Career Center

Director of Public Relations and Communications

Salary: $147,468.00 - $185,436.00 Annually
Job Type: Full Time
Job Number: Director of Public Relations
Closing: 10/9/2023 11:59 PM Pacific
Location: Norwalk, CA
Department: Director of Public Relations
Division: Public Affairs

Description
Equity and Diversity
The District is strongly committed to achieving staff diversity and the principles of equal opportunity employment. The District encourages a diverse pool of applicants and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, ancestry, sex, age, religion, marital status, disability, or sexual orientation in any of its policies, procedures or practices. In fact, the college encourages applications from all segments of qualified people.

Closing Date
This position will close on October 9, 2023 at 11:59 PM

College Profile
Cerritos College is ranked 14th among the top 100 schools with the highest Hispanic enrollment in the United States by the United States Department of Education. Cerritos College serves as a comprehensive community college for southeastern Los Angeles County. Communities within the college's district include Artesia, Bellflower, Cerritos, Downey, Hawaiian Gardens, La Mirada, Norwalk, and portions of Bell Gardens, Lakewood, Long Beach, Santa Fe Springs and South Gate. Cerritos College offers degrees and certificates in more than 180 areas of study in nine divisions. Enrollment currently averages 20,000 students. Visit Cerritos College online at www.cerritos.edu.

Summary
Under general direction, plans, supervises, assesses, organizes and implements the District's activities to create a positive and constructive connection with external relations. The position implements strategies to realize District initiatives and goals in respect to public arena.

Distinguishing Career Features
The Director of Public Relations and Communications reports to the President/Superintendent and is responsible for assisting with maintaining sound District relations with, but not limited to, public relations, media relations, advertising, marketing, public information, and community relations. The Director oversees the District's web administration.

Job Duties
Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Provides leadership, sets goals, plans, implements, assesses, organizes and implements objectives for the District's external relations including media, advertising, marketing, public information, and community relations.
• Administers, plans, and implements public information, marketing and information dissemination outreach, internal community and community relations programs to create and maintain a favorable image of the College and to keep the public informed of the District programs, course, policies, activities and concern.
• Assists the President/Superintendent and the Board of Trustees in responding to and interacting with the news media, local elected officials and their staff, and the public at large.
• Coordinates and works with District research, planning, and development functions and identified opportunities to strengthen, through local research, outreach, and communications/marketing programs.
• Represents and serves as a District's Public Information Officer (PIO) for the college to various media and groups. Establishes networks, rapport, and positive relationships with the communities in the District.
• Develops and implements the college's advertising and marketing plans to support outreach, visibility, recruiting, and enrollment management strategies. Consults with college divisions, departments, programs, and offices in developing marketing, advertising, website, and promotional and public relations materials. Approve the designs for all such materials.
• Directs college-wide image and branding efforts and enforces institutional graphics standards. Reviews district publications for clarity of format and content and conformity to District's printing and graphic standards. Responsible for insuring accuracy of print and online publications related to the area of responsibility.
• Directs and coordinates the college's media relations plans and strategies, including relations with print and broadcast outlets. Draft press releases, op-ed pieces, letter to the editor and holds media briefings when needed.

Oversees the District's web administration

• Coordinates the planning and implementation of the District's events for the purpose of outreach to our internal and external constituents; facilitate community outreach programs to ensure college's presence at events, conferences and general meetings. Arranges for campus tours/visits from local elected officials and other members of the community.
• Provide a clearinghouse for information about the college history, activities, and future plans and take pictures and video clips to use in publications and maintain a repository photographs and videos as needed.
• Attends Board of Trustees meetings, and in the communities of the District. Participates in management responsibilities including meetings, committees, and assignments.
• Develops and monitors budgets and maximizes financial resources.
• Remains current on legislation and regulations affecting assigned area to adjust programs and/or services to assure compliance as required. Assists the District in advocacy settings.
• Leads, supervises, trains and evaluates assigned personnel, including but not limited to multi-media specialists, and arts cultural promotions specialist. Certifies payroll for assigned personnel. Applies the terms and provisions of applicable collective bargaining agreements; state and federal laws; and District Board Policies and Administrative Procedures.
• Anticipates, prevents, and resolves conflicts and problems under areas of supervision.
• Participates in and supports the accreditation process.
• Participates in community, state, and national organizations and meetings.
• Participates on committees, task forces, and special assignments.
• Maintains currency of knowledge and skills related to the duties and responsibilities.
• Performs other related duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications
Requires a bachelor's degree in public administration, public relations, communications, marketing, journalism, or related field or the equivalent. Five years of experience in communications, public information, marketing and/or public relations including two years of leading or managing professional and technical communications personnel.

Understanding of and sensitivity to meeting the needs of the diverse academic, socioeconomic, cultural, disability and ethnic background of the student, community, and employee population.

Preferred Qualifications for Experience
Four or more years of experience of professional-level experience in managing a communications, public relations, or related program, which must have included experience with various media sources such as social media, web-based, broadcast, and print media. Five years of increasingly responsible experience in educational administration, preferably at the community college or K-12 level. Verbal and written bi-lingual skills in Spanish. Master's degree in the previously listed disciplines is preferred.

Knowledge and Skills
This position requires professional knowledge of:

• Philosophy and objectives of the community college.
• Principles of communications and public relations and its role in advancing an organizational agenda
• Principles, theories, practices, and techniques of marketing, branding, and advertising
• Communications media sources and their most effective uses, including print, broadcast, web, and social media.
• Methods and techniques of preparing and disseminating news releases and securing media placements.
• Design content and production of marketing and public relations materials.
• Objectives and interests of professional, employee, student, business and community groups and organizations impacting the District.
• Organization, functions, and inter-relationships of various operating units of the District.
• Capabilities of computer applications, systems and hardware used in the field of communications including but not limited to internet environments and desktop publishing
• Research methods and techniques.
• Principles of conflict resolution and crisis management.
• Principles of supervision, training, and staff development.
• Development, maintenance and administration of a budget.
• Principles of functional leadership, training and performance evaluation.

This position requires demonstrated skills in:

• Developing assessment and evaluation processes that enhance success and outcomes.
• Strategic planning in organization and management practices and print and media relations.
• Oral and written language skills to prepare detailed reports, professional correspondence and media releases.
• Human relations/interpersonal skills in order to develop effective working relationships, conduct performance reviews, and convey technical information to varied and diverse audiences.

Abilities
This position requires the ability to:

• Plan, develop, direct, and maintain a strategic communications, public
  relations, marketing, and external relations program for the District
• Be open to change and new methods in the assigned area of responsibility.
  Continuously engage in learning and self-improvement.
• Meet change with innovation to promote and meet the college mission.
• Organize, plan, develop, and write new programs, develop new concepts, analyze outcomes, and prepare clear and concise reports.
• Advocate for shared governance, collegiality, and staff cohesiveness and for the core values of the institution.
• Coordinate and direct the production and distribution of a wide variety of promotional materials
• Evaluate the public relations value of information
• Present information on a wide variety of subjects using the full array of written, oral, and visual formats and techniques for diverse media outlets
• Identify the characteristics of diverse target audiences and determine the most effective communications techniques for reaching and motivating these groups for maximum support of District programs, services, and activities.
• Assess situations accurately, adopt an effective course of action, and maintain composure in all situations
• Establish community networks and positive working relationships with the community, elected officials, business and community leaders, and college faculty, staff, and students.
• Anticipate conditions, plan ahead, establish priorities, and meet schedules
• Requires the ability to commit to a comprehensive, student-oriented environment that facilitates learning and student development.
• Motivate, direct, train, and develop others.

Physical Abilities
This position requires the physical ability to:

• Function in an office environment performing work of primarily a sedentary nature with some requirement to move about campus and to off-campus locales.
• The person in this position frequently communicates with members of the campus community through various modalities. Must be able to exchange accurate information in these situations.
• Constantly operates a computer and other office productivity machinery, such as a calculator, copy machine, and computer printer.
• Must be able to recognize printed material (printed or online) for more than 50% of the expected work time.
• Requires the ability to lift, push, and pull objects of medium weight (less than 30 lbs.) on an occasional basis with or without accommodation.
• Work a flexible schedule which may include evenings, weekends, and split schedule.

Working Conditions
Work is performed mainly indoors where minimal safety considerations exist.

Supplemental Information
Special Requirements:
A valid Class 'C' California driver's license.
Travel to locations throughout the District community and other off-site events and meetings.

Required Documents
1. Cover Letter
2. Resume/Curriculum Vitae
3. Copy of Unofficial Transcripts (Must show all coursework completed and conferral date of the degree)

Application materials must be submitted by the closing date. Applicants who need special services or facilities due to disability in order to apply or interview for this position must notify Human Resources at the time of application or at least 72 hours prior to the closing date or date of a scheduled interview.

This is a full-time 12-calendar month classified manager position.
Employment is to be effective as soon as possible following completion of the selection process.

An annual stipend of $3,681 shall be provided to management employees with an earned doctorate degree.

Selection Procedure
After the application closing date, a search committee will review and invite the most qualified applicants for an interview. As these are highly competitive positions, meeting the minimum requirements does not guarantee an interview. If you have questions or would like to follow-up regarding your application, please contact Human Resources at HR@Cerritos.edu as search committee members are unable to discuss specific recruitments.
Conditions of Employment
Employment is to be effective as soon as possible following completion of the selection process. Individual who is offered employment shall be required to obtain fingerprints for a criminal history clearance through the State Department of Justice and remit the required fee for processing the fingerprints, Federal Bureau of Investigation (no fee if obtained at Cerritos College Campus Police Station), produce an original social security card, and submit negative TB test results (must be within the past four years or within the last 60 days if not previously employed in a school district in California) before employment.

Proof of eligibility to work in the United States and signing of loyalty oath per Government Codes 3100-3109.

Please note - the District does not provide for immigration sponsorships such as H1B Visas.

Board Policy 2905 requires mandatory COVID-19 vaccinations as a condition of employment. The District requires all employees to submit proof of full vaccination against COVID-19, as defined by the CDC. Full policy details can be found on the website; Cerritos College - Chapter 2 - Board of Trustees. Employees may submit requests for medical or religious exemptions to the vaccine mandate for consideration. Details are available on the District's COVID-19 webpage


To apply, visit https://www.schooljobs.com/careers/cerritosedu/jobs/4170120/director-of-public-relations-and-communications

The District ensures that all qualified applicants for employment and employees have full and equal access to employment opportunity, and are not subjected to discrimination in any program or activity of the District on the basis of national origin, religion, age, sex or gender, race, color, medical condition, ancestry, sexual orientation, marital status, veteran status, physical or mental disability, or because he or she is perceived to have one or more of the foregoing characteristics, or based on association with a person or group with one or more of these actual or perceived characteristics. .





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