The City of Platteville is seeking applications for a full-time Communications Specialist.  Position will initially serve under the direction of the City Manager and be responsible for facilitating communications with media, businesses, and the general public.  Position will work with the City Manager on establishing a communications outreach strategy and building awareness for the benefits of living in and doing business within the City of Platteville, WI.
Candidates for the position are expected to be proficient in the following areas:
Media Relationships:
•    Forge relationships with targeted media contacts that can be leveraged to secure quality coverage and recognition for the City, aggressively pursuing new media outlets on a regular basis;
Social Media
•    Network and form working relationships with bloggers and other social influencers that can generate positive awareness for the City of Platteville;
•    Execute social media tactics including, but not limited to, monitoring Twitter and the blogosphere for commenting opportunities, and drafting tweets and blog posts as needed.
•    Establish, manage, and execute all content on the various social media sites including Twitter, LinkedIn, Flickr, and Facebook.  Familiarity with Google AdWords, Yahoo Place Pages, Yelp, Foursquare, Gowalla, and search engine optimization is also preferred. As the City’s Social Media facilitator, you will play a key role in creating points of contact with residents and businesses on the Internet.
•    Monitor social networks for potential communications opportunities.
Public Relations
•    Issue press releases, draft news articles, and blog about the City of Platteville.
•    Apply for community recognition awards and create and design marketing pieces to bring awareness to the benefits of Platteville living and the business climate.
•    Manage cable communications channel and develop corresponding programming.
•    Leverage video sharing sites like YouTube to advance City’s message.

Position must have two years of experience in one or more of the following areas: social media strategy and marketing, websites, blogging, publication and report writing, editing, and design; script writing and television program development, including on-camera presentation; speech writing; and general correspondence writing and the overall development of an online presence for a commercial purpose.  Bachelor’s degree in Public Relations, Journalism, Communications, or related field is required.  Salary is $40,000 per year plus benefits and there is an area residency requirement.  To apply for position please submit your cover letter, resume, three writing samples, and three professional references to:  City Manager, City of Platteville, P.O. Box 780, Platteville, WI 53818.  Application materials must be submitted prior to 5 PM on February 23rd, 2012.  Please refer to platteville.org for more information.

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