Senior Public Relations Specialist - Temporary

City of Seattle•Seattle, WA

6d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Office of Economic Development (OED) drives inclusive and equitable economic growth so every Seattle resident can access quality jobs, thriving businesses, and opportunities for prosperity. We partner across communities, industries, and City departments to coordinate strategies, tell the story of our work, and ensure economic development resources reach the people and small businesses who need them most. We are seeking a Senior Public Relations Specialist for a temporary assignment to support OED’s citywide communications, public relations initiatives, media engagement, and strategic messaging. This role reports to the Communications Director and plays a key part in elevating the department’s voice, managing high-impact communication projects, and ensuring consistent messaging across audiences, including elected officials, media, community organizations, and the broader public. This assignment runs through February 1, 2027, with standard Monday–Friday hours and some local travel for interviews, events, and field-based storytelling.

Requirements

Four years of professional experience in public relations, marketing, journalism, or other fields involving the preparation and distribution of public information materials OR Three years of such professional experience AND an Associate degree in Communications, Journalism, Marketing, Public Relations, English, or a related field OR Two years of such professional experience AND a Bachelor’s degree in similar fields.
Strong writing skills across formats—press releases, blogs, executive remarks, reports, and talking points.
Demonstrated experience in communications project management with multiple stakeholders.
Experience fielding and responding to media inquiries and knowledge of media relations best practices.
The ability to synthesize complex information and tell unified, impactful stories across programs and audiences.
A commitment to equity-centered storytelling, including the ability to thoughtfully and accurately elevate the experiences and successes of BIPOC small businesses and communities.
Strong collaboration skills; this role regularly partners with 5–6 program teams.
Comfort managing website updates and coordinating revisions (WordPress experience helpful).
A detail-oriented, curious mindset with an ability to ask questions and propose creative solutions.

Nice To Haves

Photography skills
Familiarity with GovDelivery or Nuix

Responsibilities

Coordinate, develop, and monitor public relations and communication activities for OED.
Plan, design, and coordinate the production of a wide range of public relations materials.
Create tactical content for elected officials, media, external partners, community organizations, and the public.
Lead communication and outreach campaigns, including ethnic media coordination.
Manage key communication platforms such as websites, blogs, newsletters, social media, and listservs.
Support media relations as the primary back-up to the Communications Director, including responding to media inquiries, writing press releases, and preparing talking points.
Support strategic communication planning with program teams to synthesize complex content and shape cohesive, department-wide messaging.
Lead and support communications project management across major campaigns, launches, and interdepartmental initiatives.