Public Information Specialist

READ THIS ENTIRE BULLETIN FOR INSTRUCTIONS ON HOW TO REAPPLY FOR THIS RECRUITMENT

THIS IS A REOPENING OF A CONTINUOUS EXAMINATION.  If you have previously applied or started an application for the Public Information Specialist, Examination #20-0320-01, please contact the recruitment analyst, Elaine Lemi, at elaine.lemi@acgov.org to reapply.  In order to reapply, you must contact the analyst to have your previous application released back to you.

*The scores and dispositions of candidates for this examination will be merged with previous exam participants.  If you previously submitted an application and choose to reapply, your new score/disposition will replace your current disposition.  If you do not wish to change your score/disposition, you are not required to reapply to this examination.  Candidates who received a qualifying score cannot participate in the examination within six (6) months of their disposition notice. Candidates who did not qualify may reapply sixty (60) days from their disposition notice.  Candidates who failed any of the exam components (i.e., written, oral exam), may reapply sixty (60) days from the exam date.  

Applications must be in the possession of the Human Resource Services Department by 5:00 PM on the Last Day for Filing. Applications will only be accepted on-line.

The current vacancy is with Alameda County Child Support Services.  However, the eligible list resulting from this recruitment may be used by any County department or agency needing to fill a vacancy.

ABOUT ALAMEDA COUNTY CHILD SUPPORT SERVICES (ACCSS)
Alameda County Child Support Services believes that all parents should be fully engaged in supporting the wellbeing of their children. To meet this Vision, the Department is committed to serving the children and families of Alameda County in ways that are innovative, responsive, efficient, compassionate and in tune with the rich diversity of our community.

Our customers are mothers, fathers, caregivers, children, community partners and residents of Alameda County. The Department’s core business is to help families by establishing parentage and child and medical support orders, and by enforcing child support orders and collecting support.   To carry out this mission, the Department employs dedicated, talented, and creative people with a passion for public service to meet customer needs. The Public Information Specialist plays an integral role in building, developing, and coordinating internal and external communications activities that align with our organizational and program objectives and meet the diverse needs of our customers and other stakeholders now and into the future.

For more detailed information about the agency, visit:  Alameda County Child Support Services.

THE POSITION
Under general direction, to develop, maintain, and coordinate public information activities within a County Department or Agency; to advise and assist management in public information/relations activities; and to perform related duties as required.  The class of Public Information Specialist is located in multiple departments/agencies within Alameda County and is responsible for internal and external public information/relations activities.

For more detailed information about the job classification, visit:  Public Information Specialist (#0320).

THE IDEAL CANDIDATE
In addition to meeting the minimum qualifications listed below, the ideal candidate will encompass the following attributes, and have demonstrated a successful track record in:

• Effective time management by balancing competing priorities and ensuring work is completed efficiently.
• Planning, developing and implementing marketing strategies, marketing communications, and public relations activities, both external and internal.
• Overseeing development and implementation of support materials and services in the area of marketing, communications, and public relations.
• Researching prospective content to share on the internet and social media accounts; identifying emerging trends and best practices.
• Developing long-term interactive marketing plans to guide content creation.
• Collaborating with cross-functional teams to plan and execute communication and outreach strategies.

Education:  

Possession of a Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university in public relations, journalism, communications, marketing, English, business administration, or a closely related field.  

AND

Experience:  

The equivalent of two (2) years of experience in journalism, public relations, media, social media strategy, marketing, advertising, or closely related field which included the development and editing of a variety of documents, publications and/or new releases and the exposure of working with media representatives in the coordination of public information and other related program activities.   

Substitution:  

Additional experience listed above may be substituted for the required education on a year-for-year basis.  

Special Requirements:

• Some positions will require a full background check and fingerprint to determine suitability for assigned work.  A felony conviction may be disqualifying.  

NOTE:    The Civil Service Commission may modify the above Minimum Qualifications in the announcement of an examination.

The most suitably qualified candidates will possess the following competencies:

Knowledge of:  

• Principles and practices of public information, media relations, community outreach, and program development.
• Understanding of the working media.
• Methods and techniques used in gathering and evaluating public attitudes regarding the program.
• Copyright and trademarks laws pertaining to the use of multi-media.
• Departmental/Agency programs and activities.
• Information dissemination techniques and methods.
• Marketing strategies and techniques.
• Media relations and outreach.
• Risk communications.
• Desktop publishing, basic graphics preparation, presentation applications and equipment.
• Principles, techniques, procedures, and methods used to create and produce a variety of print, social/digital media, and related communications.
• Multimedia communications.
• Current multimedia technologies and digital platform trends and use in the public sector.
• English grammar, spelling, syntax, and punctuation.
• Writing styles for different platforms and audiences.  

Ability to:

• Create and implement a variety of communications, marketing materials, media releases, and outreach products or activities.
• Develop a public information program.
• Communicate clearly and effectively both orally and in writing.
• Develop and maintain effective working relationships with others.
• Stay abreast of current communication and marketing trends.
• Provide a high level of customer service to the public, vendors, contractors, and staff.
• Manage multiple and changing priorities and meet deadlines.
• Produce accurate information within short timeframes.
• Evaluate and analyze information to reach logical conclusions.
• Organize information in a comprehensive and understandable package.
• Determine potential public information items.
• Collaborate and work effectively across diverse teams.

THE EXAMINATION WILL CONSIST OF THE FOLLOWING STEPS:
1) A review of candidates' applications to verify possession of minimum requirements. Those candidates who possess the minimum requirements for the class will move on to the next step in the examination process.

2) An oral interview which will be weighted as 100% of the candidate's final examination score.  The oral interview may contain situational exercises.

CANDIDATES MUST ATTAIN A QUALIFYING RATING ON EACH PORTION OF THIS EXAMINATION

Alameda County utilizes a Civil Service Selection System founded on merit.  Such a system is competitive and based on broad recruitment efforts and equal opportunity for qualified applicants to test in an examination process designed to determine the qualifications, fitness and ability of competitors to perform duties of the vacant position.  Many of our recruitments are targeted and specific to the needs of a current vacant position, in which case, the eligible list may be exclusively used for that current vacant position.  Other recruitments may be more broadly used for both current and future vacancies, or for other alternate jobs with comparable scopes of work.

For more information on the Civil Service Selection process, please visit the “What You Need to Know” section of our website, www.acgov.org/hrs.

Applicants will be informed via email with reasonable notice in advance of any examination process which will require their attendance. The following dates are tentative and subject to change based on the needs of the Agency:

TENTATIVE SELECTION PLAN

WE RESERVE THE RIGHT TO MAKE CHANGES TO THE ANNOUNCED RECRUITMENT & SELECTION PLAN

Alameda County and the Human Resource Services Department will make reasonable efforts in the examination and/or selection process to accommodate qualified individuals with disabilities and/or medical conditions in accordance/compliance with the State Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA), Federal Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Alameda County’s Reasonable Accommodation Policy and applicable statutes. To request an accommodation due to a disability/medical condition during this or other phases of the examination/selection process, please contact the assigned Human Resources Representative listed on the job announcement before the last date of filing. Alameda County requires applicants to provide supporting documentation to substantiate a request for reasonable accommodation. In order to qualify for a reasonable accommodation, applicants must have a disability/medical condition pursuant to the ADA, FEHA and applicable statutes.

For more information regarding our Reasonable Accommodation procedures, please visit our website:  www.acgov.org/hrs 

Alameda County offers a comprehensive and competitive benefits package that affords wide-ranging health care options to meet the different needs of a diverse workforce and their families. We also sponsor many different employee discount, fitness and health screening programs focused on overall wellbeing.  These benefits include but are not limited to*:

For your Health & Well-Being

• Medical – HMO & PPO Plans
• Dental – HMO & PPO Plans
• Vision or Vision Reimbursement
• Share the Savings
• Basic Life Insurance 
• Supplemental Life Insurance (with optional dependent coverage for eligible employees)
• Accidental Death and Dismemberment Insurance 
• County Allowance Credit
• Flexible Spending Accounts - Health FSA, Dependent Care and Adoption Assistance
• Short-Term Disability Insurance
• Long-Term Disability Insurance
• Voluntary Benefits - Accident Insurance, Critical Illness, Hospital Indemnity and Legal Services
• Employee Assistance Program

For your Financial Future

• Retirement Plan - (Defined Benefit Pension Plan)
• Deferred Compensation Plan (457 Plan or Roth Plan)

For your Work/Life Balance

• 11 paid holidays
• Floating Holidays
• Vacation and sick leave accrual
• Vacation purchase program
• Management Paid Leave**
• Catastrophic Sick Leave
• Group Auto/Home Insurance
• Pet Insurance
• Commuter Benefits Program
• Guaranteed Ride Home
• Employee Wellness Program (e.g., At Work Fitness, Incentive Based Programs, Gym Membership Discounts)
• Employee Discount Program (e.g., theme parks, cell phone, etc.)
• Child Care Resources
• 1^st United Services Credit Union 

*Eligibility is determined by Alameda County and offerings may vary by collective bargaining agreement.  This provides a brief summary of the benefits offered and can be subject to change.

** Non-exempt management employees are entitled to up to three days of management paid leave. Exempt management employees are entitled to up to seven days of management paid leave.

All notices related to County recruitments for which you have applied will be sent/delivered via email. Please add @jobaps.com, @acgov.org and Noreply@jobaps.com as accepted addresses to any email blocking or spam filtering program you may use. If you do not do this, your email blocking or spam filtering program may block receipt of the notices regarding your application for recruitments. You are also strongly advised to regularly log into your County of Alameda online application account to check for notices that may have been sent to you. All email notices that will be sent to you will also be kept in your personal online application account. You will be able to view all of your notices in your online application account by clicking on the "My applications" button on the Current Job Openings page and clicking on the link 'last notice sent' for the respective recruitment.

Please take the steps recommended above to ensure you do not miss any notices about a recruitment for which you have applied. The County of Alameda is not responsible for notices that are not read, received or accessed by any applicant for a County recruitment.

NOTE: All notices are generated through an automated email notification system. Replies to the email box Noreply@jobaps.com are routed to an unmonitored mailbox. All notices are generated through an automated email notification system. Replies to the email box are routed to an unmonitored mailbox. If you have questions please go to our website at www.acgov.org/hrs. You may also contact the Human Resources Analyst listed on the job announcement for the recruitment for which you have applied.

Elaine Lemi | Human Resources Analyst
Human Resource Services, County of Alameda
(510) 272-6434 | elaine.lemi@acgov.org  

DISASTER SERVICE WORKER
All Alameda County employees are designated Disaster Service Workers through state and local law.  Employment with the County requires the affirmation of a loyalty oath to this effect.  Employees are required to report to work as ordered in the event of an emergency.

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY
Alameda County has a diverse workforce, that is representative of the communities we serve and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer.  All aspects of employment are based on merit, competence, performance and business need. Alameda County does not discriminate in employment on the basis of, race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy and gender identity), national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, membership in an employee organization, retaliation, parental status, military service, or other non-merit factors protected under federal, state and local law. Alameda County celebrates diversity and is committed to creating an inclusive, and welcoming workplace environment.