Marketing Specialist
City of Covington, KY
Communications Department
Location: City Hall
Full-time
Hours: Monday through Friday, 8:00am – 4:30pm.
Salary Range: $60,000 - $75,000 USD

SUMMARY

The Marketing Specialist serves as a key member of the City’s communications and external affairs team, responsible for developing and executing strategic marketing initiatives that promote tourism, support economic development, and enhance the City’s brand. This position focuses on creating compelling digital and print marketing materials, managing targeted advertising campaigns, and supporting broader communications efforts.

The Marketing Specialist combines creative design skills with data-driven decision-making to increase visitation, attract businesses, and effectively communicate the City’s value to residents, visitors, and stakeholders.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES: These tasks are typical for this position and may include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Develop and implement marketing campaigns that promote the City as a destination for visitors, events, and experiences, including content that highlights local attractions, districts, restaurants, and cultural assets.
• Coordinate with tourism partners, local businesses, and regional organizations to align messaging and support visitation to key commercial areas.
• Assist in branding and promotion of major projects, redevelopment areas, and investment opportunities, working closely with City staff to tailor messaging to targeted industries.
• Create visually compelling print and digital materials such as brochures, flyers, signage, banners, social media graphics, digital ads, and event collateral, ensuring consistency with established brand standards.
• Prepare files for professional printing, ensuring proper layout, sizing, color specifications, and overall production quality.
• Plan, execute, and monitor digital advertising campaigns across platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Google Ads, YouTube, and emerging platforms, utilizing audience targeting, geofencing, and retargeting strategies.
• Analyze campaign performance metrics, including impressions, engagement, and conversions, and adjust strategies to improve effectiveness and return on investment.
• Manage advertising budgets and prepare performance reports with clear, actionable insights.
• Produce and edit video content for social media, marketing campaigns, and promotional use, including capturing footage of events, projects, and community highlights.
• Develop short-form video content to increase engagement and visibility across digital platforms.
• Assist with the City’s broader communications efforts, including social media content creation and scheduling, website updates, and email marketing campaigns.
• Support media and public information initiatives by preparing graphics, visuals, and supporting materials.
• Ensure consistent application of the City’s brand across all platforms and materials, contributing to long-term marketing strategies and campaign planning.
• Identify opportunities to strengthen the City’s identity through creative storytelling, design, and targeted outreach.
• Collaborate with internal departments to support marketing needs and coordinate messaging across initiatives.
• Work with external partners such as chambers of commerce, tourism organizations, and community groups to amplify marketing efforts.
• Manage multiple projects simultaneously, maintaining high standards for quality, accuracy, and timeliness.
• Other duties as needed.

PERFORMANCE STANDARDS

Employees at all levels are expected to work effectively together to meet the needs of the community and the organization through work behaviors demonstrating the City’s values.  Employees are also expected to lead by example and demonstrate the highest level of ethics.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES

None

QUALIFICATIONS

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. This position requires a high degree of confidentiality since responsibility includes management of records and information that may be sensitive.  The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

EDUCATION and/or EXPERIENCE

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in marketing, communications, graphic design or closely related field is required.
• Three (3) years of experience in digital marketing, with specific expertise in social media and digital advertising.
• Proven experience with social media marketing, content management systems, SEO and SEM.

Preferred Qualifications

• Municipal government experience is preferred, but not required.
• Proficiency with short-form videos for social engagement.
• Understanding of digital accessibility requirements, especially use of photo alt text and video captions.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES

• Demonstrated knowledge and ability to use Microsoft Office Suite, Adobe Studio and the ability to learn customized software such as Photoshop and other design platforms.
• Demonstrated knowledge of applicable office procedures.
• Demonstrated customer service skills when dealing with a diverse public.
• Demonstrated ability to manage time and work.
• Ability to effectively express ideas and concepts clearly, diplomatically and concisely, both verbally and in writing.
• Ability to prioritize and distribute routine clerical work.
• Ability to manage multiple projects with minimal supervision.
• Ability to exercise sound judgment, de-escalate conflict, and resolve concerns in a professional and solution-oriented manner.
• Ability to travel within the city and surrounding region to attend meetings, conduct site visits, and participate in community events and intergovernmental coordination sessions.
• Ability to work flexible hours when necessary. Neighborhood meetings, community events, and public forums are held in the evening.

CERTIFICATES, LICENSES, REGISTRATIONS

Valid Driver’s License.

LANGUAGE SKILLS

Ability to read and interpret documents such as safety rules, operating and maintenance instructions, and procedural manuals. Ability to write routine reports and correspondence. Ability to effectively present information and respond to questions from managers, vendors, and the general public.

MATHEMATICAL SKILLS

Ability to add, subtract, multiply and divide in all units of measure, using whole numbers, common fractions and decimals. Ability to compute rate, ratio, and percent and to draw and interpret bar graphs.

REASONING ABILITY

Ability to apply common sense understanding to carry out instructions furnished in written, oral, or diagram form. Ability to deal with problems involving several concrete variables in standardized situations.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

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 essential functions.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to talk or hear.  The employee frequently is required to sit. The employee is occasionally required to stand; walk; use hand to finger, handle, or feel; reach with hands and arms; and stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 (Twenty-Five) pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, and ability to adjust focus.

WORK ENVIRONMENT

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. The noise level in the work environment is usually quiet to moderate.

TRAVEL

Travel is minimal (estimated ~5%) and consists mostly of local travel to clients and stakeholders with potential overnight travel for conferences in and out of state.

POSITION TYPE/EXPECTED HOURS OF WORK

This is a full-time position. Days and hours of work are Monday through Friday, 8:00 am – 4:30 pm. Evening, weekend and work hour adjustments may be required as job duties demand.

EEO STATEMENT

The City of Covington is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive workforce that reflects the rich variety of perspectives, backgrounds, and experiences in our community. We encourage individuals from all walks of life to apply and proudly provide equal employment opportunities to all applicants, regardless of race, color, sex (including gender, sexual orientation, and gender identity), religion, national origin, age, disability, or any other protected characteristic.