Communications Manager in Cambridge

ABOUT THE DEPARTMENT: Capital Building Projects is a newly established City department that provides high-quality professional management of municipal building renovations. The department plays a key role implementing strategic City priorities around climate change mitigation and resiliency. The department has 18 full-time employees, and a building project portfolio valued at greater than $500 million of planned and ongoing construction. The size of the staff team and the value and complexity of the project portfolio are expected to grow over time.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES: The Communications Manager will be a highly motivated, well-organized self-starter, with excellent interpersonal and communications skills, who enjoys interactions with diverse communities. Because this is a new role in a new department, they will be comfortable with ambiguity and with developing programs from the ground up. A successful candidate will:

• Ensure community involvement and awareness of building projects during both design and construction
• Facilitate communication with City building users, responding to requests and resolving complaints
• Clearly communicate with a variety of audiences through written and verbal communication, quantitative and qualitative analyses, graphics, and presentations.
• Develop outreach materials using digital, web, and print media
• Collaborate closely with other City departments involved in facilities operations, particularly the School Department and Department of Public Works, to ensure that new buildings can be effectively managed and maintained over the long-term
• Organize community meetings and community advisory committees, as necessary, to present and discuss projects
• Alert the community to projected construction disruption in their neighborhood
• Troubleshoot neighborhood problems during design and construction
• Perform other duties as assigned

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS: Education and Experience: Bachelor’s degree and three (3) years of experience in Communications, Community Engagement, or related field; or any equivalent combination of education, training and experience which provides the required knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform the essential functions of the job.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Excellent interpersonal skills, as demonstrated through experience working on collaborative, cross disciplinary teams.
• Excellent written, verbal, and graphic communication skills.
• Strong organizational and planning skills.
• Proficiency and comfort with technology.
• High degree of accuracy and attention to detail.
• High ethical standards and personal integrity.
• Commitment to anti-racism, diversity, equity, and inclusion.

The City of Cambridge's workforce, like the community it serves, is diverse. Applicants must have the ability to work and interact effectively with individuals and groups with a variety of identities, cultures, backgrounds, and ideologies.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Knowledge of the Cambridge community.
• Experience working in the construction industry.
• Formal education or training in Communications, Community Engagement, or related field.
• Five years of experience working in Communications, Community Engagement, or related field.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS: Work requires the ability to access, input, and retrieve information from a computer. Ability to read and analyze large quantities of information. Ability to travel back and forth from office locations.

WORK ENVIRONMENT: Work is conducted primarily in a standard office environment which includes fluorescent lighting, air conditioning, computers, and other standard office equipment, but may also involve meetings in other offices or facilities as well as site visits and inspections of scattered site properties around the city. Position may be eligible for hybrid work under the City’s Telework Policy, depending on operational needs.