Engagement and Communications Coordinator

Salary : $83,033.60 - $116,376.00 Annually
Location : Intergovernmental Center - 10 Civic Center Plaza, Mankato, MN
Job Type: Full Time
Job Number: 202600044
Department: Public Information
Division: 7505014 Public Information
Opening Date: 05/29/2026
Closing Date: 6/8/2026 11:59 PM Central


Description

Grade: PM2 FLSA Status: Exempt
Safety Sensitive Position: No
Supervisor Title: Engagement and Communications Director

Minimum Qualifications of Education and Experience:

• Bachelor's degree in communications, marketing, public relations or a similar degree field
• five years of work experience in a communications field, engagement, marketing, digital communications, and/or public relations.

OR

• Any satisfactory equivalent combination of education, training, and experience that demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform the duties of the job proficiently may be substituted for the above requirements.

Nature of Work:
The Engagement and Communications Coordinator is a creative, adaptable, and highly self-motivated professional who plays a key role in advancing the City's Strategic Plan through meaningful public engagement and effective communication. Under the direction of the Engagement and Communications Director, this position leads the City's public engagement efforts and supports both internal and external communication initiatives.
This position requires a positive, innovative, and forward-thinking individual who welcomes change, adapts quickly to shifting priorities, and understands how to contribute within a creative and fast-paced environment. The Coordinator is responsible for developing authentic engagement opportunities, creating compelling communication materials, supporting organizational messaging, and helping ensure that community voices are heard and reflected in City initiatives.
A key focus of this position is identifying community-wide engagement opportunities and creating a visible City presence at community, neighborhood, and partner events. The Coordinator proactively seeks opportunities to connect with residents, businesses, community groups, and stakeholders in settings where people naturally gather, helping strengthen relationships, build trust, expand participation in City initiatives and supporting transparent communication across the organization and with the public. Success in this position requires more than completing assigned tasks; it requires initiative, creativity, strategic thinking, and a commitment to continuous improvement.

About Us:
Our employees are committed to working in an environment that fosters the core values of the City of Mankato - positive attitude, accountability, respect, teamwork, and integrity. We care about making a positive difference in the lives of others. Our work is challenging and has purpose. We listen and engage with each other and our community. We are empowered and trusted to make good decisions that align with the public service principles and core values. Our organization is committed to investing and developing each other. We will recognize and celebrate our collective achievements and individual accomplishments.


We take pride in investing in our employees. Our team enjoys a supportive work environment that encourages not only success for the community we serve, but for you as well. Come grow your career with us!



Duties / Responsibilities

Primary Essential Work Functions:

• Leads, coordinates, and supports the City's public engagement efforts, including external engagement, internal engagement, and engagement activities conducted in partnership with consultants.
• Provides internal communications leadership and support across the organization to promote consistent, timely, and effective messaging.
• Coordinates and oversees Every Voice Mankato, the City's digital engagement platform, including content development, project updates, public input opportunities, and engagement reporting.
• Develops and implements innovative engagement and communication strategies that align with the City's Strategic Plan and support organizational goals.
• Identifies opportunities to improve communication methods, strengthen community engagement, and increase public participation in City initiatives.
• Serves as a website administrator upon completion of training and assists with maintaining accurate, timely, accessible, and engaging website content.
• Creates, reviews, edits, and approves relevant, clear, and interesting website content for public and internal audiences.
• Designs and produces appealing layouts, graphics, visual materials, and other communication products for digital, print, social media, website, and engagement platforms.
• Analyzes engagement data, public feedback, participation trends, and communication metrics; prepares reports and makes recommendations based on findings.
• Creates, coordinates, and manages key annual communication and engagement projects, including but not limited to the City Calendar, community contests, Annual Cleanup, Earth Day, Arbor Day, City Council Community Awards Ceremonies, City News, and State of the City.
• Supports planning, promotion, communication, and execution of community events, engagement activities, recognition programs, and strategic communication campaigns.
• Assists with developing messaging, presentations, talking points, surveys, promotional materials, and other communication resources for City departments and leadership.
• Collaborates with departments to identify communication needs, develop engagement strategies, and ensure messaging is consistent with City priorities and standards.
• Serves as backup support for crisis communications, third in line, as assigned or needed.
• Serves as backup support for media relations, third in line, as assigned or needed.

Other Work Functions:

• Maintains effective working relationships with employees, supervisors, consultants, community partners, media representatives, and members of the public.
• Stays current on communication trends, public engagement practices, accessibility standards, digital tools, and emerging technologies that may enhance City communications.
• Attendance during regularly scheduled work hours and outside regular hours as necessary.
• Effective and respectful communication and interactions with other employees, supervisors, individuals from other organizations, and community customers.
• Performs other related work as assigned or apparent.

The above is a general listing of job duties. Essential and non-essential functions may vary by individual position. Reasonable accommodations may be available for both essential and non-essential job duties.

Communicates With:

• Internally - All organization staff including department heads, directors, City Manager
• Externally - All news media contacts, the public, media vendors and contractors

Supervision:

• Non-Supervisory

Qualifications / Conditions of Employment

• Must lead by example in following and supporting organizational and departmental policies, procedures, standards, and expectations.
• Must possess and maintain a valid driver's license and be eligible to drive in the State of Minnesota.
• Must successfully complete all required pre-employment processes, which may include a personnel assessment, background examination, reference checks, and other job-related screening requirements.
• Must comply with all organizational and departmental policies, procedures, rules, and expectations.
• Must comply with all applicable data practices policies, procedures, and standards related to private, confidential, and not public data.
• Must limit access to not public data to only the information necessary to perform assigned employment responsibilities.
• Must take reasonable measures to ensure that not public data is not accessed, viewed, or disclosed to individuals who do not have a work-related reason to access the information.
• Must properly secure, store, and maintain not public data in accordance with City policy, applicable procedures, and Minnesota Statutes once the work-related need for access has ended.
• Must maintain confidentiality, exercise discretion, and use sound judgment when handling sensitive information, public communications, internal communications, and community engagement materials.

Hours of Work


Regular working hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and outside of regular hours as necessary.
City of Mankato
2026 BENEFITS OVERVIEW
For Regular Full-Time Employees
The City of Mankato provides a comprehensive, balanced, and competitive benefits package as part of your total compensation. The City's benefits programs address both the immediate needs that you and your family may have, such as medical coverage or flexible spending accounts, and your long-term needs, such as retirement savings. The following outline of City-offered benefits serves as an overview and does not provide all provisions, limitations, and exclusions. If there is a contradiction between this and the official plan documents, the plan documents will prevail.
EMPLOYER PROVIDED BENEFITS:
Paid Vacation:
Vacation accruals, utilization, and payouts vary within each collective bargaining agreement and/or employee handbook. The following is the general overview of the vacation benefit:

• Vacation hours may be accrued to a maximum of 50 days or 400 hours.
• Hours are accrued incrementally each pay period.
• Vacation hours may be taken in 30-minute increments.
• Unused balance carries over year to year.

Years of Service - Vacation Days Per Year

0 - 5 years - 10 days
6 - 10 years - 15 days
11 - 14 years - 17 days
15 -20 years - 20 days
21 years - 21 days
22 years - 22 days
23 years - 23 days
24 years - 24 days
25 years - 25 days
26 years - 26 days
27 years - 27 days
28 years - 28 days
29 years - 29 days
30+ years - 30 days
Paid Sick Leave :


Employees earn 8 hours of sick leave per month.


11 Paid Holidays and 1 Floating Holiday :

All regular full-time employees of the City, except those who are governed by a union contract or different holiday policy, receive the following paid holidays:

1. New Year's Day

2. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day

3. Presidents Day

4. Memorial Day

5. Juneteenth

6. Independence Day

7. Labor Day

8. Veterans Day

9. Thanksgiving Day

10. Friday After Thanksgiving Day

11. Christmas Day

12. Floating Holiday
Health Insurance Coverage Through Blue Cross/Blue Shield of MN:

• Health insurance plans to choose from: $5,000 HDHP with an HSA, $3,400 HDHP with an HSA, $500 CMM, $100 CMM/Traditional Plan
• Single Coverage
  • The City will contribute 95% of the premium for the IRS Minimum Embedded Deductible Plan .
  • The City will contribute 100% of the premium for the alternative High-Deductible plan .
  • For all other single coverage plan options, the City will contribute at the same premium rate as the IRS minimum embedded deductible plan.
• Dependent Coverage (Employee + Spouse, Employee + Children, or Family)

• • The City will contribute 90% of the premium of each High-Deductible Plan option. All other plan options the City will contribute at the same premium rate as the IRS minimum embedded deductible plan.
• Employee Responsibility
  • Employees are responsible for paying the remaining percentage of premiums, which will be deducted through payroll, on a bi-weekly basis.
• City contributions for union members will follow negotiated contract language.

Employer and employee contributions for non-union employees are shown below. Please note that union employee health insurance benefits may vary by contract.
NICE Healthcare (Free to all full-time employees):
NICE Healthcare is an integrated primary care clinic - meaning NICE offers almost all of the services of a traditional primary care clinic and then some. And better yet, NICE brings that care to your home, office, or wherever you happen to be.
Offers employees and their household members an amazing healthcare benefit with no out-of-pocket fees. Below are the comprehensive primary care services that NICE offers:

• Same-Day Chat and Video Visits
• In-Home Visits with 35 Free Labs and Physical Tests
• 550+ Free Medications Can Be Prescribed by Our Clinicians
• Free Virtual Physical Therapy
• Free Virtual Mental Health Therapy
• Free In-Home X-rays and EKG Services

Minnesota Paid Family Medical Leave
Minnesota Paid Family Medical Leave is a benefit for employees to be able to have paid time off (with partial wage replacement) and job protection for employees who need to take leave for certain medical or family-care reasons. This is a State required benefit for all employers in the State of Minnesota. Premium contributions for this benefit will be at a shared cost to the City and the employee. Premium rates for 2026 are .78% of gross earnings. This will be split 50/50. Employees will see a .39% of gross wages after tax deduction.
Term Life Insurance :
The City provides a term life insurance policy at no cost to the employee. (Face value is 125% of employee's base salary up to a maximum of face value of $50,000).
Retirement - PERA (Public Employees Retirement Association)
1. Must participate as directed by Minnesota Statutes.

2. Employer and employee contribution rates vary depending on position.

3. May obtain refund of employee contribution on termination of service.
2026 Employer/Employee PERA Contribution Rates - Effective January 1, 2026


Contributions are calculated on gross bi-weekly salary each pay period.
Coordinated Plan

Employer: 7.5%

Employee 6.5%
Police and Fire Plan

Employer: 17.7%

Employee 11.8%
OPTIONAL VOLUNTARY BENEFITS AVAILABLE :

The following benefits are available on an elective basis at the employee's choice:

Deferred Compensation Plans (457)

Plans available through Mission Square Retirement, Nationwide Retirement Solutions, and MN State Deferred Compensation Plan.

Health Care and Day Care Flexible Spending Accounts

Computer Purchase Program
0% interest for up to 3 years (max. $3,500) to purchase a home computer
Voluntary Payroll Deductions Available for :

• Dental Insurance - Coverage through MetLife - 100% employee cost
• Vision Insurance - Coverage through MetLife - 100% employee cost
• YMCA membership at corporate rates
• Savings Bonds
• Various voluntary group life and disability plans.
• AFLAC

Credit Union Membership - Eligible for membership

• MN Valley Federal Credit Union
• Affinity Plus Federal Credit Union

Vacation Purchase Program
Employees may purchase additional vacation time (limits apply).
Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
In Addition :
The City of Mankato is a qualifying employer of the Student Loan Forgiveness Program.
Questions regarding benefit information can be directed to Human Resources at View phone number on click.appcast.io.
01


The following supplemental information may be used as a scored evaluation of your knowledge, skills and experience. Be certain that the choices you make correspond to the information you have provided in your application. By completing this supplemental questionnaire you are attesting that the information you have provided is true and accurate. Any information provided may be reviewed by the hiring manager. Any misstatements or falsification of information will eliminate you from consideration or may result in dismissal. Do you understand and agree with this statement?

• Yes
• No

02


Do you currently posses valid driver's license and are eligible to drive within the State of Minnesota?

• Yes, I have a valid Minnesota driver's license and am eligible to drive.
• Yes, I have a valid driver's license from another state and am eligible to drive.
• No, I do not have a valid driver's license.

03


Which of the following best describes your level of education?

• High School Diploma / GED Equivalent
• Some college
• Certification in relevant field
• Associates / 2 Year Degree
• Bachelor's Degree in progress
• Bachelor's Degree
• Master's Degree
• None of the above

04


Which of the following best describes the field of study for your degree?

• Journalism
• Marketing
• Communications
• A field of study closely related to the above degrees
• My degree is in an area NOT RELATED to any of the above degrees
• N/A - I do not have a degree

05


If applicable, list the field of study in which you possess a degree. If no degree, type N/A.
06


Which of the following best describes your years of professional work experience communications field, engagement, marketing, digital communications, and/or public relations?

• No experience
• Less than 6 months
• More than 6 months, but less than 1 year
• More than 1 year, but less than 2
• More than 2 years, but less than 3
• More than 3 years, but less than 4
• More than 4 years, but less than 5
• More than 5 years, but less than 6
• More than 6 years, but less than 7
• More than 7 years, but less than 8
• More than 8 years, but less than 9
• More than 9 years, but less than 10
• 10 or more years

07


Describe your experience in creating clear, concise and compelling stories that connect with diverse audiences.
08


Describe your experience strategically integrating digital and print communication concepts and practices.
09


Select all of the following public engagement activities you have experience with:

• In-person community engagement/events
• Online/digital engagement platforms
• Stakeholder or partner engagement
• Survey design, distribution, or analysis
• Planning or leading public input or outreach campaigns
• None of the above

10


Select all of the following tools or platforms you have experience using:

• Engagement platforms (e.g., Bang the Table / EngagementHQ, Granicus, GovDelivery, etc.)
• Website content management systems (e.g., WordPress, CivicPlus, Drupal, etc.)
• Email marketing systems (e.g., GovDelivery)
• Social media management tools (e.g., Hootsuite, Buffer, Sprout Social, etc.)
• None of the above

11


Select all of the following types of communication materials you have experience creating:

• Social media content
• Graphic design (e.g., Canva, Adobe Creative Suite, or similar tools)
• Website content creation or editing
• Newsletters or public-facing publications
• Video or multimedia content

12


CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT: If selected as a finalist, are you willing to undergo a background investigation which may include, but not be limited to: pre-employment personnel assessment, verification of employment and education records, identification verification, driver's license record, and criminal history?

• Yes
• No

Required Question