Public Affairs Administrative Assistant Director

Public Affairs Assistant Administrative Director

The Public Affairs Assistant Administrative Director is a key member of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police department senior executive leadership team directly responsible for leading and managing the department's public affairs functions. Under general direction from the Chief of Police or designee, this position is directly responsible for managing communications for the Office of the Chief with external constituencies to include coordinating with the appropriate offices to create effective communication, particularly in dealing with timely or crisis situations. The Assistant Administrative Director coordinates messages and distributes information to various audiences, along with updating City agencies including the City of Charlotte Corporate Communications, the City's leadership team, and the City Council. The maximum salary for this position will not exceed $161,352.44 annually.

Major Duties and Responsibilities:

• Provide communications consultation and subject matter expertise in support of strategies, projects, law enforcement impact and/or other matters of critical importance to the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department.
• Research, analyzes, develops and implements communications plans and strategies; collaborates with leadership on public information releases, communication plans and strategies, campaigns, and initiatives.
• Lead the writing and strategic development of talking points, media materials, and project-specific communications for the Chief including media advisories, press releases, fact sheets, and op-ed, etc. Prepare presentations for the Chief to make to Council, the City Manager, CMPD Police Foundation, etc.
• Administers, coordinates, and oversees communications and related projects, promotions, community outreach and the dissemination of CMPD public information.
• Manages staff including conducting performance evaluations, coordinating training, and implementing hiring, discipline, and termination procedures.
• Respond to critical incidents and assists the Chief of Police or designee in preparing talking points and media interviews.
• Professionally represent the Department to external constituencies as well as managing and coordinating internal communications between the Office of the Chief and departmental divisions and units.
• Lead the writing and strategic development of talking points, media materials, and project-specific communications for the Chief including media advisories, press releases, fact sheets, and op-ed, etc. Prepare presentations for the Chief to make to Council, the City Manager, CMPD Police Foundation, etc.
• Manages external events where CMPD is asked to participate and/or creates strategic opportunities for exposure in the community.
• Develop, monitor, and report on departmental performance objectives.
• Serve as a point of contact with internal project teams and key partners on a variety of campaigns and initiatives.
• Participate actively in staff discussions and strategic planning meetings. Serve as liaison between the public information office and other internal divisions to collaborate, exchange information, and advance the department's mission.
• Performs other duties as assigned

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in Public Relations, Communications, Journalism, Public Affairs, or a related field of study and five (5) years of related work experience.
• OR an equivalent combination of education and experience sufficient to successfully perform the essential duties of the job.
• Valid North Carolina or South Carolina Driver's License
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office

Preferred Qualifications:

• Master's degree in public relations or a related field of study and five years (5) of work experience in law enforcement that includes public communications experience and two (2) years of supervisory experience.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Demonstrate an exceptional work ethic.
• Ability to lead and motivate employees, work independently, and as part of a team of supervisors/managers
• Create written publications such as press releases, promotional materials, and other documents.
• Be adept using various productivity and software analysis tools such as Microsoft Office, as well as many other internal software applications.
• Demonstrate leadership in support of the Department and City missions and values.
• Associated Press (AP) writing style.
• Project management principles.
• Principles and applications of critical thinking and analysis.
• Applicable federal, state, and local laws, codes, regulations (based on assignment).
• Coordinating deadlines, prioritizing work demands and assignment/monitoring work performed.
• Interpreting, monitoring, and reporting information and statistics.
• Facilitating group discussions and building consensus using persuasive reasoning.
• Exercising political acumen, tact, and diplomacy.
• Provide technical guidance, direction, and information to program stakeholders.
• Familiarity with digital communications platforms, such as graphic design, email marketing, video production, data visualizations, social media strategy, etc.
• Provide excellent customer service and be an agent for change.
• Excellent interpersonal, public relations and communication skills.
• Ability to build strong business relationships.
• Outstanding multi-tasking and problem-solving skills
• Best practices, trends, and emerging technologies.
• Ability to work in a fast-paced environment comes with supporting a twenty-four-hour public safety operation which may include callback.
• Ability to deal tactfully, courteously, and effectively with citizens, officers, co-workers, and other personnel from a broad range of governmental and public safety organizations.

ADA and Other Requirements:

Positions in this class typically require: grasping, talking, hearing, seeing, and repetitive motions.

Physical Requirements:

• Essential and marginal functions may require maintaining physical condition necessary for sitting, standing, climbing, or walking for extended periods of time
• Light to moderate lifting and carrying; some crouching, stooping, squatting, crawling, reaching, pushing, and pulling when performing tasks
• Adequate vision, hearing, and speech required.

Sensory Requirements:

• Concentrated and attentive use of one or more senses (visual, audio, and other sensory modalities) for proofreading, data entry, tabulating data.
• Ability to operate in an environment with frequent interruptions from people and or noises, which in return could result in some level of stress, fatigue, or strain.
• Comprehensive written information in work-related documents.
• Ability to hear, understand, and distinguish speech.

Working Conditions:

Continuously exposed to several elements such as, noise, intermittent standing, walking; and occasional pushing, carrying, or lifting.

Conditions of Employment

The City's Background Check Policy requires background checks to be conducted on final internal or external candidate(s) applying for any position with the City of Charlotte. The type of information that will be collected as part of a background check includes, but is not limited to: reference checks, social security verification, education verification, criminal conviction record check, and, if applicable, a credit history check, sex offender registry and motor vehicle records check.

Background checks must be in compliance with all federal and state statutes, such as the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA). The checks must be consistent with the guidelines set forth by these laws requiring organizations to obtain a candidate's written authorization before obtaining a criminal background report, motor vehicle records check or credit report; and to properly store and dispose of information derived from such reports.

Final candidates must pass a pre-employment drug-screening test and physical examination. During the selection process, candidates may be asked to take a skills test, and/or participate in other assessments.

The City of Charlotte is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not unlawfully discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, sex, national origin, marital status, age, disability, sexual orientation, political affiliation or on the basis of actual or perceived gender as expressed through dress, appearance, or behavior.

How to Apply

Apply online.

Federal law requires employers to provide reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities. Please tell us if you require a reasonable accommodation to apply for a job.

You are welcome to visit the City of Charlotte Human Resources Department lobby, where self-service application kiosks are available. They are located in our office at 700 East 4th Street, Suite 200, Charlotte, NC 28202. We are open Monday through Friday, from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. (EST), excluding official City