Position Description

The Seattle Office for Civil Rights (SOCR) envisions a city of thriving and powerful communities that fosters shared healing and belonging. The SOCR advances civil rights and removes barriers to equity by enforcing illegal discrimination laws in Employment, Housing, Public Places, Fair Contracting, Title VI and ADA Title II in the City of Seattle. We also work to realize the vision of racial equity by leading the City of Seattle's Race and Social Justice Initiative.

The Communications Manager is responsible for media relations, managing the SOCR, RSJI, Seattle Women’s Commission, LGBTQ Commission, Human Rights Commission, and Disability Commission websites, the weekly report to the Mayor, social media, blog, newsletter, photography, and graphic design, the SOCR annual report and other publications, and some limited marketing and promotions. The Advisor also provides editing and writing support to staff.

Job Responsibilities

Here is more of the work you will be doing:

Develop and implement the department's communications strategy – including print, broadcast, and online media – to ensure that we share our story in compelling ways and enhance SOCR's standing as a leader in advancing racial equity and civil rights.
Manage community engagement efforts so that SOCR lives up to our values of inclusion of and accountability to those most impacted by racism and other forms of institutional bias.
Serve as SOCR's Public Information Officer and represent SOCR to the Mayor's Office, City Council and other City departments. This includes working closely with the Mayor's Office and City Council communication staff to coordinate SOCR correspondence and responses to public inquiries.
Act as liaison and spokesperson to the media and public, including managing media requests and developing relationships with the press and ethnic media.
Support the Public Disclosure Officer, and help coordinate SOCR's responses to requests from the public filed under the Washington State Public Records Act.
Prepare press releases, reports, briefing materials, fact sheets, newsletters, and outreach materials; manage and coordinate the work of graphic designers, printers as needed.
Update SOCR web content using the City of Seattle’s content management system (CMS); review web pages regularly for clarity, accuracy, effectiveness and adherence to the Open Public Meetings Act. This includes the SOCR website, RSJI website and websites for the Seattle Women’s Commission, Seattle LGBTQ Commission, Seattle Human Rights Commission, and Disability Commission.
Coordinate other online communication, including blog stories and social media updates.
Coordinate with the RSJI Communications & Operations Advisor to ensure alignment of communications strategies and providing additional support as needed.
Coordinate with other SOCR divisions to develop and staff community outreach and engagement activities.

You will be prepared for this role if you have the following knowledge and skills:

Understanding of institutional racism, racial equity, and social justice principles, with the demonstrated ability to apply this knowledge to daily work.
Provide effective leadership to advance civil rights and racial equity through proactive and responsive communication strategies.
Project management skills.
Proficiency in WordPress, CMS software, social media, Microsoft 365 suite of products for communications, presentations, and reports, as well as Microsoft Teams and WebEx.

Your effectiveness in this role will depend on your ability to:

Communicate to diverse audiences effectively in both oral and written formats.
Be attentive to detail.
Model racial equity in relationships with co-workers, colleagues, community, and others.
Respect people’s lived experience and reflect a deep understanding of race, social justice, and equity in your interactions and work.
Produce, track, and manage multiple deliverables with overlapping deadlines.
Interact with people with a high level of empathy and emotional intelligence for the parties involved.
Contribute positively to a diverse working environment.

Qualifications

You will be most successful if you have experience in a broad set of areas, including social media, media relations, photography, video, graphic design, marketing strategies, and project management. A commitment to listening, creating space for diverse perspectives, and the pursuit of inclusive and just outcomes must be at the center of your professional practice. The ability to communicate at all levels tactfully and effectively will also contribute to your success. Specifically, you will be prepared to take on this role if you have a career that reflects a commitment to creating fair and equitable outcomes and have:

Experience in a broad set of areas, including social media, media relations, photography, video, graphic design, marketing strategies, and project management
Promoted racial and social equity in your work
Integrated anti-racist principles into your professional practice
Facilitated community engagement
Expertise in processing and responding to public disclosure requests is preferred

Please note this job advertisement is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice.

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Communications Manager