Media Relations Manager (CC5)

State of Washington•Multiple Locations Statewide, WA

1d•Remote

About The Position

At the Department of Commerce, we are reimagining government by fostering innovation, community, and impact. We aim to strengthen communities through clear, concise, and accessible communication. The Communications Team provides comprehensive communication services, including media relations, digital communications, graphic design, branding, agency reports, website services, and internal communications. The Media Relations and Public Information Manager plays a key role in planning, organizing, directing, and controlling information and public relations programs for the agency. This position serves as the agency's senior public information official, advising executive leadership on public information policy, issues, risk, legislative communication strategies, and statewide public messaging. The manager will represent the agency and the Director at various public meetings, briefings, hearings, and news conferences, and will lead the development of agency-wide public information goals, frameworks, accessibility standards, and public engagement strategies.

Requirements

Any combination of professional experience in communications, journalism, or public relations and higher education involving a major study in journalism, communications, public relations, or a closely allied field totaling eight (8) years.
Eight (8) years of professional experience in communications, journalism, or public relations.
Four (4) years of professional experience in communications, journalism, or public relations AND four (4) years of higher education involving a major study in journalism, communications, public relations, or a closely allied field.
Six (6) years of professional experience in communications, journalism, or public relations AND two (2) years of higher education involving a major study in journalism, communications, public relations, or a closely allied field.
Experience conducting media relations activities in a government agency, newsroom or other professional setting.
Demonstrated experience developing and executing strategic communications plans that includes earning media coverage (local or national).
Experience advising top management officials regarding communications strategies and opportunities.
Can prepare and present complicated public information and complex policy information in a concise, simple, easy to understand manner.
Demonstrated project management skills.

Nice To Haves

Experience working in a newsroom as a reporter, producer or assignment editor.
Current or prior employment in communications at a state, county or city agency.
Bilingual, speaking both English and Spanish.
Knowledge of how to build audience and reach underserved communities with communications.
Experience in mass email marketing strategies.
Knowledge of the state legislative process and policy development.

Responsibilities

Represent the Director and the agency as media spokesperson and primary public information officer regarding cross-program, policy-level and sensitive topics.
Respond to media inquiries on behalf of the Director and the agency regarding complex, sensitive, cross-program issues involving legislative, policy, and programmatic impacts.
Represent the Director and agency as spokesperson at press briefings, public hearings, legislative committee meetings, statewide partner events.
Coordinate messaging across Commerce’s multiple divisions to ensure unified external representation.
Direct and coordinate complex communications initiatives that span multiple agency divisions and require strategic alignment with statewide partners.
Lead the development of public information strategies, including messaging for legislative initiatives and communications related to directives and policy impacts.
Prepare or direct the preparation of executive talking points, policy briefs, public statements, and high-impact messaging frameworks.
Evaluate public understanding of agency programs and recommend adjustments to improve communications across diverse audiences.
Serve as subject matter expert and consultant to agency leadership on strategy and appropriate public, legislative and media responses on a wide-array of sensitive reputational matters, complex public policy and programmatic topics.
Maintain the agency communications request calendar, tracking tasks and ensuring rapid response and quality customer service for agency employees who request communications services.
Seek and build relationships with local and national reporters, particularly those with beats that align with Commerce programs and initiatives and leverage those relationships to gain positive media coverage for the agency.
Identify and develop newsworthy ‘storytelling’ opportunities and proactively pitch stories, on a weekly basis, to print, broadcast, and digital media.
Develop and maintain a tracking system for media coverage of Commerce and distribute to agency leadership and communications staff.
Plan and execute press conferences or press events for the Director, agency leadership or in concert with division program staff, ensuring good attendance by local and/or national media and clear and concise messaging for the agency.
Work closely with the Deputy Communications Director, Communications Director and agency leadership to advise, recommend, develop and direct a crisis communications plan to build and maintain credibility and trust at all times.
Serve as agency emergency public information officer responsible for responding to significant emergency or crisis situations, including advising director and other agency/institution officials on public information strategies; writes emergency communications materials such as press releases, fact sheets and gov delivery emails; distributes emergency messaging to the Commerce digital team for social media posting, coordinates information dissemination with appropriate local, state and federal officials and represents Commerce in the state Emergency Operations Center as needed.
Work closely with the Deputy Communications Director to assist with the Governor's office and cabinet-level agency communications staff for cross-agency coordination and information campaigns.
In partnership with the Deputy Communications Director, develop, direct, and track large scale communications initiatives for the agency.
Write, review and proofread all external communications materials for the Department of Commerce, including but not limited to press releases, Govdelivery constituent emails, fact sheets and Powerpoint presentations for legislators.
Write original stories about Commerce programs and initiatives for publication on our website or social media, both short and long form.
Write, edit and proofread publications such as legislative factsheets, PowerPoints and other external-facing communications materials for legislative hearings.
Write and edit news releases, media advisories and alerts, website content and other public facing materials as needed.
Review and edit all press releases and materials from division-assigned Communications Leads and distribute to Deputy Communications Director for final review and approval.
Ensure clear, consistent and effective communications of Commerce news and messages, using easy to follow plain language, AP Style and adhere to accessibility guidelines.
Plan, develop, administer and direct complex and extensive information programs based on external communications needs of the agency.
Serve as principal staff specialist and professional consultant to division communications Leads and division heads in field of communications and public relations.
Write, manage, design and publish GovDelivery bulletins for multiple divisions across multiple programs.
Serve as subject matter expert for the agency on mass email messaging strategies.
Work in collaboration with the Deputy Communications Director to assemble briefing materials and write talking points for the Director or other agency leaders as needed.
Work closely with agency marketing team and business development leads to ensure quality, consistency, appropriate presentation of agency branding and messaging in promotional materials for domestic and international use.
Ensure use of plain language, as required by Governor’s Executive Order 05-03, in all external facing communications and serve as agency’s primary plain language expert to ensure communications are concise, inclusive and easy to understand.
Serve as backup to the Division Lead Communicators (assigned to Energy, Local Government, Growth Management, Housing, Economic Development and Competitiveness and Community Services) when necessary, completing their review and writing tasks.
Evaluate effectiveness of multi-program public information efforts; recommend improvements.
Other duties as assigned.