Senior Public Information Officer

See NOTE(S) below for future wage increases and/or additional compensation opportunities.

Senior Public Information Officer positions develop, coordinate, and disseminate information to the media and the public; develop and implement communication plans and strategies for client departments and specific projects and programs; create targeted public relations and outreach campaigns in support of new and ongoing projects or activities; write, edit, prepare and distribute advisories and news releases and news stories for traditional and social media; develop and edit web pages, bulletins, newsletters, pamphlets, brochures, posters, social media and handouts to inform the public and City employees of department services and activities; ensure proper, timely, and regular information dissemination to the Mayor, Council, department management, community groups and business owners regarding any planned or emergency activities or projects; develop written reports and visual media in support of presentations before Council, community groups, etc., work with other Communications Department staff to help write and develop videos and/or articles for distribution; schedule, coordinate and participate in public outreach efforts such as community meetings and targeted educational outreach programs; arrange for photographic work for departmental and publicity purposes; act as a resource/liaison with the mass media and other departments and agencies; prepare and deliver speeches; investigate media inquiries pertaining to citizens' complaints and assist in their resolution; conduct media tours of departmental facilities and activities; advise department management on complex public information issues and assist in departmental strategic planning efforts; interpret the results of customer surveys to identify public perceptions; supervise the work of subordinate staff and outside consultants or contractors; and perform other duties as assigned.

NOTES:

• Employees in job classifications represented by Municipal Employees Association (MEA) are scheduled to receive the following general wage increases:

4% effective 7/1/24 

2% effective 1/1/25 

5% effective 7/1/25  

• In addition to the scheduled general wage increases, the following special salary wage increase is also scheduled to take effect for Senior Public Information Officer:
  5% effective 1/1/25

5% effective 1/1/26 

• Eligible benefitted employees originally hired on or after July 10, 2021, will be automatically enrolled in the San Diego City Employees Retirement System (SDCERS).

You must meet the following requirements on the date you apply, unless otherwise indicated.

EDUCATION: Bachelor's Degree or equivalent education (i.e., minimum completed units = 120 semester/180 quarter).

NOTE:

• Additional qualifying experience may be substituted for education lacked on a year-for-year basis. One year of full-time experience = 30 semester/45 quarter college-level units.

EXPERIENCE: Three years of full-time professional-level experience in public relations, media relations, journalism, marketing, community relations, or social media. Qualifying professional-level experience must include at least ONE of the following:

• Planning and coordinating the production and dissemination of public relations or public information programs involving audio, visual, print or social media.

• Writing, editing and producing public relations or public information materials.

NOTES:

• Clerical experience and providing information to the public is NOT qualifying.

• City of San Diego employees using Out-of-Class Assignment (OCA) experience to qualify must submit written documentation signed by their appointing authority or payroll specialist, detailing the work performed, dates, and total number of qualifying OCA hours.  OCA experience without the required documentation will NOT be considered.

LICENSE: A valid California Class C Driver License is required at the time of hire.

HIGHLY DESIRABLE: 

• Exceptional writing, editing, copyediting and proofreading skills.

• Excellent verbal communication skills.

• Confidence and ability to successfully interact with members of the public, as well as professional staff, elected public officials and media.

• Knowledge of Associated Press style.

• Social media management and social media analytics to inform strategies.

• Bilingual communication skills.

• Lead/supervisory experience over professional staff.

REQUIRED DOCUMENTS (MUST SUBMIT WITH APPLICATION):

• Proof of degree/transcripts, if utilized to meet minimum qualifications.

• For City of San Diego employees, proof of Out-of-Class Assignment (OCA), if utilized to meet the minimum requirements.

Required documents should be attached electronically to your application.  If you are unable to attach at the time of application submittal, you must submit them as soon as possible via fax: (619) 533-3337; or to the Employment Information Center:  City of San Diego Personnel Department, 1200 Third Avenue - Suite 300, San Diego, CA 92101.  Include your name and the title of the position for which you are applying.Please ensure all information is complete and accurate as the responses you provide on the supplemental questions will be reviewed using an automated evaluation system.  If you are successful in this initial screening process, your application will be reviewed for applicable education, experience, and/or training to ensure all minimum requirements have been met. Successful candidates will be placed on a list which will be used to fill position vacancies during the next six months (180 days).  For each vacancy, only those candidates with the most appropriate qualifications will be contacted by the hiring department for an interview.PRE-EMPLOYMENT REQUIREMENTS: Employment offers are conditional pending the results of all screening processes applicable to this position, which may include the following: confirmation of citizenship or legal right to work in the United States; completion of a pre-employment medical review and exam (which may include drug and alcohol testing); reference checks; and fingerprinting. Fingerprints will be submitted to the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the California Department of Justice for a conviction record report. Certain positions may require additional screening processes, including a polygraph examination and/or background investigation. All screening processes must be successfully completed before employment begins. A positive test result for alcohol, cannabis/marijuana, illegal drugs, or inadequately explained prescription drugs, or misrepresentation, falsification, or omission of pertinent facts in any step of the screening or selection process, may constitute cause for disqualification or termination of employment. Nothing in this job posting constitutes an express or implied contract for employment with the City of San Diego. Candidates must notify the Personnel Department of any change in their name, mailing address, email address, or phone number, otherwise they may miss employment opportunities.

Rev. 2 - June 21, 2024 (New Recruitment Date)