What are the responsibilities and job description for the HHS Public Information Officer (Media Manager) position at County of Marin, CA?
At the County of Marin, our employees overwhelmingly report feeling their work is meaningful, they like the work they do, and they are proud to tell people "I work for the County of Marin." Discover more about us, our values and our organizational culture here. Read on to find out more about this opportunity:
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES: At Health & Human Services, we serve our community through the values of support, unity, trust and excellence with one common goal: to promote and protect the health, well-being, safety and self-sufficiency of all in Marin. Join our team of bright, committed, and energetic people who also want to make an impact through public service.
The Departmental Public Information Officer (PIO) is the official voice of the Health and Human Services Department (HHS). The next PIO will have the ability to shape a newly hired media team and create a new media model for the Department in accordance with the Director’s vision and the objectives of the Department’s strategic plan.
Reporting to and working with the Chief Strategy Officer for the Health and Human Services Department, the PIO is responsible for development and implementation of the Department’s communications and marketing strategy. The person in this position crafts both internal and external strategies that promote a positive image of the Department for employees, potential employees, and the public with the goal of building increased awareness and engagement with Department services and local issues.
Areas of focus include:
- Media and public relations
- Social media
- Stakeholder communications
- News Releases
- Marketing and Branding
- Strategic planning
- Public service announcement video coordination
- Section 508 accessibility standards coordination
The following are the primary duties expected to be conducted by the HHS PIO:
- Develop and manage integrated strategies, plans, and programs designed to ensure that all communication and public relations efforts are cohesive, consistent, and effective in supporting the mission and advancement goals of the organization
- Provide direct and proactive advice, consultation, and assistance to senior leaders regarding public information matters
- Serve as a designated spokesperson for the organization
- Supervise staff which includes planning, organizing, administering, reviewing, and evaluating their work
Highly Desirable: Bilingual skills in Spanish and English are highly desirable.
Bilingual Testing/Certification: Please note if the successful candidate has bilingual skills, they must demonstrate proficiency in both Spanish and English prior to receiving differential pay. A bilingual proficiency exam will be administered at that time to ensure the candidate possesses the appropriate skill level to meet the requirements.
Health and Human Services has embraced a hybrid work schedule that considers that some duties of this position may be performed remotely. An option to telework up to three days per week and work the remaining days onsite in San Rafael, CA is available; however, the successful candidate must be able to report to County facilities for meetings, work assignments, and/or disaster service work upon short notice, as needed and deemed appropriate. While onboarding and training, the successful candidate may be required to work primarily onsite before establishing a hybrid work schedule.
Our Highly Qualified Candidate:
The next PIO has led communication efforts for a medium to large government agency or communication campaigns in a senior account manager/director level for a communications agency. This person has proven project management abilities related to marketing and public relations initiatives, and is experienced with social media, new releases, and online/digital activities. They have proven experience developing and implementing organization or Department-wide communications strategies and is able to effectively manage relationships with key stakeholders on behalf of the Department, other County staff, elected officials, external agencies, community members, broadcast and print media professionals. The PIO will have past experience supervising media support staff.
It is imperative that the PIO:
- Has excellent writing skills
- Possess the ability to speak to all levels of staff, management, and community stakeholders
- Be comfortable appearing on camera or on the radio
- Expertly craft messages on multiple Departmental social media accounts
Of particular importance, the PIO will have experience working with diverse populations and experience in crisis communications. Ideally, this person will speak both Spanish and
English, but this is not required.
We recognize your time is valuable, so please do not apply if you do not have at least the following required Minimum Qualifications:
Any combination of education and experience that would provide the knowledge and abilities listed. Typically, this would be the equivalent to graduation with a Bachelor's degree in communications, marketing, public relations or a closely related field and three years of progressively responsible experience in media-related activities, including one year in a lead capacity. Additional professional experience in media activities may substitute for the required education on a year-for-year basis.
For more detailed information about this classification, including the minimum qualifications, please click here: Public Information Officer (Media Specialist) class specification.
All applicants will receive email notifications regarding their status in the recruitment process. Please be sure to check your spam settings to allow our emails to reach you. You may also log into your governmentjobs.com account to view these emails.
Testing and Eligible List: Depending on the number of qualified applications received, the examination may consist of a highly qualified review, application screening, online assessment, written examination, oral examination, performance examination, or any combination to determine which candidates' names will be placed on the eligible list.
The eligible list established from this recruitment will be used to fill the current vacancy and any future vacancies for open, fixed-term, full-time or part-time positions which may occur while the list remains active.
SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS: Candidates selected are subject to fingerprinting by the Sheriff's Department and must pass a Department of Justice LiveScan background check prior to appointment.
Important COVID-19 Information: Depending on work assignment and applicable State or Federal Public Health Order, some employees may be required to be fully vaccinated and/or consent to weekly COVID-19 testing. To help mitigate transmission, masks are required for all individuals, regardless of vaccination status, in certain workplace settings per the California Department of Public Health and masks are strongly recommended by the Marin County Public Health Officer in all other settings.
Disaster Service Workers: All County of Marin employees are designated Disaster Service Workers through state and local law (California Government Code Section 3100-3109). Employment with the County requires the affirmation of a loyalty oath to this effect. Employees are required to complete all Disaster Service Worker-related training as assigned, and to return to work as ordered in the event of an emergency.
Equal Employment Opportunity Employer: The County of Marin is committed to diversity and invites all qualified people to apply, including persons of color, women, and individuals with disabilities. Upon request, reasonable accommodation may be made for persons with disabilities and for religious reasons, where necessary. If you have questions regarding equal employment opportunities, please contact Roger Crawford, Equal Employment Opportunity Director, at ext. 2095. If you have questions concerning the position announcement, please contact Human Resources at 415-473-6104.
