Senior Communications Manager (ZOO)

Location: 3601 Thomas Rd. (Zoo), Baton Rouge, LA 70807, LA

Job Type: Full Time Exempt

Job Number: SCMZ2026

Department: Zoo

Opening Date: 08/28/2026

Closing Date: 9/25/2026 4:59 PM Central

FLSA: Exempt General Summary

General Summary: The Senior Communications Manager is responsible for information and public relations on behalf of the Recreation and Park Commission for the Parish of East Baton Rouge. The Senior Communications Manager will assist in implementing policies, procedures, strategies and techniques of advertising, marketing, community relations, and internal and external communications. Work performed at this level is advanced with considerable independence exercising supervision over interns and may direct the work of the publicity marketing managers. Requirements and Job Specifications

Education Required: Graduation from an accredited four (4) year college or university

Preferred: Master's degree from an accredited college or university. Area of Study (major) Required: Mass Communications, Marketing, Business Administration (advertising), or any related field of study Certification(s) Preferred: Accredited Public Relations (APR) Designation, through Public Relations Society of America (PRSA). License(s) Required: Valid Louisiana Drivers License

Years Relevant Work Experience: Four (4) years of experience in communications, public relations or marketing experience. Equivalent combination of education and experience will be considered.

Preferred: 10 years related, plus web editing. Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities Knowledge of currently accepted concepts and practices of public relations, advertising and marketing Knowledge of the communities served by BREC Knowledge of local working media representation Excellent administrative & organizational skills Strong interpersonal & communication skills and ability to communicate both orally & in writing Good math skills and ability to perform basic accounting/budgeting functions Strong skill in using a computer and knowledge of and including website maintenance Advance skills in standard office software which includes MS Office, databases and presentation programs Ability to work on multiple projects to meet both short and long-range deadlines. Ability to demonstrate leadership, initiative and problem-solving abilities. Ability to work independently and as part of a team. Ability to exercise good judgment based on established policies & procedures Ability to quickly learn BREC policies, operations, programs and communications Ability to monitor and control resources Ability to develop and maintain a budget, complete reports such as financial, payroll, and activity reports according to established BREC financial procedures Ability to supervise interns and direct the work of publicity managers under direction of Communications Director Ability to develop & maintain effective working relations with departmental staff and to relate well to representatives of public & private interest groups, the news media, the public and officials of other agencies. Functions and Duties

Essential Functions: Responsible for the creation and implementation of marketing plans Responsible for monitoring, tracking, and measuring marketing efforts to include identifying ROI for programs, tracking metrics actual vs. target, and measuring program performance on a monthly basis. Recruits, trains and refers interns and maintain relationships with local universities' communications schools Assists in writing, editing and reviewing stories, press releases and other information pertinent to BREC and/or its facilities Hires, fires, trains, and directs the evaluation process of subordinates and assume directional responsibility for on the-job training programs and staff development. Prepares a section of the budget; reviews and monitors the revenues and expenditures, and tracks payments Oversees trade show image development and assists in trade show participation efforts Provides public relations, communications advice and consultation to BREC staff and handles zoo-specific media outreach and interviews. Encourages promotional efforts, edits employee or volunteer written articles and coordinates publications Attends meetings of the BREC Commission, Community, Advisory Committees, as well as professional conferences, as a representative of the department Assists with Special Events as needed Secondary Job Duties Direct work of Publicity Marketing Managers Supervise departmental staff in absence of the Assistant Director of Communications This position may differ by location and/or area of specialization This job description in no way states or implies that these are the only duties to be performed by this employee. He or she will be required to follow any other instructions and to perform any other duties as requested by his or her supervisor. Supplemental Information Full-time position, a minimum of 40 hours per week; evening and weekend hours as required. Must be available in case of emergency; 24 hours a day, seven days a week. This position will report to work at the BREC Baton Rouge Zoo as the primary work location. An offer of employment is contingent on passing a pre-employment criminal background check, Motor Vehicle Records check, drug screen and physical. 2026 FULL-TIME EMPLOYEE BENEFITS HEALTH INSURANCE BREC provides comprehensive medical coverage through Louisiana Blue formerly BCBSLA, including HMO, PPO, and Blue Saver (Qualified High-Deductible Health Savings Account) options. Coverage becomes effective on the first day of the month following a two-month waiting period. Employee cost per month for HMO: $175.43 – employee only; $597.45 – employee & spouse or employee & dependent children; $962.52-family. Employee cost per month for PPO: $375.23- employee only;$975.50- employee & spouse or employee & dependent children; $1,492.70 – family. Employee cost per month for Blue Saver: $39.08 – employee only; $162.68 – employee & spouse or employee & dependent children; $290.49 – family. In addition to medical coverage, BREC offers voluntary insurance options, including Dental and Vision. LIFE INSURANCE All full-time employees are insured under a Group Term Life Insurance policy provided by Lincoln Financial. Coverage is subject to reduction at ages 65 and 70. There is no cost to the employee; however, coverage associated with salaries exceeding $50,000 is subject to imputed income in accordance with IRS regulations. Coverage is effective immediately upon eligibility. RETIREMENT SYSTEM BREC contributes 38.22% of each employee's salary to the City-Parish Employees' Retirement System. Employees contribute 9.5% of salary. All retirement contributions are tax-deferred. Employee contributions are maintained in individual accounts and are refunded if an employee leaves BREC prior to retirement eligibility. After 25 years of service, employees may be eligible for additional benefits through the Deferred Retirement Option Plan (DROP). BREC also offers a Supplemental Retirement Deferred Compensation Plan through Nationwide Retirement Solutions, available through convenient payroll deductions. HOLIDAYS BREC employees receive twelve (12) paid holidays per year. SICK LEAVE BREC employees accumulate sick leave at the rate of 100 hours per year the first five years they are employed; accrual of hours will increase based on the number of years of service, thereafter, up to 192 hours for 15 or more years. Employee is eligible to utilize leave after 30 days of continuous employment. ANNUAL LEAVE BREC employees earn annual leave at the rate of 100 hours per year the first five years they are employed; accrual of hours will increased based on the number of years of service, thereafter, up to 192 hours for 15 or more years. Employee is eligible to utilize leave after 90 days of continuous employment. FULL-TIME STATUS Upon completion of a six-month probationary periods and approval of supervisor, full-time status will be achieved. EMPLOYEE DISCOUNTS BREC full-time employees can take advantage of a generous discount. Some restrictions may apply. See the discount policy for more details. EAP BREC's Employee Assistance Program (EAP) is administered by Lucet. They EAP helps employees and their family members resolve personal or work-related problems. CREDIT UNION BREC employees are eligible to join the City Federal Credit Union and/or Pelican State Credit Union and enlist in payroll deduction plan. Direct deposit to the Credit Union is also available. FEDERAL STUDENT LOAN FORGIVENESS BREC is a qualifying employer for public service loan forgiveness. Employees who have Federal Direct Loans and have made 120 payments on the Federal Direct Loans (after October 1, 2007) may be eligible for the remaining loan balance to be forgiven. LA START This 529 Qualified Tuition savings plan may be open on behalf of a named Beneficiary by anyone, including legal entities, provided that the Account Owner or the Beneficiary is a resident of Louisiana. Account Owners may save at their own pace, in amounts they can afford. FSA BREC offers an FSA that allows employees to contribute a portion of their regular earnings before taxes. Distributions from the account must be used to reimburse the employee for qualified expenses related to medical and dental services. SUPPLEMENT BENEFITS BREC offers voluntary benefits through AFLAC or Colonial Life. Those benefits include accident insurance, critical care, hospital indemnity, life, LTD and STD. BREC reserves the right to at any time and from time to time to modify or amend, in whole or in part, any or all of the provisions of the benefit package. Commissioned Approved Benefits Effective January 1, 2026