IT COMMUNICATIONS AND ENGAGEMENT SPECIALIST - 40011500

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SUMMARY OBJECTIVE:

The IT Communications and Engagement Specialist provides oversight for Enterprise IT’s communication strategy, effective stakeholder engagement, and organizational change management within Durham County Government. This role develops and executes strategies across diverse channels, including internal and external websites (intranet and extranet), digital handbooks, the IT service catalog and knowledge base, email campaigns, digital signage, interactions with county departments and end-users, organizational surveys, and the annual IT report. The position emphasizes outward-facing communications, knowledge management, professional internal standards, and data-driven customer feedback to enhance visibility, awareness, and service impact.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

The functions listed below are those that represent the majority of the time spent working in this position. Management may assign additional functions related to the type of work of the position as necessary.

• Develop and manage IS&T’s internal communications strategy.
• Create clear, concise messaging for IT initiatives, system changes, policies, and milestones.
• Establish and maintain a consistent IS&T tone and voice for staff, departments, and executives.
• Draft executive-level talking points, briefings, and communications on behalf of the Chief Information Officer (CIO).
• Coordinate with IT teams to ensure timely, accurate, and engaging updates.
• Lead the development and submission of at least five (5) major IT award nominations annually, including Digital Counties Survey, NACo (National Association of Counties) Achievement Awards, and other industry or innovation recognitions.
• Partner with subject matter experts to gather impact data, outcomes, and narratives.
• Maintain an awards calendar and reusable content library.
• Coordinate the Countywide IT Satisfaction Survey (biennial) and the IS&T Workforce Engagement Survey (annual).
• Analyze results and produce summaries or dashboards for leadership.
• Support communications and follow-up actions tied to improvement initiatives.
• Serve as communications lead for major IT initiatives such as Copilot, ERP modernization, ServiceNow enhancements, and disaster recovery efforts.
• Develop communications plans, training announcements, adoption materials, and post-launch updates.
• Collaborate with project managers and vendors to align messaging and rollout timing.

• Promote IT self-service tools including the County’s virtual assistant and the IT knowledge base.
• Support simplification and improvement of knowledge articles for usability and engagement.
• Develop campaigns to increase self-service adoption and reduce repeat service requests.
• Assist with communications related to digital equity, broadband expansion, and community-facing IT initiatives as needed.
• Supervises, directs, and evaluates assigned staff, processing employee concerns and problems, directing work, counseling, disciplining, and completing employee workplans and performance appraisals.
• Performs related tasks as required.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES:

• Demonstrated technical writing and design skills, with a track record of implementing creative content and communication strategies; ability to translate complex technical concepts into clear, understandable information for diverse audiences.
• Strong writing, editing, and verbal communication skills, with the ability to engage effectively with leadership, technical teams, and a wide range of stakeholders.
• Experience with survey tools, analytics, engagement practices, and dashboard reporting to measure and communicate the effectiveness of communication efforts.
• Familiarity with platforms such as ServiceNow, Microsoft 365, ERP systems, or chatbot tools, and the ability to leverage these tools to enhance communication and service delivery.
• Knowledge of local government operations and public sector communications, including experience supporting or developing submissions for industry or government awards.
• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple projects and deadlines while working both independently and collaboratively, including leading cross-functional efforts when needed.
• Service-oriented mindset with a focus on service quality, responsiveness, and continuous improvement in communication and engagement practices.

MINIMUM EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS:

• Requires a Bachelor’s degree in Communications, Public Relations, Marketing, Journalism, Information Technology, or a related field.
• 5-7 years of professional communications experience, preferably in IT, technology or public sector.

SPECIAL CERTIFICATIONS AND LICENSES REQUIREMENTS:

• None.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS:

Physical demands refer to the requirements for physical exertion and coordination of limb and body movement.

• Performs sedentary work that involves walking or standing some of the time and involves exerting up to 10 pounds of force on a regular and recurring basis or sustained keyboard operations.

UNAVOIDABLE HAZARDS (WORK ENVIRONMENT):

Unavoidable hazards refer to the job conditions that may lead to injury or health hazards even though precautions have been taken.

• None.

STANDARD CLAUSES:

May be required to work nights, weekends, holidays and emergencies (man-made or natural) to meet the business needs of Durham County.

This job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of essential functions and responsibilities that are required of an employee for this job. Other duties, responsibilities, and activities may change or be assigned at any time with or without notice.

ESSENTIAL SAFETY FUNCTIONS:

It is the responsibility of each employee to comply with established policies, procedures and safe work practices. Each employee must follow safety training and instructions provided by their supervisor. Each employee must also properly wear and maintain all personal protective equipment required for their job. Finally, each employee must immediately report any unsafe work practices or unsafe conditions as well as any on-the-job injury or illnesses.
Every manager/supervisor is responsible for enforcing all safety rules and regulations. In addition, they are responsible for ensuring that a safe work environment is maintained, safe work practices are followed and employees are properly trained.

AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT COMPLIANCE:

Durham County is an Equal Opportunity Employer. ADA requires Durham County to provide reasonable accommodations to qualified persons with disabilities. Prospective and current employees are encouraged to discuss ADA accommodations with management. 

BACKGROUND CHECK STATEMENT:

This position may be subject to a background check, which could include, but is not limited to, criminal history (employment-related and/or SBI fingerprint-based), credit history, motor vehicle records, educational verification, and checks of the sexual offender registry, depending on the specific requirements of the role. A conviction record does not automatically disqualify an applicant from employment consideration, unless otherwise required by applicable state law.