Lead Strategist, Communications & Engagement

Are you an exceptional marketing and communications leader who can turn business goals into captivating strategic narratives and compelling campaigns? Can you navigate a complex political landscape while inspiring a multi-disciplinary team to do their best work? Can you integrate multiple diverse projects to tell a cohesive story with one voice? The City of Edmonton has an incredible opportunity for a seasoned professional to step into the role of Lead Strategist, Communications & Engagement within our Urban Planning and Economy team. The Lead Strategist, Communications & Engagement is responsible for leading a portfolio of communications, marketing and engagement strategies within the Urban Planning and Economy Department, including such high profile projects as infill, growth planning, environment and economic development. This role manages the overall design and delivery of integrated services, ensuring seamless collaboration across teams and projects. As a leader, you will provide strategic counsel and translate high-level strategies into actionable plans. You will manage and mentor a dedicated team of professionals, providing leadership and strategic oversight to the development and implementation of innovative communications, marketing and engagement strategies. Serving as an expert internal consultant, you will provide trusted, politically astute counsel to branch leaders, steering them and your team toward high-value strategic opportunities. What will you do? Strategic Council & Portfolio Management: - Lead the design, implementation and evaluation of comprehensive integrated marketing, communications and public engagement strategies rooted in data and industry best practices - Lead the communications and engagement planning process, developing strategies that are aligned with corporate priorities and department goals - Build strong relationships with program leaders to understand their business needs - Analyze business priorities to identify and prioritize high-value communications and marketing opportunities to ensure optimal resource allocation - Navigate politically sensitive or emergent issues, providing strategic counsel, mitigation plans, and support to senior leadership - Identify issues, opportunities, trends, and gaps, and provide strategic advice and proposed solutions to leadership People Leadership & Culture Champion: - Provide leadership and direct supervision, coaching, and mentorship to a team of communications, marketing and engagement professionals - Nurture a supportive, relationship-driven team environment centered on growth and continuous development - Serve as the conduit between the leadership team and staff, balancing direction from leadership with feedback from staff Quality Assurance & Performance Stewardship: - Utilize market research, public opinion methodologies, and historical evaluation data to build highly targeted, results-focused campaigns - Establish and track transparent performance metrics to demonstrate the tangible impact of your portfolio's work - Perform quality management and oversight on deliverables to ensure they meet the City's standards and guides - Contribute to the design and continuous improvement of section and unit-level processes and practices - Ensure the prudent use of human and financial resources, and effectively oversee external agency or vendor contracts