Description

About the Position:

The Communications Director for the City of Greensboro is a dynamic executive leadership role for a strategic communicator who wants to make a meaningful impact on an entire community. This position leads the City’s comprehensive communications and marketing efforts, shaping how residents, businesses, visitors, and stakeholders experience and understand their local government.

Reporting to an Assistant City Manager, the Director will oversee the City’s full spectrum of communications operations — including internal and external communications, marketing, Greensboro Television Network, the contact center, and print shop/mail services. This individual will work directly with elected officials, the City Manager’s Office, and department leaders to develop forward-thinking strategies, address emerging issues, and deliver clear, compelling messages that tell Greensboro’s story with accuracy and transparency.

The Director will elevate and strengthen content creation standards across the organization, setting clear expectations for high-quality, strategic, and consistent communications. This includes overseeing multi-platform writing and digital content production that effectively reaches audiences across websites, email communications, social media channels, video platforms, and emerging digital tools. The Director will ensure messaging is tailored appropriately for each platform while maintaining a cohesive and recognizable City brand voice.

In addition to written communications, the Director will oversee comprehensive digital content production, including multimedia storytelling, visual design standards, video messaging, and web content optimization. The role requires ensuring that content is accessible, engaging, and aligned with best practices in digital communication, including search optimization and usability standards.

A strong candidate will bring a data-driven mindset to the organization. The Communications Director will leverage analytical tools and performance metrics to guide strategy, evaluate impact, and inform decision-making. This includes utilizing website and social media analytics, engagement metrics, sentiment analysis, and audience insights to refine messaging and outreach efforts. The Director will oversee proactive social media management strategies, including content planning, scheduling, real-time engagement, performance tracking, and continuous improvement informed by analytics. By grounding communications strategies in data, the Director will ensure resources are allocated effectively and messaging resonates with diverse audiences across the community.

The Director must also demonstrate exceptional skill in translating complex, technical, or policy-driven information into clear, accessible, and audience-centered messaging. Whether communicating budget priorities, infrastructure projects, public safety initiatives, or crisis updates, the Director will ensure that information is presented in ways that are transparent, understandable, and meaningful to residents and stakeholders.

The Communications Director will serve as the steward of the City’s brand — ensuring that all messaging strengthens public trust, enhances reputation, and reflects the City’s values and priorities. This includes creating proactive, analytics-informed communications that engage residents, visitors, and business owners, as well as leading communications during high-profile initiatives, major events, and crisis situations with real-time monitoring and strategic responsiveness.

As a key member of the City Manager’s leadership team, the Director will collaborate across departments and with elected leadership to help shape programs, services, and community initiatives that advance organizational goals and improve quality of life for the people of Greensboro.

This Exempt position offers the opportunity to lead a talented team, influence citywide strategy, and play a central role in building an informed, connected, and engaged community.

About the Organization:

The City of Greensboro is governed under a Council-Manager form of government, with the council serving as the legislative body of City government. City council is composed of a mayor and eight council members who serve four-year terms. The council is responsible for setting and directing policy regarding operations of City government, as well as approving the City’s budget of $830.6M, which supports 2,800 full-time, 200 part-time, and up to 1,000 temporary and seasonal employees across many departments. The City Manager serves as the chief executive officer of the City and is responsible for the execution of council policy and for the management of day-to-day City government operations.

Learn more about the City of Greensboro by visiting www.greensboro-nc.gov 

Salary and Benefits: The full salary range for the position is $119,856-$214,479 with eligibility for additional executive compensation of $4,320 annually.  As a City employee, the Communications Director participates in the North Carolina Local Governmental Employees’ Retirement System (NCLGERS), which includes a 6% pre-tax employee contribution and a City-funded employer contribution, with vesting after five years.

Supplemental retirement savings opportunities include participation in a 401(a) plan with a 3.25% City contribution based on base salary, as well as 457 / Roth 457 and 401(k) / Roth 401(k) plans. For highly experienced executives, the City may recognize prior public sector service through adjusted leave accrual rates and initial leave balances, consistent with established policies. Learn more about the City’s generous benefits package here.

As with all individuals appointed as City Department Directors, the Communications Director must live within a 30-mile radius of the Greensboro city limits within 12 months of their appointment.

Requirements

Minimum Qualifications:

•         Bachelor’s Degree and 7 or more years of experience in marketing communications, preferably within the non-profit government sector OR Associate’s Degree and 10 or more years of experience in the above mentioned areas
•         Minimum of 5 years of supervision/management of teams engaged in corporate communications, public relations, video production or social media 

An Ideal Candidate Would Also Possess (Preferred Qualifications):

•         Budget/financial experience
•         Municipal government management experience at the senior or executive level
•         Prior media and publication experience