Director Communications, Metro Integrated Command and Communications

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS Education... • Bachelor's degree in Public Relations, Communications, Public Administration, Public Affairs, Journalism, Transportation Management or related fields • In lieu of a Bachelor's degree, a high school diploma/GED and four (4) of experience in a transit operations control center environment, in addition to the experience stated below, will be considered Experience • A minimum of nine (9) years of progressively responsible experience in communication, business, or related field. This includes: • a minimum of 3 years in an operational control center, customer service and/or, strategic communications environment, responsible for the delivery of public messaging, and • five (5) years in a supervisory managerial capacity Certification/Licensure • Valid Driver's License • Roadway Worker Protection (RWP) Certification, Level 1, within three (3) months of starting job and maintained for the duration of time in the job Preferred • Master's degree Public Relations, Communications, Public Administration, Public Affairs, Journalism, Transportation Management or related fields • Multilingual Medical Group Satisfactorily complete the medical examination for this position, if required. The incumbent must be able to perform the essential functions of this position either with or without reasonable accommodations. Mission Essential Designation In accordance with the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority's Continuity of Operations Plan (COOP) this job has been identified as critical to mission essential functions. Incumbents in this role may be required to report to or continue to work in the event of authorized office closings or service suspensions due to severe weather, natural disaster, fire, operational emergencies or related events. SUMMARY The Director, of the Communications Section, within Metro's Integrated Command and Control Center (MICC) plans and directs the day-to-day functions, working to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the Communications Section, and supervising a large, 24/7 operation with a management team, on three shifts. The incumbent directly oversees the development, implementation and monitoring of communication processes, strategic goals, performance metrics, training, and safety requirements. This oversight ensures the Communications Section provides helpful, transparent, and meaningful correspondence with customers. The incumbent makes decisions in accordance with Metro policies and procedures and performs other administrative duties as needed. The incumbent acts as a critical liaison between the Senior Communications Leadership Team, Customer Service, Media Relations and the Communications Section, escalating serious and major incidents and occurrences to the Senior Communications Leadership Team who in turn, transfer authority to release specific incident details to external customers and the public. The Director also highlights opportunities for improvements in Operations, advocating for the customer. This position encourages collaboration within the Communications Section and ensures the implementation of Metro's public messaging protocols to deliver timely, consistent and complementary service messaging across Metrobus and Metrorail systems. ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS • Leads and supervises the activities of the Communications Section to assure the timeliness and accuracy of incident response and customer messaging and support Metro's service excellence goals. • Works in partnership with Customer Service, Media Relations, Communications Section staff and Communications Senior Leadership, setting departmental strategies, standards and performance framework that align with Metro's strategic communications goals. Drives continuous improvement in the delivery of public messaging and to achieve to Metro's communication goals. • Works with internal MICC, Customer Service and Media Relations stakeholders and provides incident updates to Senior Communications Leadership Team and the Communications Section. Ensures the communication of incidents/occurrences and event conditions and status updates align with MICC strategic response plans and communicates specific direction from the Senior Communications Leadership Team regarding serious and major incident causation, for dissemination to customers by the Communications Section. • Plans, develops, manages and ensures effective implementation of Communications Section policies, protocols and procedures, including the management of controlled documents. Develops, monitors and tracks departmental metrics, as well as creates reports and presentations to demonstrates status, to support customer service excellency goals, assure a consistent Metro message and standardize message delivery. • Manages hiring, staff development, training, succession planning and ensures performance evaluations of all staff align with Metro's Human Capital policies. Cultivates a skilled, equitable and inclusive team that prioritizes safety, customer service and diversity. Reviews staff performance to drive continual improvement, gauges job satisfaction levels, and identifies candidates for promotion to maintain sufficient staffing levels, and the continuity and quality of customer messaging delivery. • Investigates and recommends the use of new and emerging technologies for public messaging and inter-departmental communication. eliminates duplication of work and improve customer and internal MICC departmental communications. • Conducts After-Action reviews; commends individuals for service delivery excellence; develops corrective action plans; performs safety audits and creates and maintains the Continuity of Operations Plan (COOP). • Manages the Communications Section budget to provide annual and long-range forecasts, estimate staff requirements, provide upgraded and improved equipment and maintain inventory of department stores. • Approves staffing plans including assignments of personnel to temporary roles and authorizing temporary relief of a Command Role, maintaining consistent staffing levels and assigning appropriate resources. The functions listed are not intended to limit specific duties and responsibilities of any particular position. Nor is it intended to limit in any way the right of managers and supervisors to assign, direct and control the work of employees under their supervision. Evaluation Criteria Consideration will be given to applicants whose resumes demonstrate the required education and experience. Applicants should include all relevant education and work experience. Evaluation criteria may include one or more of the following: • Skills and/or behavioral assessment • Personal interview • Verification of education and experience (including certifications and licenses) • Criminal Background Check (a criminal conviction is not an automatic bar to employment) • Medical examination including a drug and alcohol screening (for safety sensitive positions) • Review of a current motor vehicle report Closing WMATA is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, status as a protected veteran, or any other status protected by applicable federal law. This posting is an announcement of a vacant position under recruitment. It is not intended to replace the official job description. Job descriptions are available upon confirmation of an interview