The City of Santa Rosa is committed to building a workforce reflective of our community and establishing a lasting culture of equity and belonging within our organization. Our collective talents and expertise contribute to high-quality public services that support a vibrant, resilient, inclusive City for our community and visitors. We celebrate a diverse workforce and welcome all qualified candidates to apply.
The Benefits of City Employment
In addition to offering a rewarding work environment, opportunity for career growth, and an excellent salary, the City of Santa Rosa provides a generous suite of benefits, including retirement through CalPERS, a competitive leave accrual package, a choice of health plans, a flexible spending program, employer contributions to a Retiree Health Savings plan, and top of the line employer paid vision and dental coverage. Information about available benefits can be found in the benefits guide HERE.
What You'll Do
This is a professional level management position located in the Communications and Intergovernmental Relations Office. Under general direction from the Communications and Intergovernmental Relations Officer, you will apply independent judgment in the development, implementation and management of community engagement functions and operations.
What We're Looking For
The ideal candidate for this position will be an experienced professional who understands the value of community participation in local government services and will have extensive experience managing community services and working with community partners. An impressive track record of community engagement and organizing events is expected.
The Selection Process
The first step in the selection process will consist of a review of each applicant's employment application and supplemental questionnaire for minimum qualifications. Depending on the number and breadth of experience of the of applicants, the next step may consist of a thorough evaluation of training and experience as presented on the applications and responses to supplemental questions. Applicants scoring highest in this process will be invited to panel interviews and may include additional assessments.
Please complete a thoughtful, thorough Supplemental Questionnaire submission. As part of the selection process, your responses to these questions will be evaluated using criteria specific to this position. Responses such as "See Resume" may be cause for disqualification or failure to move to the next step.
Examples of Duties and Responsibilities
- Direct and participate in the development and implementation of program goals, objectives, policies, procedures and priorities
- Provide first-line direct public support and assist the public and staff on navigating community engagement activities, inclusive of organizing, coordinating, and facilitating listening sessions, townhall meetings, community events, presentations, etc.
- Curate a list of engagement opportunities for both department-specific and citywide programs, while also providing guidance of the activities of outreach personnel across the City.
- Develop, maintain, and sustain partnerships (internally and externally) that support the City’s mission and the City Council’s strategic goals
- Plan, direct, supervise and coordinate assigned administrative and operational work and diversified programs of the department, including but not limited to community engagement and event management.
- Direct the efforts of City government to involve the community in the work of the City
- Plan, organize, and provide guidance and leadership to support a cross-departmental community engagement framework that promotes innovation, transparency, collaboration, and a culture of public engagement throughout the organization
- Develop and implement creative strategies that provide residents with opportunities to be informed, engage in dialogue, and meaningfully participate in providing input on city-wide decisions that address community issues
- Support efforts of executive, management and professional staff to enhance community participation in public meetings, information sharing, social media, the City’s website, and emerging technologies and systems
- Provide staff assistance to the Community Advisory Board and other boards and committees as needed.
- Serve as liaison to the Community Advisory Board (CAB) to administer strategies and goals identified in their strategic plans
- Develop specific communication and outreach strategies to reach diverse population groups as needed throughout the community
- Coordinate events with other City operations, outside agencies and organizations, community and neighborhood interest groups
- Present reports and recommendations to the department head, City Manager, City Council and Boards and Commissions
- Prepare long-range plans to meet community needs based on studies of local conditions and projections of the future composition of the community
- Supervise the preparation and administration of the section budget
- Select, supervise, train and evaluate staff
- Perform related duties as assigned
Required Qualifications
Knowledge of: Principles, practices and methods used in open government and community engagement practices, including leading edge principles of interactive strategies and technologies, and how to translate practices into innovative and effective solutions; principles and practices of public administration, budget and personnel management, and local state and federal government services; recordkeeping and reporting procedures.
Ability to: Prepare and maintain accurate and complete records and reports; identify emerging City and community issues and develop and implement appropriate strategies to assess them; properly assess risks, interpret and make decisions in accordance with appropriate laws, regulations and policies; communicate clearly and concisely, orally and in writing; break down complex issues in a manner that is easily communicated and understood; balance multiple priorities and manage multiple projects simultaneously while keeping stakeholder groups informed and up to date; analyze reports and conduct research as needed; sublimate personal politics to advance open and transparent government; interact successfully to influence at all levels and work effectively as part of a team; maintain liaison with various private and public agencies and; with the public and other interested groups; plan, supervise, train and evaluate staff. Bilingual ability in English and Spanish is highly desirable.
Experience and Education: Any combination equivalent to experience and education that could likely provide the required knowledge and abilities would be qualifying. A typical way to obtain the knowledge and abilities would be: Experience - Sufficient years of responsible experience in the field of community engagement to demonstrate possession of the knowledge and abilities listed above; Education - Equivalent to a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university with major work in public administration, public relations, communication human services, social work, nonprofit management, communications, or a related field. Possession of a related advanced degree is highly desirable.
Additional requirements, such as successful completion of a physical exam, drug screen, etc., may apply, depending on the duties and responsibilities of the position. If you receive a conditional job offer for the position, the requirements upon which the offer is contingent will be outlined in the conditional job letter.
Additional Information
Working Conditions
The work of this classification is performed indoors in an office setting and outside the office at indoor and outdoor public meetings and events which involves sitting for extended periods of time with the ability to move about at will. Community meetings and events regularly occur outside of normal business hours, including evenings and weekends. Incumbents in this classification communicate verbally in person, by telephone, in meetings and while making presentations. Incumbents read and comprehend written materials and draw inferences from their contents. Incumbents operate a computer keyboard to communicate via e-mail and to make use of other software applications on the computer, entering and retrieving data and producing written documents such as correspondence and reports requiring repetitive hand movements. Incumbents occasionally lift and move reports or binders weighing up to 10 pounds and carry them for short distances.
The City of Santa Rosa - A Wonderful Place to Call Home
Santa Rosa is the largest city in Sonoma County, located 55 miles north of San Francisco. Nestled in world famous Sonoma Wine Country, Santa Rosa serves as the County seat and is the center of trade, government, commerce and medical facilities for the Northern San Francisco Bay area. The City offers a wide variety of recreational and cultural activities, and is well known for its excellent schools, temperate weather, and abundant beautiful parks and open space. Residents work in a well-balanced mix of management, professional, manufacturing, sales, tourism, transportation, construction, and service jobs.
The City of Santa Rosa provides a full range of services including police and fire protection; construction and maintenance of streets and other infrastructure; water, storm water, and wastewater utilities; housing services through its Housing Authority; economic development; transit; parking; and recreation, parks, and cultural services, including a municipal golf course.