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Public Information Office Manager

Public Information Office Manager   The role of CMPD Public Services Coordinator entails offering daily support for the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department's public affairs office, with a specific emphasis on media relations. Reporting directly to the CMPD Communications Director, this position carries supervisory responsibilities and necessitates participation in a mandatory on-call rotation. 

MAJOR DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Strategically plan and oversee the organization's presence in various media outlets by curating editorial calendars, and storyboards by ensuring alignment with organizational goals.   • Craft compelling pitches tailored to media outlets, considering their interests and audience demographics, and efficiently disseminate them.   • Establish and maintain connections with journalists, editors, and influencers to facilitate media coverage opportunities.   • Develop key messages and talking points that align with the organization's objectives and ensure consistency across all communications.   • Facilitate interviews between media representatives and relevant personnel within the organization, ensuring smooth scheduling and preparation.   • Monitor editorial calendars to identify timely opportunities for media engagement and feature placements.   • Regularly assess current media relations strategies and practices to identify areas for enhancement and optimization.   • Provide daily insights and content suggestions for editorial meetings, ensuring a steady flow of relevant and engaging topics across communication platforms.   • Maintain records of all scheduled interviews and provide regular updates on their status.   • Develop comprehensive talking points for interviews, preparing spokespeople to effectively convey key messages.   • Create a structured plan for weekly press briefings, outlining topics, speakers, and key discussion points.   • Collaborate with relevant stakeholders to finalize briefing topics and confirm speaker availability ahead of scheduled briefings.   • Perform as a key speaker at press conferences and press releases.    • Ensure that Public Information Officers are actively developing and disseminating press releases to relevant media outlets accurately.    • Serves as a project manager for department-wide projects.    • Perform all other related duties assigned.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS & ABILITIES

• Understanding of media platforms, communication strategies, and techniques for disseminating information effectively to diverse audiences.   • Knowledge of public relations principles and practices, including crisis communication, reputation management, and community engagement.   • Familiarity with government structures, policies, and regulations relevant to public information dissemination, such as Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requirements.   •  Awareness of local, national, and global current events, especially those relevant to law enforcement or government agencies.   • Proficiency in using various communication technologies, social media platforms, and digital tools for media outreach and engagement.   • Exceptional verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to craft clear, concise, and compelling messages for diverse audiences.   • Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to establish and maintain positive relationships with media representatives, journalists, and other stakeholders.   • Skill in managing crises, including the ability to remain calm under pressure, provide timely and accurate information, and mitigate potential reputational risks.   • Ability to develop and implement strategic communication plans aligned with organizational goals and objectives.   • Capacity to handle multiple tasks simultaneously, prioritize competing demands, and meet tight deadlines in a fast-paced environment.   • Flexibility to adapt communication strategies and messages based on evolving circumstances, audience feedback, and emerging trends.   • Capability to lead and supervise a team of communication professionals, providing guidance, mentorship, and support to achieve departmental objectives.   • Aptitude for identifying communication challenges or issues and developing creative solutions to address them effectively.   • Commitment to upholding ethical standards and maintaining integrity in all communication activities, including handling sensitive or confidential information appropriately. Ability to collaborate effectively with internal departments, external partners, and community stakeholders to achieve shared communication goals and enhance public trust. Resilience in the face of criticism, public scrutiny, or challenging situations, with the ability to maintain composure and professionalism at all times.   ADA and Other Requirements: Positions in this class typically require: grasping, talking, hearing, seeing, and repetitive motions.   Physical Requirements:   • Remaining in a stationary position, often sitting or standing for prolonged periods   • Occasional movement throughout the workday daily to interact with staff and accomplish tasks   • Communicating both verbally and written in order to exchange information   • Repeating motions of holding, grasping, turning, that may include the wrist, hands, and/or fingers   • Light to moderate lifting and carrying   • Work primarily in office environment    • Ability to operate office equipment, such as computer, copier, fax machine, and phone    Sensory Requirements:   • Concentrated and attentive use of one or more senses (visual, audio, and other sensory modalities) for proofreading, data entry, tabulating data.   • Ability to operate in an environment with frequent interruptions from people and or noises, which in return could result in some level of stress, fatigue, or strain.   • Comprehensive written information in work-related documents.   • Ability to hear, understand, and distinguish speech.   Working Conditions: Work is performed in an indoor office environment with moderate exposure to atmospheric conditions; moderate exposure to environmental conditions (such as officers, community members, victims, etc.); and frequent exposure to computer screens, files and phone. 

Qualifications

PREFERRED QUALIFICATION

• Bachelor’s Degree in public relations, communications, journalism or related field 
• Five (5) years of relevant work experience 
• Experience in public relations, media relations and/or communications.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

High school graduate or equivalent and seven years relevant experience.

Or

Associate’s Degree and five years relevant experience.

CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT

The City’s Background Check Policy requires background checks to be conducted on final internal or external candidate(s) applying for any position with the City of Charlotte. The type of information that will be collected as part of a background check includes, but is not limited to: reference checks, social security verification, education verification, criminal conviction record check, and, if applicable, a credit history check, sex offender registry and motor vehicle records check.

Background checks must be in compliance with all federal and state statutes, such as the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA). The checks must be consistent with the guidelines set forth by these laws requiring organizations to obtain a candidate’s written authorization before obtaining a criminal background report, motor vehicle records check or credit report; and to properly store and dispose of information derived from such reports.

Final candidates must pass a pre-employment drug-screening test and physical examination. During the selection process, candidates may be asked to take a skills test, and/or participate in other assessments.

The City of Charlotte is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

How To Apply

HOW TO APPLY

Apply online at Position #2403-208700-01

Federal law requires employers to provide reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities. Please tell us if you require a reasonable accommodation to apply for a job.

You are welcome to visit the City of Charlotte Human Resources Department lobby where we have workstations available. Our office is located at 700 East 4th Street, Suite 200, Charlotte, NC 28202. Our hours are Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. (EST), excluding official City holidays.

Anyone seeking an accommodation to apply for a job may call (704) 336-2285 for assistance or you may email questions to CityHrJobPostingsNotify@ci.charlotte.nc.us.

BENEFITS

The City of Charlotte provides a comprehensive benefits package to all employees.

Click here to learn more about the City of Charlotte’s benefits.

The City of Charlotte is a drug and alcohol-free workplace.