Assistant Director of External Affairs

Job Summary The Assistant Director of External Affairs serves as a strategic leader responsible for developing, implementing, and evaluating the County Clerk’s Office communications, public affairs, community engagement, and stakeholder relations programs. This position provides leadership and direction for a multidisciplinary team responsible for communications, media relations, community outreach, public information requests, Commissioners Court support functions, and administrative operations.

The Assistant Director is responsible for identifying opportunities to increase the visibility of the County Clerk’s Office through public education initiatives, strategic partnerships, media engagement, speaking opportunities, and community outreach campaigns. This position evaluates the effectiveness of communications and engagement efforts, recommends strategic adjustments, and ensures messaging remains consistent, accessible, and aligned with the mission and goals of the office.

The ideal candidate is a highly skilled communications and public affairs professional with strong strategic planning, relationship-building, and leadership abilities. The successful candidate will demonstrate sound judgment, political awareness, creativity, and the ability to translate complex government services and initiatives into meaningful, accessible information for diverse audiences.

Distinguishing Characteristics This is a job classification within the Management job family. Incumbents in this classification oversee the External Affairs division in the County Clerk’s Office and report to the Chief Deputy of Elections. The incumbent manages a group of six subordinate professionals at various office locations including telework.

Duties And Responsibilities

• Develops, implements, and evaluates comprehensive communications, outreach, and public engagement strategies that advance the County Clerk’s Office mission, strategic priorities, and public service objectives.
• Leads the development of public awareness, education, and engagement campaigns; identifies opportunities to expand community reach, strengthen stakeholder relationships, and increase public understanding of County Clerk programs, services, and initiatives.
• Oversees community engagement efforts, including outreach plans, presentations, public events, stakeholder meetings, and strategic partnerships, ensuring activities align with organizational goals and community needs.
• Directs communications activities, including media relations, social media management, public messaging, talking points, public information materials, and responses to external inquiries, ensuring messaging is accurate, consistent, accessible, and aligned with office priorities.
• Provides strategic recommendations to executive leadership regarding communications initiatives, stakeholder engagement, public perception, emerging issues, and opportunities to enhance public trust and awareness.
• Establishes goals, performance measures, and evaluation methods for communications and outreach initiatives; analyzes outcomes and community feedback to improve effectiveness and inform future strategies.
• Supervises Commissioners Court support functions, including court minutes, agenda and records requests, and records digitization efforts, ensuring compliance with applicable laws, policies, and operational standards.
• Supervises, coaches, and develops assigned staff; establishes priorities and performance expectations; provides regular feedback and accountability; and fosters strategic thinking, innovation, collaboration, and professional growth within the division.
• Promotes continuous improvement by encouraging creative problem-solving, identifying new opportunities for public engagement, and implementing innovative approaches to communications and outreach.
• Represents the office in meetings, public events, media engagements, and community activities, serving as a professional ambassador for the County Clerk’s Office and its mission.

Minimum Requirements Education and Experience: Bachelor’s degree in Public Administration, Business Administration, Government, Criminal Justice or a directly related field AND five (5) years of progressively responsible experience in government or related field, including two (2) years of mid- to senior level supervisory or management experience;

OR,

Any combination of education and experience that has been achieved and …