Salary: $97,362.00 - $110,837.00 Annually
Location : Onsite in Champaign, IL
Job Type: Full Time
Department: City Manager's Office
Opening Date: 07/03/2025
Closing Date: 7/20/2025 11:59 PM Central
FLSA: Exempt
Bargaining Unit: NBU

Description

Are you a public communications and marketing expert? Ready for an exciting opportunity to serve a growing and diverse community by developing impactful and creative strategies to keep the public informed on a variety of highly visible, timely, and complex topics? Are you a digital media expert who enjoys creating social media campaigns, websites, and graphic design? If this sounds like you, then apply today and join our team as the Communications Manager in our City Manager's Office!
Responsibilities of the Position
The Communications Manager is a highly responsible position that serves as the City's lead and chief consultant to the City Manager, Mayor and City Council, and City Departments in the development and implementation of effective communication strategies, policies, and practices. This position serves as the City's subject matter expert on media engagement, manages the City's various public communication platforms, coordinates emergency communications, and manages marketing campaigns.
This position requires working independently, maintaining confidentiality, and being able to both lead and work collaboratively as a member of a team. The Communications Manager oversees the Communications Division, including staff supervision, purchasing, budgeting, and resource management.
The Communications Manager needs to be generally responsive and available to perform occasional work outside of regularly scheduled hours to attend meetings/events and respond to emergency situations. The Communications Manager must establish residency within a 30-minute drive time radius of the Champaign City Building within six months of employment.
Required Qualifications
• Bachelor's degree in communications, marketing, journalism, public relations, advertising, electronic media, public administration, or a similar field.
• Extensive, progressively responsible experience developing, coordinating, and executing communication plans and strategies.
• Extensive, progressively responsible experience managing public communication technologies, including websites, social media, and/or television channels.
• Extensive experience engaging with the media, including writing news releases, organizing press conferences, serving as a spokesperson, being interviewed by reporters, and prepping staff for interviews.
• Progressively responsible experience supervising employees, including recruiting, coaching, evaluating, assigning and evaluating work, and setting performance expectations.
• An equivalent combination of work experience and training that demonstrates the required knowledge, skills, and abilities will be considered.
• Possess a valid driver's license and acceptable driving record.
Preferred Attributes
• Master's degree in communications, marketing, journalism, public relations, advertising, electronic media, public administration, or a similar field.
• Extensive public communication experience working for a government, nonprofit, or public sector agency.
• Proficiency with professional content management, graphic design, and photo editing software.
• Experience coordinating public communications during emergencies or crisis situations.
A drug screening, driving abstract, and criminal background check are also required. The annual starting salary range is $97,362 - $110,837, DOQ, plus an excellent fringe benefits package. Applications, including a cover letter and resume, must be submitted online no later than Sunday, July 20, 2025.
Other Information

The City of Champaign is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Women, minorities and individuals with disabilities are encouraged to apply. The City of Champaign is committed to promoting a work environment and a community that values and supports diversity and inclusion. Contact the Human Resources Department at (217) 403-8770 Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. if you require an accommodation to complete this application or during any phase of the application, interview, or employment process.
The following locations offer free Internet access and assistance: The following locations offer free Internet access and assistance: Champaign Public Library, Champaign Public Library Douglass Branch, and the Illinois WorkNet Center.
Our mission is to provide responsive, caring, cost-effective service in partnership with our community.
These values guide our work:
Personal Integrity

We act in the best interests of the City

We behave in an ethical and legal manner

We are open and honest

We follow through on commitments

We are loyal to the City
Responsibility

We anticipate issues, problems, and opportunities

We take initiative

We act to prevent and solve problems

We take responsibility for the outcome of our actions and decisions

We hold ourselves and others accountable
Respect

We treat others in a fair, courteous, and equitable manner

We actively listen and seek understanding

We provide a direct response

We embrace ethnic and cultural diversity in the community and our workplace

We are positive and cooperative

We are willing to apologize
Teamwork

We know and respect our roles and responsibilities

We ask who needs to be involved and we involve others appropriately

We define and agree upon the goals

We collaborate to achieve organizational goals

We help others accomplish their goals

We share authority, responsibility, and credit
Results

We take pride in our work

We complete assignments and projects on time and within budget

We evaluate outcomes and seek feedback on our performance

We learn from our mistakes

We innovate
This position is classified as Non-Bargaining Unit Exempt.

HEALTH INSURANCE

The City of Champaign offers a robust PPO Select Network plan through Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois.
The City of Champaign pays up to $580 of the employee (single) health insurance premium and 50 percent of the dependent premium for continuous full-time employees or 25 percent of the dependent premium for continuous part-time employees. Premiums for single employee coverage above $580 per month are shared by the employee and the City. For the 2025/2026 plan year, NBU employees contribute 1.2045 percent of their salary for the plan. Premiums may be made on a pre-tax basis, through the City's Section 125 plan. Health insurance coverage begins on the date of hire and ends on the employee's last day of work at the City.

Rates are available under the Fringe Benefit Summaries section on the City's website at

DENTAL AND VISION INSURANCE

Employees may purchase dental and/or vision insurance through payroll deduction. Employees pay 100 percent of the monthly premium for this coverage. Premiums for dental and vision insurance may be made on a pre-tax basis, through the City's Section 125 plan. Dental and vision insurance begins after waiting for one complete calendar month (e.g., if hire date is in the month of January, coverage begins on March 1st).

The dental plan has two options: Delta Dental Network Low Plan (PPO) and Delta Dental High Plan.

Vision insurance is provided by EyeMed.

Rates are available under the Fringe Benefit Summaries section on the City's website at

LIFE INSURANCE

The City provides a term life insurance policy equal to annual salary rounded to the next highest thousand dollars (up to a maximum of $100,000), or $30,000, whichever is greater. Employees may elect to purchase voluntary supplemental life insurance for themselves up to 5x their annual salary or $500,000 (whichever is lower), through payroll deduction. Employees may also purchase term life for their spouses/dependents.
• Employee voluntary supplemental life insurance coverage can be purchased in $10,000 increments and the price is calculated based on the employee's age.
• Employees may purchase voluntary supplemental life insurance for their spouses up to half the amount purchased for themselves in $5,000 increments. Cost is calculated based on the employee's age.
• Employees may purchase voluntary supplemental life insurance for their dependent children in the amount of $10,000 for any/all eligible children.
• Employees may purchase Basic Life Insurance for their spouse and eligible dependent children.

o Option #1: $3.60/month for $10,000 for spouse and $5,000 for any/all eligible children.

o Option #2: $1.80/month for $5,000 for spouse and $2,000 for any/all eligible children.

PENSION

Illinois state law requires that eligible municipal employees be covered by the Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund (IMRF). Employee contributions to IMRF are 4.5 percent of salary and are tax-deferred. For 2024, the City contributes 6.46 percent of eligible employee's salaries to IMRF. In addition, IMRF members are covered by Social Security (FICA). Obtain additional information by contacting IMRF at 1-800-ASK-IMRF. Employees are eligible to contribute additional funds to IMRF through Voluntary Additional Contributions. Contact HR for details.

RETIREMENT HEALTH SAVINGS (RHS)

A retirement health savings plan administered by the Mission Square Retirement Corporation has been established for NBU employees. NBU employees participate in a mandatory contribution of 1 percent of pre-tax salary into an RHS investment account. This account is available for use by the employee at retirement or separation of service. Eligible uses of the funds include medical expenses such as health insurance premiums, dental/vision expenses, coinsurance, and co-pays for employees, spouse, and/or dependents. Note: Upon separation, a mandatory 50 percent of accrued vacation, compensatory and payout-eligible sick leave will be contributed to your RHS balance.

HOLIDAYS

New Year's Day

Martin Luther King, Jr.'s Birthday

Memorial Day

Juneteenth

Independence Day

Labor Day

Veterans Day

Thanksgiving Day

Friday after Thanksgiving

Christmas Eve

Christmas Day

PERSONAL LEAVE

At the beginning of each fiscal year July 1st, continuous full-time employees are credited with three personal days (24 hours); personal days are pro-rated for continuous part-time employees. Personal leave may not be accumulated and carried over into the next fiscal year. Personal leave during the first year of employment varies based on the date of employment.
VACATION

Vacation accrual rates are based on years of service and pro-rated for part-time employees.
SICK LEAVE

Continuous full-time employees accrue sick leave at the rate of 3.69 hours per pay period (approximately 1 day per month); sick leave accrual is pro-rated for continuous part-time employees. The maximum accumulation of sick leave is 1,200 hours. T

LONGEVITY PAY

Employees receive longevity pay based upon their years of continuous employment with the City. Longevity pay is an addition to the employees' base wage rate.

CREDIT UNION

Employees may join the Credit Union I. Payroll deduction for savings and credit union loan payments are available as well as a deduction for a savings bond program and Christmas Club. Additional information can be obtained by contacting the Credit Union directly at (800) 252-6950.

DEFERRED COMPENSATION PLAN

The City of Champaign offers employees the opportunity to participate in a tax-deferred annuity plan of the Mission Square Retirement Corporation through payroll deduction. This is an optional plan with no City contributions. More information may be obtained by contacting Client Services (1-800-669-7400).
HANDBOOK
View the current Non-Bargaining Unit (NBU) Handbook at
01

Please check the option below that best describes your highest level of educational background:

• High school diploma or equivalent
• Associate degree
• Bachelor's degree
• Master's degree or higher

02

If you selected Associate degree or higher in question 1, please specify your major and/or minor field of study. If you selected high school diploma or equivalent, please describe your equivalent combination of experience and training which demonstrates the required knowledge, skills, and abilities for this position.
03

Provide details about any other classes, training, or certifications you have completed that have prepared you for the job duties and responsibilities of the Communications Manager position. Enter NA if not applicable.
04

Detail your work experience serving a government, nonprofit, or public sector agency. Include the employer's name, your job title, and a summary of your job responsibilities in the area of public communications. Enter NA if not applicable.
05

Detail your professional work experience in developing, coordinating, and executing communication plans and strategies. Enter NA if not applicable.
06

Detail your professional work experience managing public communication technologies, including websites, social media, television channels, etc. Please be specific in how you used public communication technologies, including but not limited to establishing new communication accounts or tools, writing/editing text, graphic design, scheduling or posting content or corrections, troubleshooting technical issues, and reviewing or responding to user feedback/comments/questions. Enter NA if not applicable.
07

Detail your professional work experience supervising employees, including recruiting, coaching, evaluating, assigning and evaluating work, and setting performance expectations. Enter NA if not applicable.
08

Detail your professional work experience engaging with the media (i.e. writing news releases, organizing press conferences, serving as a spokesperson, being interviewed by reporters, prepping staff for interviews, etc.). Enter NA if not applicable.
09

Detail your professional experience coordinating public communications during emergencies or crisis situations. Enter NA if not applicable.
10

Detail your experience using professional content management, graphic design, and photo editing software. Please specify the software used and the type of work you completed. Enter NA if not applicable.
11

Do you have a current driver's license?

• Yes
• No

12

The position requires being generally responsive and available to perform occasional work outside of regularly scheduled hours to attend meetings/events and respond to emergency situations. If selected, will you be able to meet these requirements?

• Yes
• No

13

This position requires establishing residency within a 30-minute drive time radius of the Champaign City Building (102 N Neil Street, Champaign) within six months of employment. If selected, will you be able to meet this requirement?

• Yes, I already meet this requirement.
• Yes, I will be able to meet this requirement within six months of appointment.
• No, I will not be able to meet this requirement.

Required Question