Choose How You Move Communications Director bei Metropolitan Government of Nashville & Davidson County, TN

About the Department

This is a non-civil service announcement. Choose How You Move (CHYM), approved by 66% of voters in 2024, is Mayor O’Connell’s transportation improvement program and the largest capital program in geographic scope and scale to be undertaken in Nashville’s history. Implementation of the $3.1 billion in CHYM capital projects and coordination of $111 million worth of annual operating expenditures requires extensive collaboration among multiple Metro departments, project managers, and vendors and robust engagement with neighbors. CHYM will transform how people move around the city for decades to follow.

CHYM includes installation of smart signals at nearly 600 intersections. It adds 24/7/365 transit service and builds 54 miles of high-capacity transit with more frequent, reliable, and accessible service. It builds 86 miles of sidewalks to ensure Nashville completes the WalkNBike Nashville priority sidewalk network and connects our busiest neighborhoods to major transit routes. The program makes safety improvements on 78 miles of the Vision Zero High-Injury Network, creating safer streets for pedestrians, bicyclists, drivers, and transit users alike.

At a current population of 660,000+, Nashville in 2017 was named among Forbes Annual List of America’s Fastest Growing Cities in the U.S. Metro Nashville Government is an employer of choice with over 10,700 employees in one of the most exciting cities in our nation. 

The CHYM Communications Director is a member of the Mayor’s Office CHYM team, and is responsible for driving communications, media relations, and brand strategy for the program. This role provides program oversight amongst multiple implementing entities, with a focus on ensuring high-quality, transparent, and streamlined messaging, visual content, and outreach.

The CHYM Communications Director reports to the CHYM Chief Program Officer and works in close partnership with the Mayor’s Office communications team. This role also collaborates extensively with multiple Metro Nashville departments including the Nashville Department of Transportation and Multimodal Infrastructure (NDOT), WeGo, and Metro Planning Department, as well as local utilities, and other entities involved in CHYM implementation. The CHYM Communications Director will coordinate communication strategies across Metro and with the Mayor’s Office communications team to inform the program’s delivery and ensure consistent visibility and branding of the CHYM program. Importantly, they will oversee the development of communications and branding strategies and guide deliverables by a third-party program management team.

Position Duties

• Develops, implements, and consistently updates a comprehensive communication strategy aligned with agency partners to increase public awareness, understanding, and engagement of stakeholders, community-based organizations, community members, advisory committees, government agencies, and media.
• Works with CHYM team and partner agencies to learn program implementation processes, project details, and community dynamics to support complex information in everyday terms and visuals. Anticipates potential community and stakeholder issues and provides expertise on engagement strategies.
• Ensures accuracy, relevancy, and consistency in key messages, voice, themes, and branding and design guidelines.
• Ensures that the Mayor’s Office Communications, Civic & Community Engagement, and Legislative Teams are consulted on and apprised of CHYM activities with an externally facing communications, engagement, or media-focused component.
• Develops and maintains collaborative relationships with key communications staff in the Mayor’s Office and in Metro departments and with the third-party program management team to lead overall aligned strategies.
• Collaborates with the CHYM Project Delivery and Acceleration Director to ensure community input and engagement activities align with project planning and implementation timelines, and to support the development of a public-facing dashboard communicating program progress to the public.
• Represents the CHYM program as an official spokesperson to the media and the public. Develops, manages and implements proactive and responsive media relations, directs external messaging, including responding to press inquiries, and oversee production of press releases in coordination with the Mayor’s Office Deputy Communications Director and Press Secretary.
• Oversees the design and production of official CHYM materials, including website and collateral for events, community engagement and outreach, project information, education, and digital/social media. Consults extensively with the Mayor’s Office communications team on development of these materials.
• Coordinates media and community events to highlight CHYM milestones.
• Oversees the development and launch of a community ambassador program as complex projects are implemented to support and troubleshoot feedback with project teams, in partnership with the third-party program management team.
• Supports organization and convening of CHYM advisory committee to ensure that CHYM implementation is informed by subject matter experts and community leaders with experience in transportation and mobility issues.
• Initiate, lead, manage and oversee development and production for all CHYM digital assets across corresponding social media channels and the website. As appropriate, create strategy for, develop and launch new CHYM specific social media handles. Manage those new CHYM specific handles while keeping appropriate partners and the Mayor's Office in the know on what goes live
• Manages crisis communication for the CHYM program and briefs leadership on significant matters. 

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree and ten (10) years of experience in communications, public relations, journalism, marketing, community engagement or closely related field. 
• Demonstrated ability to communicate effectively, both orally and in writing, and under pressure.
• Demonstrated knowledge of transportation and mobility topics.
• Established relationships with a wide range of contacts in the local media and among local community-based organizations.
• Skill in interpreting and disseminating information, and ability to operate effectively in a collaborative work environment.
• Demonstrated ability to partner across teams to build consensus and drive a consistent & coherent message.
• Demonstrated excellence in problem-solving and decision-making; exhibits critical thinking and results-oriented skills.
• High level of energy, sense of urgency, responsive to feedback, and thorough with work.
• Adaptable and agile, with comfort for change. You’re comfortable juggling competing priorities and shifting gears as needed without missing a beat.

Other Qualifications

• Experience providing communications, public relations, and brand support for complex municipal transportation projects of similar scale to CHYM.
• Working knowledge of Metro rules, policies, and procedures. 

• Master’s degree in communications, journalism, public relations or other related field.