Sr. Communications Manager - Water Programs - SFPUC (9251) (158851)

About the External Affairs
The External Affairs Bureau at the SFPUC oversees the agency's local, state and federal legislative and policy activities, communications, community engagement, community benefits, and environmental justice program. The Communications Division guides the SFPUC’s brand and promotes the agency’s programs, initiatives, and services to internal and external stakeholders.  Our goal is to build trust and engagement among our partners, customers, employees, and the communities we serve through equitable, open, and timely communication.    

Role Description
The Senior Communications Manager for Water leads a diverse team that supports the SFPUC’s water operations, which span nearly the width of the state of California. This position is responsible for developing and executing campaigns that increase awareness, elevate perception, and drive strategic messaging for the agency’s water programs, projects, and initiatives. That includes for internal and external audiences. A major component of the work is creative, robust, and culturally competent outreach for major construction projects. Other responsibilities include brand public relations, program/project marketing, crisis communications, and leadership of the Water Communications Team.

Essential Duties:

• Works closely with the department head, commissioners and senior management to develop and execute effective communications strategies (both internal and external) for water utility projects, programs, and operations. Uses metrics to track effectiveness. Presents findings to executive leadership.  
• Designs and implements creative, robust, and culturally competent outreach for major construction projects across Northern California.   
• Independently plans, implements, and supervises events relating to departmental activities, such as construction groundbreakings, community townhalls, historic recognition ceremonies, and special events.  
• Mentors and leads a team of five direct reports who operate in diverse communities across a broad geographic area.   
• Prepares speeches for senior water executives and other agency leaders.  
• Answers or oversees responses to public complaints.    
• Participates in the after-hours on-call rotation to provide public information in response to emergencies and needed repairs, like water main breaks.  
• Creates, produces, oversees and edits reports, policies, brochures and other materials for distribution to the public; may function as publications editor in writing, reviewing, and supervising updates of publications, including coordinating all aspects of the publication process.    
• Revises and updates departmental publications regarding changes in departmental services and facilities, as necessary.    
• May represent the department, including the department head, to the media as well as before the Board of Supervisors, various community groups, nonprofit agencies, regional partners and delegates from other cities and countries.
• Develops and coordinates strategic public relations campaigns with community partners, influential organizations, and other City departments.

The Class 9251 performs other related duties and responsibilities as assigned.