Communications and Engagement Manager

If you have questions about this position or about the City of Sequim recruitment process, please contact HR.

The City of Sequim is seeking a creative, technology-minded and community-focused Communications and Engagement Manager to help tell the City’s story, strengthen public trust, and connect residents, businesses, visitors and partners with clear, timely, accessible and engaging information.

The Communications and Engagement Manager leads the City’s communications, public engagement, media relations, and tourism marketing efforts to ensure residents, businesses, visitors, and partners receive clear, timely, accessible, and engaging information.

Under the direction of the City Manager, the Communications & Engagement Manager helps shape and implement the City’s strategic approach to communications, public engagement and digital outreach. This position uses predictive analytics, advanced digital platforms, audience segmentation, and utilization of emerging engagement technologies to anticipate community information needs, strengthen trust, and improve two-way communication. The role provides guidance and recommendations to the City Manager and departments on messaging, issues management, media and community relations, and opportunities to use technology and data to ensure City communications are proactive, inclusive, transparent, and measurable.

The Communication & Engagement Manager also leads tourism and destination marketing strategies that strengthen Sequim’s identity as a distinctive, welcoming destination and support year-round economic vitality. This work includes developing and implementing an annual marketing plan, which may include shaping campaigns and partnerships that elevate the visitor experience, promote local businesses, and align tourism efforts with the City’s broader communications, community engagement, and economic development goals.

The position serves as a staff liaison to the Lodging Tax Advisory Committee (LTAC) and administers the Tourism Enhancement Grant Program.

The selected manager will also have the opportunity to assess communications support needs and hire, onboard, and supervise a part-time employee to develop communications, engagement, marketing and related project work.

• Leads the City’s communications across print, digital, and multimedia platforms, ensuring alignment with City policies, professional standards and communications best practices.
• Develops and manages a Citywide communications strategy, editorial calendar, and campaign workflow that supports timely, coordinated, and audience-first content across departments.
• Leads the City’s tourism and destination marketing strategy, including brand positioning and visitor communications campaigns, and collaborates with regional agencies such as the Olympic Peninsula Visitor Bureau, Olympic Peninsula Tourism Commission and Sequim-Dungeness Valley Chamber of Commerce, to ensure a coordinated approach to marketing the area.
• Handles or advises on high-profile, sensitive, confidential, or complex media issues and develops strategic communications approaches for emerging public policy matters, community concerns, and issues of significant public interest in coordination with City leadership and appropriate stakeholders.
• Manages or advises on stakeholder outreach, community engagement, building productive relationships with residents, businesses, media, community organizations and public-sector partners.
• Manages the Lodging Tax, tracks and maintains financial and budget information for the lodging tax dollars; provides staff support to the Lodging Tax Advisory Committee (LTAC); compliant with state requirements.
• Supports innovation and continuous improvement by responsibly testing and using emerging tools, including AI-assisted research, content development, workflow automation, and social listening, while maintaining accuracy, privacy, transparency, and human judgment.
• Leads digital-first storytelling and public-information campaigns related to City services, programs, events, infrastructure, development, and community priorities, using accessible website content,…