Senior Public Information Specialist - Emergency Appointment

Responsibilities

• Serve as an advisor on media relations, messaging, and communications planning.
• Lead the development and review of executive communications, including speeches, talking points, statements, briefing materials, and leadership messaging.
• Lead and supervise Public Information staff, providing technical direction, and quality control of communications products.
• Develop and execute proactive and reactive media relations strategies, including story pitching, press coordination, and interview facilitation.
• Serve as primary liaison to media outlets, cultivating and maintaining effective relationships with journalists and news organizations.
• Draft, edit, and approve press releases, statements, speeches, talking points, and editorial content for the Department’s newsroom and publications.
• Coordinate and respond to media inquiries and interview requests, including those involving sensitive, high-profile, or complex issues.
• Manage communications related to California Public Records Act (CPRA) requests in coordination with County Counsel and internal stakeholders.
• Monitor media coverage and emerging issues; recommend appropriate response strategies.
• Lead communications during emergency or crisis situations, ensuring timely, accurate, and coordinated messaging.

Requirements

• A Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university with a major in Communications, Journalism, Public Administration, Public Relations, English or a closely-related field -AND- Four years of experience at the level of Los Angeles County’s class of Public Information Specialist initiating, planning, developing, maintaining, evaluating, implementing, and coordinating a public information program or professional experience as a journalist or publicist within a media organization, public relations firm, nonprofit organization, or other company. One additional year of the required experience will be accepted for each year of college.
• You MUST meet the above requirement(s) in order to be appointed to fill any vacancies related to this recruitment.

Preferred

• • Experience leading or managing a communication(s), public information, or public relations program.
• • Proficiency in professional writing and editing and the types of communications you regularly develop, such as press releases, articles, public statements, executive communications, talking points, or other public-facing materials.
• • Experience developing strategic communications, messaging, and communications materials for executives, senior leaders, or organizational leadership.
• • Experience managing media relations, including responding to media inquiries, coordinating interviews and press events/ conferences, working with reporters, and developing relationships with media outlets.
• • Experience identifying newsworthy issues or opportunities and proactively pitching stories to the media.
• • Experience developing or implementing communications for emergencies, crises, controversial issues, or other sensitive or high-profile situations.
• • Experience serving as a spokesperson.
• • Exceptional writing and editing skills, with demonstrated ability to produce clear, accurate, compelling communications for a variety of audiences and purposes.
• • Strong proficiency in leading and managing a communications, public information, public relations, or similar program, including developing strategy, setting priorities, managing work, and evaluating results.
• • Advanced proficiency in writing and editing press releases, news articles, public statements, talking points, executive remarks, briefing materials, and other high-level communications.