COMMUNITY RELATIONS MANAGER
To land Community Relations Manager in New Jersey you go through the competitive route: you sit an announced exam and the score puts you on the eligible list agencies hire from.
A bachelor's degree is the listed credential, and extra years on the job can be traded for it. The FY2026 range lands between $92,711 and $136,605, and state payroll lists a single employee in the title, at Law and Public Safety.
How to apply
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Exam
This is an application to sit an exam and be placed on an eligible list for this title, not an application for a specific job. A $35 application fee applies to Non-Public-Safety announcements issued on or after 2026-02-01. There may be no current vacancy behind it, and the list it produces may not be certified for months or years.
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Exam
Open to permanent employees in the competitive division who hold a qualifying lower title in the same unit. A $35 application fee applies to Non-Public-Safety announcements issued on or after 2026-02-01. Like the open competitive exam, this places you on a list; it is not itself a job offer.
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Agency posting
Department of Law & Public Safety posts its own vacancies directly, often before (or instead of) any civil service exam announcement. Provisional appointment against a posted vacancy is how most people are actually hired into this kind of title.
Who employs this title
State payroll records show 1 person working under this title. The median actual salary is $123,437. The agencies employing the most are:
- Law and Public Safety (1)
Counts from NJ YourMoney agency payroll. See statewide workforce analytics.
Official job specification
The text below is the official specification published by the New Jersey Civil Service Commission. The plain-language summary and analysis above are derived from it by NJ Civil Service Navigator.
Definition
Under direction of a higher level official in a state department, institution, or agency, manages and promotes public understanding of department programs and technologies; directs preparation and implementation of public awareness programs, and serves as liaison to the public on department matters; performs other related work as required.
Examples of work
Manages and coordinates a Community Relations Program. Directs the planning and implementation of an effective and efficient organization for the office by supervising the writing of a program plan, developing an organizational structure, assessing personnel resources and personnel requirements, and developing and implementing operating procedures and policies. Administers and maintains functions of a community relations program by approving expenditures, assigning projects, reviewing work, conducting staff meetings, attending staff meetings, and so forth. Provides administrative support to higher level officials responding to any special request by members of the legislature in affected areas. Manages the development of monthly work progress reports and periodic reports as required by the New Jersey Legislature. Prepares and advises the development of comments, public statements, press releases, testimonies or speeches, as they relate to department programs. Acts as project manager and liaison between various department programs and contracted public relations agencies in the development, review, and publication of all brochures, pamphlets, and publications released to the public. Manages work operations and/or functional programs, and has responsibility for employee evaluations and for effectively recommending the hiring, firing, promoting, demoting, and/or disciplining of employees. Attends appropriate meetings, conferences, and courses necessary to provide information and to promote public awareness of department programs. Meets with the public educational institutions, research institutions, regulatory agencies, and consultants as necessary to provide information relating to projects requiring division representation. Develops and conducts seminars on the subject of technical support for local governments relating to assessment and remediation of department programs and projects. Monitors, reviews, and comments on all federal and state laws and regulations concerning department projects. Provides necessary feedback to those concerned. Works with affected communities to develop appropriate communication technologies which do not provoke undue concerned publications. Prepares correspondence in the course of official duties. Manages the maintenance of essential records and files. Will be required to learn and utilize various types of electronic and/or manual recording and computerized information systems used by the agency, office, or related units.
License
Appointee will be required to possess a driver's license valid in New Jersey only if the operation of a vehicle, rather than employee mobility, is necessary to perform the essential duties of the position.
Knowledge, skills and abilities
Knowledge of and ability to interrelate office programs with all activities involving field operating programs. Knowledge of all support agencies as appropriate to department programs, including state, local, and federal agencies, and private firms or consulting concerns. Knowledge of the organization of the department and the State of New Jersey and of the New Jersey Laws applicable thereto. Knowledge of state and federal laws and regulations affecting the programs and activities of the department and of the rules, regulations, policies, and procedures. Knowledge of various activities within various inter-departmental assessment groups, and ability to ensure that such activities conform with all state regulations. Ability to analyze regulations and procedural problems and develop methods, policies, and procedures required to ensure compliance with federal and state laws and regulations. Ability to communicate technical issues with industry, government, and the public, and to articulate issues in a professional manner. Ability to review and evaluate scientific literature and data as it relates to facilitating public understanding. Ability to create new activities relating to department programs, maintaining continued response to operations in the field, main office, and to the public. Ability to provide general direction and supervision of all activities developed as a result of goals defined by meetings and conferences. Ability to manage the maintenance of essential records, files, and/or data sources. Ability to learn and utilize various types of electronic and/or manual recording and information systems used by the agency, office, or related units. Ability to read, write, speak, understand, or communicate in English sufficiently to perform the duties of this position. American Sign Language or Braille may also be considered as acceptable forms of communication. Persons with mental or physical disabilities are eligible as long as they can perform the essential functions of the job after reasonable accommodation is made to their known limitations. If the accommodation cannot be made because it would cause the employer undue hardship, such persons may not be eligible.
Note
Applicants must meet one of the following or a combination of both experience and education. Thirty (30) semester hour credits are equal to one (1) year of relevant experience. Nine (9) years of professional experience involving the organization and administration of community relations, environmental training and development, public service, or project management programs, two (2) years of which shall have been in a supervisory capacity. OR Possession of a Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university; and five (5) years of the above-mentioned professional experience, two (2) years of which shall have been in a supervisory capacity. "Professional experience" refers to work that is creative, analytical, evaluative, and interpretive; requires a range and depth of specialized knowledge of the profession's principles, concepts, theories, and practices; and is performed with the authority to act according to one's own judgement and make accurate and informed decisions.
Study guides for this exam
- Management Test Battery (MTB) National Learning Corporation · $52.95
- Manager/Administrator Test National Learning Corporation · $49.95 · general prep, not specific to this title
The Civil Service Commission does not publish official study guides or release past tests. These are independent equivalency guides.