Position Information

This recruitment is promotional only. You must presently be a full or part-time regular or probationary County of Sonoma, Community Development Commission, Sonoma County Fairgrounds, or Sonoma County Water Agency employee in order to apply for this position.

The Human Services Department (HSD) has requested a county-wide promotional certification to fill a Human Services Communications Specialist position. Only qualified permanent and/or probationary County employees on the eligible list may be eligible for referral to the department for the advertised positions. This employment list may also be used to fill future full-time or part-time positions as they occur during the active status of the list. The Civil Service title for this position is County Communications Specialist.

Responsibilities

The Human Services Communications Specialist is responsible for planning, developing, creating, and producing internal and external communications and strategic outreach related to HSD programs and services, including ongoing press and media outreach and response in collaboration with County communications staff. The Communications Specialist will also coordinate the development of communications projects and campaigns, including budget estimates and timelines in collaboration with administrative and division staff. Additional responsibilities include:

Drafting press releases on department and division updates
Responding to Public Records Act (PRA) requests and coordinating the collection of data from division staff
Drafting a monthly HSD Insider E-Newsletter and gathering content from contributors
Managing and updating the HSD Website and staff portal intranet
Developing social media content and posting with regular frequency across HSD media channels
Handling crisis and incident communications, including disaster and emergency management
Managing staff meetings, assisting in agenda development, speaker line-ups, technical assistance, and meeting facilitation
Supporting the Planning, Research, Evaluation, and Engagement (PREE) Unit through disseminating surveys and department-wide communications
Coordinating with the County on press and media campaigns, among a broad array of other marketing and communication-related duties
Working closely with the HSD Assistant Director and Department Director to help craft strategic messaging and communications for the Department

The Ideal Candidate Will Possess Many Of The Following

Experience distilling complex information about social services policies, programs, and initiatives
The ability to maintain professionalism in high-stress situations
Experience crafting press releases, speeches, newsletters, video content for social media, and other communication materials
The ability to create and execute social media strategies to engage the community and promote agency initiatives
Experience processing Public Records Act requests and the ability to respond swiftly and effectively to crisis situations, including coordinating messaging and managing public perception
Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously
Strong verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to present in group settings and meetings
The ability to set priorities, meet deadlines, and allocate resources efficiently
Experience creating content for internal communications staff
The ability to communicate effectively with diverse populations and address cultural nuances in messaging and outreach efforts
Sensitivity to cultural diversity, equity, and inclusion issues
Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Publisher and experience using Canva, Adobe Illustrator, or InDesign
Bilingual (English/Spanish) skills are highly desired but not required

Application submissions require the Supplemental Questionnaire to be completed.

Minimum Qualifications

Experience and Education: Any combination of education, training, and experience which would likely provide for possession of the stated knowledge and abilities. Normally this would include a Bachelor's degree in public and/or business administration, communications, journalism, public relations, or a closely related field, and three years of professional level experience working in public/media relations, marketing, or a closely related field including experience developing communication strategies.

License: Possession of a valid driver's license at the appropriate level including special endorsements, as required by the State of California, may be required depending upon assignment to perform the essential job functions of the position.

The position advertised on this announcement does not require possession of a valid California Driver’s License.

Bilingual Designation: Designated positions may be required the ability to speak, read, and write a language in addition to English.

Knowledge, Skills, And Abilities

Considerable knowledge of: principles, tools, techniques, and methods of preparing information, news releases, press conferences, and instructional materials, including graphics and written copy; principles and techniques of preparing and disseminating information, including use of relevant social media channels; techniques and methods used in composing and preparing correspondence, memoranda, newsletters, reports, and similar materials; desk-top publishing, web content design and development, graphics preparation/presentation, video/photography, and the operation of related applications and equipment; modern office practices, methods, and computer equipment and applications related to work; and generally accepted rules of English usage, including spelling, grammar, punctuation, and syntax.

Working knowledge of: methods and techniques used in evaluating public attitudes and needs; County program activities and operations, and the relationship of federal and state programs with local government programs.

Ability to: effectively communicate County policies and services to community groups, committees, other agencies and the general public; demonstrate resourcefulness and judgment in the analysis and solution of complex public relations matters; speak publicly and effectively to a variety of diverse community groups; write effectively and edit the writing of others; develop effective marketing and outreach programs to reach diverse target markets; prepare complete, accurate, concise public information materials; select the proper medium to deliver and gather effective public information and feedback; stay abreast of organizational issues and priorities; strategize, develop, and implement a comprehensive media and public relations program for departmental assignments; research and analyze problems; establish and maintain effective relationships; and effectively use computer software such as desktop publishers, presentation software, graphic design, spreadsheets, and databases; develop and manage web pages; compile and analyze statistical information; develop creative and effective verbal and visual presentations; research and prepare technical reports.

Selection Procedure & Some Helpful Tips When Applying

Your application information and your responses to the supplemental questions are evaluated and taken into consideration throughout the entire selection process.
You should list all employers and positions held within the last ten years in the work history section of your application. Be as thorough as possible when responding to the supplemental questions.
You may include history beyond ten years if related to the position for which you are applying. If you held multiple positions with one employer, list out each position separately.
Failure to follow these instructions may impact your competitiveness in this process or may result in disqualification.

Please visit Getting a Job with the County of Sonoma to review more detailed information about the hiring process, including the application process, examination steps, and department selection process.

Application submissions require the Supplemental Questionnaire be completed.

Responses to supplemental questions will be scored using position-specific criteria. Please provide specific and detailed responses of a reasonable length to allow for a thorough assessment of your qualifications. Responses that state, "See Resume" or "See Application" may be considered insufficient and therefore may not be scored.

The Selection Procedure Will Consist Of The Following Examination

An Application and Supplemental Questionnaire Appraisal Examination (weight 100%) may be conducted to evaluate each applicant's application and supplemental questionnaire for satisfaction of minimum qualifications (pass/not pass); and for educational coursework, training, experience, knowledge, and abilities which relate to this position. Personally identifiable information (PII) is removed from the standard application fields and applicable attachments. This PII blind screening practice redacts a candidate’s personal information that could potentially influence or bias the scoring process. Personal information includes the applicant’s name, former last name, address, phone number, email, driver's license number, school name, education start and end dates, age, date of birth, gender, and race. This PII blind screening practice helps contribute to a fair and equitable examination process.

Each applicant will be evaluated based on the following criteria:

Relevance of work history, related experience, and achieved level of education and/or training as described in the application and responses to the supplemental questions.

Candidates demonstrating possession of the minimum qualifications will be placed on an employment list in order of most qualified to least qualified based on the achieved score received in the Application and Supplemental Questionnaire Appraisal Examination which evaluates the education, training, experience, skills, knowledge, abilities, and other qualifications that you demonstrate in your application and/or response to the supplemental questionnaire. Please be aware that resumes and cover letters are not typically evaluated in the Application and Supplemental Questionnaire Appraisal Examination. Scores may be adjusted based on such factors as the number of candidates, anticipated vacancies, past practice, and natural breaks in the scores achieved by this group of candidates.

Additional Information

A background investigation is required prior to employment. Candidates referred to departments for a selection interview are typically required to sign authorization and release forms enabling such an investigation. Failure to sign prescribed forms will result in the candidate not being considered further for that vacancy. Reference information will not be made available to candidates.

Additional requirements, such as successful completion of a physical exam, drug screen, etc., may apply, depending on the duties and responsibilities of the position. If you receive a conditional job offer for the position, the requirements upon which the offer is contingent will be outlined in the conditional job letter. You may also review the Job Classification Screening Schedule to determine the requirements for this position.

How To Apply

Applications are accepted online at: www.yourpath2sonomacounty.org . Paper applications may be submitted by person, fax (707-565-3770), email, or through the mail. All applications and appropriate supplemental information as outlined in the job bulletin must be received by the time and date specified on the first page of this job announcement. Applications received after the recruitment closes will not be accepted.

The County of Sonoma values diversity and is dedicated to creating a workplace environment that provides individuals with a sense of belonging. We are committed to having a diverse workforce that is representative of the communities we serve. The County is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer where all aspects of employment are based on merit, competence, performance, and business need.

HR Analyst: EP

HR Tech: VH

County of Sonoma

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Human Services Communications Specialist - Promotional