The City of Virginia Beach exists to enhance the economic, educational, social and physical quality of the community and provide sustainable municipal services which are valued by its citizens. The City of Virginia Beach organization is based upon a belief in the democratic process of government. This belief provides meaningful ways for citizens, reflecting the diversity of our City, to contribute to the development of public policy. This process is enhanced by organizational values which guide member performance within the Virginia Beach Quality Service System. These Values define our desired organizational culture. We value quality customer service; teamwork; leadership and learning; integrity; commitment; and inclusion and diversity.
Background
The City of Virginia Beach Communications Department is embarking on a two-year transition to a more centralized function (from a decentralized model) in order to help meet the communication needs of our diverse employee and citizen population - particularly under a new ward/district structure – and meet business goals and needs for all departments. This position will immediately work to oversee the transition utilizing consultant recommendations as a guide to ensure its long-term success.
Job Description
The work of the Deputy Director of Communications & Marketing Operations position emphasizes the day-to-day management, coordination and planning of key units of the Communications Department including:
Member Communications,
Campaign & Client Services, Public Engagement, Video & Broadcast Services, Design & Brand Management, and Channel Management
This position is both strategic with high operational finesse and has the responsibility for activities that contribute to planning, creating and implementing a more centralized communications vision and strategy aligned with the City’s strategic plan. In cooperation with the Director of Communications, this position will establish operational workflows, develop City leadership reports of past and future communications efforts, develop and enforce communications brand standards, ensure messaging is consistent across all platforms and manage client services and satisfaction. You will manage teams of people responsible for developing and delivering communication and engagement opportunities for the City and citizens, operating much like an in-house advertising agency with 30+ active clients.
The Deputy Director of Communications & Marketing Operations is also responsible for:
- Analyzing trends in public relations, advertising, marketing and municipal communications
- Assessing the impact of emerging technologies within the field and industry
- Providing communication solutions to address potential or emerging issues
- Managing and tracking financial and employee resources while ensuring the development of high-quality communication campaigns
This position will be involved in the development of policies, standards and guidelines that direct the selection, development, implementation and use of communication resources within the City. As a City Manager appointee, this position serves at the pleasure of the City Manager and is not considered part of the merit service as defined in City Code, section 2-75.
Job Duties
- Researches, evaluates, and recommends use of communication resources to enhance current communications support of City operations and goals.
- Prepare budget business cases to enable City leadership to make resource investment decisions in communications that balance and prioritize current demands and opportunities with the approved, longer-term strategic vision.
- Functions as a visionary to proactively assist in defining the direction for future communication projects while navigating and prioritizing job requests against capacity and available resources.
- Identify the ability or inability to fulfill client requests for work, existing workflow weaknesses and opportunities for workflow enhancements.
- Plans, organizes, directs, and coordinates the activities of multiple functional areas of the Communications Department; provides leadership, direction, and guidance for development and operational activities to achieve the long and short range goals and business objectives.
- Assists the Director of Communications in formulating and implementing policies, programs, procedures, and standards for activities of the department.
- Exercises considerable independent judgment to analyze, develop, and recommend plans and solutions to operational, management, business process, and utilizes effective leadership skills to implement such plans and recommendations.
- In compliance with City policies, recruits, interviews, selects and evaluates department leadership team staff; assigns and reviews projects to determine progress and work priorities; ensures adherence to standards and procedures; identifies, recommends and initiates training plans for staff within areas of assignment or cross-training.
- Liaisons with department directors throughout the City to affect resolution of issues, accomplish job requests, and recommend viable communications solutions to business needs.
- Coordinates and identifies objectives, plans, and methods to satisfy business requirements and negotiates service level agreements (SLA) in support of these requirements.
- Develops budgets and recommends Communications Department spending. Tracks budget and ensures that budgets are not exceeded. Oversees and provides high-level advice and counsel to the vendor relationship decision making and contract development processes.
- Collaborate with IT to identify opportunities to develop and market systems that will enhance communications operational efficiencies and evaluates and recommends new tools that will enhance City communications.
- Acts on behalf of the Director of Communications in his/her absence as directed.
Perform other job duties requiring skills, knowledge and physical requirements as demanded by those duties described or less. Individual assignments will be determined by the supervisor based on then current workloads and department needs.
This position is eligible for a flexible schedule which include hybrid/remote options.
Please Note: This position will remain open until filled; the first round of applications will be pulled February 24, 2025