Job Description

Posting number: 995297

Department: Communications

Job classification: Public Information Officer

Posting type: Open

Categories: Communications

Summary

The Public Information Officer serves as a frontline communicator for the City, responsible for creating, coordinating, and disseminating accurate and timely information to the public and media. This role manages media inquiries and produces compelling content across platforms to support City initiatives.

Must apply a significant degree of initiative and independent judgment.

Examples of duties

1. Acts as a liaison between the departments, the public and the news media. Respond to media inquiries and coordinate interviews and information response.
2. Researches, assembles, writes, edits, and produces materials and press releases about the agency’s operation, programs, and events.
3. Develops publicity campaigns to heighten awareness for departments’ activities, services, and programs.
4. Develops and expands communication resources for outreach to the City and residents using existing and new technology and media.
5. Manages and tracks metrics for Editorial Communications Plans for assigned departments.
6. Develops strategic positioning opportunities and storyline pitches associated with larger programming.
7. Serves as a spokesperson for the department(s) under limited circumstances.
8. Facilitates media training of key department spokespersons and assist City staff in media relations and public information policies and procedures.
9. Performs regular media monitoring for the purposes of summarizing and reporting internally on media coverage.
10. Onboards Junior Staff, manages vendor relationships, manages interns and contractors
11. Updates and keeps current information on multiple websites through the City’s content management systems.
12. Assists departments with special event coordination including promotions, ceremonies, annual awards, groundbreaking ceremonies, ribbon cuttings and assists with major annual events.
13. Develops and/or coordinates the production of collateral: brochures, flyers, newsletters, digital campaigns, and promotional/marketing materials as needed.
14. Develops and produces podcast episodes.
15. Provides oversite to social media pages and assist departments with the development of regular social media content.
16. Maintains reports, calendars and schedules of projects, activities, and marketing campaigns.
17. Assists in analyzing marketing data to help shape future marketing strategies.
18. Undertakes individual tasks of a marketing plan as assigned.
19. Builds and maintains close relationships with key influencers: journalists, editors, producers, and correspondents in the news media including local, national, trade, niche, business, and special interest outlets.
20. Serves as an active participant of the Crisis Communication Team. Contributes to the implementation of emergency communications and public information processes as part of crisis communications response. Participates in acting PIO rotation as needed in Emergency Operation Center (EOC) upon activation.

OTHER JOB FUNCTIONS:

1. Assists in keeping marketing-related budget reports current, and other accounting functions including invoices, expense reports and billing reconciliation.
2. Attends conferences, trainings, and other meetings to stay current with successful practices in public information and learn new skills.
3. Performs other related duties as assigned

SKILLS, KNOWLEDGE AND ABILITIES:

1. Be available for 24-hour on-call response during emergencies.
2. Ability to work in a fast-paced environment, successfully managing competing priorities.
3. Advanced knowledge of social media, print, electronic, radio/television and other media used to distribute information.
4. Must have skills in planning, organizing, and directing a wide variety of activities.
5. Understanding of Public Information Act, its application and compliance requirements.
6. Understanding of website development and maintenance, website including analytics and SEO best practices.
7. ln-depth understanding of social media best practices and analytics.
8. Ability to establish and maintain professional, effective working relationships with media outlets, internal management/non-management employees, City and other government officials.
9. Excellent verbal/written communication and analytical skills to include but not limited to newsletters, fact sheets, news releases and other forms of publicity.
10. Proficient use of Microsoft Office products, including Outlook, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
11. Videography and photography experience or graphic design preferred.

Qualifications

Education and Experience:

1. Bachelor’s degree in Public or Media Relations, Communications, Marketing, or related degree
2. Four years of experience in related field; or equivalent combination
3. Certification in FEMA IS-29: Public Information Officer Awareness training within 6 months of hire.
4. Social media and prompt engineering certifications preferred.
5. Professional Certification in Public Sector Communications or similar preferred.
6. Bilingual in English/Spanish preferred.

Supplemental information

It is the policy of the City to recruit, employ and to provide compensation, promotion, and other conditions of employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, disability, genetic information or status as a Vietnam era or special disabled veteran, recently separated veteran, and other protected veteran. The City affirms that employment decisions shall be made only on the basis of a person’s ability to perform the essential functions of the job. This position does require presence in the office to perform the essential functions of the job. The City shall continually review its employment practices and personnel procedures and take positive steps to assure that equality of employment opportunity in the City of Tyler, Texas is a fact as well as an ideal.

The City of Tyler will accept two years of relevant experience in place of each year of college required in the job description. Four years of relevant experience will be considered in place of an Associate’s Degree, and eight years of relevant experience will be considered in place of a Bachelor’s Degree. Any experience required in the Minimum qualifications is in addition to years of experience substituted for a degree.

The City of Tyler supports a policy of a drug and alcohol free workplace. All candidates are subject to pre-employment testing, which may include, but is not limited to, Drug and Alcohol Screenings, Work Fitness Evaluation, Criminal Background Check, and Consumer Report/Credit Check.

No person under eighteen (18) years of age will be employed in any regular full-time position. Persons under eighteen (18) years of age may be employed in temporary or regular part-time positions, if they furnish the City with a minor’s release (Form 2-2) and are approved by the City Manager. No person under eighteen (18) years of age will be employed in any position requiring the operation of a City motorized vehicle.