Strategic Communications Manager Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Salary : $133,834.20 - $163,064.28 Annually
Location : Rancho Cordova, CA
Job Type: Full-Time Regular
Job Number: 00138
Department: Communications, Public Affairs and Community Engagement
Opening Date: 06/03/2026
Closing Date: 6/28/2026 11:59 PM Pacific
FLSA: Exempt
THE POSITION
Are you a strategic communications professional who is highly experienced in strategic communications, and leading high-performing teams? The City of Rancho Cordova invites you to apply for an exciting Communications Manager opportunity within the Communications & Public Affairs Department.
The City of Rancho Cordova is seeking a highly experienced, collaborative, and emotionally intelligent leader to oversee the City's communications program. In this role, you will guide efforts that inform and connect residents, businesses, community partners, and stakeholders while advancing initiatives that support the City's vision and strategic priorities.
Working under the general direction of the Communications & Public Affairs Director, the Communications Manager oversees the day-to-day operations of the Communications Division and helps implement the full-range of strategic communications to generate public awareness, support City initiatives, and foster meaningful community connections.
Key Responsibilities
The Communications Manager leads the City's communications program and oversees a high-performing team responsible for delivering timely, accurate, and engaging information across multiple channels. This position provides strategic direction, manages priorities and resources, and ensures communications efforts align with City objectives while supporting transparency, public trust, and meaningful community impact.
The role requires both strategic vision and technical expertise, as well as management expertise, including guiding the City's response during complex and rapidly evolving situations, translating technical information into accessible messaging, and overseeing the development of high-profile communications materials that support organizational goals and community understanding.
Key responsibilities include:

• Leading and developing a high-performing team responsible for digital content, social media, media relations, community outreach, and public engagement.
• Developing and implementing strategic communications plans, messaging platforms, and annual work plans that support City priorities.
• Overseeing the creation of complex communications materials, including reports, presentations, speeches, historical content, and other executive-level communications.
• Managing media relations, public information efforts, and crisis communications, including responding to emerging issues and high-profile inquiries.
• Providing strategic counsel on communications approaches, community sentiment, and emerging trends through research, analysis, and performance measurement.
• Partnering with City departments and external stakeholders to communicate major projects, initiatives, and community impacts.

Ideal Candidate
The ideal candidate is a strategic and relationship-driven leader who can balance long-term vision with day-to-day execution. This individual is a skilled communicator, trusted advisor, and problem solver who thrives in a fast-paced environment and is passionate about public service. They possess exceptional emotional intelligence, sound judgment, and the ability to navigate complex issues with professionalism, discretion, and confidence.
Successful candidates will demonstrate:

• Knowledge of strategic communications, media relations, digital engagement, community outreach, and crisis communications principles.
• The ability to translate complex or technical information into clear, compelling messages for a variety of audiences.
• Experience developing communications strategies, key messaging frameworks, executive-level materials, and public-facing content that simultaneously informs residents, businesses and/or key stakeholders, while advancing organizational objectives.
• Strong research, analytical, and critical-thinking skills, with the ability to leverage data and insights to inform communications decisions.
• Exceptional interpersonal skills, political awareness, and the ability to build credibility with elected officials, community members, business leaders, partners, staff, and members of the media.
• Proven experience leading professional teams through challenging situations while fostering accountability, collaboration, growth, and high performance.

NOTE: The Communications Manager is a newly created position approved as part of the City's Fiscal Year 2026/2027 budget. The salary range for this classification will be added to the City's FY 2026/2027 Salary Schedule, which becomes effective July 5, 2026.
BENEFITS OF WORKING FOR THE CITY OF RANCHO CORDOVA
City of Rancho Cordova employees enjoy a robust benefit plan for themselves and their families.

• Choice of a generous monthly stipend for Medical/Dental/Vision or Cash in Lieu of Medical Insurance
• 13 paid holidays per year
• Universal Time Off (combined vacation and sick leave)
• CalPERS Retirement
• Tuition Reimbursement up to $2,500/fiscal year
  • The City of Rancho Cordova is also a qualified employer for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program.
• Alternate work schedules available
• Onsite fitness area & many more employee perks

City employees also enjoy the knowledge that their work matters to the residents, visitors and businesses in our community. See what some of employees have to say about working for the City of Rancho Cordova, by watching this short video:
The City of Rancho Cordova is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, national origin, protected veteran status, disability or any other characteristics protected by law.
EXAMPLES OF ESSENTIAL DUTIES
The following duties are typical for this classification. Incumbents may not perform all of the listed duties and/or may be required to perform additional or different duties from those set forth below to address business needs and changing business practices.

• Manages operations of the Communications Division; creates, reviews and approves digital news content, social media program management, media relations, collateral development, strategic communications planning, community outreach, event planning, crisis communications, and resident and business relations.
• Implements, and maintains division goals, objectives, policies and priorities; reviews and evaluates work methods and procedures for improving organizational performance, enhancing services and meeting goals; ensures that goals and deadlines are achieved; measures outcomes.
• Monitors and evaluates the efficiency and effectiveness of service delivery methods and procedures; recommends, within departmental policy, appropriate service and staffing levels.
• Creates and manages the Communications team's strategic work plan; assigns work activities, projects, and programs; reviews and approves materials; regularly evaluates methods and procedures for continual improvement; meets with staff to identify and resolve problems.
• Selects, trains, motivates, and evaluates assigned personnel; provides or coordinates staff training; works with employees to correct deficiencies; implements discipline and termination procedures.
• Collaborates and participates in the development and administration of the division's annual budget; participates in the forecast of funds needed for staffing, equipment, materials, and supplies; monitors and approves expenditures; implements adjustments.
• Manages digital news content team, including the planning, researching, and development of content for digital newsletters, city website, responses, and related materials.

A complete job description for the Communications Manager position can be found by clicking the link below:
Communications Manager
EMPLOYMENT STANDARDS & MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS
Any combination of education and experience that would likely provide the required knowledge and abilities is qualifying. A typical way to obtain the knowledge and abilities would be:
Education:

• A Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university with major coursework in communications, journalism, marketing, public administration, English, or a related field.

Experience:

• Eight (8) years of increasingly responsible experience in communications, marketing, and/or public relations fields including two (2) years of supervisory responsibility.

License or Certification:

• Possession of a valid California driver's license.

See the Job Description for a complete list of Employment Standards (required skills and abilities) & Minimum Qualifications.
PHYSICAL WORKING CONDITIONS AND ENVIRONMENTS
The conditions herein are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential job functions.
Requires the mobility and manual dexterity to work in a standard office environment, use standard office equipment and attend off-site meetings; speech and hearing to communicate in person and by telephone; vision to read handwritten and printed materials and a computer screen; strength and agility to lift and carry items weighing up to 20 pounds. Some accommodations may be made for some physical demands for otherwise qualified individuals who require and request such accommodations.
FLSA - Exempt status
Equal Opportunity Employer
The City of Rancho Cordova complies with the letter and spirit of the Equal Employment Opportunity and Americans with Disabilities laws in its employment process. Please advise the Human Resources Department of any reasonable accommodation you need in order to participate in the City's application process.
EXEMPT EMPLOYEE BENEFIT SUMMARY
CALPERS Retirement -The City of Rancho Cordova contracts with the California Public Employees' Retirement System (CalPERS) for a defined benefit plan.
Tier 1: Employees hired prior to December 31, 2012, and "Classic Members" hired subsequently with less than a six (6) month break in service, are provided 2.7% at 55 retirement formula. City employees pay the full 8% of their base pay toward this retirement benefit.
Tier 2: Due to the Public Employees' Pension Reform Act of 2013 (Assembly Bill 340), new Miscellaneous members hired after January 1, 2013, or "Classic Members" with a break in service of more than six (6) months, are eligible for the 2% @ 62 CalPERS retirement formula for fiscal year 2025/2026. Employee contribution rate is 7.75% of PERS-able compensation, up to $186,906. (Note: the employee contribution will change as the cost of the benefit changes, since the employee is required to pay half the normal cost.)
1959 Survivor Benefit (Indexed Level)
The 1959 Survivor Benefit provides a monthly allowance to eligible survivors of members who die while actively employed. The monthly benefit payable to survivors in the Indexed Level increases by 2% each year. Benefit amounts for fiscal year 2025/2026 are $820, $1,641 and $2,461 for 1, 2, or 3 eligible survivors.
457 and 401(a) Deferred Compensation Plan

• City will contribute $23.08 per pay period into the 457 Deferred Compensation Plan on behalf of the employee.
• City will match up to 3% of the base salary for employees who participate in the 457 plan. City match is placed in a 401(a) plan. There is no vesting period.
• Employees may also voluntarily participate in the 401(a) defined contribution retirement program; however, election must be made upon hire and is irrevocable during employment with the city.

Health Insurance (medical, dental and vision) - The City offers a "cafeteria plan," which includes a monthly medical stipend the employee may apply toward premiums for medical, dental and vision.
Cash-in-lieu - If your total health, vision and/or dental premium costs are lower than $300, you may receive the difference as cash in lieu up to a total of $300. If you do not need to purchase medical, dental or vision benefits from the City, you are eligible for a total of $300 cash in lieu per month.
Medical Benefits
Retiree Health Medical Benefits - CalPERS plans made available, and retiree medical contribution offered toward the cost of the plan. In 2026, the retiree medical contribution is $162.00 per month. The retiree medical contribution will continue to increase until it is equal to the minimum contribution required by CalPERS for the employer to pay on behalf of an employee.
Dental -Delta Dental PPO
Vision - Vision Service Plan (VSP)
Flexible Spending Account (FSA)

• Medical FSA for the plan year is $3,400 (maximum)
• Dependent Care FSA for the plan year is $7,500 (maximum)

Universal Time Off (UTO) - vacation and sick leave combined
Universal Time Off Cash Out - Employees may cash out up to 80 hours in fiscal year 25/26.
Bereavement Leave - On the date of hire, employees are entitled to 24 hours of Bereavement Leave per event due to the death of a member of an employee's immediate family.
Holidays - 13 Holidays per year.
Winter Break - Reviewed by the City Manager each year.
Life Insurance - $50,000 life insurance policy

• Life price per $1,000 $0.109
• AD&D price per $1,000 $0.025

Long Term Disability

• LTD price per $100 $0.145
• 60% of earnings up to $7,500
• 90-day benefit waiting period
• Maximum Benefit Duration - To age 65 or So...