Communications Specialist

Essential Functions

• Analyzes, interprets, and summarizes complex data from various sources, for the purpose of improving communication effectiveness and reaching target audiences.
• Applies agency branding and style guidelines for the purpose of building consistent recognition and professional credibility across all communications.
• Buils and maintains positive relationships with the Communications Department and assigned clients, for the purpose of accurate, consistent communications that strengthen agency credibility and trust.
• Captures and professionally edits photography, videography, and audio recordings for the agency and assigned clients for the purpose of creating engaging audiovisual storytelling.
• Collaborates with internal programs, for the purpose of aligning communications with broader organizational goals.
• Completes tasks accurately with general supervision for the purpose of delivering high-quality projects to assigned clients.
• Contributes to newsletters and announcements for the purpose of keeping audiences informed and engaged with organizational priorities and updates.
• Creates and remediates complex digital documents and content for the purpose of ensuring compliance with accessibility standards and making information available to all users regardless of ability.
• Creates graphics and visual elements using Adobe InDesign, Illustrator, and Photoshop aligned to style guidelines and accessibility standards for the purpose of enhancing communication materials, and supporting brand identity, and building consistent recognition and professional credibility across all communications.
• Designs and maintains accessible websites with user experience best practices for the purpose of helping audiences quickly find what they need.
• Designs, implements, and analyzes ad campaigns for the purpose of reaching and engaging client audiences, tracking ROI, and optimizing future campaigns.
• Develops and presents training to the Communications Department for the purpose of continually improving team skills and effectiveness.
• Develops, implements, and evaluates comprehensive communication plans for internal clients for the purpose of providing high-quality, measurable services.
• Gathers background information through research, interviews, and surveys for the purpose of strengthening communication outcomes and audience engagement.
• Incorporates feedback for the purpose of improving individual performance, building strong working relationships, and supporting the success of the department.
• Ledes video projects, including pre-production, production, and post-production tasks, for the purpose of telling high-quality stories.
• Maintains accurate and complete records and documents in compliance with the Washington State Local Government Common Records Retention Schedule (CORE) and Public Schools (K-12) Records Retention Schedule for the purpose of ensuring proper classification, retention, and disposal of all agency documentation in accordance with state regulatory requirements.
• Maintains and archives digital assets, for the purpose of organizing and preserving content for future use.
• Plans and implements agency and assigned client social media strategy and posts for the purpose of building community connections and strengthening awareness of programs and services.
• Proofreads, reviews, and provides comprehensive feedback on projects for the purpose of improving quality, accuracy, and alignment with branding and style guidelines.
• Serves as a primary communications point of contact for assigned clients for the purpose of keeping all parties informed and engaged throughout the project lifecycles.
• Serves the agency and assigned clients through advocacy, honesty, expertise, independence, loyalty, and fairness for the purpose of upholding industry standards for equitable and ethical conduct.
• Stays current on communications technologies and best practices for the purpose of continually improving skills and effectiveness.
• Travels intermittently, up to 5 consecutive days or more, for the purpose of fulfilling project requirements and performing the essential functions of the position.
• Uses project management tools with fidelity for the purpose of meeting deadlines and maintaining clear communication with project team members.
• Writes and edits content aligned to brand standards, style guidelines, and accessibility standards for the purpose of connecting families and communities to educational opportunities and services.
• Aids other personnel as may be required for the purpose of supporting them to complete their work activities.

Experience

• Job-related experience with increasing levels of responsibility required.

Education

• A high school diploma or equivalent.
• Equivalency: A degree in English, communications, graphic design, journalism, marketing, public relations, or related field and at least three years of full-time, professional communications experience preferred.

Salary

$35.18–$42-77/hour

Schedule

This is a full-time position: 260 days/year, 8 hours/day

Benefits

• Medical/vision/dental insurance;
• FSA/DCAP;
• life/AD&D insurance;
• LTD insurance;
• EAP;
• retirement;
• DCP;
• annual leave, sick leave, holiday pay and personal leave

Instructions

To be considered for this position you must provide a resume, cover letter and a communications portfolio. Your communications portfolio must include the following:

• (2) graphic design samples
• (5) photos or 1 video
• (2) professional writing samples
• (1) social media campaign

Provide a brief, 3–5 sentence summary of each item that reflects who it was for, what it was meant to achieve, when it was created, and how it was distributed. If you collaborated with someone else on these items, describe each collaborator’s role and responsibilities.