Open: February 9, 2024

Close: Open Until Filled

Salary/Grade: Excepted Service ES5, ($79,392.16)

This is an Excepted Service position. Selected candidate must be a District resident or establish residency within 180 days of hire.

Current District of Columbia residents will receive priority and advanced preference for screening and interviews.

background

The Bowser Administration seeks an energetic and qualified candidate to serve as the Public Information Officer of the Mayor's Office on Women's Policy and Initiatives (MOWPI) in the Executive Office of the Mayor. The mission of the Mayor's Office on Women's Policy and Initiatives (MOWPI) is to support and advocate for women’s issues through research and community involvement, establish public and private partnerships to address women’s issues in Washington, DC, and to provide programs and workshops for women in the District to advance their health and economic status.

The incumbent is responsible for managing the creation and implementation of a strategic approach for the Mayor and the District of Columbia to engage, empower, and improve the quality of life for women constituents while integrating the interests of all key stakeholders. This includes implementation of policy and programs which provide resources to ensure that full range health, education, employment and social services are made available to the women residents of the District of Columbia.

Major duties

Establishes and maintains excellent relationships with local and regional media outlets, including print and broadcast journalists, and bloggers; responds to media inquiries; proactively engages with local and regional media to pitch stories; ensures the presentation of a strong and positive message to the public regarding the Administration’s policies and programs and the Mayor's Office on Women's Policy and Initiatives in coordination with the Executive Office of the Mayor.
Plans, directs and executes a comprehensive public information strategy on the initiatives and functions of the Mayor's Office on Women's Policy and Initiatives collaborates with senior leadership to plan and develop goals and objectives for implementing long and short-term communications.
Establishes and maintains effective working relationships with District government and community agencies.
Analyzes communications issues, and advises the Director and Deputy Director public perceptions to the agencies’ programs and activities.
Develop and manage send of the weekly MOWPI newsletter.
Develops and utilizes a variety of communication outlets to inform, involve, and engage employees in the agencies’ mission, values and programs.
Evaluates communications efforts and achievements, and recommends appropriate modifications.
Creates briefing memos, talking points, articles, websites, social media postings, and other communications on a wide variety of issues.
Uses feedback and evaluation systems to evaluate effectiveness of communications activities.
Participates in senior staff meetings and serves on committees, as appropriate.
Performs other related duties as assigned.

COMPETENCIES, KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES

Demonstrated connections to and past interactions with members of the local and regional press corps.
Mastery of the principles, methods and techniques of effective communications.
Mastery of the methods, practices and procedures used in public relations, marketing and research, mass media, advertising, special interest groups, community relations, and government relations, as they relate to large organized projects and initiatives.
Strong analytical, strategic and creative skills to develop and implement public outreach programs; and skill in developing strategies to disseminate information.
Superior ability to manage multiple priorities and fast-paced work.
Ability to effectively develop, organize, and present ideas and concepts to diverse groups, including government officials, journalists, analysts, and District residents.
Superior writing, verbal and presentation skills.
Strong, persuasive, compelling and engaging writing skills, in order to convey information concerning complex programs and functions to public individuals having diverse levels of understanding of the agency's programs and activities.
Superior skill in responding orally to criticism of the agency’s functions or performance; and to logically and effectively explain programs, functions and activities, in order for the public to gain an understanding of the agency's efforts.
Superior skill and ability to formulate, articulate, and coordinate an overall communications program that integrates departmental issues, and conveys complex information regarding policies, programs, and decisions.
Superior interpersonal relationship skills to serve as the principal advisor and authority on communication issues for the agency; and to work with the senior leaders to address problem solving through communications.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

Minimum three (3) years’ experience in public relations, communications, public policy or a related field.

Work environment

The work is performed primarily in-person in an office setting. Times in the field are permitted when there is a related event.

RESIDENCY REQUIREMENT

There is a legal requirement that each new appointee to the Excepted Service either:

be a District of Columbia resident at the time of appointment; or
become a District resident within one hundred eighty (180) days of appointment.

The law also requires that Excepted Service employees remain District residents during the duration of the individual’s appointment. Failure to remain a District resident for the duration of the appointment will result in forfeiture of employment.

If you are interested in this role, please upload your resume and answer the questionnaire. Only the candidates deemed most suited for the position based on resume will receive a call to schedule further discussion.

Muriel Bowser

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Public Information Officer, Mayor's Office on Women's Policy and Initiatives (MOWPI)