Digital Director (Mayor's Office)

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About the Department

The City of San José, the Capital of Silicon Valley, is one of the nation's best managed cities and one of the top ten cities in which to live, work and do business. Moreover, San José is the center of cultural government and economic activity for the region. The employees of the City of San José have embraced the following values: Integrity, Innovation, Excellence, Collaboration, Respect and Celebration.

The San José City Council consists of ten Councilmembers elected by district and a Mayor elected at-large, each for four-year terms. The Mayor and Council represent the residents of San José, and are responsible for providing accountability, reviewing public policy and programs, and adopting those policies which best meet the needs of the residents, visitors, and businesses in San José.

The Mayor serves as the political leader of San José, and under the City Charter, is responsible for communications for the City, in addition to recommending policy, program, and budget priorities.

Position Duties

Digital Director for the City of San Jose

The Office of Mayor Matt Mahan is recruiting for a full-time Digital Director. This position serves as a key member of the Communications team for Mayor Mahan, working on priority initiatives around digital content and communications. An ideal candidate for the Digital Director position is an organized, creative, and energetic individual who is passionate about serving the community of San José and committed to advancing the Mayor’s vision for the City.

The Mayor’s Digital Director is formally classified as a Council Community Relations Director and is an at-will position that reports to the City’s Chief Communications and Marketing Officer (CCMO) and regularly interfaces directly with the Mayor to plan and execute the City's communications to the public and the news media.

The total salary range for the Mayor’s Digital Director (classification will be Council Community Relations Director) is $75,646.74 - $121,034.42. This amount includes an approximate five percent (5%) ongoing non-pensionable pay. The actual salary shall be determined by the final candidates’ qualifications and experience.

• The Digital Director will develop and execute digital media strategy that follows the larger strategic communications plan developed by the CCMO for policy, initiatives, programs, and annual budget messages.
• The Digital Director has responsibilities for marketing programs, writing social media posts, creating compelling videos and capturing content. We’re constantly launching new media features and the Digital Director is expected to be a self-starter who can concept, develop, produce and edit engaging content that resonates with our community.
• The Digital Director assists the CCMO in overseeing a team that currently includes staff responsible for media relations, speechwriting, social media, and graphic design.
• The Digital Director will lead social media strategy for the Mayor’s Office on various platforms. Responsibilities include but are not limited to:
  • Planning and goal setting to ensure consistent and relevant content directed at informing and educating the public on the goals and priorities of the Mayor and City of San Jose
  • Analyze campaigns and translate anecdotal or qualitative data into recommendations and plans for revising social media, content marketing, SEO and social advertising campaigns
  • Research social media tools and promotion strategies for an increasingly digital world
  • Research audience preferences and identify social networks that would be optimal for building brand reputation
  • Present weekly and quarterly reports to manage with recommendations and insights based on analysis
  • Managing and growing a newsletter list

Employees in this classification are not members of the classified civil service and appointment would be on a contract “at-will” basis and is for a specified period of time to be determined by the appointing elected official and does not extend past the end of the elected official's term. Candidates must be willing to work frequent evenings and weekends, and as exempt management employees, are not eligible for overtime compensation. This unclassified position requires a disclosure of outside investments, real property interest, income and business positions.

Minimum Qualifications

The minimum qualification requirements include any combination of training, education, and experience that provides the knowledge, skills, and abilities to advise and support the Mayor or Councilmember on matters of constituent services; public policy; community outreach and engagement; and communications.

Required Licensing: Possession of a valid California driver’s license is required.

Other Qualifications

Desirable Qualifications

Education: A Bachelor's degree, preferably a Master's degree, from an accredited college or university, with an emphasis in communication, English, journalism, public relations, public administration, marketing, or a related field providing education in writing and public policy.

Experience: Four (4) to eight (8) years of professional experience with escalating levels of responsibility in the field of public/media relations and/or marketing in a political office, government entity, major corporation, or nonprofit.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

The ideal candidate will have the background, experience, and knowledge to demonstrate:

• Proven mastery of principles, practices, and techniques in digital strategy, including a deep understanding of emerging trends in the digital landscape.
• Demonstrated success in developing and executing comprehensive digital media strategies that align with overarching communications objectives across different platforms.
• Exceptional creativity in crafting compelling and shareable content across various digital platforms, including social media, websites, and video channels.
• Experience leading marketing programs, ensuring content is not only engaging but strategically aligned with organizational goals.
• Experience leading and growing multifaceted team
• Demonstrable track record of growing social audiences.
• Strong understanding of social media marketing strategy and the entire social marketing mix—paid, organic, owned and earned.
• Deep experience with web and social analytics tools; proficiency in metrics-based decision-making.
• A forward-thinking mindset with the ability to introduce and implement innovative digital solutions that enhance the City's online presence and communication effectiveness.
• Success in crafting language on politically sensitive subjects, with the skill to distill complex policy issues into easily accessible and digestible digital communications.
• A strong commitment to public service.
• Willingness and ability to work nights and weekends as required, understanding the dynamic nature of digital media and the need for real-time engagement.

Preferred Skills and Experience:

• Strong communication and exceptional customer service skills, including the ability to work with individuals from diverse backgrounds and experiences with empathy and professionalism.
• Ability to manage multiple projects and tasks simultaneously, often under tight deadlines and in a changing, complex environment.
• Deep knowledge of local politics, including the South Bay, State, and Federal government.
• Bilingual language fluency in Spanish or Vietnamese (written and oral skills).

Selection Process

The selection process will consist of an evaluation of the applicant's training and experience based on the application. Only the candidates whose backgrounds best match the position will be invited to proceed in the selection process. Additional phases of the selection process will consist of one or more interviews. To be considered for this position, you must submit the following:

• Cover Letter
• Resume
• Three (3) samples of past work (these samples must be your work product; best performing social posts, compelling videos, or a digital portfolio)

If you have questions about the duties of these positions, the selection or hiring processes, please contact tasha.dean@sanjoseca.gov and renu.grover@sanjoseca.gov.

To learn more information about City Benefits, click on the Benefits tab of this job posting.

To learn more information about Mayor and City Council, click here.

Link to California Equal Pay Act.

This position will remain open until filled and applications will be reviewed continuously; therefore, we encourage applicants to apply as soon as possible.

Additional Information:

Employment Eligibility: Federal law requires all employees to provide verification of their eligibility to work in this country. Please be informed that the City of San Jose will NOT sponsor, represent or sign any documents related to visa applications/transfers for H1-B or any other type of visa which requires an employer application.

Please note that applications are currently not accepted through CalOpps or any other third party job board application system.

This recruitment may be used to fill multiple positions in this, or other divisions or departments. If you are interested in employment in this classification, you should apply to ensure you are considered for additional opportunities that may utilize the applicants from this recruitment.

Please allow adequate time to complete the application and submit before the deadline or the system may not save your application. If your online application was successfully submitted, you will receive an automatic confirmation email to the email address you provided. IF YOU DO NOT RECEIVE THE CONFIRMATION, please email CityCareers@sanjoseca.gov and we will research the status of your application.

The City of San Jose offers a wide range of core health benefits including Medical, Dental, Vision, Employee Assistance Program, Life Insurance, Disability, and Savings Plans. Please visit the City's benefits pagefor detailed information on coverage, cost, and dependent coverage.

For information on the City’s Retirement Plan(pension for full-time employees), please visit the Office of Retirement Services website. You will be able to view information based on different Sworn/Federated job classification.

In additional to the benefits above, there is an additional perks siteto explore further benefits of working for the City of San Jose like paid leave, educational reimbursements, and holiday pay are specific to the job classification and union membership.

75,646

San Jose, California United States View Map