Communications Manager
The City of San Mateo invites your application for the Communications Manager opportunity!
Why Join our City?
The City of San Mateo is home to a collaborative team of skilled professionals and provides great benefits and retirement packages to care for its employees. The City Manager’s Office (the Office) provides leadership and support throughout the organization to ensure the City Council’s initiatives and programs are executed and that high-quality service is consistently delivered to the community and other departments. Our program areas include Communications, Economic Development, Sustainability, Goal-setting, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, and Volunteerism and have a community-wide impact. The team within the Office works closely together to assist in the success of each program. The Communications Manager plays a vital role in sharing critical information about what is happening in San Mateo and in engaging the community to help ensure everyone has a way to contribute to what happens within their city.
What You’ll Do
The Communications Manager will hone and execute the City of San Mateo’s communication strategy, which will include key actions to enhance community engagement and participation, increase community awareness about City activities and initiatives, foster cross-departmental coordination and unity, standardize media response procedures, improve the website user experience, and standardize training and onboarding for new communications staff. You will work with our internal team to ensure current, high-quality communications products are available. The Communications Manager reports to the Assistant City Manager and may receive direction from the City Manager, has direct supervisory responsibilities, and will lead collaborative teams.
Some duties may include:
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Lead the City’s social media efforts and cross departmental social media team; develop and coordinate implementation of the City’s social media strategy, policies and presence and monitor the City’s online reputation.
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Develop and implement an integrated strategic communication plan to advance the City’s brand identity and broaden awareness of its programs, priorities and accomplishments; ensure communication strategies are consistent with the City’s strategic plan and vision.
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Create and manage a decentralized communications team to support the departments’ communications needs and the development and execution of the communications strategy.
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Anticipate and identify challenges and emerging issues faced by the organization; work with the senior management team and staff to recognize communications opportunities and design and execute appropriate strategies to address them.
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Oversee development and dissemination of print communications and electronic communications and manage relationships with associated vendors.
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Serve as spokesperson and lead contact on media interactions; build and manage press relationships to achieve accurate coverage of City events, public announcements, projects and programs.
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Manage the City’s website, including content strategy, integrated messaging, creative direction and analytics.
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Collaborate with departments to coordinate public meetings, surveys and other outreach efforts to better understand community views regarding potential City decisions, satisfaction with City services and preferences for engaging with the City.
What You Need
Knowledge of:
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Advanced principles, techniques and practices of public information, media, marketing and public relations.
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Principles, practices and concepts of open government and citizen participation.
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Principles of interactive outreach strategies and technologies.
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Operations, activities and services of municipal government.
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Modern office technology, procedures, methods and equipment.
Ability to:
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Lead and manage a comprehensive strategic communication, media relations and marketing program.
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On a continuous basis, know and understand all aspects of the job; intermittently analyze work papers, reports and special projects; identify and interpret technical and numerical information; observe and problem solve operational and technical policy and procedures.
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On a continuous basis, sit at desk for long periods of time; intermittently twist to reach equipment surrounding desk; perform simple grasping and fine manipulation; use telephone and write or use a keyboard to communicate through written means; and lift or carry weight of 10 pounds or less.
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Prepare a wide variety of effective, professional, and attractive communication tools, utilizing both traditional and social media, for a variety of audiences.
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Effectively represent the City with a wide range of diverse constituents.
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Establish and maintain cooperative working relationships with those contacted in the course of work.
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Interpret and apply rules and regulations regarding accounting and auditing practices.
Any combination of experience and training that would likely provide the required knowledge and abilities is qualifying. A typical way to obtain the knowledge and abilities would be:
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Five years of professional communication experience in public relations, journalism, communication, marketing, social media or a closely related field.
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Equivalent to a Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university with major coursework in marketing, journalism, public relations, or a related field.
Highly Desirable Qualifications (not required)
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Experience working in a municipal setting, especially in a leadership capacity or with boards, councils, or commissions.
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Experience with media relations.
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Concise and clear writer and poised public speaker.
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Consistently exercises use of sound judgment.
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Motivates teams to unite and act toward common objectives.
What We Offer
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Salary: $11,607.94 - $13,846.20 /month
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Comprehensive benefits package including generous paid leave and health benefits
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CalPERS retirement 2% @ 55 for classic members; 2% @ 62 for new members. Classic employees contribute 8.34% to CalPERS and New members contribute 7.5% to CalPERS effective 7/6/2024.
- and more!
Are You Ready? Apply.
Submit an online application, resume, and video presentation (to screen for Best Qualified) at https://www.calopps.org/city-of-san-mateo or to the Human Resources Department, City of San Mateo, 330 W. 20th Avenue, San Mateo, CA 94403, (650) 522-7260.
Application Deadline:
Recruitment will close on October 3, 2025, at 5:00 p.m.
Examination Process:
All applications received will be reviewed for minimum qualifications. A fully completed application is required; a resume does not replace the information required on the employment application, including work history. Applications with "see résumé" as a substitution for the work experience description, those with none or unclear current/past employment information, or those with insufficient information to evaluate possession of minimum qualifications will not be considered; missing information cannot be assumed. Additionally, as a part of the application process, we require candidates to submit a resume and a practical demonstration of skill and ability (see Screening for Best Qualified for more details). An in-person panel interview is tentatively scheduled for Wednesday, October 29, 2025.
