Job Description

About the Department

The San José City Council consists of ten Councilmembers elected by district and a Mayor elected at-large, each for four-year terms. The Mayor and Council represent the residents of San José, and are responsible for providing accountability, reviewing public policy and programs, and adopting those policies which best meet the needs of the residents, visitors, and businesses in San José.

The Mayor serves as the political leader of San José, and under the City Charter, is responsible for communications for the City, in addition to recommending policy, program, and budget priorities.

Digital Media Specialist for the City of San Jose

• The Digital Media Specialist will develop and execute digital marketing campaigns and social media content creation. The Digital Media Specialist will also assist in creating and executing digital media strategy that follows the larger strategic communications plan designed by the CCO and Digital Director for policy initiatives, programs, and annual budget messages.
• The Digital Media Specialist will evaluate social media analytics and emerging digital trends to create innovative, creative content that has the potential to go viral, while still aligning with the Mayor’s larger messaging. 
• The Digital Media Specialist is responsible for designing the Mayor’s graphics, ranging from social media posts to presentation slide decks, and aligning it with the Mayor’s branding. 
• The Digital Media Specialist will capture content, edit short form video content using Capcut or similar softwares, draft social media captions, and upload posts across a range of social media platforms.
• The Digital Media Specialist will utilize Constant Contact, Mailchimp, or similar softwares to design, segment, and send email campaigns, including a bi-weekly newsletter. The Digital Media Specialist will also assist in growing the newsletter list, segmenting targeted email lists, and managing the larger audience/contact database.
• The Digital Media Specialist is responsible for managing Zoom webinars and other virtual community meetings, including registration, administrative hosting tasks, and other technical components.
• The Digital Media Specialist will utilize Squarespace to design and maintain the Mayor’s website. 
• The Digital Media Specialist will collaborate with staff responsible for speechwriting and media relations for speaking engagements, such as presentations and press conferences.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

The ideal candidate will have the background, experience, and knowledge to demonstrate:

• Success in developing and executing comprehensive digital media strategies that align with overarching communications objectives across different platforms.
• Exceptional creativity in crafting compelling and shareable content across various digital platforms, including social media, websites, and video channels.
• Strong understanding of social media marketing strategy and the entire social marketing mix—paid, organic, owned and earned.
• Demonstrable track record of growing social audiences.
• Deep experience with web and social analytics tools; proficiency in metrics-based decision making. A forward-thinking mindset with the ability to introduce and implement innovative digital solutions that enhance the City's online presence and communication effectiveness.
• Skilled in using email marketing platforms to develop targeted outreach campaigns and analyze engagement metrics.
• Success in crafting language on politically sensitive subjects, with the skill to distill complex policy issues into easily accessible and digestible digital communications.
• An interest and understanding of local, statewide and national politics. 
• A strong commitment to public service.
• Willingness and ability to work nights and weekends as required, understanding the dynamic nature of digital media and the need for real-time engagement.

Preferred Skills and Experience 

• Strong communication and exceptional customer service skills, including the ability to work with individuals from diverse backgrounds and experiences with empathy and professionalism.
• Ability to manage multiple projects and tasks simultaneously, often under tight deadlines and in a changing, complex environment.
• Deep knowledge of local politics, including the South Bay, State, and Federal government.
• Bilingual language fluency in Spanish or Vietnamese (written and oral skills).

Education and Experience

• A Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university, with an emphasis in communication, information technology, digital marketing, journalism, public relations, public administration, traditional marketing, or a related field providing education in writing and public policy.
• Candidates must be willing to work frequent evenings and weekends, and as exempt management employees, are not eligible for overtime compensation. Employees in this classification are not members of the classified civil service and are appointed "at will."
• Each appointment is for a specified period of time to be determined by the appointing Mayor and does not extend past the end of the elected official's or appointing authority's term. This unclassified position requires a disclosure of outside investments, real property interest, income, and business positions.

To be considered for this position, you must fill out the online application on the City of San José website and submit the following:

• Cover Letter
• Resume
• Three (3) samples of past work (these samples must be your work product; best performing social posts, compelling videos, or a digital portfolio

The total salary range for the Mayor’s Chief Development Officer is $62K - $80K. This amount includes an approximate five percent (5%) ongoing non-pensionable pay. The actual salary shall be determined by the final candidates’ qualifications and experience.

Per the City’s COVID-19 Mandatory Vaccination Policy, the City requires all new hires to provide proof of vaccination as a condition of employment absent an approved medical or religious exemption. “Fully vaccinated” means the employee has received two doses of Pfizer, Moderna or Novavax or a single dose of Johnson & Johnson.

Please let us know immediately if you believe that you have a medical and/or religious exemption so you can be provided information on how to submit an exemption request and commence the interactive process. Please be advised that if you are eligible and have not been vaccinated but plan to do so, you will need to provide proof of vaccination prior to your start date. If you have any questions regarding the COVID-19 Mandatory Vaccination policy, please contact the Office of Employee Relations at employee.relations@sanjoseca.gov .

If you have questions about the duties of these positions, the selection or hiring processes, please contact tasha.dean@sanjoseca.gov.

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