Director of Communications

The Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry (ODAFF) is seeking a full-time Director of Communications. This position is in state government, located in Oklahoma City, OK. The State of Oklahoma offers a comprehensive Benefits Package, including a generous benefit allowance to offset the cost of insurance premiums for employees and their eligible dependents.

The annual pay for this position is up to $100,000 based on education and experience.

Position Description: This position is assigned the responsibilities involving professional communication and management of the agency’s goals and missions. This includes managing, coordinating or directing all communications for the agency and providing guidance to staff in various management areas, including the coordination, promotion, and improvement of programs, providing services in the areas of formulating agency policies or operating procedures, and other management functions, supervising specialized agency services, performing highly technical managerial duties, or other comparable managerial responsibilities.

Typical Functions

• Plans, organizes and/or directs all responses to daily media inquiries, press releases, coordinates media interviews, press events and collaborates with senior leadership on all other communication and media components to accomplish a basic goal or mission of the agency.
• Plans Strategic communications and outreach to promote agency goals and program efforts.
• Creates and supports the creation of written and digital content and material such as social media, presentations, infographics and flyers; proofing and editing material for clarity, grammar and style.
• Prepares administrative, statistical and/or fiscal documents pertaining to departmental activity.
• Provides supervision or directions to assigned staff in planning, promoting, and implementing programs in accordance with agency policies and goals.
• Monitors media projects to ensure proper assignment of staffing, funding and specifications.
• Advises on future resource requirements, priorities for programs and activities; estimates timetables for accomplishing assigned activities; develops policies, rules, and regulations consistent with state and federal laws pertaining to the administration of programs.
• Plans, develops and conducts training, seminars, meetings, or clinics as required; represent the agency at meetings, seminars, and conferences.
• Drafts policies and procedures advising divisions on effective communication and implementation.
  
  

Level Description: At this level employees are assigned responsibilities, which are limited in size or scope involving the supervision, direction, management, coordination, or implementation of various programs or functions within an agency. This may include professional or supervisory level work with responsibility for an important component of a comprehensive or specialized operating program, providing services in a variety of management areas such as formulation of agency policies, budget preparation, physical plan operations, or personnel and fiscal management, or performing highly specialized executive level administrative support functions and activities.

Education and Experience: At this level consist of a bachelor's degree in journalism, English or a related field and six years of professional-level experience in writing, editing, radio and/or television, public relations or serving as a public information manager; or an equivalent combination of education and experience.

Knowledge, Skill, and Abilities: Required at this level include knowledge of the methods of organization and management; of public administration; of agency policies and procedures public relations principles and techniques; of gathering and analyzing data; of planning, composing and editing; of various media used to present information to the public; and of supervisory practices and techniques. Ability is required to communicate effectively; to analyze situations and make decisions; to establish and maintain effective working relationships with others; to exercise good judgment in analyzing situations and making decisions; and to organize and present facts and opinions.

Physical Demands and Work Environment: This position is set in a climate-controlled office environment with minimal travel required throughout the year. This position is a stationary position often required to remain in a stationary position more than 50% of the time while operating office equipment and communicating with both employee and non-employees. On occasion some travel including overnight stays may be required.

Additional Information

This position is subject to a twelve-month probationary period.

The Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry has determined that some positions in this job family are safety sensitive as defined by 63 O.S.

• 427.8.
  
  

Reasonable accommodation for individuals with disabilities may be provided upon request.