Communications Manager

Date Posted	August 31, 2023
Industry	Public Relations, Government
Specialty	Other
Required Education	Bachelor's Degree
Job Status	Full-time

Description:

Applications are being accepted for the position of Communications Manager with the City of South San Francisco. 

APPLICATION DEADLINE: THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2023, 5:00 P.M. OR UPON RECEIPT OF THE FIRST 100 ONLINE APPLICATIONS, WHICHEVER OCCURS FIRST.

THE CITY OFFERS AN ATTRACTIVE BENEFIT PACKAGE, AS WELL AS CALPERS RETIREMENT PLAN AND SOCIAL SECURITY PARTICIPATION.

The City of South San Francisco is a General Law city with a population of 66,185 residents that grows to 110,000 during business hours. South San Francisco is strategically located on the west shore of the San Francisco Bay, in northern San Mateo County, 10 miles south of San Francisco. This City is also located along the Bay Area's main transportation routes, including 101, 280, Caltrain, BART, San Francisco Bay Ferry, and the San Francisco International Airport.

The City of South San Francisco is a full-service city with 12 City Departments including Police; Fire; Parks and Recreation; Public Works; Economic and Community Development; City Attorney; Library; Finance; Information Technology; Human Resources; City Clerk; and Office of the City Manager.  The City has a Council-City Manager form of government with more than 460 full-time regular employees.

The City of South San Francisco proudly remains The Industrial City, a reflection of its steel mill and ship building past.  In recent years, the City has been redefined to reflect the innovative, entrepreneurial and industrious spirit, which has made South San Francisco the Biotech Capital of the World.

South San Francisco’s biotechnology cluster is the largest in the world, with roughly 45,000 life science workers, 200 biotech companies, and over 12 million square feet of office/R&D facilities – with an additional 9 million square feet of new R&D facilities in the development pipeline. 

South San Francisco enjoys a high quality of life with an extensive public parks system, active library and learning programming and a dynamic, engaged community making South San Francisco a great place to live, learn, work, and play. 

THE DEPARTMENT

The City Manager is responsible for the day-to-day administration of the City of South San Francisco. The City Manager’s Office implements policy decisions of the City Council, provides leadership and strategic direction to the City’s leadership team and organization as well as ensuring that initiatives and programs align with the City’s mission and reflect the values of our community. The City Manager's Office provides overall guidance to all City operating departments and is responsible for the administration of City programs to ensure the delivery of high-quality services in an efficient and cost-effective manner. This includes oversight of major City-initiated projects, outreach to and involvement with community members on issues of local concern, direction of the annual budget process and coordination of City Council agendas.

IDEAL CANDIDATE

The ideal Communications Manager will have knowledge of principles and practices of communications methods and marketing techniques; principles and practices of public relations and community outreach; political issues, community development issues, and legislative developments of importance to the community and City; and social media, web design, and graphic/visual presentation methods. The ideal candidate will also have the ability to analyze difficult problems, develop a positive course of action and follow through on its implementation; demonstrate sound professional judgment, reason logically, and think imaginatively and creatively; manage social media and website, including posting, evaluating, and delivering City messaging; and establish and maintain effective relationships with those contacted in the course of the work.

QUALIFICATIONS: Any combination of experience and training that would provide the required knowledge, skills, and abilities would be qualifying. A typical way to obtain the knowledge, skills, and abilities would be:

Experience: Four years of progressively more responsible professional communications or public relations experience, including at least one year in a supervisory capacity.

Training:  A bachelor’s degree from an accredited college with major coursework in communications, journalism, marketing, or a related field.

Licenses/Certificates: Possession of, or ability to obtain, a valid appropriate California driver’s license and a satisfactory driving record, which must be maintained as a condition of employment.

THE SELECTION PROCESS:

The process will first consist of a review of application materials and responses to the supplemental questionnaire, which must be detailed and complete. A resume is REQUIRED but does not substitute for a complete application. Applications with "see resume" as a substitution for the work experience description; those with unclear past employment information; or those with insufficient information to evaluate possession of minimum qualifications will not be considered. The most highly suitable and qualified candidates will be invited to participate in an oral panel interview. This assessment is tentatively scheduled for Tuesday, October 24, 2023. 

Upon completion of this examination, an eligible list will be established which will be used for the appointment to the position. Possession of minimal qualifications does not guarantee advancement in the selection process and placement on the eligible employment list. Top scoring candidates will be invited to the next phase of the selection process which will consist of any or all of the following: a departmental interview and written/performance exercise. All applicants will be notified by email as to whether or not they are invited to participate further in the selection process.

Appeals concerning administration of an examination must be submitted in writing within 2-business days from the date the event occurred.  

Note: The City of South San Francisco reserves the right, at its discretion, to limit the number of qualified candidates invited to the selection process. Admission to the examination may be limited to those applicants who demonstrate the best combination of qualifications on the application and resume, in addition to an assessment of supplemental questionnaire responses. Applicants possessing the minimum qualifications are not guaranteed admission to the examination.

To review complete job descriptions which include all special requirements, go to www.ssf.net

BENEFITS

Salary: $137,612.00 - $167,273.00 annually

Retirement:  CalPERS retirement formula is 2% at age 60 for Classic members or; 2% at age 62 for “new members” as defined by Government Code §7522.04(e). Social Security and Medicare participation and option to participate in 457 deferred compensation plans. City contributes equivalent of 1.5% of base pay towards a medical after-retirement account, with a $100/month employee contribution.

Health Insurance: City offers a choice of medical HMO (two providers) or PPO plan, and offers vision and dental coverage. City pays 100% of vision and dental premiums for employee and eligible dependents. Employees shall contribute 10% of the HMO premium cost based on category of coverage (single, two, family).  For PPO, employee pays cost difference between PPO and HMO plans. City provides 100% City-paid short- and long-term disability insurances. The City offers a discretionary benefit account for employees who demonstrate health coverage elsewhere.

Income Protection: $50,000 Life Insurance, Disability Insurance, opportunities to purchase additional life insurance and Long Term Care.

Vacation: Fifteen to thirty working days annual vacation, based on the length of service.

Holidays: Fourteen paid holidays per year, including two half-days and one floating holiday.

Programs: 125 Flexible Spending account for unreimbursed medical and dependent care expenses, Employee Assistance Program, City Recreation Classes (12 free per year, excluding lab fees and ingredient fees), and Reduced-fee Child-care Programs are available. 

This classification is in an employee bargaining unit.

SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS

DEADLINE TO APPLY:  THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2023 AT 5:00 P.M. OR UPON RECEIPT OF THE FIRST 100 QUALIFIED ONLINE APPLICATIONS, WHICHEVER OCCURS FIRST.

To be considered for this employment opportunity, you must complete the online application and supplemental questionnaire in their entirety. A resume and writing sample must be included but do not substitute for a complete application. Applications with "see resume" as a substitution for the work experience description, those with unclear past employment information or those with insufficient information to evaluate possession of minimum qualifications will not be considered.

Calopps.org: Some email accounts have been known to place these emails in the spam/junk file. Please check your email folders/settings or accept emails ending with calopps.org.

Prior to hire, and after a conditional offer of appointment has been made, candidates will be required to successfully complete a pre-employment process, including a pre-employment physical and drug screening (when applicable), a driving record review, reference check, and a Department of Justice (DOJ) fingerprint check. A conviction history will not necessarily disqualify an applicant from appointment. Determinations are made on a case-by-case basis with consideration given to nature and recency of the conviction and relationship to job duties. All City standards must be met before the final appointment is made.

Candidates requesting veteran’s preference must provide a copy of U.S. Government Form DD 214 "Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty" as an attachment to their CalOpps application.

Candidates with a disability who may require special assistance in any phase of the application or testing process should advise the Human Resources Department upon submittal of application.  Documentation of the need for accommodation must be submitted to HR.

The policy of the City of South San Francisco is to grant equal employment opportunity to all qualified persons without regard to race, color, sex, gender, age, religion, ancestry, physical or mental disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, marital status, or national origin.  It is the intent and desire of the City of South San Francisco that equal employment opportunity will be provided in recruiting, hiring, training, promoting, wages, benefits, and all other privileges, terms, and conditions of employment.  The City of South San Francisco is an Equal Opportunity Employer (EOE).

DISCLAIMER: This general announcement does not constitute an express or implied contract and is subject to change. Any provisions contained within this announcement may be modified or revoked without notice. Tests may consist of any combination of written, oral, or other exercises or assessment procedures as deemed appropriate by the City, in order to evaluate job knowledge, skills, and/or abilities as they relate to the position. The City may, without notice, change or eliminate any particular assessment component or combination of components as needs dictate.