SANTA ANA UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT

CHIEF COMMUNICATIONS OFFICER

BASIC FUNCTION:

Under the direction of the Superintendent and/or designee, disseminate information regarding both the philosophy of the District, as established by the Board of Education, and its programs; develop and coordinate the District's public information programs and events; prepare press and media releases; establish effective vehicles for communicating internally within the District and with the community at large.

REPRESENTATIVE DUTIES:

Plans and administers the District’s communication activities by:

Consulting with and advising the Superintendent and others on the most effective means of informing the public and the staff about matters of particular interest and sensitivity.  E

Consulting with the Superintendent and senior staff to ensure that all internal and external communications reflect the policies and positions supported by the District.  E

Coordinating media and editorial board briefing and press conferences.  E 

Coordinating public information relative to new or developing programs; writing or reviewing articles, press releases, reports, scripts, and statements; and advising District administrators on public-relations aspects of such programs. E

Developing and promoting strategies for school, Division and District level communications programs for parents, public and staff.  E

Developing and maintaining a proactive communications program with the public, District staff, and the media.  E

Initiating and maintaining communications with the non-English speaking media and the populations they represent.  E

Providing training for Board and staff members regarding relations with the news media.  E

Serving as District spokesperson for the Board of Education and the Superintendent in contacts with the media and a wide variety of public and private organizations.  E

Writing or reviewing reports and speeches for the Superintendent and senior staff.  E

Directs and reviews the administration of the Offices of Communications and its programs involving relations with news media, regular and special communications with District personnel, assistance to administrators in the area of communications, and related activities.  E

Serves as a member of the Superintendent’s executive staff; gathers information and informs the Superintendent and others on emerging situations; and services as media liaison among the Superintendent, Board Members, and District staff.  E

Provides for contacts and immediate responsiveness to emergencies and crisis at all times including receiving and assessing information, cooperating with the news media and others, and informing and coordinating appropriate District personnel.  E

Represents the District or the Superintendent at meetings, host important visitors, and consult with and assist media personnel regarding special projects or programs.  E

Oversees the preparation and dissemination of public relations issues for the purpose of ensuring that the information is accurately and effectively distributed and that a positive district image is maintained throughout the community.  E

Responds to issues involving a wide variety of people, conflicts in policies and regulations, community concerns, and parental requests that may result in some negative impact and/or liability if not appropriately addressed (e.g. staff, administration, parents, students, community members, law enforcement agencies, other school districts, college representatives, etc.) for the purpose of identifying the issues and recommending or implementing a plan of action that will efficiently resolve the issue.  E

Participates in a variety of meetings as required (e.g. workshops, inter and intra district committees, community and public agencies, seminars, conferences, etc.) for the purpose of conveying and gathering information regarding a wide variety of subjects required to carry out their administrative responsibilities. 

Encourage media stories and provide responses to requests for information that provide effective public understanding of District issues, objectives and accomplishments.  E

Supervise and evaluate the performance of assigned personnel; interview and select employees and recommend transfers, reassignment, termination and disciplinary actions.  E

Perform other related duties as assigned.  

KNOWLEDGE AND ABILITIES:

KNOWLEDGE OF:

     K-12 Public Education.

     Functioning of city, county, and state government.

     Principles and practices of public information programs and

     the operations of public media.

     Form and content of general news, features, and human interest stories.

     English composition and writing for a broad public readership.

     Public speaking, research methods, fact sources and

     statistical presentations.

     City and community.

ABILITY TO

     Write creatively, clearly, and interestingly for broad

      public appeal as well as specialized audiences.

      Present material simply, graphically, and pictorially.

      Maintain effective personal relationships with press and

      Media representatives, educators, parents, and the public.

      Speak and act for others within careful bounds of stated or

      implied policy. 

      Perform the essential functions of the job.

      To communicate orally and in writing in both English and Spanish.

      Perform the essential functions of the job.

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE:

A Bachelor's degree in journalism, public relations, communi­cations, English, creative writing, public administration or similar field and four years of experience in journalism, media writing, public relations, or communications, having increasing responsibility for working with policy level management. 

LICENSES AND OTHER REQUIREMENTS:

Valid California driver's license.

WORKING CONDITIONS:

     ENVIRONMENT:

     Office/school environment.

     Numerous interruptions.

     Driving a vehicle to conduct work.

PHYSICAL ABILITIES:

     Hearing and speaking accurately to exchange information in

     person or on the telephone.

     Seeing to read a variety of materials and drive a vehicle.

     Sitting or standing for extended periods of time.

     Lifting or moving objects, normally not exceeding twenty (20) pounds.

Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable a person with a disability to perform the essential functions of the job.

 Board Approved:  2/28/12