Richland County School District One, South Carolina 

FLSA: Exempt

240 Days

General Statement of Job

As the District's public voice, the Chief Communications and Engagement Officer will serve as the primary spokesperson, facilitating and managing crisis and emergency communications, and leading a multi-faceted team comprising of theater and production services, public information, family and community engagement, ROTV broadcasting, podcasts and social media outreach management. The Chief Communications and Engagement Officer, as the district's primary spokesperson, is responsible for leading and managing all the district's public information, media relations, and strategic communications for the organization. The Chief Communications Officer will promote positive public relations between the school district and the community and prepare and provides information to all stakeholders about the internal and external activities, goals, endeavors and policies of the school district. The CCO is responsible for developing and implementing integrated communication strategies for informing, engaging, educating, and empowering stakeholders. The Chief Communications Officer will report to the Senior Chief Strategy Officer.

Essential Functions:

Serves as designated spokesperson, primary media contact and public information officer implementing the district's vision and strategy aligned with established goals, priorities and the Vision 2030

Ensures accuracy, clarity, coherence, accessibility and confidence with all school and community relations

Oversees all public-facing communications channels including press releases, media advisories, speeches (talking points), briefings, websites, social media, newsletters and multimedia content (videos, photographs, reels, podcasts, etc.)

Prepares and delivers statements and presentations to the media, elected officials, and diverse stakeholders (internal and external)

Coordinates the management of the district's consolidated and primary calendar of events

Manages and procures all technical resources supporting the Communications Department's functions, and evaluates vendor, resource and/or product performance

Develops and oversees the Communications Department's annual budget and the ROTV studios budget for productivity and efficiency

Supervises the department's professional team directing and advising their performance, projects, scope of work and outputs

Develops Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for the Communications Department functions ensuring reliability, coherence and connectivity

Leads crisis and emergency communications planning and execution, and develops internal and external standard operating procedures regarding effective communication and public information cascading

Oversees the district's media presence, branding and messaging consistency across all materials, publications and platforms

Manages the district's legal compliance mandates (to include, but not limited to, FOIA, FERPPA, etc.) and acts accordingly pursuant to district policy and state/federal laws and regulations

Establishes positive, open and proactive media relationships, curating and pitching district "stories", and features to media partners and stakeholders

Monitors, measures and quantifies the district's media presence/coverage across all mediums through analytics and metrics, and develops strategy to ensure favorable public sentiment 

Serves as the primary contact and liaison between external media sources and contacts responding to requests for information, data, incident reporting for media outlets, and other requestors

Promotes, coordinates, assists in the planning and implementation of internal and external signature events, ceremonies and recognition programs for an array of purposes (to include, but not limited to, the Richland One Hall of Fame, Academic All-Stars, etc.)

Coordinates the proofing, editing, etc. of high-profile district publications (to include, but not limited to, Commencement Publications, Summer School Catalogs, Legislative Platforms, etc.)

Provides briefings to the Board and Superintendent regarding weekly Communication Reports 

Coordinates the School Board Spotlight recognition portion of the School Board Meetings

Coordinates the school messenger communications providing notices of school closings, announcements, and other relevant information to parents and stakeholders

Works with the district departments providing advisement, guidance and training about marketing, imaging and communications in support of programs and services within those departments 

Maintains the District's website providing time-sensitive information and other information relevant for the district's public perception and information cascading

Performs related duties as required.

Minimum Education and Training

Requires a Master's degree in English, journalism, communications, public relations/public information or a related field and a minimum of three years' experience. 

Physical Requirements:

Must be physically able to operate a variety of machines and equipment, including a computer, telephone, vehicle, etc.  Must be able to exert up to five pounds of force occasionally and/or a negligible amount of force frequently or constantly to lift, carry, push, pull or otherwise move objects. Sedentary work involves sitting most of the time, but may involve walking or standing for periods of time. Must be able to lift and/or carry weights of five to ten pounds.

Data Conception:

Requires the ability to compare and/or judge the readily observable functional, structural or compositional characteristics (whether similar to or divergent from obvious standards) of data, people or things.

Interpersonal Communications:

Requires the ability of speaking and/or signaling people to convey or exchange information.  Includes giving assignments and/or directions to subordinates and receiving assignments and/or direction from supervisor.

Language Ability:

Requires the ability to read a variety of laws, policies and procedures, technical and professional studies, reference books and publications, etc. Requires the ability to prepare performance appraisals, policies, statistical and analytical reports, correspondence, etc., with proper format, punctuation, spelling and grammar, using all parts of speech.  Requires the ability to speak with and before others with poise, voice control and confidence.

Intelligence:

Requires the ability to apply principles of logical thinking to define problems, collect data, establish facts and draw valid conclusions, to interpret an extensive variety of technical instructions in mathematical, schedule or diagrammatic form, and to deal with several abstract and concrete variables.  Requires the ability to apply influence systems in managing staff members, to learn and understand relatively complex principles and techniques, to make independent judgments in absence of supervision, and to acquire knowledge of topics related to primary occupation.  Must have the ability to comprehend and interpret received information.

Verbal Aptitude:

Requires the ability to record and deliver information, to explain procedures, to follow and give verbal and written instructions, and to counsel and teach employees. Must be able to communicate effectively and efficiently with persons of varying educational backgrounds and in a variety of technical and/or professional languages.

Numerical Aptitude:

Requires the ability to add and subtract totals, to multiply and divide, to utilize mathematical formulas, to determine percentages and decimals, and to determine time.  Must be able to use practical applications of algebra and statistics.

Form/Spatial Aptitude:

Requires the ability to inspect items for proper length, width and shape, and visually read various information.

Motor Coordination:

Requires the ability to coordinate hands and eyes using office machinery and to operate motor vehicles.

Manual Dexterity:

Requires the ability to handle a variety of items, keyboards, office equipment, control knobs, buttons, switches, catches, medical equipment, etc. Must have minimal levels of eye/hand/foot coordination.

Color Discrimination:

Does not require the ability to differentiate colors and shades of color.

Interpersonal Temperament:

Requires the ability to deal with people beyond giving and receiving instructions.  Must be adaptable to performing under stress when confronted with emergency situations or tight deadlines.

Physical Communications:

Requires the ability to talk and/or hear (talking: expressing or exchanging ideas by means of spoken words; hearing: perceiving nature of sounds by ear).

About Richland School District One

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