Chief Communications and Engagement Officer

Overall Position Objective: Provides C-suite leadership, direction, and oversight for the Oregon State Bar (OSB) Communications and Engagement functions. Ensures clear and consistent communication of the OSB’s brand, mission, and values to members, the public, government officials, policy makers, and community groups. Oversee the development and implementation of legislative, policy, and communication initiatives that support the OSB’s goals and strategies.

This position is authorized to work a hybrid schedule.

Essential Duties:

• In collaboration with the CEO and Communications Team, develops and implements the OSB’s organizational brand, ensuring it reflects the values and mission of OSB.

• Oversee the preparation, analysis, and reporting of data that informs and enhances the bar’s communications and strategic initiatives.

• Oversee marketing, public relations, and media management efforts, developing and executing strategies to enhance the OSB's visibility and reputation.

• Directs, oversees, and evaluates the development and implementation of strategic member, public, and government communications, outreach, engagement, and relations plans for the organization that support the OSB’s mission, functions, goals, and values. Responsible for managing crisis communication as needed.

• In collaboration with the CEO, leads the development, shaping, and implementation of the Board of Governors’ key legislative policies and priorities at the state, regional, and federal levels.

• Provides leadership and direction to the Board of Governors (BOG) and Operations team in analyzing the impact of new legislation on the OSB.

• Develops and implements strategies for enacting legislation that affects the operations of the OSB. Establishes and maintains professional, constructive relationships with key bar leaders, government officials, and state and local community organizations to influence and advance the OSB's mission.

• Direct, oversees, and evaluates programs, services, and activities of the Office of Communications and Public Affairs, ensuring they are in line with the mission and goals of the OSB and are run efficiently and effectively.

• Reports directly to the CEO and serves on the Operations Team.

• Serves as a professional resource for Public Affairs and bar staff on best practices for engaging in the legislative and political processes, ensuring adherence to all relevant laws and regulations.

• Maintains relationships with the Professional Liability Fund (PLF) to ensure PLF legislative and policy initiatives and communications are not in conflict with the OSB mission, functions, goals, strategies and values.

• Supervises the Director of Public Affairs and the Director of Communications including, but not limited to, recruitment, hiring, training, retention, scheduling, coaching, reviewing work, and evaluating performance. Makes recommendations to the Chief Executive Officer on employment and termination of staff.

• Fosters cooperation, collaboration, and teamwork within the office and among other OSB departments and respective chief officers, directors, managers, and staff to provide customer service orientation toward internal and external recipients of the office’s services.

• Models behavior and provides leadership that values diversity and incorporates inclusive and culturally competent practices.

Other Duties:  

• Serves as OSB liaison to sections, committees, task forces, and other groups as assigned.

• Other duties as assigned.

Qualifications:  

• Graduation from a four-year college or university with a degree in communications, political science, or closely related field. Graduate study in law, government relations, public policy, or public administration required. JD preferred.

• Seven years of experience in communications, government, or public relations in Oregon with extensive issue management or information officer type experience.

• Five years of experience in program administration in a non-profit, corporate, or legal environment to include program planning, development, administration, analysis, evaluation, and budgeting.

• Supervisory experience that demonstrates knowledge, understanding, utilization, and application of personnel management practices.

• Demonstrated knowledge of courts, lawmaking, and governmental processes in general and familiarity with the Oregon judicial and legislative systems and lawyer regulation in particular.

• Experience with strategic planning, implementation, and evaluation.

• Interpersonal and conflict resolution skills with demonstrated ability to listen to understand and manage difficult conversations.

• Written and oral communication skills using in-person and virtual formats. Ability to communicate to a broad constituency with effective public speaking and public relations skills before a range of groups, including the state legislature and related committees.

• Effective and productive use of time management practices, prioritizing, multi-tasking, and working in a fast-paced, detail-driven, service-oriented environment.

• Self-motivation skills requiring minimal supervision with ability to balance independent and team-oriented work.

• Critical thinking, negotiation, consulting, problem solving, decision-making, and analytical skills.

• Demonstrated knowledge of O365 Microsoft Office Suite in a Microsoft Windows environment with particular emphasis on Word, Excel, and Outlook. Experience with database programs. Ability to become familiar with OSB-specific programs and software.

• Ability to be flexible, agile, and resilient in addressing expected and unexpected situations.

• Ability to maintain a professional demeanor and provide a high level of customer service for a potentially demanding customer base in a variety of situations with various interest groups or individuals with conflicting and competing needs, desires, and demands.

• Ability to exercise sound judgment in keeping with the policies and objectives of the CE department and the Oregon State Bar.

• Demonstrated ability to build constructive and collaborative working relationships with and among various interest groups.

• Commitment to the concept of teamwork and cross-responsibility within a department and between departments.

Any satisfactory equivalent combination of experience and training which ensures the ability to perform the work may be substituted for the above.

Job Related Physical Characteristics:  

• Ability to communicate in person, in writing, by e-mail, by telephone, and other communication media, e.g., video conferencing.

• Ability to operate a computer for long periods.

• Ability to remain on the telephone for long periods.

• Ability to remain in a stationary position for long periods.

• Ability to manipulate data for program and budgetary purposes and typing.

• Ability to use standard office equipment and computer peripherals.

• Ability to work in a moderately noisy, open environment.

• Ability to maintain focus and perform detailed work and proofread or copyedit written and electronic documents requiring concentrated effort for long periods.

• Ability to perform as a public speaker, with or without using presentation software and equipment.

• Ability to travel overnight, inside and outside Oregon, to meetings and seminars.

• Ability to work remotely as needed.