Communications Director

Salary: $101,970.30 - $135,110.64 Annually
Location : The David Hankerson Building Marietta, GA
Job Type: Full-Time
Job Number: 05051
Department: Communications
Opening Date: 07/27/2026
Closing Date: 8/10/2026 11:59 PM Eastern
Grade Code: 118


Position Information


Cobb County seeks an experienced, strategic Communications Director who serves as a key advisor to County leadership and elected officials. This role goes beyond traditional PR operations. The ideal candidate is a strategic communicator who proactively shapes public narratives, translates complex policy decisions for the community, and counsels leaders under pressure.


The Communications Director represents Cobb County among regional partners, helping position the County as a statewide leader in modern, data-driven government communications. The successful candidate thrives in fast-paced, high-visibility environments and excels at building trust with diverse constituencies and media outlets.
Cobb County is home of:

• The 2021 World Champion Atlanta Braves and the 2025 MLB All Star Game
• Children's Healthcare of Atlanta Training Ground, one of the most prestigious soccer facilities in North America housing Atlanta United's First Team, Academy, and front office staff
• One of the largest amusement parks in the country, Six Flags Over Georgia
• Second largest University system in Georgia, Kennesaw State University
• Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park
• Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area
• Dobbins Air Reserve Base
• Cobb County Public Schools, one of the best school systems in the state of Georgia
• Several Fortune 500 companies

Essential Functions
Strategic Policy Communications Develops and directs strategic communications for County policy initiatives and legislative priorities.


Partners with the Board of Commissioners, and County departments to translate complex matters such as budget, SPLOST, zoning/land use, public safety agreements, state legislative issues into accessible public narratives.


Advises leadership on policy message sequencing, timing, and audience strategy for contentious or high-visibility issues.

Assist with design and execution of proactive communication plans ahead of public hearings, public meetings and community engagements.


Monitors public sentiment and adjusts communications strategy accordingly.


Represents the County's communications function in regional forums to benchmark and position Cobb as a communications leader.

Two-Way Community Engagement Leads development of community engagement strategy for town halls, public meetings, and long-term planning processes.


Establishes and monitors constituent feedback channels such as social media insights, neighborhood platforms, hotlines, and formal public comment processes.


Synthesizes public input into actionable reports for County leadership.


Designs outreach strategies to reach historically underserved or disengaged communities.


Trains County departments on incorporating public input into decision-making and communication strategies.

Strategic Media Relationships Cultivates strategic, proactive relationships with local, regional, national, digital, and community-specific media outlets that reflect Cobb's diverse population.


Proactively pitches stories and provides briefings to shape narrative direction ahead of news cycles.


Maintains a comprehensive media contact strategy aligned with County demographics and communication priorities.

Convenes communication professionals quarterly across county departments and agencies for cross-collaboration, coordination, and training.

Communications Outcomes & Measurement Establishes key performance indicators for PR, digital engagement, community engagement, media sentiment, crisis response times, and constituent satisfaction.


Provides regular performance reports to the Deputy County Manager and County Manager.


Uses analytics and public feedback data to refine strategies and ensure continuous improvement.

Department Leadership Manages and evaluates communications staff, including hiring, training, assigning work, coaching, and performance evaluations.


Oversees development of all marketing initiatives, PR activities, branding, and external communications.


Develops and implements department policies, procedures, and training programs.


Manages departmental budget and ensures financial compliance.


Serves as spokesperson for Cobb County, including crisis events, after-hours and weekend media response, and Joint Operation Center (JOC) leadership.

Minimum Qualifications
Bachelor's Degree in Communications, Marketing, Public Relations, Journalism, Public Administration, or related field required; supplemented by five to seven years of progressively responsible experience in strategic communications, public relations, or public affairs, to include experience in crisis communications, policy or government communications, and supervisory experience managing communications staff; or any equivalent combination of education, training, and experience which provides the requisite knowledge, skills, and abilities for this job.

Preferred Qualifications: Master's degree.
Experience in local government, public sector, or political communications.

Licenses and Certifications


Must possess and maintain a valid Driver's License.

Physical Abilities
Tasks require the ability to exert light physical effort in sedentary to light work, but which may involve some lifting, carrying, pushing and/or pulling of objects and materials of light weight (5-10 pounds). Tasks may involve extended periods of time at a keyboard or work station.

Sensory Requirements
Some tasks require the ability to perceive and discriminate colors or shades of colors, sounds, odor, taste, depth, texture, and visual cues or signals. Some tasks require the ability to communicate orally.

Environmental Factors
Essential functions are regularly performed without exposure to adverse environmental conditions.

EEO Statement
Cobb County Government is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We encourage applications from all qualified individuals, regardless of race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age, disability, or any other legally protected status.
Visit Cobb County's Employee Benefits page to learn more.
01


I understand that all answers to these supplemental questions must be verifiable in the 'Educational History' and 'Work History' sections of the application. Failure to provide sufficient information in these sections may result in my disqualification from the hiring process.

• Yes
• No

02


I have read the Minimum Qualifications required for this position and understand I must demonstrate those qualifications on the application in order to be considered for this position. Furthermore, a failure to adequately demonstrate all qualifications may result in my removal from consideration. Lastly, I understand indicating "see resume" on the application, may not be accepted in lieu of a completed application.

• Yes
• No

03


I understand that a resume must be attached to my online application in order for it to be deemed complete.

• Yes
• No

04


Are you legally eligible to work in the United States on an unlimited and unrestricted basis?

• Yes
• No

05


Do you now or in the future need an employer to sponsor you for employment authorization of visa status?

• Yes
• No

06


Educational Background: Mark the highest level of education you have completed.

• High School Diploma or GED
• Some College
• Associate Degree
• Bachelor's Degree
• Advanced Degree
• None of the above

07


If you have a college degree, what was your major area of study? Enter N/A if this does not apply.
08


How many years of progressively responsible professional experience do you have in strategic communications, public relations, public affairs, or government communications?

• No experience
• Less than 5 years
• 5 years
• 6-7 years
• 8-10 years
• More than 10 years

09


Do you have experience supervising or managing staff?

• No supervisory/management experience
• Yes, 1-2 years of supervisory/management experience
• Yes, 3+ years of supervisory/management experience

10


Do you have experience serving as a spokesperson for an organization, including responding to media inquiries and participating in interviews?

• No experience
• Limited experience only (press release writing but no direct media interface)
• Yes, moderate experience (occasional spokesperson duties)
• Yes, extensive experience (primary spokesperson duties)

11


Do you have experience leading crisis communications or participating in a Joint Operation Center (JOC) during emergencies?

• No experience in crisis communications/JOC
• Yes, I have participated in crisis communications/JOC efforts
• Yes, I have led crisis communications/JOC efforts

12


Please indicate your experience developing and implementing strategic communications plans for organizational initiatives, policy decisions, legislative priorities, or major public projects.

• No experience
• Assisted with strategic communications planning
• Led communications plans for departmental initiatives
• Led organization-wide or governmental strategic communications initiatives

13


Do you have experience using digital communications analytics (including social media, websites, dashboards, or engagement metrics) to evaluate communication effectiveness and adjust communications strategy?

• No experience
• Basic familiarity (posting without analytics-based strategy)
• Yes, I have used analytics to monitor or support digital engagement
• Yes, I have built and executed digital strategies using analytics tools

14


Have you managed a department or division budget, including expenditures, revenue monitoring, and documentation?

• No financial management experience
• Yes, partial budget or project-based financial management
• Yes, full budget management responsibility

15


Do you have experience in local government, public sector, or political communications?

• Yes
• No

16


Are you able and willing to respond to after-hours, weekend, and emergency communications needs as required for this role?

• Yes
• No

17


Do you have a valid driver's license?

• Yes
• No

18


If you receive a conditional offer of employment, you will be required to satisfactorily complete the following requirements: a criminal background check, a Motor Vehicle Report (MVR) check and provide copies of any education documents listed on your application . Please note that a criminal conviction may not disqualify you from consideration. Are you willing to accept these terms?

• Yes
• No

Required Question