Assistant Director Public Relations

The Detroit Land Bank Authority (DLBA) is a public authority responsible for turning Detroit’s vacant, abandoned, and foreclosed property back to productive use. Currently, the DLBA manages an inventory of approximately 56,000 properties through various programs, including auction and side-lot sales, community partnerships, and has robust legal and financial management functions in place to support those efforts. The DLBA thrives on a culture of openness, trust, and integrity, promoting ethical behavior and compliance with the law.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the central point of contact for reporters and media outlets to ensure coordinated, timely responses on all DLBA-related issues.
• Cultivate and maintain relationships with reporters and newsrooms covering the Detroit market; pitch DLBA stories for coverage.
• Develop strategies to engage media proactively, ensuring coordinated responses and appearances from DLBA leadership.
• Craft narratives for local and national media showcasing the organization’s work and economic impact.
• Lead the organization’s integrated marketing and advertising strategy to increase public awareness and strengthen brand positioning across multiple platforms.
• Develop and oversee multi-channel marketing campaigns, including paid advertising, television and radio commercials, digital advertising, print collateral, email marketing, and promotional materials.
• Identify new marketing opportunities, leverage data and market research, and maximize audience engagement to improve campaign performance and program participation.
• Ensure brand consistency across all communications and marketing efforts while evolving the organization’s visual identity and messaging strategy.
• Provide strategic leadership for digital communications and social media to enhance brand awareness, engage target audiences, and drive measurable results.
• Oversee content strategy, creative development, editorial planning, publishing, community management, analytics, and performance reporting across all digital platforms.
• Lead the creation of engaging multimedia content, including photography, video, livestreams, and digital storytelling initiatives.
• Monitor emerging digital trends and platform changes to continuously improve engagement and expand the organization’s digital reach.
• Oversee communications and engagement with City Council, elected officials, community organizations, and strategic partners to ensure timely responses and collaborative relationships.
• Supervise the City Council Liaison and Community Engagement Manager, providing strategic guidance on stakeholder engagement and outreach efforts.
• Partner with executive leadership to develop and implement organization-wide strategic communications initiatives supporting agency priorities, major announcements, and transformational projects.
• Lead cross-functional communications planning for high-profile initiatives, public campaigns, community engagement efforts, and organizational change management.
• Identify opportunities to improve internal and external communications, streamline processes, and enhance customer experience through innovative strategies.
• Develop new programs, campaigns, and outreach initiatives to increase public awareness and strengthen stakeholder relationships.
• Provide leadership, coaching, and professional development for communications, marketing, community engagement, and government relations staff.
• Foster a collaborative, high-performing team culture that encourages innovation, accountability, and continuous improvement.
• Establish departmental goals, performance metrics, and professional development opportunities while mentoring staff.
• Lead cross-departmental collaboration to ensure communications strategies are integrated across the organization and aligned with executive priorities.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in journalism, communications, public relations, marketing, or a related field.
• 7+ years of experience, with a background in the Detroit media market required.
• Ability to work under tight deadlines, prioritize workflow, and adapt to changing business needs in a fast-paced environment.
• Outstanding verbal and written communication skills, including public speaking and handling sensitive inquiries.
• Experience developing successful social media campaigns and content.
• Demonstrated ability to oversee and collaborate with staff, motivating teams to deliver high-quality results.
• Ability to interpret complex concepts related to DLBA programs, policies, and activities.
• Strong leadership and organizational abilities, with experience supervising teams and fostering professional development.
• Ability to build partnerships across executive leadership, government agencies, media, nonprofit organizations, and community stakeholders.
• Mission-driven with a commitment to public service for the residents of Detroit.
• Highest level of moral character, honesty, and integrity.

Preferred Qualifications

• Detroit resident or background with deep knowledge of community needs.
• Familiarity with Detroit government and communities.
• Experience in government, community development, real estate, finance, or land use planning.
• Experience with nonprofit or governmental program design, management systems, fund development, and community change strategies.

Supervisory Responsibility

• Manage the overall direction, coordination, and evaluation of the department/division.
• Carry out supervisory responsibilities in accordance with company policies and applicable laws, including interviewing, hiring, planning, assigning work, performance reviews, and addressing complaints.
• Provide leadership in strengthening internal communications and promoting a positive, supportive work environment.