Sheriff's Communications Manager

To direct, manage, supervise, and coordinate the public and media relations activities, operations, and programs within the Sheriff’s Office; to serve as spokesperson for the Sheriff’s Office; to provide highly responsible and complex administrative support to the executive command staff; to provide accurate and time sensitive public safety information to the community through the media and other means during critical incidents or emergency response efforts in coordination with the Placer County Office of Emergency Services; and to develop strategic planning and policy development in the areas of communications, public relations, and media relations relating to public safety.

This classification functions at the manager level and as such recognizes a position that exercises full line and functional management responsibility for employees for a program area and assumes substantive and significant responsibility for Sheriff’s Office communications. 

This classification is distinguished from the Public Information Assistant in that the latter assists with a wide variety of countywide or department-specific communication initiatives and projects, as well as department-specific programs. In contrast, the Sheriff’s Communications Manager is a specialized classification that delivers time sensitive, on-call emergency response communications to the public. During critical incidents or emergencies, under Unified Command with the Placer County Office of Emergency Services, this position is responsible for providing advice and counsel on strategic communication matters to unified commanders to foster confidence in response and recovery operations, communicating critical safety instructions, pertinent status updates, and other information to maintain public safety. The Sheriff’s Communications Manager must possess knowledge of public safety-specific crisis communication strategies and manages all public and media relations activities on behalf of the Sheriff’s Office in coordination with external agencies and emergency or critical incident stakeholders. This classification is further distinguished from the Public Information Officer in that the latter primarily plans, organizes, directs, and manages the preparation and dissemination of information concerning the activities of Placer County as a whole and its respective departments. 

Receives general direction from Sheriff or their designee. 

Exercises direct supervision over professional, technical, and clerical staff.

• Plan, organize, and manage the communications, public relations, and media relations activities in support of the Sheriff’s Office; oversee and coordinate the allocation of designated resources; administer record keeping and reporting functions related to marketing, communications, and public relations on behalf of the Sheriff’s Office.
• Advise executive management in the formulation, strategic development, implementation, and evaluation of the Sheriff’s Office communications, community and government relations, crisis management, and media relations programs, projects, and activities.
• Develop the Sheriff’s Office marketing, communications, and public relations policies, procedures, and protocols for responding to and addressing issues relating to communication, public opinion, governmental and interagency relations, and legislative issues. 
• Work in partnership with the Placer County Office of Emergency Services to develop a coordinated communication strategy and to engage the public in preparedness activities and disseminate critical and time-sensitive information to the public during emergencies or critical incidents. 
• Serve as public safety spokesperson/representative during county-wide emergencies under the direction of Unified Command in coordination with the Placer County Office of Emergency Services. 
• Analyze and evaluate the public's interest and extent of understanding of Sheriff’s Office programs and services through focus groups, surveys, and other methods.
• Develop and implement communication plans and strategies that support the Sheriff’s Office priorities, objectives, and strategic plan to build trust with and ensure shared communication and flow of information with key stakeholders and the public. 
• Oversee the Sheriff’s Office media relations program; review and produce news releases; direct the creation of media opportunities and develop story ideas; maintain personal contact with key media staff; develop talking points and advise the Sheriff, Undersheriff, and executive management on media related or public relations issues. 
• Coordinate with the County Executive’s Office, Office of Emergency Services, and executive management on unified messaging during critical incidents. Serves in a leadership role during the activation of a Joint Information Center during major incidents. This includes the evaluation of information for public release to ensure compliance with security requirements and professional journalism standards. Gathers public sentiment and provides guidance on how to address issues as they arise. 
• Partner with the County’s Director of Communications, and departmental public information staff to ensure all public and media communications are consistent. 
• Build and maintain positive working relationships with the media, the County’s Director of Communications, other County employees and the public using principles of high-quality customer service. 
• Develop communication response plans to emergencies, crises, and disasters; work with executive management, Sheriff, or their designee to identify and develop internal and external communication strategies and responses; develop talking points and emergency information for use in a crisis or disaster.
• Oversee development of print and web communications; promote internal and external information sharing.
• Represent the Sheriff’s Office and County to elected officials, other government agencies, non-profit organizations, community-based organizations, and the public; interpret and explain Sheriff’s Office programs, policies, and activities.
• Attend and participate in professional group meetings; stay abreast of new trends and innovations in the field of public information, media relations, and other services as they relate to the area of assignment. 
• Forecast budget needs for staff, equipment, materials, and supplies; monitor and control expenditures for unit; assist management with budget development and monitoring.
• Prepare, review, and present staff reports, various management and information updates, and reports on special projects as assigned by the Sheriff or their designee. 
• Maintain effective press and media relations; respond to difficult and sensitive public inquiries and complaints; recommend resolutions and alternative solutions.
• Participate as a member of the management team; select, train, motivate, and evaluate assigned staff; provide or coordinate staff training.
• Respond to and provide on-site media coverage for critical incidents which may require working prolonged or unusual hours. 
• Perform related duties as assigned.

Work is performed in both an indoor office environment with controlled temperature conditions and in the field requiring travel to various locations throughout the County in a variety of outdoor weather conditions and environmental factors related to law enforcement field work.

Experience: Four (4) years of increasingly responsible professional level communications, media, and/or public information experience including spokesperson responsibilities and/or developing and implementing public relations programs. Experience in crisis/emergency response situations is preferred. 

Training: Equivalent to a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university with major course work in English, journalism, marketing, communications, public relations, or a related field. 

Required License or Certificate: 

• Principles and practices of public relations, communications, media relations social media campaigns, and community outreach and program development. 
• Crisis communication strategies and emergency response roles. 
• Methods and techniques for the development of press releases, talking points, newsletters, presentations, business correspondence, and information dissemination. 
• Social media, web design, and graphic/visual presentation methods. 
• Principles and techniques of establishing and maintaining good relations with news media and other public groups. 
• Principles of good customer service. 
• Pertinent local, state, and federal rules, regulations, and laws. 
• Principles and practices used within a public information function. 
• Principles and practices of supervision, training, and performance evaluations. 
• Techniques used in preparing and delivering effective oral and written presentations. 
• Photography, videography and audio production equipment and software.
• Principles, techniques, and practices of journalism, expository prose, and editing; preparation, composition, layout, production, and dissemination of educational, informational, and promotional materials.
• Principles and practices of budget monitoring and forecasting.
• Modern office procedures, methods, and computer equipment.

• On a continuous basis, know and understand all aspects of the job; identify, interpret, understand, analyze, apply, and explain complex and technical policies and procedures, numerical information, work papers, technical reports, and special projects; recall and utilize a variety of information; work under time pressure and complete a high volume of tasks with frequent interruptions; focus on a single task for long periods of time.
• On a continuous basis, sit at desk or in meetings for long periods of time; walk, stand, bend, squat, climb, kneel or twist to reach equipment or when in the field; perform simple and power grasping and fine manipulation; speak, use a telephone, write, and use a keyboard to communicate; see and hear with sufficient acuity to perform essential job functions; lift light weight. 
• Operate modern office equipment including computers, copiers, document scanners, fax machines, cell phones and/or other electronic devices. 
• Plan, develop, implement, and review comprehensive media and public relations programs. 
• Prepare written analysis, evaluation, summaries, recommendations, correspondence, and reports. 
• Perform moderately complex mathematical and statistical calculations accurately. 
• Supervise, train, and evaluate staff. 
• Perform independent research; analyze and explain detailed information in a meaningful way. • Effectively use photography, videography, and other audio-visual tools. 
• Exercise discretion and maintain confidentiality. 
• Work odd or unusual hours as needed; be subject to emergency call out and unusual and prolonged work schedule in emergency situations or critical incidents. 
• Make effective public presentations in routine and emergency situations. 
• Establish and maintain effective working relationships with reporters, news media, other agencies, the public, county employees, and those contacted in the course of work. 
• Work with various cultural and ethnic groups in a tactful and effective manner. 
• Communicate clearly and concisely, both verbally and in writing.

This classification serves at the pleasure of the Appointing Authority and has no specific term and no right to continuous employment.