Digital Content Specialist - Parks and Recreation

Description

This position is responsible for developing, maintaining, and updating the Parks and Recreation department website and digital communications platforms.

The Role

• Creates, schedules, and publishes engaging content across the department's social media channels to promote parks, recreation programs, facilities, events, and community initiatives.
• Produces high-quality written, graphic, and multimedia content that is accurate, engaging, and consistent with the City's branding and communication standards.
• Coordinates with the City's Communications Department and collaborates with divisions across Parks and Recreation, as well as other city departments, to gather information, ensure timely and accurate messaging, and support department-wide communication efforts.

Essential Functions

• Responsible for creating and maintaining a robust, interactive website and a variety of microsites that engage visitors and planners and achieve established performance goals.
• Develops, maintains, and enhances the Parks and Recreation Department's website and related digital platforms to provide accurate, engaging, and user-friendly information for residents and visitors.
• Produces content for all social media platforms, including posts and captivating photos, for community engagement.
• Creates, writes, edits, schedules, and publishes engaging content across the department's social media platforms to promote parks, recreation programs, facilities, events, capital improvement projects, conservation initiatives, and community engagement opportunities.
• Continuous monitoring of sites, including maintaining event submissions, creating and updating content, and managing business listings.
• Continuously monitors and updates website content, online calendars, program information, facility details, digital forms, and other public-facing information to ensure accuracy, accessibility, and relevance.
• Develops and executes social media campaigns to attract visitors and create overnight stays, drive retail activity, and generate online and media engagement; analyzes, measures, and reports on the effectiveness of social media campaigns.
• Develops, implements, and evaluates digital communication and social media strategies that increase community awareness, participation, and engagement; monitors analytics and prepares performance reports with recommendations for improvement.
• Develops online contests and creative content for blogs, as well as requests for content from news outlets, magazines, and other content producers; engages with fans and followers.
• Creates original written, graphic, photographic, and video content for digital communications, including reels, feature stories, promotional campaigns, special events, and department initiatives.
• Drafts content for external communications, blogs, and social networking platforms that supports the overall marketing program of work and is audience specific, created according to branding guidelines, and includes trending industry topics.
• Writes and edits content for websites, social media, e-newsletters, brochures, flyers, and other communication platforms, ensuring messaging is audience-specific and consistent with City branding and communication standards.
• Maintains social media content calendar and provides monthly editorial calendars.
• Develops and maintains departmental content calendars that coordinate messaging across websites, social media, e-newsletters, Glendale @ Play, digital displays, and other communication channels.
• Establishes and oversees electronic communication to industry partners to build interest and support for marketing programs, including production of monthly e-newsletters for visitors, members, and stakeholders.
• Coordinates the development, production, and distribution of Glendale @ Play, departmental e-newsletters, and other recurring publications that communicate recreation opportunities, facility information, special events, and department initiatives.
• Collaborates with division staff, project managers, the City's Communications Department, and other City departments to gather information, coordinate messaging, and ensure consistent communication across all public-facing platforms.
• Evaluates emerging technologies and brings new ideas forward.
• Responsible for accuracy and clarity of final posts and websites as well as ensuring inclusion of partners and key marketing programs as directed.
• Reviews, edits, and approves public-facing documents, publications, marketing materials, websites, social media content, digital communications, and promotional materials to ensure accuracy, clarity, consistency, and compliance with City policies, branding standards, and accessibility requirements.
• Coordinates cross-platform communication strategies to ensure consistent messaging across websites, social media, Glendale @ Play, e-newsletters, printed materials, digital signage, and other public information resources.
• Creates web content standards to ensure website content is consistent with the City's marketing campaign and brand strategy; guides staff and users to adhere to guidelines and ensures that all Internet standards are met for all digital content and the domains purchased.
• Evaluates emerging communication technologies, digital tools, social media trends, and industry best practices; recommends and implements innovative solutions that enhance community engagement and operational efficiency.
• Creates and manages social media assets including photography and video content for relevant posting and social media storytelling as it relates to Glendale; manages and expands Glendale's database of high-definition digital photos and videos and develops a system for collecting, cataloging, and sharing photos.
• Develops, maintains, and manages the department's digital asset library, including photography, video, graphics, branding resources, and multimedia content; establishes procedures for organizing, cataloging, and sharing digital assets to support departmental operations.
• Serves as the department's subject matter expert for website content management systems, digital communications, and social media best practices by providing guidance and training to department staff.
• Demonstrates superior seamless customer service, integrity, and commitment to innovation, efficiency, and fiscally responsible activity.
• Assists in developing communication plans for park closures, emergency notifications, construction projects, special events, program registration, and other department initiatives requiring coordinated public outreach.
• Demonstrates superior customer service, professionalism, integrity, innovation, fiscal responsibility, and commitment to continuous improvement while supporting the mission of the Parks and Recreation Department.
• Performs other related duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications/Special Requirements/Success Factors

Knowledge of:

• Principles and practices of digital marketing and customer service
• Web user interface design
• Current web technology, protocols and practices

Skill in:

• Troubleshooting computer software problems
• Creating design documents that accurately reflect business needs

Ability to:

• Market parks and recreation activities and programs
• Research, interpret, and analyze data and prepare reports with recommendations
  Present material in a clear, concise, and logical manner both orally and in writing
• Establish and maintain cooperative working relationships with city employees, local business and industry representatives
• Operate a personal computer and related software and applications
• Communicate in the English language by phone or in person in a one-to-one or group setting
• Comprehend and make inferences from written material
• Produce written documents in the English language with clearly organized thoughts using proper sentence construction, punctuation, and grammar
• Learn job related material primarily through oral instruction and observation, which takes place mainly in an on-the-job training setting
• Enter data or information into a computer terminal or other keyboard device
• Prioritize tasks, meet project schedule requirements
• Maintain regular and reliable attendance

Physical Requirements/Working Conditions

Primarily works in an office setting. Some outside fieldwork is included for photography and attending industry events.

Benefit information is outlined here: https://www.glendaleaz.gov/Your-Government/Connect/Departments/Human-Resources-Risk-Management/Benefits