Web Content Writer

About the City of Somerville

Somerville is a city that upholds progressive principles for both employees and residents. The City of Somerville values diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging throughout our hiring practices; these values are embedded in our mission and work environment-furthermore, we encourage applications from a diverse range of professional experiences and skillsets. We embrace and encourage an innovative, empowering, and collaborative workplace culture in a fast-paced, challenging environment. The City also offers a generous benefits package that embodies a strong work-life balance. Not only is Somerville a "Model City," as termed by The Boston Globe, we are also a model employer.

Statement of Duties

Reporting to the Web Content Development Director, the Web Content Writer will be responsible for helping to ensure that the City's written web content is comprehensive, accurate, engaging, up to date, and accessible on the full website. The Content Writer researches, outlines, creates, and edits written content for department, program, service and all other needed City web pages and microsites, as well as blog articles, and assists with news articles, alerts, newsletter entries, and other written content as needed and possible. Working in support of all City departments, divisions, initiatives, and programs, the Content Writer will use a variety of tools and techniques to serve equitable and user-centered content to a diverse user base. Guidance and support for department level content staff knowledge building will also be provided including for grammar, style, concept, and strategy. The Content Writer/Manager will also support the web services team and other Communications staff in concept and strategy for overall information delivery and page design.

This is a permanent full-time position.

Essential Functions:

The essential functions or duties listed below are intended only as illustrations of the various types of work that may be performed. The omission of specific statements of duties does not exclude them from the position if the work is similar, related, or a logical assignment to the position.

• Optimize user experience

• Maximize content engagement and discovery through effective content organization, page navigation, and page cross-promotion.

• Multilingual content strategy support

• In collaboration with SomerViva Office of Immigrant Affairs (SOIA), develop plain language content for more accurate machine translation, gather human translations, and strategize on posting, access, and organization.

• Coordination with staff, elected officials, and other stakeholders

• Hold meetings, brainstorms, and strategy sessions with staff and other content contributors to plan and carry out content additions and updates. Utilize various software suites and tools to effectively collaborate across departments (e.g., Microsoft 365, Google Docs, Teams, and GatherContent).

• Content moderation

• Monitor contributions made by staff and public users, edit or unpublish content not in compliance with City standards (including the removal of inappropriate content). Obtain proper approval before publishing content and graphics. Adhere to release schedules and information embargoes. Implement systems to identify and update/remove outdated content.

• Search engine optimization for content

• Identify content gaps and opportunities, tailoring content to target keywords and key topics, researching and implementing latest strategies for SEO.

• Writing for readability, inclusivity, and accessibility

• Craft content with a focus on brevity and clarity. Avoid use of jargon, passive voice, and insensitive language. Present content in a way that maximizes legibility and ease of scanning. Use of plain language whenever possible to reduce cognitive demands on users as measured by Flesch-Kincaid or Lexile scores, and other relevant criteria according to best practices.

• Basic editing in a content management system (CMS)

• Make edits and postings to Drupal, Wordpress, RapidWeaver, and Google Sites. Manipulate page content in both WYSIWYG and HTML viewing modes.

• Style implementation and guidance

• Adhere to City style/branding guides and policies, develop specific web style and related documentation and training materials for use by other contributors, support the training of other users.

• Other relevant duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications

Education and Experience: Bachelor's Degree in Communications, Community Engagement, or related field and three to five (3-5) years' professional communications and/or community engagement experience; or any equivalent combination of education, training and experience which provides the required knowledge, skills and abilities to perform the essential functions of the job.

Knowledge, Abilities and Skill

Knowledge: Excellent knowledge of grammar and usage; good knowledge of and strong interest in local government; strong understanding of the media landscape and methodologies; proficient in the full range of traditional and digital communications methods; understanding of plain language methods, strong knowledge of search engine optimization (SEO), strong knowledge of web content accessibility regulations, standards, and best practices, solid grasp of Google Analytics, working knowledge of web UI & UX principles.

Abilities: Must be a self-starter with superior time management, organizational skills, and attention to detail with a proven record for creative problem solving and successful project deployment. Ability to communicate effectively orally and in writing with government and commercial agencies/entities, community leaders, elected officials, business owners, supervisors, employees, and a diverse general public. Candidate should be comfortable facilitating public meetings or workshops/info sessions, presenting information, answering questions, and coordinating participation of volunteer and paid staff. Must have ability to inspire and manage volunteers or interns effectively.

Skills : Excellent organizational, writing and editing skills; data and word processing proficiency in the use of personal computers and office software, databases, internet, and spreadsheet applications; analytics and survey analysis, interpretation, and presentation skills; basic editing of websites using a content management system (CMS).

Work Environment

The work environment involves everyday discomforts typical of offices, with occasional exposure to outside elements. Employee schedule may include evening and weekend hours and adjust to meet peak count period demands. Current work is performed following the hybrid model of both remote and onsite work, and this will adapt to the changing conditions of the pandemic.

Physical and Mental Requirements

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the position's essential functions.

Physical Skills

Little or no physical demands are required to perform the work. Work effort principally involves sitting to perform work tasks, with intermittent periods of stooping, walking, and standing. There may also be some occasional lifting of objects such as ledgers or photocopy and computer paper (up to 30lbs.).

Motor Skills

Duties are largely mental rather than physical, but the job may occasionally require minimal motor skills for activities such as moving objects, operating a telephone, personal computer and/or most other office equipment including word processing, filing and sorting of papers.

Visual Skills

Visual demands require constantly reading documents for general understanding and analytical purposes.

Hours: Full-Time

Salary: $86,594.57 annualized, plus benefits

Union: Non-Union

FLSA: Exempt

Date Posted: May 23, 2024

City of Somerville residents are especially encouraged to apply.

The City of Somerville is an affirmative action/equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, age, national origin, disability or any other protected category. Women, minorities, veterans, and persons with disabilities are encouraged to apply.

Auxiliary aids and services, written materials in alternative formats, and reasonable modifications in policies and procedures will be provided to qualified individuals with disabilities free of charge, upon request. Persons with disabilities who need auxiliary aids and services for effective communication (i.e., CART, ASL), written materials in alternative formats, or reasonable modifications in policies and procedures in order to access the programs, activities, and meetings of the City of Somerville should please contact Adrienne Pomeroy at 617-625-6600 x 2059 or apomeroy@somervillema.gov.

Pre-Employment Requirements for All Employees:

• MA Criminal Offender Record Information (CORI) clearance

• Completition of Conflict-of-Interest Law Education training for municipal employees

Overview of Total Rewards:

• 4 weeks annual vacation (for non-union positions) union positions vary by contract

• Medical insurance through the Group Insurance Commission (GIC) - 80% of premium costs paid by City

• Dental coverage low and high plans through Cigna

• Vision care through Vision Service Plan (VSP)

• Long term disability through Sun Life

• Group and voluntary life insurance through Boston Mutual

• Health Care and Dependent Care flexible spending through Benefit Strategies

• Deferred compensation plans through a choice of three vendors

• Free, confidential services through the Employee Assistance Program (EAP) provided by E4Health

• Annual cancer screening & wellness release

• Somerville Retirement Pension System

• Tuition reimbursement

• MBTA pass program

• FREE Blue Bikes membership

• Eligible employer for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program (PSLF)

Benefits listed are for benefits-eligible positions and the above information is meant to be a general overview of the benefit programs offered by the City of Somerville and not a binding contract.