County of San Mateo
The Opportunity
The County Executive’s Office is seeking an accomplished, strategic, and innovative communications leader to serve as its next Chief Communications Officer.
This is a unique opportunity to lead communications and help shape how the County connects with the diverse communities it serves. The Chief Communications Officer will play a key leadership role in overseeing County-wide communications, strengthening how the County connects and engages with residents, news media, employees, community groups, nonprofits, and other government agencies.
Reporting to the Director of Strategic Communications and Community Partnerships, the Chief Communications Officer sets the direction for County-wide communications and serves as a trusted communications advisor and partner across the organization. The position works closely with County leadership, the Board of Supervisors, departments, news media, community organizations, nonprofits, government agencies, and other stakeholders.
The Chief Communications Officer will lead the development and execution of comprehensive communication strategies across traditional, digital, social, and emerging platforms. From major County initiatives and community engagement campaigns to rapidly evolving issues and crisis communications, this leader will ensure the County communicates with clarity, consistency, transparency, and purpose.
The position leads a talented team of five communications professionals and oversees the work of vendors and contractors. With considerable independence, initiative, and discretion, the Chief Communications Officer will balance long-term communications strategy with the ability to respond quickly and thoughtfully to emerging priorities.
The Ideal Candidate
We are looking for more than an experienced communications professional. We are seeking a trusted advisor, collaborative leader, and exceptional relationship builder who understands the unique responsibility of communicating on behalf of local government.
The ideal candidate brings political astuteness, sound judgment, and sensitivity to the issues affecting our communities. They are comfortable navigating a large and complex organization, building productive relationships across diverse perspectives, and translating complicated issues into communication that is clear, accurate, engaging, and accessible.
The successful candidate will demonstrate:
- Broad knowledge of public communication and community engagement, including electronic, social, and print media, and the agility to adopt new platforms and technologies
- A strong track record of people-first leadership, including staff development, performance management, and building a cohesive team
- Experience representing a local government agency before the public, and familiarity with county government and its relationship to residents
- The ability to research, analyze, and condense complex issues into clear, concise public communication — both objective and persuasive
- Experience developing public communication campaigns and training staff in media relations, crisis communications, and civic engagement
- The ability to balance visionary leadership with practical execution, keeping deliverables on schedule while responding to quick-changing priorities.
Additionally, the successful candidate will possess the equivalent of a Bachelor’s degree relevant to the profession and seven years of progressively responsible management experience in public affairs, media relations, communications, or a related field.