Communications Manager

FLSA STATUS: Exempt

REPORTS TO: Communications Director   

SALARY RANGE: $78,994.61 – 97,390.62

Pacific Mountain Workforce Development is seeking a creative, organized, and highly capable Communications Manager to help bring our communications strategy to life across PacMtn, WorkSource, and Opportunity Begins Here.

This role is ideal for a hands-on communicator who enjoys turning ideas, programs, events, and regional workforce stories into clear, engaging content. The Communications Manager will support the day-to-day execution of PacMtn’s communications work, including social media, website updates, email campaigns, graphic design, content calendars, digital storytelling, event promotion, basic analytics, and brand-aligned materials.

The Communications Manager owns many of the technical and tactical pieces that keep communications moving, and as such, should feel comfortable managing content workflows, creating polished materials, coordinating with program staff, maintaining digital channels, and helping ensure that public-facing communications are timely, accessible, accurate, and easy to understand.

The ideal candidate is a strong writer, thoughtful content creator, detail-oriented project manager, and collaborative problem-solver who can balance creativity with follow-through. They understand that strong communications is not just about making things look good—it’s about helping people find information, understand opportunities, and take action.

Essential functions

Content production and day-to-day communications

• Draft, edit, format, and publish clear, audience-centered content for social media, websites, newsletters, email campaigns, flyers, reports, presentations, event materials, and other communications products.
• Translate program information, workforce system language, and technical content into plain language that is useful, accessible, and engaging for intended audiences.
• Maintain and help manage communications calendars, content trackers, project timelines, and publishing schedules.
• Coordinate with program teams to gather accurate information, clarify requests, identify deadlines, and determine the best communications channels or products for each need.
• Support the Communications Director in implementing communications plans, campaign timelines, messaging frameworks, and outreach strategies.
• Help ensure communications products are timely, polished, accurate, accessible, and aligned with PacMtn’s voice, values, and brand standards.

Social media and digital channel management

• Create, schedule, publish, and monitor social media content across PacMtn, WorkSource, Opportunity Begins Here, and other approved channels.
• Develop platform-specific content, including graphics, captions, reels, short videos, carousels, stories, event posts, and partner amplification materials.
• Maintain social media calendars that align with organizational priorities, campaign plans, events, program deadlines, and regional workforce opportunities.
• Monitor audience engagement, respond or route questions when appropriate, and flag emerging issues, opportunities, or partner needs.
• Track basic performance metrics, including reach, engagement, link clicks, follower growth, and campaign performance.

Graphic design and visual content development

• Design digital and print materials, including social media graphics, flyers, one-pagers, handouts, postcards, signage, presentation slides, newsletter visuals, and basic report layouts.
• Create materials that are visually engaging, easy to navigate, and aligned with applicable brand standards.
• Use tools such as Canva, Adobe Creative Suite, or similar platforms to produce polished, brand-aligned creative assets.
• Support the development of templates, toolkits, and reusable materials that help staff and partners communicate consistently.
• Prepare files for digital use, print production, partner distribution, and web publication.
• Ensure visual products follow accessibility best practices, including readable layouts, strong contrast, plain language, meaningful hierarchy, and appropriate alt text when applicable.

Storytelling, photography, and multimedia support

• Conduct interviews with staff, partners, employers, jobseekers, participants, and community members to support stories, spotlights, reports, social media, newsletters, and other communications products.
• Capture or coordinate photography and short-form video at events, programs, partner locations, WorkSource sites, and community activities.
• Edit basic photo and video content for use across digital platforms.
• Help organize photo, video, logo, testimonial, and story libraries so content can be easily reused and repurposed.
• Identify story opportunities that highlight regional impact, career pathways, employer partnerships, workforce investments, and community success.

Preferred experience and abilities

The Communications Manager plays an important role in helping PacMtn communicate clearly, creatively, and consistently with the people and communities we serve. This position includes a mix of writing, digital content, design, web updates, project coordination, and storytelling.

We recognize that no one candidate will bring deep expertise in every area listed below. If you are strong in several of these areas and bring curiosity, creativity, strong follow-through, and a willingness to keep learning, we encourage you to apply. 

• Strong writing, editing, proofreading, and plain-language communication skills.
• Experience creating content for social media, websites, newsletters, email campaigns, flyers, reports, presentations, or similar communications products.
• Comfort managing multiple projects, deadlines, requests, and content timelines at the same time.
• Experience using graphic design tools such as Canva, Adobe Creative Suite, or similar platforms.
• Basic photography, videography, or short-form video editing experience.
• Experience using WordPress or another website content management system.
• Familiarity with email marketing platforms, contact list management, social media scheduling tools, or digital analytics tools.
• Ability to adapt tone, format, and messaging for different audiences, including jobseekers, employers, partners, board members, staff, and community members.
• Strong attention to detail and commitment to accuracy, accessibility, and brand consistency.
• Ability to work independently while staying aligned with direction, deadlines, and organizational priorities.
• Strong interpersonal skills and ability to work respectfully and collaboratively with people from diverse cultures, communities, and backgrounds.
• Comfort asking clarifying questions, gathering information from subject matter experts, and turning rough ideas into polished communications products.
• Experience in communications, marketing, digital media, public affairs, journalism, graphic design, nonprofit communications, workforce development, government communications, or a related field.

Preferred qualifications

Any combination of education, training, lived experience, portfolio work, and professional experience that demonstrates the ability to perform the responsibilities of the role will be considered.

Preferred qualifications include:

• Three or more years of experience in communications, marketing, digital media, content creation, graphic design, social media management, public affairs, journalism, or a related field;
• A bachelor’s degree in communications, marketing, graphic design, public relations, journalism, digital media, or a related field; OR
• A combination of professional experience, freelance work, certificate programs, portfolio projects, military public affairs experience, or on-the-job training that demonstrates relevant skills.

Core competencies

• Writing, editing, and plain-language communication
• Content creation and digital storytelling
• Graphic design and visual communication
• Social media and digital channel management
• Website content maintenance and user-centered thinking
• Project coordination, organization, and follow-through