Communications Specialist

4 days ago

Pleasanton, CA, United States City of Pleasanton, CA Full time
Salary : $101,816.00 - $123,760.00 Annually
Location : Pleasanton, CA
Job Type: Full-Time, Regular
Job Number: 202500066
Department: City Manager
Opening Date: 12/12/2025
Closing Date: 1/1/2026 11:59 PM Pacific
FLSA: Non-Exempt
Bargaining Unit: PCEA

The City of Pleasanton is seeking a talented and versatile Communications Specialist to join its Communications team. This role is responsible for creating, managing, and delivering high-quality content across a variety of platforms to help residents stay informed and engaged with City services, programs, and initiatives. The Communications Specialist will collaborate with departments across the organization, support media relations and special events, and help ensure consistent, accessible messaging for the community. This is an opportunity to blend creativity, strategy, and public service in a fast-paced, meaningful role.
We're Looking for Someone Who Is
  • A strong communicator with excellent writing, editing, and storytelling abilities.
  • Creative, proactive, and able to bring ideas to life through graphics, photos, videos, and multimedia content.
  • Organized, adaptable, and comfortable managing multiple priorities and deadlines.
  • Collaborative, working effectively with staff across all City departments.
  • Detail-focused, ensuring accuracy, clarity, and consistency in all communications.
  • Passionate about public service and helping the community stay informed and engaged.
In This Role, You Will
  • Plan, produce, and distribute content for social media, the website, newsletters, press releases, and other platforms.
  • Manage day-to-day social media activity, monitoring engagement and public sentiment.
  • Update and maintain accurate, consistent, and accessible website content.
  • Create digital and print collateral, including graphics, photos, videos, and presentations.
  • Partner with departments to translate technical or complex topics into clear, engaging public communications.
  • Support special events, media inquiries, and organizational initiatives.
  • Serve as a Public Information Officer for assigned departments and act as backup PIO to the Communications Manager.
A Few Reasons You'll Love Working With Us
  • You'll contribute to high-visibility projects that directly benefit the Pleasanton community.
  • The work is highly creative, offering opportunities to produce graphics, videos, and compelling stories.
  • You'll collaborate with nearly every department in the City, gaining broad exposure to local government operations.
  • You'll join a supportive, innovative Communications team that values creativity and continuous improvement.
  • The role is both strategic and hands-on, providing variety and opportunities to grow your skills.
A Few Challenges You Might Face
  • Managing multiple deadlines in a full-service City with many ongoing programs and priorities.
  • Translating complex technical information, such as water systems, infrastructure, and budget topics, into clear public messaging.
  • Maintaining a consistent tone, branding, and communication approach across diverse departments and subject areas.
  • Balancing urgent requests with long-term communication planning.
The Ideal Candidate Will Be
  • An experienced writer skilled in crafting clear, engaging, and accurate content across formats (press releases, newsletters, social media, web content).
  • Knowledgeable about modern communications strategies, including social media best practices, analytics, public engagement, and media relations.
  • Comfortable producing basic graphics, photos, videos, and other multimedia content.
  • Someone who works well independently while also thriving in a collaborative team environment.
  • Skilled at building relationships with staff, media, and community partners.
  • Able to think strategically about timing, audiences, messaging, and communication channels.
  • Creative, organized, adaptable, and committed to high-quality public service communication.
Typical Duties

  1. Participates in the development and implementation of Citywide communications goals, objectives, strategies, policies, and procedures.
  2. Utilizes and coordinates approved social media methods to communicate with the community.
  3. Utilizes social listening and monitoring tools to gauge metrics, public sentiment and insights.
  4. Assists with the maintenance of the City's website, to ensure information is shared with accuracy, consistency and quality.
  5. Establishes effective relationships with the press, radio, television and other media.
  6. Writes and disseminates press releases.
  7. Develops informational, educational, and outreach materials.
  8. Assists with the preparation and publication of City newsletters, ceremonial documents, speeches, talking points, and other digital and print collateral.
  9. Develops, coordinates, promotes, and participates in news conferences, special events, and other programs of public interest.
  10. Utilize graphic design, photography, video, web, multimedia, and presentation production tools and software.
  11. Works collaboratively with City departments to gather information to convey key initiatives accurately and effectively to the community.
  12. Serves as backup to the City's Public Information Officer, as necessary.
  13. May serve as a department Public Information Officer.
  14. Serves as a resource for staff in identifying and addressing public information needs; trains staff in policies and practices governing public information.
  15. Performs related duties as assigned.
Minimum Qualifications
Any equivalent combination of training and experience that would provide the knowledge, skills and abilities required to perform the essential duties of the job. A typical way to do this may be:

Education:

Equivalent to completion of the twelfth grade or GED equivalent, supplemented by college coursework in Public Administration, Marketing, Communications, or a closely related field.

Experience:

Two years of progressively responsible experience in the area of responsibility.

License:

Possession at the time of hire and continued maintenance of a valid Class C California driver's license is required.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES

Knowledge of:
  1. Modern communication and marketing concepts, techniques, and procedures including principles of public outreach, community relations, and public engagement.
  2. Production techniques for various print and electronic media.
  3. Basic functioning of print and broadcast news media, including familiarity with the local media marketplace and media relations relative to public-sector agencies.
  4. Pertinent state, federal and local laws, codes and regulations.
  5. Modern office practices, methods, and computer equipment including relevant software programs.
  6. Principles and practices of excellent customer service.
Skill to:
  1. Effectively utilize graphic design, photography, video, web, multimedia and presentation production.
  2. Read, write, and comprehend the English language at a level necessary for effective job performance.
  3. Communicate effectively, tactfully, and positively in both oral and written form.
  4. Operate and use modern office equipment and technology, including computers and applicable software.
  5. Create and participate in the development of drawings, charts, graphs, photographs, posters, and other illustrative materials used in publications and promotional projects.
Ability to:
  1. Identify opportunities for promoting the City and its message through non-traditional venues.
  2. Understand the City of Pleasanton's operations, services, structure and programs.
  3. Plan strategic Citywide communications.
  4. Translate complex information into understandable terms in order to engage a variety of audiences.
  5. Serve as an effective member of the Communication Team, while performing assigned tasks with a high degree of independence.
  6. Utilize mainstream social media channels and the target audience for each.
  7. Develop and maintain effective working relationships with a wide variety of City staff, agencies, organizations and vendors.
  8. Demonstrate an understanding and consideration of how actions will affect stakeholders and other areas of the organization.
  9. Maintain regular attendance and adhere to the prescribed work schedule, including occasional evenings and weekends, to conduct job responsibilities.
  10. Utilize appropriate safety procedures and practices for assigned duties.


Recruitment Process

Application: To be considered for this position, please submit your application through our online application process at www.cityofpleasantonca.gov. Click on "Job Opportunities".

SELECTION PLANApplicants will be informed via email with reasonable notice in advance of any examination process which will require their attendance. The following dates aretentative and subject to change based on the need of the Agency:
TENTATIVE SELECTION PLAN
Application Filing Deadline:
11:59 p.m. Thursday, January 1, 2026
Review of Minimum Qualifications:
Week of January 5, 2026
Phone Screen:Week of January 19, 2026Panel Interview:
Week of February 2, 2026
WE RESERVE THE RIGHT TO MAKE CHANGES TO THE ANNOUNCED RECRUITMENT & SELECTION PLAN
  • Choice of One of Four Comprehensive Health Plans
  • Dental and Vision Coverage Plans
  • Life Insurance and AD&D Coverage of $35,000
  • 11 Paid Holidays
  • Floating Holidays
  • Paid Sick Leave
  • Short/Long Term Disability Plans
  • Annual Vacation Beginning with 10 Days
  • Education Incentive Pay
  • 457 Deferred Compensation Plan, City Contribution - no required employee contribution
  • Section 125 Flexible Spending Account
  • Employee Assistance Program
  • CalPERS Retirement

01

Do you possess a valid California Driver's License?
  • Yes
  • No

02

What is your highest level of education?
  • Less than High School Graduate
  • High School/GED equivalent
  • Some College
  • Technical College
  • Associate's Degree
  • Bachelor's Degree
  • Master's Degree or higher

03

How many years of applicable experience do you have in public communications, media relations, community outreach, digital content creation, and/or supporting organizational messaging?
  • None
  • Less than two years
  • Two to four years
  • Four to six years
  • Six or more years

04

Please describe your relevant work experience in more detail, focusing on public communications, media relations, community outreach, digital content creation, and supporting organizational messaging. Do not type "see resume." Please type "N/A" if you have no experience.
05

Are you related to anyone that works for the City of Pleasanton?
  • Yes
  • No

06

If you answered "Yes" that you are related to someone who works for the City of Pleasanton - please provide the following information: The name of the individual (first and last). The department your relations work for. If you answered, "No", enter N/A into the dialogue box.
Required Question

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