation is needed by calling 336-641-3324.