The end of 2010 brought the departure of dozens of familiar faces from Vancouver City Hall, and 2011 will bring one very new, very public face.
The city is currently recruiting for a communications manager/public information officer to provide a “consistent message” for the city and help get information to — and also from — the public, City Manager Eric Holmes said this week.
“If there were ever a time when we need to focus on connecting with the citizens we serve, it’s now,” Holmes said. “So we cannot only help share information … but also get direct feedback from citizens about what is important to them and how we might better be able to serve them.”
Clark County actually has a fully-staffed Public Information and Outreach office, headed by Director Mary Keltz, along with public information officers with the Greater Clark Parks District, public works, community services and health departments. However, the Public Information and Outreach office will be closed on Fridays this year and next due to budget cuts.
Vancouver’s new hire will bring the number of city employees assigned to public information to four, joining Kim Kapp with Vancouver Police, Chris Moen with Vancouver Fire and Loretta Callahan in Public Works.
The job is advertised at $6,314 to $7,814 a month ($75,768 to $93,768 a year) and requires a “high level of technical skills and expertise in public relations, communications, organizational effectiveness/development, and related information technology,” according to the job description. It asks that applicants have seven or more years of experience, and a master’s degree is preferred.
The communications manager will serve as the key adviser to the city manager and all departments on communications, marketing and public relations. The hire will be the city’s primary spokesperson and is on-call for all emergency situations. He or she will also work on expanding the city’s social media presence.
The application period ends Jan. 16; Holmes said he hopes to have the communications manager start by early spring.
Holmes said that the position is actually not new, but rather has been vacant for several years.
“We need somebody who can help us better engage with and be better accountable to the citizens we serve,” he said, adding the best way to get information to people is often through the media.
Vancouver will also be hiring a new assistant city manager and fire chief, both with a salary range of $120,420 to $138,420, and will also be filling the long vacant job of procurement manager.
The job description and salary range for that position are not yet available, Holmes said.
Full descriptions of the jobs can be found at http://agency.governmentjobs.com/vancouver.
Andrea Damewood: 360-735-4542 or andrea.damewood@columbian.com.
