Public Information Officer (Communications Specialist III)
- Summary
Are you passionate about communication and a strategic thinker?
Do you enjoy developing and maintaining relations with media, stakeholders, and diverse communities?
King County Metro seeks a Public Information Officer (PIO) who has a passion for clear communication, a strategic mindset, and a love of working with the media, elected officials, and the public. This person will help to shape the external voice of King County Metro by developing communications plans, coordinating and disseminating information.
The PIO develops and maintains relationships with media, stakeholders, and diverse communities to connect the people of King County and the region with transit services, including bus, rail, paratransit, passenger ferry, and vanpool, as well as other mobility options. This person will work integrally with two other group members to perform a broad range of media relations and communications consultation duties, as detailed below.
In this role, you will:- Support the development and implementation of strategic communication plans and campaigns for Metro using traditional and social media channels.
- Develop, coordinate, and disseminate information to the media and the public, and monitor news channels and social media outlets.
- Write, edit, and prepare communications materials using key messages to inform the public and carry out Metro's strategic communications.
- Serve as liaison with King County Executive's communications staff on key County initiatives, media relations, media events, social media, media tracking and emergency communications.
- Serve as liaison with media; track media coverage; provide media relations consultation to agency directors, managers and project staff; and respond to media calls using independent judgment on the best way to utilize agency spokespeople and subject matter experts.
- Plan news conferences, briefings, community events, and media interviews.
- Disseminate information to key stakeholders including elected officials, management, community groups, and business owners.
- Serve in on-call rotation as part of Metro's PIO team, able to support communications needs and respond to media and social media during incidents.
Commitment to Equity & Social Justice
WE BELIEVE diversity encompasses the unique perspectives, knowledge, skills, abilities and the rich dimensions of identity each member of the Metro community brings to work daily. These perspectives and human dimensions are built through life experiences and membership in socially defined groups including, but not limited to race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, socio-economic status, age, physical abilities and religious beliefs.
The diverse experiences and perspectives of our employees help us serve King County residents in an equitable and culturally responsive way. To learn more, please visit http://www.kingcounty.gov/elected/executive/equitysocialjustice.aspx.
We are looking for candidates who meet the following minimum qualifications:
Bachelor's degree OR any combination of experience and education which provides the skills, knowledge, and abilities perform the key roles and responsibilities of the position.
Experience writing in a public relations field which required assessing the key messages of a project or issue and effectively relating them to the media.
In addition, the most competitive candidates will possess the following desired qualifications:
Intermediate knowledge of computer applications (including Word, Outlook, Photoshop) and web content management; ability to learn the King County web content management system
Advanced knowledge of social media platforms, particularly Twitter, Facebook and blogs
The following skill is desirable but not required:
Ability to speak and write in Spanish.
For more information regarding this recruitment, please contact:
Deandra Stanley, Talent Advisor - destanley@kingcounty.gov
SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION
Ready to apply?
King County Metro Transit is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer and values diverse perspectives, life experiences, and differences. King County Metro encourages people of all backgrounds to apply, including people of color, immigrants, refugees, women, LGBTQ, people with disabilities, people of all ages, and veterans. We are committed to being equitable and fair in providing equal access to opportunities for all.
Who May Apply
This position is open to all King County employees and the general public.
Available Vacancy
This recruitment is for a two-year Term-Limited Temporary (TLT) or Special Duty Assignment (SDA). This recruitment will create an eligibility pool to fill future career service, term-limited temporary and/or special duty vacancies which may occur in the next 6 months.
Forms and Required Materials
To be considered, the following application materials are required:- Employment application with answers to the 'Supplemental Questions'
- Resume
- Cover letter highlighting your qualifications and interest in the position
- Three samples of your written work -- samples should include a news release, blog post, and a social media post on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram
- A fourth optional sample could be any other strategic communications or media relations material you have developed.
Union Membership This position is represented by Professional and Technical Employees Local 17.
Class Code: 2501300 (Communications Specialist III)
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.
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01Please indicate the following: a) Total length of time worked in positions which involved a high percentage of media relations work; b) Description of various media relations activities performed in those positions; c) Did duties include serving as a spokesperson, the amount of autonomy you had in that role; and d) Which position did you acquire the greatest media relations experience and why.02Please summarize your experience with crisis communications and provide a representative example of the scope of public communications/ media relations duties you performed in response to crisis events.03Please list computer applications used and level of proficiency for each.04Which of the following required materials did you include with your application? Check all that apply.
- Resume
- Cover Letter
- Three required work samples
- Optional fourth work sample
- None of the above
05Will you need an accommodation in this selection process due to having a disability as defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)? If you select YES on this question, you will be contacted by our Human Resources staff if you are invited to proceed in the selection process. All disability status information will be treated as confidential.- Yes
- No
06To help us with our recruitment source research, we would appreciate your indication of the primary way you first heard about this employment opportunity:- King County
- TransitTalent
- Indeed.com
- Simplyhired.com
- Professional association/organization website
- professional
- WorkSource website
- Other website
- Other
Required Question