Communications Specialist

                                                                                       


Help Westminster Tell Its Story!

The City of Westminster is looking for a creative, connected, and tech-savvy Communications Specialist to help bring the City’s story to life! If you enjoy creating engaging content, keeping websites fresh, and finding new ways to connect with the community, this could be the opportunity for you.

As a Communications Specialist, you’ll play a key role in shaping how residents, businesses, and visitors experience the City online. You’ll update, maintain, and design engaging content for the City’s internet and intranet sites, while also creating and coordinating content for the myWestminster mobile app and the City’s social media platforms, including Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, and LinkedIn.

From sharing City news and programs to highlighting community events and services, you’ll help make sure Westminster’s digital presence is informative, engaging, current, and connected to the community. Bring your creativity, communication skills, and fresh ideas—and help Westminster stay connected!

Receives general direction from the City Manager and may exercise technical and project supervision over City staff in support of City Manager directives.  EXAMPLES OF TYPICAL JOB FUNCTIONS (Illustrative Only)Management reserves the right to add, modify, change, or rescind the work assignments of different positions and to make reasonable accommodations so that qualified employees can perform the essential functions of the job.

• Responsible for communicating with the public via publishing informational content directly to the City’s external website, and ensuring that content meets appropriate communications, branding, and accessibility standards.
• Operates and maintains the City's web site including troubleshooting web pages for Internet and intranet functions.
• Manage all day-to-day content updates for City departments, including news and announcements, calendar events, and updates to informational content about the City’s departments, projects, initiatives, and services. 
• Advises staff on web site issues including web page change requests.
• Participates in the training of users for new or modified application programs, web pages and related procedures. 
• Attends meetings with consultants, City officials and outside agencies to meet project requirements and resolve concerns/conflicts.
• Establishes and maintains good working relationships with the public, coworkers, and other local agencies.
• Coordinate with all City departments to conduct content audits to keep existing content up to date and eliminate outdated and/or irrelevant content. 
• Locate opportunities for website improvement and provide viable solutions. 
• Write and produce high-quality and engaging features, articles, and informational digital content, in collaboration with department heads, program managers, and others.
• Organize and streamline content to make the City’s website user-friendly and easy for the public to find the information they are looking for. 
• Participate in the design of the website and work with the City IT department to enhance features and create a more practical end-user experience.
• Track analytics, including desktop, mobile, app, video, and social traffic; implement usability recommendations and Search Engine Optimization (SEO) improvements.
• Design and create various graphic materials and digital collateral.

QUALIFICATIONS
Knowledge of:

• Web accessibility standards and best practices.
• Emerging multi-media and website trends and platforms.
• Principles, practices and techniques of internet/intranet technology, programming and programming documentation.
• Languages, databases, SQL, Linux, HTML 5, CSS, CMS, JavaScript, Adobe Acrobat, Photoshop, Hootsuite, and Canva.
• Web site content development techniques, architectural design, visual design and graphics design related to web site functions.

Ability to:

• Communicate effectively, verbally and in writing, with a focus on content writing.
• Successfully engage stakeholders on existing and emerging issues.
• Establish and maintain effective working relationships with employees, City officials, representatives of other agencies and the general public.
• Prepare and maintain concise, comprehensive records and reports.

Education and Experience:Any combination of training and experience that would provide the required knowledge, skills, and abilities is qualifying.  A typical way to obtain the required qualifications would be:
Associates degree from an accredited college or university in a related field with substantial coursework in web design is required. Graduation from an accredited four-year college or university with major course work in communications, marketing, journalism, media, or a related field is desirable. Work experience directly related to this position may be substituted for the required education on a year-for-year basis.
Two (2) years of full-time increasingly responsible work experience related to maintaining and updating websites is required.
Licenses and Certifications:Possession of, or ability to obtain, a valid California Driver’s License by time of appointment.PHYSICAL DEMANDSMust possess mobility to work in a standard office setting and use standard office equipment, including a computer, to inspect City development sites, to operate a motor vehicle, and to visit various City and meeting sites; vision to read printed materials and a computer screen; and hearing and speech to communicate in person, before groups, and over the telephone. This is primarily a sedentary office classification although standing and walking between work areas may be required. Finger dexterity is needed to access, enter, and retrieve data using a computer keyboard or calculator and to operate standard office equipment. Positions in this classification occasionally bend, stoop, kneel, reach, push, and pull drawers open and closed to retrieve and file information. Employees must possess the ability to lift, carry, push, and pull materials and objects weighing up to 25 pounds.
ENVIRONMENTAL ELEMENTSEmployees work in an office environment with moderate noise levels, controlled temperature conditions, and no direct exposure to hazardous physical substances. Employees may interact with upset staff and/or public and private representatives in interpreting and enforcing departmental policies and procedures. 

This position may be required to work overtime, including evenings, weekends, holidays, or other non-regular hours, based on operational needs, special projects, emergencies, or other City requirements.