Director of Public Information

ORGANIZATION:
Mecklenburg County is home to over a million residents and the City of Charlotte. With 6.9 million residents within 100 miles, Mecklenburg County and Charlotte lie in the heart of a region that is the sixth largest urban area in the United States. Mecklenburg County has the largest population of any county in the State of North Carolina. The County includes the City of Charlotte; the towns of Cornelius, Davidson, and Huntersville (north of Charlotte); and the towns of Matthews, Mint Hill, and Pineville (south and southeast of Charlotte). With a world-renowned park and recreation system, a range of professional and minor league sports teams, and diverse communities, people who come to Mecklenburg County find an energized downtown (also known as “Uptown”) and a variety of living options. This access has helped attract several Fortune 500 and 1000 companies that bring millions of investment dollars into the local economy.

With an annual operating budget of $2.5 billion and over 6,000 employees, Mecklenburg County is governed by the Mecklenburg Board of County Commissioners (BOCC). The BOCC is a nine-member board made up of representatives elected from six single-member districts, and three at-large representatives elected by the entire county. Mecklenburg County contains seven municipalities including the City of Charlotte.

As one of the largest counties in North Carolina, Mecklenburg County is recognized by Niche.com, a market leader in connecting colleges and schools with students and families, as one of the Best Counties for Families in North Carolina (#2), Best Counties for Young Professionals in North Carolina (#2), and Most Diverse Counties in North Carolina (#3). Mecklenburg County has also been recognized as one of the hottest housing markets in 2024 (#7) by Zillow.

For more information please visit MeckNC.gov.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:
The individual who occupies this position will lead the professional work in developing and administering communications efforts at all levels of the organization to identify, recommend, develop, implement, and support effective commutations and public information, products, services, and outcomes that meet the needs of Mecklenburg County’s customers. This position is responsible for providing leadership and guidance and participates in regional, statewide, and national discussions and professional societies, initiatives, and meetings. The position is currently being recruited to plan for future incumbent retirement in 2025.

Specific duties will include, but not necessarily be limited to:

Provide leadership and oversight to department projects, initiatives, and personnel.
Lead the development, implementation, and management of the division’s annual operating budget and business plan.
Provide guidance, direction, and services to ensure the County’s approach to communication and public relations is comprehensive, appropriate, effective, and innovative.
Participate in the development and advancement of the County’s communications channels.
Participate in the development of strategic planning for the County’s online presence.
Develop and enhance professional working relationships with community resources, partner agencies, and organizations.
Provide information on communication and public relations efforts.
Direct and monitor staff to include: prioritize and assign work; conduct performance evaluations; ensure staff are trained; ensure that employees follow policies and procedures; maintain a healthy and safe work environment; and make hiring, termination, and disciplinary recommendations.
Evaluate organization and stakeholder audience relationships.
Speak in public and manage the strategic distribution of information.
Review and analyze public relations materials and information.
Develop strategic plans and conduct research.
Plan and organize media events and news conferences.
Develop and administer budgets.
Design, write, and manage the execution of communication plans.
Other duties as assigned.

QUALIFICATIONS / SKILLS / KNOWLEDGE / ABILITIES:

Minimum of 10 years’ experience in Public Relations, Communications, or related experience and three years’ supervisory experience.

Knowledge of the principles and methods of planning and conducting a large-scale public relations program.
Knowledge of technical processes involved in printing, film production, and other media techniques.
Knowledge of the principles of public administration and relations planning and strategies.
Knowledge of journalistic principles and techniques for disseminating information to the public through a variety of media.
Knowledge of the principles and practices in media and community relations.
Adaptable and able to maintain effectiveness when experiencing major changes in work responsibilities or environment; adjusting effectively to work within new work structures, processes, requirements, or cultures.
Able to align performance for success by focusing and guiding others in accomplishing work objectives.
Able to build partnerships by identifying opportunities and taking action to build strategic relationships between one’s area and other areas, teams, departments, units, or organizations to help achieve business goals.
Able to build strategic work relationships by developing and using collaborative relationships to facilitate the accomplishment of work goals.
Collaborate to work effectively and cooperatively with others; establish and maintain good working relationships.
Able to be a decision maker who can identify and understand issues, problems, and opportunities; compare data from different sources to draw conclusions; use effective approaches for choosing a course of action or develop appropriate solutions; take action that is consistent with available facts, constraints, and probably consequence.
Adept at formal presentations; able to present ideas effectively to individuals or groups when given time to prepare and deliver presentations suited to the characteristics and needs of the audience.
Skilled planner and organizer; able to establish courses of action for self and others to ensure that work is completed efficiently.
Bachelor’s degree in Communications, Public Relations, or related field.
Valid driver’s license in North Carolina or South Carolina.
Must obtain and maintain a Mecklenburg County Operator’s Permit.

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS:
Compensation will be commensurate with experience including a competitive base salary and a generous benefits package, including medical, dental, vision care, flexible spending accounts, short- and long-term disability, as well as basic and supplemental term life insurance. The selected candidate will be automatically enrolled into the North Carolina Local Government Retirement System upon their employment. In addition, there is optional participation in one of the two deferred compensation plans, a 457 Plan or 401(k) Plan, with a 5% match from the County.

CONTACT INFORMATION:
Jonas Hedin, Managing Partner
[email protected]
704.377.0362