Responsibilities

• Engages community groups to communicate organizational messaging and to elevate issues or initiatives of importance for the community to the county.
• Helps to develop the communications and engagement strategy to ensure County messages and resources resonate with the community.
• Provides complex and sensitive issues management and programmatic support to the County Manager, Board of Commissioners and/or a major department.
• Assists in developing goals, objectives, policies, procedures and work standards for the department or program to which assigned.
• Writes news releases, media advisories, speaking points, speeches, web copy, newsletter articles, blog posts, social media posts, advertisements, public service announcements, scripts and supportive collateral.
• Plans and executes successful news media events.
• Coordinates with video, graphic and digital media staff on appropriate visual support of messaging and ensure content is grammatically and otherwise correct.
• Plans effective news conferences and media events along with supportive messaging, visuals and collateral.
• Coaches news conference and media event participants on how to effectively communicate their messaging and prepares them for worst-case scenario media questions and developments.
• Aligns with department priorities to strategically develop campaigns or outreach opportunities for the community.

Requirements

• Education and Experience: Bachelor's Degree in Public Relations, Marketing, Journalism, Communications, or a field related to the work, AND four (4) years of full-time professional level experience in public relations, marketing, journalism, communications, or a closely related field preferably in a public agency setting.
• Professional level experience that has provided the skills and knowledge necessary to perform all job functions at this level may be substituted for the education on a year-for-year basis to a maximum of two (2) years.

Preferred

• The ideal candidate will have experience editing or created bilingual content in Spanish.

Benefits

• Flexible Schedules including 4/10 options
• More Money in Your Pocket
• 100% Employer Paid Defined Benefit Retirement
• No Social Security Deduction
• No State Income Taxes
• Two Employer Sponsored Health Plans Offered - Choice of PPO or EPO (hybrid of HMO)
• Medical - Employer pays 90% of premium
• Pharmacy Benefits (30, 90-day retail or mail order fills)
• 24/7 Telephone Advice Nurse - no employee cost
• Teledoc, Doctoroo, and Dispatch Health