PSERN Government Relations Officer
- Summary
The Puget Sound Emergency Radio Network Project (PSERN) is seeking a skilled Government Relations Officer to play a vital role in supporting the build out of a system that will be used by first responders during emergency events for the next 20 years. The Government Relations Officer will directly supervise 2-3 staff who are charged with providing internal and external communications support with governments or officials in the region. In this position you will have a unique opportunity to work with a diverse set of staff and key stakeholders that vary from frontline technical staff to elected officials in agencies throughout the state. This position will act as the Deputy Division Director and provide leadership and/or supervision for divisional activities as needed.
The ideal candidate will thrive in a setting where you will demonstrate your self-initiative as well as work as part of a high performing team. The ability to understand technical information will greatly enhance your success in this role and keeping track of a myriad of fast moving topics will also be key. A commitment to team work, dedication to public service, initiative, drive, and strong communication skills (to both business and technical partners) are absolute requirements.
PSERN will replace the current King County Emergency Radio Communication System; this multi-year/multi-phase project has a budget of approximately $290M and is partnering with other regional entities. To learn more about the project, please visit our website, www.psern.org.
King County Department of Information Technology (KCIT)
KCIT is providing the building blocks for many of the region's most critical services. As the business solutions partner, we collaborate with the 18 County departments to develop products and services that better serve the needs of our customers and our community. To learn more about KCIT, please visit our website: http://kingcounty.gov/depts/it.aspx
As the first place recipient of the 15th annual National Association of Counties (NACo) Digital Counties Survey, KCIT was recognized for its vision, strategy, innovation, and collaboration. Previously earning top 10 digital county honors in the last eleven years from the Center for Digital Government, KCIT has a focus of delivering smart technology solutions that support customers, building stronger communities through innovative information technology.
Benefits
King County offers a robust benefits package to support you and your family in a variety of ways. To learn more about the benefits offered here, please visit the Benefits website at: http://www.kingcounty.gov/employees/.
Work Schedule
The normal work week for this position is Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Alternative work schedules may be considered. This position is eligible for overtime pay.
Questions
If you have any questions regarding this recruitment, please contact Brian Roberts, broberts@kingcounty.gov or (206) 263-1508- Job Duties
- Act as the PSERN Project liaison with elected officials and other senior executive level stakeholders within and outside of King County, which includes building and maintaining critical relationships on behalf of PSERN, doing regular check-ins as needed, and escalating Project issues with these officials as needed.
- Lead and supervise general outreach efforts for the PSERN Project with key stakeholders and eventual PSERN customer agencies. This includes general stakeholder outreach and building owner outreach which may involve: setting performance goals, presentations to stakeholder groups, maintaining an accurate list of stakeholder contacts, regular Project newsletters, maintaining a Project website; and maintaining an appropriate presence on social media.
- Advise the PSERN Project team and division director on strategies for communicating project initiatives with customer agencies and other key stakeholders. This includes sharing common communications techniques with Project team members (i.e. educating them) and devising communications messages or tools that break down complex technical issues appropriately for the target audience.
- Act as the focal point for escalation activity in the Project related to leases and other agreements that are necessary for Project completion. This includes working with external stakeholders to advise them of escalation activity and giving them an opportunity to resolve prior to an escalation, identifying the proper resource to escalate to, working with staff to develop briefing materials, and following up to ensure senior staff have everything they need.
- Supervising and leading the PSERN communications team, which includes: assigning work and ensuring all team assignments are completed as directed and in good quality, meeting with staff in regular 1:1's to discuss job performance, set performance expectations and receive feedback, writing and delivering annual personnel appraisals, approving time keeping and leave requests, mentoring, coaching and developing staff, and initiating personnel actions such as hiring, firing and disciplining as required.
- Work with Executive or Council staff on all PSERN legislation and PSERN quarterly legislative updates which includes: tracking tentative dates for updates and ensuring that presentations are prepared and submitted in accordance with Council schedules, assisting with or directing the drafting of materials to support legislation as required, briefing executive level staff on issues related to legislation or quarterly updates, schedule and develop briefing materials and provide briefs to Council Members or their staff as required with the goal of gaining support of PSERN initiatives; and present quarterly briefs in Council chambers.
- Lead in the preparation of Joint Board materials, including briefing Joint Board members on issues, and developing Chairperson speaking notes. This may include directing the development of, or reviewing materials that are presented to Joint Board members.
- Act as a liaison between the Project and the Operations Board elected officers. This includes regular briefings of Ops Board officers and Project staff to advise all parties of relevant issues or concerns.
- Lead non-technical aspects of the Distributed Antenna Systems Consultant work and coordinate with technical Project staff to ensure Project and stakeholder needs are met regarding outreach to building owners who must transition their in-building systems from KCERCS to PSERN.
- Other duties as assigned.
- Experience, Qualifications, Knowledge, Skills
- Demonstrated experience working in a governmental organization's business policy development processes.
- At least 5 years' experience working in government relations, particularly with local jurisdiction's elected or executive level staff.
- Demonstrated experience developing or directly influencing the making of public policy as well as experience analyzing public policy decisions.
- Demonstrated experience with and knowledge of local, state, federal legislative processes, committees, and oversight of legislation management.
- Demonstrated experience and knowledge of legal and regulatory issues and the ability to perform analysis on complex and technical information, develop political strategies, and make recommendations to senior staff.
- Diverse background working on public contracts, legal agreements, interlocal cooperation agreements, leases or licenses and government legislation.
- Demonstrated success working with all levels of government, community organizations and private sector business to develop and implement effective strategies.
- Demonstrated experience of highly developed interpersonal skills and the ability to work independently to carry out organizational objectives while displaying extreme diplomacy skills on highly significant issues in a passionate and demanding environment.
- Demonstrated experience solving complex problems.
- Extensive demonstrated experience acting as a liaison for elected officials and other executive level staff.
- Experience supervising and managing other staff.
- Experience speaking in public environments and conveying highly complex or controversial concepts effectively to all levels and competencies of audiences.
- Highly refined problem solving, analytical, negotiation and conflict resolution skills.
- Demonstrated experience working as part of a close knit highly functional team, preferably within a technical or governmental environment.
- Knowledge of rules, regulations, codes, laws, policies, procedures, and ordinances.
- Demonstrated and highly proficient writing skills.
- Skill in maintaining confidentiality.
- Skill in handling a number of tasks simultaneously.
- Highly developed strategic and critical thinking skills.
- Supplemental Information
A Masters degree in Public Administration is preferred.
This position is open only to internal employees of King County Department of Information Technology (KCIT).
King County offers a highly-competitive compensation and benefits package designed to meet the diverse needs of our employees and support our employees' health and well-being. Eligible positions receive the following benefits and have access to the following programs:
- Medical, dental, and vision coverage: King County pays 100% of the premiums for eligible employees and family members
- Life and disability insurance: employees are provided basic coverage and given the opportunity to purchase additional insurance for both the employee and eligible dependents
- Retirement: King County employees are eligible to participate in a pension plan through the Washington State Department of Retirement Systems and a 457(b) deferred-compensation plan
- Transportation program and ORCA transit pass
- 10 paid holidays each year (plus 2 personal holidays)
- Generous vacation and paid sick leave
- Paid parental leave, family and medical leaves, and volunteer leave
- Flexible Spending Account
- Wellness programs
- Onsite gyms and activity centers
- Employee giving program
- Employee assistance programs
- Flexible schedules and telecommuting options, depending on position
- Training and career development programs
This is a general description of the benefits offered to eligible King County employees, and every effort has been made to ensure its accuracy. If any information on this document conflicts with the provisions of a collective bargaining agreement (CBA), the CBA prevails. Also, in the event of any incorrect information in this document, applicable laws, policies, rules, CBAs, or official plan documents will prevail.
NOTE: Benefits for Term Limited Temporary (TLT) or Short Term Temporary (STT) positions, including leave eligibility and/or participation in the pension plan through the Washington State Department of Retirement Systems, will vary based upon the terms and details of the position. Short Term Temporary positions are not eligible for an ORCA transit pass.
For inquiries about the specifics of this position, please contact the recruiter identified on this job posting.