Job Description

Posting number: 2603375

Department: Office of Marketing & Communications

Job classification: Senior Director, Communications

Posting type: Open

Categories: Executive Management

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Shape the Voice, Reputation, Performance and Story of One of America’s Most Distinctive Cities

The City of Savannah is seeking an exceptional communications executive to lead how our organization communicates with residents, employees, community partners, the media and audiences across the country.

The Senior Director of Communications is a member of the City Manager’s executive team and serves as one of the City’s principal advisors on communications, public engagement, media relations, reputation, brand and crisis communications.

This is an opportunity to do more than lead a communications department.

It is an opportunity to shape how people understand their city government, strengthen public trust, tell Savannah’s story and help position one of America’s most recognized cities for its next chapter.

We are looking for a strategic leader, exceptional communicator and trusted advisor who understands that great public-sector communication is not simply about sharing information—it is about connecting people to their government and helping an organization communicate with clarity, credibility and purpose.

JOIN US

If you are an accomplished communications leader ready to bring strategic thinking, creativity, exceptional judgment and a passion for public service to one of America’s most distinctive cities, we invite you to apply.

Help us tell Savannah’s story—and help shape what comes next.

The City of Savannah offers a competitive executive compensation and benefits package. Benefits include medical, dental and vision coverage; life insurance; supplemental life insurance options; short-term disability; retirement and deferred compensation opportunities; flexible spending accounts; tuition reimbursement; wellness programs; home purchase assistance; employee referral programs; and paid holidays. The City is committed to providing employees with a comprehensive benefits package that supports their professional success, financial security and overall well-being.

THE OPPORTUNITY

Savannah is a city with an extraordinary identity, a rich history, a vibrant culture and a growing national and international profile.

Communicating effectively in such a dynamic city requires a leader who can see the big picture while responding confidently to the issues of the day.

The Senior Director of Communications will lead the development and implementation of the City’s comprehensive communications strategy and oversee the Communications & Marketing Department.

Working closely with the City Manager, Mayor and City Council, executive leadership and departments throughout the organization, the Senior Director will help ensure that the City communicates proactively, consistently and effectively.

The Senior Director will serve as a trusted strategic advisor, helping City leadership anticipate communications opportunities and challenges, navigate complex and sensitive issues and translate City priorities into messages that are clear, accessible and meaningful to the public.

The position will also serve as a leading voice for the organization—building productive relationships with the media, community leaders and other stakeholders and helping strengthen Savannah’s reputation locally, regionally and nationally.

KEY LEADERSHIP PRIORITIES

Executive Counsel & Communications Strategy

Develop and lead an enterprise-wide strategic communications program aligned with the City’s priorities and organizational goals.

Serve as a member of the City Manager’s executive team and provide strategic communications counsel to the City Manager, Mayor, City Council, Chief Officers and other senior leaders.

Anticipate emerging issues, identify communications opportunities and help leadership determine when, where and how the City should communicate.

Translate complex policies, programs and decisions into clear, understandable and compelling messages for residents and stakeholders.

Ensure communications efforts across the organization are coordinated, timely and aligned with the City’s strategic direction.

Reputation, Brand & Storytelling

Serve as one of Savannah’s chief storytellers and help shape how residents, employees, community partners and external audiences understand the City and its work.

Lead the development and stewardship of the City’s brand, voice and communications standards.

Identify and elevate stories that demonstrate the impact of City services, employees, investments, partnerships and initiatives.

Protect and strengthen the City’s reputation through thoughtful, credible and proactive communications.

Ensure consistency of messaging, tone and brand integrity across communications platforms and departments.

Media Relations & Public Engagement

Build and maintain productive professional relationships with local, regional and national media.

Serve as a principal spokesperson for the organization and prepare City leaders and subject-matter experts for media interviews and public appearances.

Lead proactive media strategies that help the City communicate important initiatives, accomplishments and community information.

Develop strong relationships with community leaders, organizations, influencers and stakeholders.

Create communications approaches that reach diverse audiences and strengthen meaningful engagement between residents and their government.

Crisis & Issues Communications

Lead the City’s communications planning and response during emergencies, significant incidents and rapidly evolving issues.

Provide calm, credible and strategic leadership when information is changing quickly and public confidence is especially important.

Coordinate messaging across departments and external partners to ensure information is timely, accurate and consistent.

Develop and maintain the City’s crisis communications plans and ensure the organization is prepared to communicate effectively during hurricanes, flooding, severe weather and other major events or threats.

Advise executive leadership on reputation risk, sensitive issues and communications strategies.

Digital, Content & Communications Innovation

Lead an integrated communications operation across digital, social, video, web, broadcast, print and traditional media platforms.

Oversee the development of news releases, executive communications, public information materials, speeches, newsletters, digital content, events and other communications products.

Provide strategic direction for the City’s Savannah Government Television channel (SGTV), City publications, video programming and web-based communications.

Continually evaluate emerging communications technologies, platforms and practices and identify opportunities to improve how Savannah reaches and engages its audiences.

Data-Driven Communications

Establish meaningful measures of communications performance and impact.

Use analytics, audience insights, media monitoring and other data to understand what is working, identify emerging trends and continuously improve communications strategies.

Move beyond simply measuring communications activity to evaluating reach, engagement, effectiveness and outcomes.

Use data to help City leadership understand public information needs and make better communications decisions.

Organizational & Team Leadership

Lead the City’s Communications & Marketing Department and create an environment in which talented professionals can do exceptional work.

Set clear expectations and priorities while encouraging creativity, collaboration, innovation and accountability.

Recruit, develop, coach and retain high-performing communications professionals.

Establish effective systems and workflows that allow the department to respond rapidly to immediate communications needs while maintaining focus on long-term strategic priorities.

Direct departmental planning, budgeting, staffing and professional development.

Build strong relationships across City departments and establish the communications team as a trusted strategic partner throughout the organization.

THE LEADER WE ARE SEEKING

The City of Savannah is looking for more than an experienced communications professional.

We are seeking an executive communications leader.

The strongest candidates will combine exceptional communications expertise with sound judgment, executive presence, strategic thinking and an authentic commitment to public service.

Our ideal candidate will bring:

Strategic Perspective

The ability to understand the broader environment, anticipate what is coming and connect communications strategy to organizational goals.

Exceptional Judgment

The maturity and discretion to advise senior leaders and navigate complex, sensitive and high-profile situations.

Executive Presence

A calm, confident and credible leadership style—particularly when circumstances are challenging or information is evolving rapidly.

Outstanding Communication Skills

Exceptional writing, speaking, storytelling and interpersonal abilities, with the capacity to make complicated issues understandable and relevant.

Media Sophistication

Strong instincts regarding news, reputation and public perception and experience developing productive relationships with journalists and media organizations.

Political & Organizational Acumen

The ability to work successfully within a complex organization and build trust with elected officials, executives, employees, community leaders and residents representing a wide range of perspectives.

Digital Fluency

An understanding of how modern audiences consume information and the ability to integrate social media, digital platforms, video, web and traditional communications into a unified strategy.

Data Orientation

A commitment to using analytics, audience insights and measurable outcomes to improve communications performance.

People Leadership

A demonstrated ability to build teams, develop talent, establish accountability and inspire excellent work. Strong leadership and people-management skills, particularly in guiding teams through growth and development, as well as experience driving operational consistency in a 24/7 environment.

Commitment to Service

A genuine belief in the importance of local government and the role effective communication plays in strengthening trust between government and the community it serves.

WHAT SUCCESS LOOKS LIKE

The successful Senior Director will help build a communications operation that is increasingly:

Strategic - Communications is integrated into decision-making early rather than brought in only after decisions have been made.

Proactive - The City identifies opportunities, issues and information needs before they become communications challenges.

Coordinated - Departments communicate through an aligned enterprise-wide strategy with clear messages and standards.

Accessible - Residents can easily understand what their City government is doing, why it matters and how it affects them.

Responsive - The organization communicates rapidly and credibly during emerging issues and emergencies.

Engaging - Savannah tells compelling stories about its people, neighborhoods, services, investments and accomplishments.

Measurable - Communications decisions are increasingly informed by data, audience insights and clearly defined performance measures.

Trusted - City communications strengthen credibility and public confidence through accuracy, transparency, consistency and responsiveness.

WORK ENVIRONMENT

This is a highly visible executive leadership position requiring the flexibility to respond to significant events, emergencies and communications needs outside normal business hours.

The position generally operates Monday through Friday during regular City business hours but requires availability appropriate to the responsibilities of a senior communications executive.

WHY SAVANNAH?

Few communications leadership positions offer the combination of visibility, complexity, creativity and community impact found in Savannah.

Savannah is internationally recognized for its history, architecture and culture while continuing to evolve as a modern city with significant opportunities ahead.

The person selected for this position will have the opportunity to help tell that story.

You will advise senior civic leaders.

You will lead communications during moments that matter.

You will help residents better understand their government.

You will develop and lead talented communications professionals.

And you will help shape the reputation and voice of a city known around the world.

For an accomplished communications leader who believes communications can build trust, strengthen organizations and make communities better, Savannah offers an extraordinary opportunity to make an impact.

Examples of duties

Click here to review the Senior Director of Communications Essential Job Functions

Qualifications

Bachelor's degree in communications, journalism, public relations, marketing, public administration or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and relevant executive-level experience. Six (6) years of progressively responsible communications experience, including significant leadership experience directing a communications function, multidisciplinary team or communications operation within a complex organization.

Demonstrated experience in strategic communications, media relations, crisis communications, executive counsel, digital communications and public engagement is required. Experience in local government, public-sector communications or another complex, highly visible organization is strongly preferred.

Preferred Qualifications:
Master's degree in a related field and ten (10) years of progressively responsible experience.

Additional Requirements
Background investigation, including supervised drug screen, post offer/pre-employment medical screen; and verification of education, certifications, and licenses required prior to employment.

This position is safety sensitive and subject to a background check for any convictions directly related to its duties and responsibilities. Only job-related convictions will be considered and will not automatically disqualify the candidate.

Supplemental information

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

• Exceptional strategic judgment and the ability to advise executives and elected officials in complex, politically sensitive and high-visibility situations.

• Demonstrated political and organizational acumen, with the ability to maintain accurate, professional, transparent and nonpartisan government communications.

• Advanced knowledge of strategic communications, public relations, media relations, crisis and emergency communications, reputation management and issues management.

• Exceptional written, verbal and presentation skills, including the ability to translate complex government policies, services, data and decisions into clear and understandable public information.

• Ability to develop audience-centered communications strategies using research, segmentation, analytics, community feedback and public sentiment information.

• Strong understanding of digital communications, social media, web strategy, multimedia production, email and text communications, mass notification systems and emerging communications technologies.

• Ability to evaluate and responsibly use artificial intelligence and other emerging technologies to improve communications operations while maintaining accuracy, transparency, security and public trust.

• Demonstrated ability to lead community engagement and two-way communications strategies that reach diverse audiences through accessible and appropriate channels.

• Ability to establish meaningful performance measures and use data to assess reach, engagement, responsiveness, understanding, sentiment, trust and communications effectiveness.

• Strong leadership, coaching, organizational development, budgeting, resource management and team-building skills.

• Ability to lead effectively during emergencies, rapidly changing circumstances and high-pressure situations while maintaining message discipline and organizational coordination.

• Knowledge of accessibility, plain-language and inclusive communications practices appropriate for public-sector organizations.

• Ability to build productive relationships with media, community leaders, employees, partner organizations, elected officials and other stakeholders.

• Ability to exercise substantial independent judgment, manage competing priorities and operate effectively with limited direct supervision.

Minimum Standards

SUPERVISORY CONTROLS: Work involves setting policies and goals under the direction of the Communications Director.
GUIDELINES: This position develops department guidelines.
COMPLEXITY: The work consists of widely varied management duties and involves many complex and significant variables, requiring analytical ability and inductive thinking in adapting policies, procedures, and methods to fit unusual and complex situations. The variety of tasks to be performed contributes to the complexity of the position.
SCOPE AND EFFECT: The purpose of this position is to oversee the strategic implementation of communications strategies and tactics for the City of Savannah and provide communications counsel to senior executives and elected officials. Major individual impact on and accountability for end results affecting organizational unit or total community/agency.
PERSONAL CONTACTS: Continuing contact involving difficult negotiations calling for a well-developed sense of timing and strategy; representing the department or organization in policy settings. Contacts are typically with co-workers, department heads, other city employees, elected and appointed officials, state and federal agency representatives, community leaders and organizations, business owners, developers, vendors, and members of the general public.
PURPOSE OF CONTACTS: Contacts are typically to give or exchange information, motivate personnel, provide services, resolve problems, justify decisions, and negotiate and settle matters.
PHYSICAL DEMANDS: The work is typically performed while sitting at a desk or table or while intermittently sitting, standing, or stooping. This is sedentary work requiring the exertion of up to 10 pounds of force occasionally.
WORK ENVIRONMENT: The work is typically performed in an office and at city functions, which involves occasional exposure to some disagreeable elements (dust, heat, fumes, cold, noise, vibration, or wetness), and accidents are improbable, other than minor injuries.
SUPERVISORY AND MANAGEMENT RESPONSIBILITY: Supervision is exercised over all department personnel.

The hiring team will invite successful semi-finalists to participate in virtual interviews and skill evaluations on November 5-6, 2026. Candidates are encouraged to reserve these dates for virtual meetings should they be invited to participate.