Public Information Specialist

Introduction

Charlotte's local government, with more than 7,000 employees and a $2.39 billion budget, works hard to ensure that the community will be a winning city for everyone - a truly remarkable place to live, work, learn and play.

Charlotte Water is an enterprise department of the City of Charlotte and one of the largest public water and sewer service providers in the southeast with 300,000 customer accounts and over 1000 employees. Our service area includes the City of Charlotte, Mecklenburg County and the towns of Huntersville, Cornelius, Davidson, Mint Hill, Matthews and Pineville. Charlotte Water's FY 23 budget is $535M and a five-year capital program of $2.5 billion. We enjoy the highest credit ratings from all three major credit rating agencies as a result of sound financial planning and management and strong support from our City Council. We value competent, skilled candidates with a customer service focus to work in a team environment.

Overview

The City of Charlotte is the largest municipality in North Carolina and the 15th largest city in the United States, with a total population of more than 897,000 citizens. A major commerce center, Charlotte hosts several of the nation's largest banks and technology companies.

Also known as the Queen City, Charlotte is home to the Carolina Panthers, the Charlotte Hornets and the NASCAR Hall of Fame. We work hard to ensure that the community will be a winning city for everyone - a truly remarkable place to live, work, learn and play. Join us in helping to keep our City thriving, ensuring upward mobility and advancement in the workplace.

Summary

This Public Information Specialist position is based in the Communications Team of Charlotte Water, the community's water and sewer service provider, and reports to the Public Affairs Manager. This highly visible position with diverse responsibilities requires an experienced, innovative individual to serve as one of seven individuals responsible for the communications and messaging for Charlotte Water.

Major Duties and Responsibilities

• Provide comprehensive program management of water and wastewater education programs.

• Education programs include tours, public events, workshops, lectures, website, social media, public displays and one-on-one conversations for adults, the general public, industry groups and school-aged children, primarily.

• Work with other communication staff to set and ensure effective and consistent design and content for Charlotte Water outreach.

• Interact with reporters and other members of the local media to educate residents about water conservation, sanitary sewer overflows, leak reduction and other community issues.

• Serve in collaborative role with divisions and serve as needed on corporate and department teams to address the education needs of organizational and strategic initiatives.

• Some evening and weekend work expected

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

• Excellent written, verbal, and public speaking/presentation communication skills

• Proficient in Microsoft Office products

• Experience with Creative Suite preferred

• Environmental education or public relations certifications a plus

• Bilingual a plus

• Ability to work collaboratively and to build relationships

• Ability to prioritize and handle a large number of diverse projects and issues simultaneously

• Social media content creation a plus

• Copy writing skills and knowledge of AP style

Preferred Qualification

• Bachelor's degree in Natural Resources, Environmental Science, Environmental Policy, Communications, Journalism, English, or related field

• Prefer background in public relations, environmental education; water/wastewater outreach; education program development; environmental policy; or non-profit/ government experience.

Minimum Qualifications

• High school graduate or equivalent

• Five (5) years experience in environmental education which include: outreach, communication, public speaking, technical writing, or journalism.

Or

• Associate's Degree in Natural Resources, Environmental Science, Environmental Policy, Communications, Journalism, English, or related field

• Three (3) years experience in environmental education which include: outreach, communication, public speaking, technical writing, or journalism.

Licenses, Certifications or Registrations:

• Requires valid driver's license.

Conditions of Employment

The City's Background Check Policy requires background checks to be conducted on final internal or external candidate(s) applying for any position with the City of Charlotte. The type of information that will be collected as part of a background check includes, but is not limited to: reference checks, social security verification, education verification, criminal conviction record check, and, if applicable, a credit history check, sex offender registry and motor vehicle records check.

Background checks must be in compliance with all federal and state statutes, such as the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA). The checks must be consistent with the guidelines set forth by these laws requiring organizations to obtain a candidate's written authorization before obtaining a criminal background report, motor vehicle records check or credit report; and to properly store and dispose of information derived from such reports.

Final candidates must pass a pre-employment drug-screening test and physical examination. During the selection process, candidates may be asked to take a skills test, and/or participate in other assessments.

The City of Charlotte is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

How To Apply

Apply online.

Federal law requires employers to provide reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities. Please tell us if you require a reasonable accommodation to apply for a job.

You are welcome to visit the City of Charlotte Human Resources Department lobby where we have workstations available. Our office is located at 700 East 4th Street, Suite 200, Charlotte, NC 28202. Our hours are Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. (EST), excluding official City holidays.

Anyone seeking an accommodation to apply for a job may call (704) 336-2285 for assistance or you may email questions to CityHrJobPostingsNotify@ci.charlotte.nc.us.

Benefits

The City of Charlotte provides a comprehensive benefits package to all employees.

Click here to learn more about the City of Charlotte's benefits.

The City of Charlotte is a drug and alcohol-free workplace.

In Conclusion

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