Public Relations Manager at CareerSource Tampa Bay in Tampa, FL

Description

JOB SUMMARY: 

The Public Relations Manager plays a key leadership role in executing CareerSource Tampa Bay's marketing, outreach, and communication strategies across Hillsborough and Pinellas Counties. Reporting to the Vice President of Marketing & Public Relations, this position manages all day-to-day marketing operations in Hillsborough County and supports strategic communication efforts regionwide. The Public Relations Manager oversees internal and external communications, brand visibility, content development, and public/media relations. This role also serves as the Lead Graphic Artist and creative director for visual content and campaign materials. The Marketing Communication Specialist and marketing interns report directly to this position.

This role also serves as the brand manager, ensuring alignment of all digital and public-facing communications with CareerSource Tampa Bay’s corporate identity. The manager plays a strategic role in content planning, campaign development, and performance analysis to maximize public awareness and engagement across workforce development programs. 

The ideal candidate will be a dynamic communicator, experienced project manager, and strategic thinker, capable of balancing multiple priorities while delivering high-quality results that increase awareness, engagement, and participation in workforce programs and services.

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS: 

(The following duty statements are illustrative of the essential functions of the job and do not include non-essential or marginal duties that may be required. CareerSource Tampa Bay reserves the right to modify or change the duties or essential functions of this job at any time).

Leadership 

• Lead daily marketing operations in Hillsborough County, ensuring regional consistency with Pinellas & Hillsborough marketing initiatives.
• Supervise, mentor, and evaluate marketing staff, including the Marketing Communication Specialists and interns.
• Represent the Vice President of Marketing & PR in meetings, events, and planning sessions when required.
• Collaborate with community partners, economic development agencies, and training providers to promote CareerSource Tampa Bay services.

Project Management & Strategic Planning

• Manage complex marketing and outreach projects from concept through execution, using project tracking tools to ensure timelines, budgets, and quality goals are met.
• Contributes to the development of strategic marketing and communications plans, including calendar, budget tracking, and performance metrics.
• Coordinate cross-departmental campaigns and initiatives, ensuring timely execution of deliverables.

Public & Media Relations

• Serves as secondary spokesperson and media contact; draft and distribute press releases, media advisories, and public statements.
• Build and maintain relationships with media outlets and journalists.
• Produce and report on monthly earned media analytics and impressions.
• Plan and execute board-level and partner-facing public events, job fairs, and conferences.

Internal Communications

• Develop and manage internal communication tools including the employee newsletter, staff intranet, and executive updates.
• Support internal engagement campaigns and maintain alignment between HR, operations, and leadership communications.

Content Development & Graphic Design (Lead Graphic Artist)

• Design high-quality print and digital marketing materials including flyers, reports, infographics, signage, presentations, videos, and branded collateral.
• Maintain and enforce brand standards across all CareerSource Tampa Bay content.
• Serve as in-house creative lead and liaison to vendors and freelance designers.

Social & Digital Media

• Manage and execute social media strategies across platforms (Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, X, YouTube, Sprout Social, etc.).
• Develop and post original content; monitor engagement and optimize posts based on analytics.
• Oversee website content updates in WordPress and coordinate digital campaigns using tools such as email marketing platforms (e.g., Mailchimp or Constant Contact).
• Track digital metrics and provide performance reports.

Marketing Research & Customer Feedback

• Create and distribute customer satisfaction surveys for both employers and job seekers.
• Compile, analyze, and report findings to guide program improvement and outreach tactics.

Requirements

QUALIFICATIONS:

Minimum Education & Training: 

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Marketing, Communications, Public Relations, Business, English, or a related field.
• Minimum of 3–5 years of professional experience in marketing, public relations, or communications.
• At least 1–2 years of supervisory or project management experience strongly preferred.
• Portfolio submission required (digital and print examples, including social media, graphic design, and written content).
• Familiarity with or interest in workforce development, economic development, or nonprofit sector preferred.

Technical Skills:

• Proficient in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook).
• Advanced skills in Adobe Creative Cloud and Graphic Software (Canva, InDesign, Photoshop, Illustrator, Premiere Pro, After Effects).
• Experience with WordPress and social media management tools (e.g., Sprout Social, Hootsuite, or Buffer).
• Basic knowledge of email marketing, Google Analytics, and CRM tools a plus.

JOB SPECIFICATIONS:

• Excellent oral, written, and visual communication skills.
• Strong organizational and time management abilities.
• Creative and strategic thinking skills with a results-driven mindset.
• Comfort working independently and in fast-paced team environments.
• Strong customer service orientation and professionalism.
• Public speaking and on-camera presence a plus.
• Bilingual capabilities (Spanish) is a plus.

OTHER REQUIREMENTS:

• Travel throughout Hillsborough and Pinellas Counties is required.
• A valid Florida driver’s license and access to a reliable, insured vehicle are necessary.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS: 

• Stooping. Bending body downward and forward by bending spine at the waist. This factor is important if it occurs to a considerable degree and requires full motion of the lower extremities and back muscles.
• Crouching. Bending the body downward and forward by bending leg and spine.
• Reaching. Extending hand(s) and arm(s) in any direction.
• Standing. Particularly for sustained periods of time.
• Walking. Moving about on foot to accomplish tasks, particularly for long distances or moving from one work site to another.
• Talking. Expressing or exchanging ideas by means of the spoken word. Those activities in which they must convey detailed instructions to other or important spoken workers accurately, loudly, or quickly.
• Hearing. Perceiving the nature of sounds at normal speaking levels with or without correction. Ability to receive detailed information through oral communication, and to make the discriminations sound.
• Repetitive motion. Substantial movements (motions) of the wrists, hands, and/or fingers.
• Light work. Exerting up to 20 pounds of force occasionally, and/or up to 10 pounds of force frequently, and/or a negligible amount of force constantly to move objects. If the use of arm and/or leg controls requires exertion of forces greater than that for sedentary work and the worker sits most of the time, the job is rated for light work.
• The worker is required to have close visual acuity to perform an activity such as preparing and analyzing data and figures; transcribing; viewing a computer terminal; extensive reading; visual inspection involving small defects, small parts, and/or operation of machines (including inspection); using measurement devices; and/or assembly or fabrication parts at distances close to the eyes.
• The worker is subject to both environmental conditions. Activities occur inside and outside.