ABOUT THE DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICE PROGRAMS:
The Department of Human Service Programs (DHSP) creates and coordinates services that enhance the quality of life for Cambridge residents. Driven by the needs of residents, DHSP’s extensive services and programs touch almost every sector in the city: from newborns to older adults, from school-aged children to homeless families, from non-profit organizations to local employers.
ABOUT THE ROLE:
The City of Cambridge is seeking a talented and highly motivated Communications Coordinator to join the Department of Human Service Programs. Reporting to the department’s Communications Director, the ideal candidate will be a creative thinker and effective storyteller who is dedicated to equitable and accessible information-sharing and engagement.
Work will primary involve:
Creative and Effective Storytelling:Develop dynamic, multi-media communications campaigns for promotion through print and digital communications channels, tailored to effectively engage specific target audiences.
Writing and Editing:Coordinatewith staff across divisions to plan, write, edit, and disseminate content that conveys key messages and raises awareness about programs, services, and initiatives.
Project Management Support: Support long-term, department-wide communications needs and initiatives. In particular, the ideal candidate will website management and department branding initiatives.
ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
Work with the department’s Communications Director and DHSP staff to build on and execute a department-wide communications and outreach strategy.
Collaborate with staff across divisions to identify and write content that raises awareness about DHSP’s programs, initiatives, resources, and events.
Edit, upload, and publish content updates to department website.
Develop, review, and schedule content for department’s social media and digital newsletters.
Support the creation of creative assets (flyers, postcards, social media graphics) that reflect City brand guidelines.
Monitor engagement metrics of communications efforts, including the generation of reports and analytics.
Support the implementation of department-wide communications workflows. Coordinate with the City’s Communications Office and other staff as needed.
Actively participate in the Department of Human Service Program’s Race and Equity Initiative.
Perform other communications or administrative duties as required.
Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS:
Experience and Education
2-3 years of relevant work experience preferred.
A bachelor’s degree in English, communications, marketing, or a related field.
Experience with Microsoft Office and Adobe Creative Cloud software.
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities
Excellent writing and editing skills and ability to incorporate plain language best practices.
Interest in civic engagement and multimedia storytelling.
Ability to work independently and collaboratively; the candidate will be detail-oriented and capable of discussing “big picture” ideas.
Ability to prioritize and manage concurrent tasks and projects.
The City of Cambridge’s workforce, like the community it serves, is diverse. Applicants must have the ability to work and interact effectively with individuals and groups with a variety of identities, cultures, backgrounds, and ideologies.
PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS, WORKING CONDITIONS, WORK FLEXIBILITY AND ACCOMODATIONS
Work is performed primarily in an indoor shared office setting at 51 Inman St; occasionally involves site visits and/or off-site meetings within Cambridge; normal office exposure to noise, stress and interruptions.
Ability to access, input, and retrieve information from a computer. Answer telephones and maintain multiple files.
This position may be eligible for hybrid work under the City’s Telework Policy depending on operational needs.
Reasonable accommodations will be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform essential job functions.
OF BENEFITS:
REQUIRED DOCUMENTS:
Please upload the following documents to complete your application:
Resume
Cover Letter
Cambridge is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, in the Greater Boston area. It was named in honor of the University of Cambridge in England, a nexus of the Puritan theology embraced by the town's founders. Notably, Cambridge is home to two internationally prominent universities, Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. According to a 2008 census estimate the city population was 105,594. It is the fourth most populous city in the state, behind Boston, Worcester, and Springfield. Cambridge is one of the two county seats of Middlesex County (Lowell is the other).
The site for what would become Cambridge was chosen in December 1630, because it was located safely up river from Boston Harbor, which made it easily defensible from attacks by enemy ships. The first houses were built in the spring of 1631. The settlement was initially referred to as "the newe towne". Official Massachusetts records show the name capitalized as Newe Towne by 1632. Located at the first convenient Charles River crossing west of Boston, Newe Towne was one of a number of towns (including Boston, Dorchester, Watertown, and Weymouth) founded by the 700 original Puritan colonists of the Massachusetts Bay Colony under governor John Winthrop. The original village site is in the heart of today's Harvard Square. The marketplace where farmers brought in crops from surrounding towns to sell survives today as the small park at the corner of John F. Kennedy (J.F.K.) and Winthrop Streets, then at the edge of a salt marsh, since filled.
