Public Affairs Officer

Public Affairs Officer Location Long Beach, CA (Downtown area) : **Applications will only be accepted through the company website. Click to apply** THE DEPARTMENT The purpose of the Economic Development Department is to create economic opportunity for workers, investors, and entrepreneurs in the City of Long Beach. The Department has approximately 90 employees and an annual budget of over $22 million from six different City funds. The Department is a revenue-generating department that leverages Federal, State, and City resources to generate growth in property, sales, and transient occupancy taxes that pay for services citywide. The Department consists of four operational bureaus: Workforce Development, Business Development, Real Estate Development, and Pier H, with seven divisions located in four work sites across two cities. THE POSITION The Economic Development Department is seeking an experienced communications expert to serve as our Communications Officer, in the classification of Public Affairs Officer. Reporting directly to the Department Director, the Communications Officer is an at-will management position that provides highly responsible and complex leadership in all the department methods of communication, internally and externally. The Communications Officer will develop, implement, and manage an integrated, organization-wide strategic communications plan focused on economic development, business attraction, expansion and retention. The communications plan will incorporate best practices, media relations, and online strategies. EXAMPLES OF DUTIES Duties of this position may include, but are not limited to: Advise the Director on communication strategies, policies, procedures, and issues; Serve as the principal staff consultant to leadership and other staff regarding departmental communications; Lead, develop, and execute communications strategies through collaboration with the Department's leadership team; Serve as a key partner to the City's Office of Public Affairs and Communications as well as Communications staff across City departments; Serve as the lead spokesperson with all media outlets; Develop and maintain strong professional working relationships with news media representatives and with regional partners' public information officials; Conduct and/or facilitate media interviews and conferences; Develop outreach strategies and a strategic communications plan that advances the organization's vision and initiatives; Develop and implement broad public engagement strategies; Develop and lead public relations, marketing campaigns, creative direction and brand; Provide strong leadership in establishing relationships and fostering partnerships with City and Department staff, the community, civic and special interest groups; Develop, facilitate, and assist with implementing strategic approaches to emerging issues; Continuously monitor and evaluate communication efforts' efficiency and effectiveness and identify opportunities for improvement; Develop and provide relevant communications training to department personnel (e.g., communication, messaging, marketing, branding, and on-off-camera); Create and maintain internal and external communications standards, recommend relevant policies, streamline and improve internal communication guidelines, processes, and procedures; Determine existing communication gaps and provide associated recommendations to Executive Leadership; Manage contracts, including vendors for design services and special consulting services; Work non-traditional work hours to attend or participate in various events or activities; Provide in-person support at public events, forums, workshops, and information booths as required. Produce literature, promotional materials, technical publications, and directories; Resolve problems, evaluate procedures and make recommendations for public affair issues; May write and edit employee and community newsletters; May write and distribute press releases to publicize programs and services; Manage the department's internet, intranet, and social media content; REQUIREMENTS TO FILE MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS:EDUCATION ~ Bachelor's Degree from an accredited college or university, preferably in Public Relations, Communications, Journalism, Public Administration or a closely related field (proof required*). Candidates may substitute experience offering specific substantial preparation for the duties of the position for the required education on a year-for-year basis. EXPERIENCE Five (5) years of progressively responsible professional experience in communications, public relations, or media relations. Three (3) years of the required experience must have been gained in a supervisory or management level position that relates to the duties of this position. *Required documents, such as transcripts, degrees, certificates, or licenses, must be uploaded to the online application in PDF format at the time of filing. Any documents submitted must contain either the applicant's name or other identifying characteristics on the document. Proof of education for academic degrees should indicate the type of degree and date of degree conferral. Candidates who possess degrees or units from outside the United States must attach proof of educational equivalency at the time of filing. DESIRABLE QUALIFICATIONS: ~ Experience in an organization of similar complexity and structure is desirable, preferably in city, county, state or special district/public sector agency. THE SUCCESSFUL CANDIDATE WILL DEMONSTRATE: Knowledge of digital communication platforms; The ability to effectively communicate verbally and in writing; The ability to develop and maintain relationships with the media; The ability to work irregular hours, evenings, weekends, and holidays as needed; The ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously. SELECTION PROCEDURE This recruitment will close at 11:59 PM Pacific Time on Friday, February 9, 2024. To be considered, please submit an online application, including a cover letter, resume, and proof of education ( if qualifying with a degree ) in PDF format. Applications that fail to include all necessary documents will be considered incomplete and will not be taken into consideration. Applications will be reviewed for depth and breadth of experience, and for level and relatedness of education. The most qualified candidates will be invited to participate in further selection procedures. The selected candidate may be required to go through a background check and a physical examination prior to appointment. For questions regarding this recruitment, please contact the Department of Economic Development at (562) 570-3693. The City of Long Beach is an Equal Opportunity Employer . We value and encourage diversity in our workforce. The City of Long Beach is committed to creating a workplace where every employee is valued for who they are. Having our workforce reflect the diversity of our community at various levels of the organization is a continuous goal embraced by our departments, management staff, and policymakers. To support efforts of fairness and diversity, City Leadership is committed to incorporating equity and inclusion into our work by supporting staff and community partners. We are committed to promoting transparency by publishing updated demographic information for employees, including workforce diversity data and pay by race and gender. The City of Long Beach will consider qualified applicants with a criminal history pursuant to the California Fair Chance Act . You are not required to disclose your criminal history or participate in a background check until you receive a conditional job offer. If the City of Long Beach has concerns about a conviction that is directly related to the job after making a conditional job offer and conducting a background check, you will have the opportunity to explain the circumstances surrounding the conviction, provide evidence to mitigate concerns, or challenge the accuracy of the background report. Find out more about the Fair Chance Act by visiting The City of Long Beach intends to provide reasonable accommodations in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. If a special accommodation is desired, or if you would like to request this information in an alternative format, please contact the Department of Economic Development at (562) 570-3693. For technical support with your governmentjobs.com application, please contact (855) 524-5627. Job Type: Full-time Pay: $105,000.00 - $150,000.00 per year Benefits: Dental insurance Family leave Flexible schedule Health insurance Paid parental leave Paid time off Parental leave Retirement plan Schedule: ~8 hour shift Work setting: ~ In-person People with a criminal record are encouraged to apply Work Location: In person