Director of Communications

Employment Benefits

: First day of employment coverage under the State Employee Health Plan (SEHP) for medical and prescription drug coverage and dental plan. Additional voluntary options including vision, hospital indemnity, accident and critical illness insurance plans and flexible spending accounts. SEHP members and their covered family members have access to the HealthQuest Health Center at 9th and Kansas Avenue in Topeka for in person and virtual health care services. Sick & Vacation leave Work-Life Balance programs: parental leave, military leave, jury leave, funeral leave Paid State Holidays (designated by the Governor annually) Employee discounts with the Retirement and deferred compensation programs

Visit the Employee Benefits page for more information.

Position Summary:

Director of Communications

The Kelly-Toland Administration (the “administration”) seeks to create an inclusive and collaborative environment where hardworking, energetic and talented individuals work together, on behalf of the people of Kansas, to make our state the best place to live, work and raise a family.

The Director of Communications (the “director”) leads the internal and external communications teams to advance the administration’s advocacy priorities, through the development and deployment of a strategic communications plan, to strengthen and protect the reputation of the State of Kansas and the administration. The director serves at the point of contact for all media—national, state, local and digital for the governor’s office. The director fosters and maintains relationships with national colleagues, peers from other states and media contacts who are interested in the activities of our state government.

The director is responsible for driving the state’s overarching communications strategy through targeted, issue-specific and cross-cutting communications that are designed to reach members of the media, the public, lawmakers, community leaders and other key opinion leaders throughout the state. The director also works closely with communications colleagues from across cabinet agencies and other agencies/boards/commissions, statewide officeholder/legislative leadership offices and identified stakeholder groups to implement the internal and external communications strategy for the state and advance the administration’s priorities, as appropriate.

The director is based in the governor’s executive offices in the statehouse, Topeka, Kansas, and reports to the deputy chief of staff.

Core Responsibilities

Develop a global message framework and talking points for use in all administration outreach efforts. The global messaging should form the bedrock of all communications and should be incorporated into the administration’s branding across platforms and utilized in agency messaging/communications, as appropriate. Develop a broad, Annual Strategic Communications Plan (ASCP) for the administration that includes, but is not limited to: media goals/objectives that align with advocacy priorities and administration values, a media strategy for reaching the identified goals/objectives, messaging/talking points and metrics for measuring the effectiveness of the ASCP. The ASCP should incorporate agency input and the final product should be provided to cabinet secretaries and agency communications teams, as appropriate, to ensure message discipline and adherence. Develop a detailed, Quarterly Strategic Communications Plan (QSCP), based on the ASCP, for the administration that includes, but is not limited to: media goals/objectives that align with advocacy priorities and administration values, a media strategy for reaching the identified goals/objectives, messaging/talking points and metrics for measuring the effectiveness of the QSCP. The QSCP should incorporate agency input and the final product should be provided to cabinet secretaries and agency communications teams, as appropriate, to ensure message discipline and adherence. Develop and maintain a high quality and up-to-date digital/social media presence, incorporated into the ASCP & QSCP, including audience segmentation/targeting and partner engagement, with an eye toward strategic policy advocacy and nuance, media tracking and measurement. Develop communications plans and craft key messages, Q&A, press releases, fact sheets and other media materials for administration priorities and for rapid response to inaccurate information from outside sources. Build relationships with the national, state, local and digital media and track opportunities for engagement on the administration’s priority issues and values. Handle day-to-day media requests and liaise with colleagues across the administration, internal and external, to ensure a timely and accurate response to all media inquiries. Lead proactive responses to breaking news, as appropriate, ensuring the administration’s voice is heard with respect to our stated priorities, goals and values. Lead proactive media engagement around advocacy for key issues and manage the governor and lieutenant governor’s communications needs for trips and events, as necessary. Collaborate across the administration’s agency and regional communications teams to coordinate digital and social media strategy, as outlined in the ASCP & QSCP, to advance the administration’s stated priorities, goals and values. The collaboration should also include a review of industry-specific media opportunities and to develop new media content/engagement opportunities. Maintain a strong connection with the administration’s agency and regional communications teams and hold regular meetings of these teams, in order to foster better executive-to-agency communication, teamwork and message discipline/adherence. Develop a rapid response plan for the administration and a contingency plan/procedure for dissemination of information in the event of an accident, natural disaster, threat or other identified emergency news event. Participate in projects and special initiatives, drawing on resources from across communication platforms, to deliver on the needs of assigned agencies and state government as a whole. Responsible for high-quality interactions and clear and consistent communication with administration partners, community stakeholders and other identified advocates/supporters, to advance the administration’s priority issues and values. Collaborate on and support the development of external communication activities for members of the administration’s executive leadership team. Provide to the chief of staff and deputy chief of staff a weekly memo regarding the operation of the operations and scheduling department within the Governor’s Office. Regularly liaise with the administration’s executive leadership and consultants to track and evaluate the impact of external media strategies and tactics.

Core Expertise

Proactively plan, lead and execute internal and external communication projects and campaigns that align with, articulate, support and reinforce key messages, priorities, initiatives and administration values, as well as influence a positive culture and engaged workforce.

The director’s core function is to develop, unify and align communications for the administration, including responding to crises and setbacks. The director will create, write, edit, organize, plan and implement effective messages and strategies to be used across platforms and in various audiences. The director must be a sharp, effective, and media-savvy communications professional, with experience developing and implementing communications strategies, and working closely with media on behalf of governmental entities. The director must be able to synthesize information and express complex concepts in a clear and compelling manner, including the ability to translate technical policy/program and/or legislative language into messages that can be easily understood by members of the public. The director will ensure high-quality, high-impact communications are created for both internal and external audiences that advance the administration’s priorities and values. The director must possess a strong sense of curiosity, excellent judgment, and willingness to collaborate across teams. The director must also be able to write/edit well – and quickly. Some national exposure or experience with national media is preferred.

Leadership

Leader, mentor, coach and motivator. Proactively lead and manage a team of communications staff and volunteers to implement communications/media strategies. Provide guidance and management in the area of external/internal communications and marketing through print, broadcast and platforms for the administration’s communications.

Planning

Advanced project management skills, including: development and management of project scopes, schedules and budgets, including staffing plans and workflow management. Responsible for developing the ASCP/QSCP, message framing, communication ideas, calendaring and statewide/leadership-specific initiatives.

Creativity

Continually look for ways to communicate more effective programs in imaginative ways that will support the goals and values of the administration.

Public Relations

Assess, determine and manage the most effective ways to communicate a message to its intended audience. Collect data from appropriate agencies; research, write, edit and publish releases, alerts, statements, articles, and other materials in support of the administration’s mission. Manage the approval process for all communications.

Organizational

Understand the vision of the administration and organize messaging in a way that best reflects those priorities and values. Solicit information from agencies and leadership to ensure timely, accurate and concise information is provided to the public. Must have the ability to synthesize information and express complex concepts in a clear and compelling manner, including the ability to translate technical policy/program and/or legislative language that can be easily understood by the media and members of the public.

Other Duties as Assigned

Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities and activities may change at any time with or without notice.

Travel

Heavy local, in-state or regional travel individually or with the governor/lieutenant governor may be required. Travel of this nature may occur in official state vehicle(s) and/or executive aircraft and typically concludes within the same business day, as practical. Some out-of-the-area and overnight travel may be required.

Education and Experience

Bachelor’s degree in journalism, mass communications or related field, plus five (or more) years of relevant experience with progressive responsibility preferred. Senior level experience providing upper management and/or elected officials with policy recommendations, direction and guidance at public meetings and performing public speaking on a variety of current issues is desirable. Excellent interpersonal, oral and written communication skills, the ability to work well under pressure and balance multiple tasks of high priority. Must be discreet, possess independent judgement and maintain a keen attention to detail. As part of standard hiring process for new employees, employment with the Kelly-Toland Administration will be contingent upon successful completion of a background check and a state-law required drug test.

Work Environment

This position operates in a fast-paced and professional office environment with noise levels that are usually moderate. This role routinely uses standard office equipment such as computers, phones, photocopiers, filing cabinets and fax machines. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to talk or hear. The employee frequently is required to stand; walk; use hands and fingers to handle, feel or type; and reach with hands and arms.

The governor’s office maintains an official workday of 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM, Monday through Friday. However, this position is a member of the governor’s senior staff and is required to be accessible 24-hours a day and may be required to work long hours, nights, weekends and often under tight media or office-related deadlines, as required.

The director is an unclassified state employee.

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