Deputy Chief Communications and Community Engagement Officer

Please complete the application in its entirety. Include all previous employment so that it may be taken into consideration. Please include a resume attachment with submittal of your application. Resume should document months and years with your dates of employment. Failure to submit a complete and timely application may result in the rejection of your application. Applicants are responsible for ensuring that application materials are received before the closing date and time listed.

At Regional Transportation District (RTD), We make lives better through connections!

When you join RTD, you will be among dedicated employees exhibiting RTD's values of passion, respect, diversity, trustworthiness, collaboration, and ownership. RTD is committed to an inclusive and diverse workplace. As part of our diversity value statement, we encourage our employees to honor diversity in thought, people, and experience. Come join RTD on this great journey to be the trusted leader in mobility, delivering excellence and value to our customers and community.

RTD Employee Benefits: https://www.rtd-denver.com/careers/benefits

(RTD Represented Employee Benefits: Please refer to the Labor Agreement included in the above link for details.)

This position serves as a key strategic partner to senior communications leadership, providing high level counsel on agency priorities, reputation management, emerging issues, and stakeholder relations. This role combines strategic advisory responsibilities with operational oversight, ensuring alignment between organizational goals and RTD’s communications and community engagement initiatives. This role leads the planning, coordination, and execution of districtwide public engagement, outreach, and communication programs, ensuring they are effectively resourced, integrated, and impactful.

This role oversees brand intelligence project management functions, including the development, tracking, and application of insights related to public sentiment, brand performance, and stakeholder perceptions. This includes guiding cross functional teams in using brand intelligence data to inform messaging, strengthen organizational strategy, and enhance the consistency and effectiveness of RTD’s brand presence. Acting as a connector across departments and stakeholder groups, this role strengthens organizational strategy, enhances public understanding, and supports informed decision making across the agency.

DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES:

Strategic Advising & Executive Counsel

• Serve as a strategic advisor and thought partner to Chief Communications and Engagement Officer and Senior communications leadership, providing analysis, insight, and recommendations on agency priorities, communications strategy, reputation, and emerging issues.
• Develop strategic narratives, approaches, and scenarios, identifying risks, opportunities, and organizational implications ahead of key decisions.
• Translate complex organizational information into clear, actionable insights and recommendations for executive leaders.
• Monitor trends, emerging issues, and external developments that may impact agency reputation or priorities and advise leadership on appropriate responses.
• Convene diverse perspectives across the agency to strengthen strategic development, build alignment, and support effective decision‑making.

 

Agency Strategy & Communications Alignment

• Translate the agency’s strategic plan and institutional priorities into cohesive communications and engagement strategies.
• Identify ways communications and community engagement can advance organizational goals, strengthen public understanding, and build trust in service.
• Ensure strategic integration across internal communications and external communications, public engagement, crisis communications, and digital channels.
• Identify opportunities to improve alignment across departments, service areas, and stakeholder constituencies.
• Support leadership in prioritizing resources and focus on activities with the greatest strategic impact.
• Apply data, brand insights, and emerging trends to inform strategic decisions, resource allocation, and investments.
• Conduct regular assessments to identify operational risks, functional gaps, and resource constraints within communications and engagement activities.
• Develop executive‑level dashboards that distill complex metrics into clear, actionable insights for leadership.

 

Stakeholder & Community Engagement Leadership

• Lead community engagement strategies to strengthen organizational reputation and enhance stakeholder understanding of agency initiatives.
• Develop and implement comprehensive short‑ and long‑term public engagement strategies to inform and educate the public, employees, and regional partners.
• Build and maintain trusted relationships with agency leadership, the Board of Directors, elected officials, and regional stakeholders.
• Anticipate stakeholder needs, fulfill engagement requests, and maintain transparent communication with internal and external partners.
• Serve as a connector across departments to ensure engagement initiatives are coordinated and aligned with agency priorities.
• Facilitate collaboration and consensus‑building among diverse stakeholders and represent senior leadership in committees, working groups, and planning sessions.
• Lead inclusive outreach efforts to ensure engagement of diverse and underrepresented communities.

People Power Management

• Maintains appropriate staffing levels and reviews progress to ensure the quality and quantity of work meet standards and deadlines for deliverables to meet program goals and objectives.
• Recruits staff to include interviewing, hiring, assigning work, training, coaching, and counseling to ensure consistent application of Employee Guidelines, processes, and procedures.
• Conducts performance reviews and holds employees accountable for optimal performance of their responsibilities.
• Fosters a safety-first culture, prioritizing prevention, accountability, and continuous improvement.
• Takes action to advance the goals of Equal Employment Opportunity, Small/ Disadvantaged Business Enterprise, Title VI and ADA Plans, thereby ensuring RTD's hiring programs, work environment, contracting and procurement practices, and transit services/programs are fair, equal, and non-discriminatory.

OTHER:

All job-related duties as assigned.

 

QUALIFICATIONS:

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor's Degree in Journalism, Communications, Public Administration, or Political Science, is required or an equivalent combination of education and relevant work experience. Eight (8) years of progressively responsible experience in communications, public affairs, community engagement, stakeholder relations, or related functions.
• Five (5) years of supervisory or team‑lead experience overseeing staff, projects, or cross‑functional initiatives.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Master’s degree in Communications, Public Relations, Public Administration, Strategic Communications, Business Administration, or a closely related field.
• Ten (10) or more years of experience in communications, community engagement, public affairs, or government relations, with at least five years in leadership roles.
• Experience working within a public agency, transit organization, government entity, or similarly complex and regulatory environment.
• Experience in crisis communications, issues management, or reputation management.

 

Key Competencies & Characteristics:

• Proficient in creating effective content for news releases, social media channels, informational materials, and website.
• Advanced communication skills, the ability to discuss issues diplomatically and maintain professional composure while under stress and pressure with proficiency in public speaking and presentations.
• Proficient with Microsoft Office Suite, Microsoft 365, and Asana or related project management software.
• Knowledge of Salesforce email suite preferred.
• Proficient in utilizing analytic software to track performance and set goals.
• Understanding of traditional and social media with ability to direct effective messaging.
• Experience in virtual and remote engagement and meeting techniques a plus.
• Ability to speak and write Spanish or other non-English language a plus.
• Experience in media-related operations and techniques a plus.
•  Ability to work a flexible schedule, which includes attending events and meetings that occur in early morning and evening hours, as well as weekends and some holidays.

• Ability to analyze complex organizational issues and translate them into clear, actionable strategic recommendations.

OR

An equivalent combination of education, experience, knowledge, skills, abilities.

 

WORKING ENVIRONMENT AND PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:

The work environment and physical demands described here are representative of those required by an employee to perform the essential functions of this job with or without reasonable accommodations.

• While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently required to sit and talk or hear. The employee is occasionally required to stand; walk; use hands to finger, handle, or feel and reach with hands and arms. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision and color vision.
• The work environment is a typical office environment with minimal exposure to excessive noise or adverse environmental issues.

CAREER MAP:

Based on job performance, experience, education and position availability the next step on the career map for this position may be:  Chief Communications and Engagement Officer

We are considering all applications for this position up until the position close date of 11/3/2026 at 11:59PM. For consideration, please be sure to apply before the posting end date.

Pay Range:

$170,479.00 - $240,801.25 Annual

EEO POLICY AND ADA ACCOMMODATIONS 

RTD is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer, supporting diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace. All applicants will be considered for employment regardless to the race, sex, disability status or any other characteristic protected by law and we encourage candidates from all identities, backgrounds, and abilities to apply. Therefore, in all aspects of the employment process, we provide employment opportunities to all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, disability, age, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, pregnancy, medical condition related to pregnancy, creed, ancestry, national origin, marital status, genetic information, or military status, or any other protected status in accordance with applicable law. RTD is committed to the full inclusion of all qualified individuals. As part of this commitment, our agency will assist individuals who have a disability with any reasonable accommodation requests related to employment, including completing the application process, interviewing, pre-employment testing, participating in the employee selection process, promotions, and/or to perform essential job functions where the requested accommodation does not impose an undue hardship. If you have a disability and require a reasonable accommodation, please reach out to our Employment ADA Coordinator Kris Frazier at adarequests@rtd-denver.com, or the Talent Acquisition team rtd.ta@rtd-denver.com.

To learn more or see our EEO policy, please visit our EEO page at: https://www.rtd-denver.com/open-records/reports-and-policies/eeo-policy

RTD posts a compensation range that represents a good faith estimate of what RTD anticipates paying for the position at the time of posting.  Starting salary is based on the candidate’s relevant and verified education, training and work experience.  Applicants should submit all relevant and verifiable education, training and work experiences at the time of application.