Communications and Engagement Director

City Of Roswell•Roswell, GA

About The Position

The Director of Communications & Engagement provides strategic leadership for the City’s communications, public information, community engagement, digital platforms, and special events. The role advances transparency and resident partnership by shaping how the City communicates, listens, and shares information. The Director serves as a strategic advisor to city leadership, leads high-impact and emergency public information efforts, and ensures accurate, timely, and consistent messaging across the organization. The position also promotes a constructive civic tone and strengthens public trust through transparent processes, accessible information, and meaningful engagement.

Requirements

Requires a Bachelor’s degree in Communications, Public Relations, Journalism, Public Administration, or a related field
Eight (8) years of progressively responsible experience in communications, public information, community engagement, media relations, or digital strategy
Four (4) years of supervisory or leadership experience required
or any equivalent combination of education, training, and experience which provides the requisite knowledge, skills, and abilities for this job.
Possess and maintain a valid Georgia driver’s license with a satisfactory motor vehicle record (MVR).
Deep knowledge of public information, media relations, strategic communications, and community engagement.
Strong leadership, judgment, and decision-making skills.
Exceptional writing, editing, and presentation abilities.
Ability to serve as an effective public-facing representative for the City, including comfort and proficiency with on-camera communication, media interviews, public speaking, and presenting complex information to diverse audiences.
Ability to manage sensitive or high-impact issues with discretion and professionalism.
Skill in digital communication platforms, content management systems, multimedia production, and analytics tools.
Strong interpersonal skills and ability to collaborate effectively across departments and with community stakeholders.
Understanding of open meetings, open records, and public-sector transparency requirements.
Ability to be responsive, adaptable, and effective to ensure the Communications team is representing the City to the best of its abilities at all times.

Nice To Haves

A master’s degree and experience in local government or public-sector communication are preferred.

Responsibilities

Provides executive leadership for citywide communications and community engagement functions.
Advises city leadership on communication strategy, public information needs, emerging issues, and resident sentiment.
Ensures communications and community engagement activities support the City’s priorities, values, and governance approach.
Shapes the City’s civic tone by promoting consistent, respectful, and constructive communication across the organization and community.
Guides cross-departmental coordination on major initiatives, communications planning, and community engagement efforts.
Serves as the City’s lead Public Information Officer during emergencies or significant incidents.
Provides review and approval of major or high-impact communications to ensure accuracy, consistency, and alignment with city priorities.
Oversees timely dissemination of public information, including major announcements, project updates, resident notifications, and leadership communications.
Approves speeches, talking points, scripts, statements, and presentations for city leadership.
Maintains strong working relationships with media outlets at the local and regional levels.
Determines the best method of communication to ensure timely and effective dissemination of all public information.
Leads the City’s approach to resident engagement, ensuring it reflects transparency, clarity, and meaningful two-way communication.
Partners with departments to structure public meetings, listening sessions, community forums, and project-based engagement efforts.
Ensures engagement materials, messaging, and feedback loops are clear, consistent, and accessible.
Monitors resident sentiment and emerging issues through data, analytics, and community feedback.
Oversees the City’s digital presence, including the website, social media, online dashboards, email platforms, and multimedia channels.
Leads digital modernization efforts to improve transparency, user experience, and public understanding.
Evaluates and implements modern tools that enhance communication, digital service delivery, and public engagement.
Guides standards for video, livestreaming, photography, and multimedia storytelling.
Provides strategic guidance for the planning and positioning of citywide events to ensure alignment with city priorities and community engagement goals.
Oversees the Special Events Manager and ensures coordination between special events programming and citywide communication and community engagement efforts.
Approves event messaging, run-of-show materials, and leadership communications for major city events.
Coordinates with departments to ensure cross-functional alignment for high-profile events and ceremonial occasions.
Leads the development of clear, consistent internal communications that support the City’s mission, vision, values, organizational alignment, and employee engagement.
Ensures internal messaging reflects the City’s commitment to transparency and reinforces expectations for a timely and accurate flow of information.
Advises departments on messaging, communication planning, and employee-facing updates.
Supports communication needs during organizational initiatives, leadership transitions, and cross-departmental projects.
Establishes citywide messaging frameworks, communication standards, and digital guidelines.
Ensures consistency in tone, accuracy, formatting, and branding across city communications.
Provides guidance or advisory support for departmental communications where needed, without assuming operational ownership of program-level marketing.
Utilizes data and analytics to assess the effectiveness of communication, resident engagement, and public understanding.
Monitors trends, feedback, and metrics to inform strategy and continuous improvement.
Produces communication plans, reports, and summaries for leadership as needed.
Leads, supervises, and develops staff within the department.
Oversees budget development and administration for assigned functions.
Ensures compliance with all applicable laws related to communications, public information, and open government.
Represents the City at meetings, events, and in community settings as required.