State of Maryland

A Public Affairs Officer I is the full performance level of public relations work with responsibility and authority for the planning and implementation of a complete public relations program or a comparable major phase of a larger scale comprehensive public relations program.  Employees in this classification are responsible generally for coordinating the flow of information from the agency to the public, for developing and maintaining effective relationships with the press and other media organizations, and for the preparations and distribution of various publications of an informational, promotional or educational nature.  The work of this classification requires the ability to accurately assess the public information needs of the agency and to develop appropriate plans, projects and relationships by which such needs can be met.  Employees in this classification gather and organize facts, prepare or edit informational material, channel information to desired audiences, and ensure the outflow of public information is in accordance with agency policy, image and attitude. Employees in this classification usually supervise technical and clerical employees and may supervise other professional employees.

Employees in this classification receive general supervision, guidance and policy direction from a designated management official or, in the larger scale public relations programs, from the overall program administrator.  Work effectiveness is evaluated in terms of the timeliness, quality and effectiveness of promotional and informational activities performed.

Positions in this classification are evaluated by using the classification job evaluation methodology.  The use of this method involves comparing assigned duties and responsibilities of a position to the job criteria found in the Nature of Work and Examples of Work Sections of the class specification.

The Public Affairs Officer I and Public Affairs Specialist are differentiated on the basis of the degree of supervisory control exercised by the supervisor over these employees.  The Public Affairs Officer I performs the full range of duties and responsibilities under general supervision while the Public Affairs Specialist perform duties under close supervision at times and under moderate supervision at other times, depending on the complexity of the specific duty being performed.

Plans and conducts public relations projects designed to procure publicity for an agency or specific program through such media as newspapers, radio or television;

Assembles, selects and distributes informational or promotional material that accords with agency policy;

Establishes and maintains liaison with representatives of various media organizations;

Coordinates public relations projects and policies with the needs and policies of operational programs with the agency;

Serves as spokesperson for the agency and explains or interprets agency policy or programs to the public or the media;

Monitors agency activities, identifies opportunities for publicity or promotion and develops such opportunities into active public relations projects;

Prepares a variety of informational or promotional material such as press releases, pamphlets, booklets, manuals, scripts, articles or newsletters;

Edits articles, statements, reports or other material prepared for external distribution;

Advises program officials as to the public relations implications of proposed agency activities;

Supervises the compilation of information concerning agency activities and the maintenance of reference material files;

Prepares or supervises the preparation of regularly scheduled agency publications such as newsletters, reports or periodic news releases;

Performs administrative duties concerning budget preparation, contract administration and personnel activities relating to the agency’s public information program;

May supervise a technical or professional staff of Public Affairs Specialists, Photographers, Graphic Artists, Illustrators or other technical assistants;

Performs other related duties.

Knowledge of the principles of communication;

Knowledge of the principles of effective public relations;

Knowledge of English grammar, usage and composition;

Knowledge of the organization and capabilities of various communications media such as newspapers, radio and television;

Knowledge of the elementary concepts of printing methods and techniques including typography, layout and composition;

Knowledge of modern methods of office management;

Ability to apply the principles of communications theory and public relations theory to the planning and implementation of effective operational practices and procedures;

Ability to organize and communicate information with persuasiveness, tact and clarity;

Ability to supervise the work of others;

Ability to accurately assess the impact or effect of particular information on particular audiences or the general public;

Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with others;

Ability to select appropriate media, format, style or composition of material to be disseminated in order to achieve a desired effect.

Experience: Six years of experience in public information, public relations, journalism or other related experience in publicity or promotional work.

Notes: 

1. Candidates may substitute the possession of a Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university with at least 30 semester credit hours in one or more of the following subjects: English, journalism, public relations, writing or other similar and related areas of study and two years of experience in public information, public relations, journalism or other related experience in publicity or promotional work for the required experience. 

2. Candidates may substitute U.S. Armed Forces military service experience as a commissioned officer in public affairs specialist classification or public affairs specialty codes in the information and arts field of work on a year-for-year basis for the required experience.

Class specifications are broad descriptions covering groups of positions used by various State departments and agencies. Position descriptions maintained by the using department or agency specifically address the essential job functions of each position.

This is a Skilled Service classification in the State Personnel Management System.  All positions in this classification are Skilled Service positions.  Some positions in Skilled Service classifications may be designated Special Appointment in accordance with the State Personnel and Pensions Article, Section 6-405, Annotated Code of Maryland.

This classification is assigned to Bargaining Unit G- Engineering, Scientific and Administrative Professionals classes.  As provided by State Personnel and Pensions Article, Section 3-102, special appointment, temporary, contractual, supervisory, managerial and confidential employees are excluded from collective bargaining.  Additionally, certain executive branch agencies are exempt from collective bargaining and all positions in those agencies are excluded from collective bargaining.

Employees in this classification are eligible to receive overtime compensation.  An employee who works more than the normal workweek is entitled to be compensated for that overtime as provided by the State Personnel and Pensions Article, Section 8-305.

This classification is one level in a Non-Competitive Promotion (NCP) series. NCP promotions are promotions by which employees may advance in grade and class level from trainee to full performance level in a classification series.  In order to be non-competitively promoted to the next level in a NCP series, an employee must: 1) perform the main purpose of the class, as defined by the Nature of Work section of the class specification; 2) receive the type of supervision defined in the class specification and 3) meet the minimum qualifications of the classification.