Communications Director

Director Of Communications

ATTENTION ALL ALASKA RESIDENTS! The Alaska Department of Transportation & Public Facilities connects communities across one of the most complex and visible transportation systems in the country. As the Director of Communications, you will lead how DOT&PF communicates critical issues, builds public trust, and tells the story of transportation in Alaska. This leadership role operates at the intersection of executive decision-making, policy, media relations, and public engagement.

What You Will Be Doing As the Department's Communications Director, you will lead enterprise-wide communications strategy and execution for DOT&PF. This position serves as the department's Public Information Officer and primary spokesperson, ensuring DOT&PF is a trusted, responsive, and authoritative source of information for the public, media, elected officials, stakeholders, and employees.

This role requires both strategic leadership and hands-on execution. You will advise the Commissioner and executive leadership on messaging, public perception, emerging issues, and communications risk, while also leading real-time media response, public messaging, crisis communications, and stakeholder engagement. You will manage high-visibility initiatives, sensitive issues, and fast-moving communications needs across a large, decentralized department.

A key part of this position is helping ensure department communications are clear, consistent, accurate, and timely across divisions, regions, and major program areas. You will coordinate closely with internal teams, partner agencies, media, legislators, communities, industry representatives, and the public to support department priorities and strengthen public understanding of DOT&PF's work.

During legislative session, this position works closely with the department's Legislative Liaison to support communications related to legislative priorities, inquiries, testimony, briefing materials, and public-facing messaging. The position also helps track and respond to issues with legislative, political, public, or media impact.

In this role, you will also lead and support the department's communications team, strengthen internal communication and employee engagement, and improve the tools, processes, and strategies used to communicate with the public and within the department. The Alaska Department of Transportation & Public Facilities operates one of the most geographically complex and visible transportation systems in the country. DOT&PF is responsible for 237 airports, 10 ferries serving 35 communities, more than 5,600 miles of highways, and over 700 public facilities statewide.

Our work connects Alaskans to communities, jobs, health care, schools, goods, emergency services, and opportunities across vast, remote, and challenging environments. As a department, we are focused on strengthening service delivery, improving coordination, modernizing how infrastructure is managed, and supporting safe, reliable transportation across Alaska.

The Director of Communications plays a key role in helping tell that story. This position supports clear, consistent, and timely communication across the department while helping the public, stakeholders, employees, and decision-makers understand DOT&PF's mission, priorities, challenges, and impact statewide.

Working for Alaska DOT&PF means serving a mission with statewide visibility and real public impact. Our work connects communities, supports economic development, provides access to essential services, and keeps Alaskans informed about one of the most complex transportation systems in the country.

This role offers the opportunity to lead communications at the highest levels of the department, advise executive leadership, shape public messaging, and guide how DOT&PF communicates with Alaskans, the media, elected officials, stakeholders, and employees.

In this position, you will be part of a leadership team working through complex, high-profile issues that affect communities across Alaska. You will have the opportunity to strengthen public trust, modernize communication strategies, support employee engagement, and help tell the story of DOT&PF's mission and impact statewide.

We are looking for a communications leader who is motivated by public service, sound judgment, fast-moving issues, and the opportunity to help guide how Alaska understands and engages with its transportation system.

If you are ready to lead meaningful communication work that supports Alaska's communities, infrastructure, and future, we encourage you to apply.

The working environment you can expect:

This position may be based in any Alaska DOT&PF regional office, with flexibility in duty station depending on the selected candidate. The role supports a statewide department and requires regular coordination with executive leadership, divisions, regions, communications staff, partner agencies, media, elected officials, and stakeholders.

The work environment is dynamic, fast-moving, and highly visible. Priorities may shift quickly based on breaking issues, media inquiries, legislative activity, politically sensitive topics, emergency events, and department needs. This position requires the ability to respond in real time, provide sound communication guidance, and support clear, accurate messaging under pressure.

You will work closely with leadership and decision-makers while coordinating across state and federal agencies, regional teams, and external partners. The role includes a combination of office-based leadership, virtual coordination, public engagement, crisis and emergency communication support, and occasional travel throughout Alaska for meetings, project-related events, or department representation.

DOT&PF supports a 24/7 transportation system, and while day-to-day work is structured, responsiveness during critical incidents, high-profile issues, and statewide priorities is essential. Success in this role requires confidence, judgment, discretion, and the ability to lead communication efforts in complex and sensitive situations.

Who we are looking for: We are seeking a strategic, decisive, and experienced communicator who can lead in complex, fast-moving, and high-visibility environments. The ideal candidate will bring strong judgment, executive presence, and the ability to communicate clearly under pressure.

This position requires a leader who can advise senior executives, manage sensitive issues, support crisis and emergency communications, and develop messaging that builds trust with the public, media, elected officials, employees, and stakeholders. The successful candidate will be comfortable working across a large organization, aligning communication efforts across divisions and regions, and helping leadership navigate issues with public, political, or media impact.

Ideal candidates will have experience in executive-level communications, public affairs, media relations, crisis communication, stakeholder engagement, and team leadership. Experience working in government, policy, transportation, infrastructure, or another public-facing organization is highly desirable.

We are looking for someone who demonstrates strong strategic communication, sound judgment, accountability, leadership, and the ability to build trust across diverse audiences.