Public Information Officer

The Public Information Officer (PIO) supports the full range of communications and community outreach efforts and serves as one of the City’s official spokespersons and media representatives responding to all manner of media requests. The PIO also provides support in responding to constituent correspondence, coordinating communications plans for City initiatives, and planning and coordinating special events and Mayoral appearances, including any needed talking points, policy research and issue analysis. Employee is required to perform all similar or related duties.

The essential functions or duties listed below are intended only as illustrations of the various type of work that may be performed. The omission of specific statements of duties does not exclude them from the position if the work is similar, related, or a logical assignment to the position.

Performs day-to-day public and media information duties including but not limited to:

• Writing press releases, community notes, and op-eds
• Establishing, maintaining, and responding to media queries
• Assisting with newsletter, website, blog and additional digital public-facing content
• Preparing speaking remarks and visual presentations
• Preparing informational print materials (brochures, letters, mailings, FAQs, etc.)
• Providing backup support to Social Media Manager for social media communications
• Providing backup support for mass notification alerts
• Providing communications support to other departments including development and management of full communications plans for various projects/initiatives
• Responding to constituent correspondence and queries
• Hosting City Cable TV programming
• Providing support for press conferences, special events, and digital civic engagement efforts (live chat, discussion board moderation, etc.)
• Assisting with policy research

Education and Experience: Bachelor’s Degree and five to seven (5-7) years’ experience; or any equivalent combination of education, training and experience which provides the required knowledge, skills and abilities to perform the essential functions of the job.

Knowledge, Abilities and Skill

Knowledge: Excellent knowledge of grammar and usage. Good knowledge of and strong interest in local government. Strong understanding of the media landscape and methodologies. Facility with outreach and media strategies. Thorough understanding of the components of quality constituent service.

Ability: Ability to work effectively and maintain good relationships with the public, coworkers, department heads, media contacts, City officials, and diverse community partners; ability to handle problems and emergencies effectively and diplomatically; ability to communicate clearly, both orally and in writing; ability to maintain confidential information; ability to maintain, manage, and organize records; ability to juggle multiple assignments and to meet deadlines.

Skill: Excellent organizational skills; excellent written and verbal communication skills. Superior social media, web content, digital communication skills. Appropriate software application skills such as but not limited to word processing, spreadsheet, basic mapping, social media tools, basic HTML, PowerPoint, Prezi, PhotoShop, Publisher.

The work environment involves everyday discomforts typical of offices, with occasional exposure to outside elements. Noise or physical surroundings may be distracting, but conditions are generally not unpleasant. Employee may be required to work beyond normal business hours in response to attend evening meetings or complete work assignments.

Physical and Mental Requirements

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the position’s essential functions.

Physical Skills

Few physical demands are required to perform the work. Work effort principally involves sitting to perform work tasks, with intermittent periods of stooping, walking, and standing. May also be some occasional lifting of objects such as office equipment and computer paper (up to 30 lbs.)

Motor Skills

Duties are largely mental rather than physical, but the job may occasionally require minimal motor skills for activities such as moving objects, operating a telephone, personal computer and/or most other office equipment including word processing, filing and sorting of papers.

Visual Skills

Visual demands require constantly reading documents for general understanding and analytical purposes.

Hours: Full-Time
Salary: $81,182.41 annualized, plus benefits
Union: Non-Union
FMLA: Exempt
Date Posted: April 18th, 2024