Job Abstract

CLASSIFICATION STANDARDS:
Positions allocable to this class are part of the executive management team and report to a higher-level manager and are responsible for directing a comprehensive public information program to convey the department's missions, goals, and services. Incumbents in this class are primarily charged with overseeing professional public information staff, formulating policies, setting communications strategic direction, and managing public information and media activities for a medium or large department. This class works with executive departmental managers to develop and implement communication strategies to address high-profile communications challenges, including disaster and emergency response. Incumbents in this class exercise a high level of independent judgment and discretion in advising management on public and community relations matters, and provide professional media and communication strategies and tactics. Incumbents must possess a highly professional level of verbal and written communication skills and have an extensive knowledge of the principles and techniques of mass communication, media relations, social media, digital communication methods, including an in-depth understanding of methods to convey information to the County’s diverse, multilingual communities. Incumbents must also have an extensive knowledge of the Public Records Act, along with marketing and branding practices. Incumbents must seek professional development opportunities and continually update their skills.

Plans, directs, and reviews the overall departmental public information activities.

Participates and manages in the development and implementation of goals, objectives, policies, and priorities for a department’s public information program or office, with a strong understanding of and emphasis on communication with diverse, multilingual communities.

Researches departmental programs to identify topics of media interest for proactive dissemination (story pitches) and creation of content to provide accurate and timely information to the public.

Creates relevant public information strategies for responding to media requests and disseminating information.

Develops and administers policies and procedures related to public information programs.

Serves as departmental resource on the California Public Records Act.

Trains or oversees media training for departmental executives and subject matter experts.

Oversees the development of information for release to the media to promote effective public relations for a department, with an emphasis on transparency, accuracy, and timeliness.

Leads departmental crisis communications strategy and response on issues concerning the performance and reputation of the department, and emergency communications response to a wide range of disasters and hazards.

Develops and executes communication strategies, tactics, and deliverables, through various communication channels such as websites, social media, reports, e-newsletters, videos, photography, annual reports and, as needed, print collateral such as brochures.

Procures translation services and convening of ethnic media briefings to ensure that departmental messaging is reaching the County’s diverse populations.

Coordinates photography, videography and graphic design services, as needed.

Convenes press conferences, develops news releases, and create content to highlight departmental programs and people.

Develops project budgets; prepares cost estimates for budget recommendations; submits justifications for equipment, supplies, services, and events; monitors and controls expenditures associated with assigned projects.

Develops and launches new communication channels.

Ensures maintenance of a consistent countywide brand identity across all content and all channels.

Responds to emergencies, newsworthy events, and media inquiries; staffs and/or assigns staff to the department's emergency operations center during activation as a result of a disaster or crisis; provides contacts and immediate responsiveness to inquiries including receiving and assessing information, tailoring the message to the audience, coordinating with the Board Office and the Chief Executive Office, other governmental agency leaders, communications media, and others, and advising appropriate personnel.

Works with department executives to develop internal communications such as annual reports, annual budget, mission and vision statements, and other critical communications documents.

Serves as an information conduit to Board staff and Board Deputies and alerts them of inquiries regarding controversial or high-profile issues involving the department; provides opportunities to highlight the department’s programs and people to the public and the media.

Tracks and reports on the effectiveness of communications efforts, as needed.

Continually updates professional skills and seeks development opportunities.

Drives to different sites, as required.

SELECTION REQUIREMENT:

A Bachelor's degree or higher* from an accredited college or university with a major in Communications, Journalism, Public Administration, Public Relations, English or a closely-related field -AND- Five years of experience at the level of Los Angeles County’s class of Senior Public Information Specialist** initiating, planning, developing, maintaining, evaluating, implementing, and coordinating a complex and sensitive*** public information program.

LICENSE:

A valid California Class C Driver License or the ability to utilize an alternative method of transportation when needed to carry out job-related essential functions.

PHYSICAL CLASS:
Physical Class II - Light: This class includes administrative and clerical positions requiring light physical effort that may include occasional light lifting to a 10 pound limit and some bending, stooping, or squatting. Considerable ambulation may be involved.

• Knowledge of the principles and techniques of mass communication, media relations, social media, digital communication methods; (i.e. soft design skills using Adobe and/or online software, posting social media and monitoring analytics to increase user engagement, and audio visual understanding to ensure the success of hybrid, in person and virtual meetings/ events).
• Demonstrates strong professional writing and research skills, displaying knowledge of current, local and/or national policy trends.
• Experience in governmental public relations and crisis communication; (i.e. clearly and neutrally communicate controversial situations with all internal and external customers).
• Knowledge of media landscape; planning and managing programs or services for special events and projects; (i.e. setting up press conferences, drafting and adapting content for different purposes, developing and maintaining an editorial calendar, taking photos and video, updating website content).
  

Examination Content:
This examination will consist of an Evaluation of Training and Experience weighed 100%, based on application information, Desirable Qualifications, and the Supplemental Information Questionnaire.

APPLICANTS MUST MEET THE REQUIREMENTS AND ACHIEVE A PASSING SCORE OF 70% OR HIGHER ON EACH PART OF THE EXAMINATION IN ORDER TO BE PLACED ON THE ELIGIBLE LIST.

Plan to submit your online application well in advance of the 5:00 p.m. PT, deadline. You may be required to verify your email address. This only needs to be done once per email address, and if you already have a job seeker account on governmentjobs.com/careers/lacounty, you can verify at any time by logging in and following the prompts. This is to enhance the security of your online application and to ensure you do not enter an incorrect email address.

Fill out your application completely. The acceptance of your application depends on whether you have clearly shown that you meet the Minimum Requirements to Qualify as listed on this job bulletin. Provide any relevant job experience in the spaces provided so we can evaluate your qualifications for the job. For each job held, give the name and address of your employer, your job title, beginning and ending dates, number of hours worked per week, and description of work performed. If your application is incomplete, it will be rejected.

Important: Please note that all information included in the application materials is subject to verification at any point during the examination and hiring process, including after an appointment has been made. Falsification of any information may result in disqualification or rescission of appointment. Utilizing verbiage from the Class Specification and Minimum Requirements serving as your description of duties will not be sufficient to demonstrate that you meet the requirements. Doing so may result in an incomplete application and you may be disqualified.

COUNTY OF LOS ANGELES

Employment Information

Any language contained in the job posting supersedes any language contained below.

Your Responsibilities:

1. Completing Your Application:

a. Before submission of the application, it is your responsibility to ensure that all information provided is correct and complete on the application. Incomplete applications cannot be accepted.

b. List each payroll title separately for each job. Do not group your experience. Specify the beginning and ending dates for each job. If you are a Los Angeles County employee and have held multiple positions, do NOT list all of your time with the County under your present payroll title.

c. Please include your Social Security Number for record control purposes. Federal law requires that all employed persons have a Social Security Number.

d. To receive credit, include required documents (e.g., copy of your diploma, transcript, certificate, or license) as directed on the job posting. International degrees in a foreign language must be translated to English and evaluated for equivalency to U.S. standards. Refer to the job posting for specific deadlines for supporting documentation.

2. Requirements on Job Posting:

a. Your application will only be accepted if it clearly shows you meet the requirements. The information you give will determine your eligibility and is subject to verification at any time.

b. You must be at least 16 years of age at the time of appointment unless other age limits are stated on the job posting. The Federal Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA) of 1967, as amended, prohibits discrimination on the basis of age for any individual age 40 or older.

c. Experience is evaluated on the basis of a verifiable 40- hour week, unless specified otherwise. Prorated part-time experience may be acceptable.

3. Application Deadline: All job applications must be completed and submitted before the closing time on the last day of the filing period as indicated on the job posting unless other instructions are provided. Job postings with an open continuous filing period are subject to closure without prior notice. It is to your advantage to file your application early and not wait until the last allowable date and time as you will not be able to apply once the filing period has closed.

4. Change of Name or Address: To change personal information such as your name or address, log into your profile on www.governmentjobs.com and make the necessary change. This can be done at any time.

5. Equal Employment Opportunity/Non-Discrimination Policy:

a. It is the policy of the County of Los Angeles to provide equal employment opportunity for all qualified persons, regardless of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, sexual orientation, disability, or any other characteristic protected by state or federal law. b. If you are an individual requesting reasonable accommodation(s) in the examination process, please contact the testing accommodation coordinator listed on the job posting. The provision of accommodation(s) may be subject to verification, consistent with state and federal law. All accommodation-related information will remain confidential.

Disclaimer: The County of Los Angeles is not responsible or in any way liable for any computer hardware or software malfunction that may affect the employment application or the application selection process.

You assume all responsibility and risk for the use of this system and the Internet generally. This system and the information provided on it are provided on an "as is" and "as available" basis without warranties of any kind, either express or implied. No advice or information given by the County of Los Angeles or its respective employees shall modify the foregoing or create any warranty.

The County of Los Angeles expressly disclaims any warranty that the information on this system or on the Internet generally will be uninterruptible or error free or that any information, software or other material accessible from the system is free of viruses or other harmful components. You shall have no recourse against the County of Los Angeles as the system provider for any alleged or actual infringement of any proprietary rights a user may have in anything posted or retrieved on our system.

The County of Los Angeles shall not be liable for any direct, indirect, punitive, incidental, special or consequential damages arising out of or in any way connected with the use of this system or with the delay or inability to use it (or any linked sites), or for any information obtained through this system, or otherwise arising out of the use of this system, the Internet generally or on any other basis.

NOTE: Your application is submitted using Secure Encryption to ensure the privacy of all information you transmit over the Internet.

By accepting the Use Disclaimer set forth herein, you agree to all of the above terms and further agree to use this Online Job Employment Application System only for the submission of bona fide employment applications to the County of Los Angeles. Any other use of this Online Job Employment Application System, including without limitation any copying, downloading, translating, decompiling, or reverse engineering of the system, data, or related software, shall be a violation of the Use Disclaimer.

Test Preparation: Study Guides and other resources are available to help candidates prepare for employment tests. An interactive system for taking practice tests may be accessed on the Department of Human Resources website at https://hr.lacounty.gov/. Additional resources may be listed on the job posting.

Veteran’s Credit: In all open competitive examinations, a veteran’s credit of 10 percent of the total credits specified for such examinations will be added to the final passing grade of an honorably discharged veteran who served in the Armed Forces of the United States under any of the following conditions: During a declared war; -or- During the period April 28, 1952 through July 1, 1955; -or- For more than 180 consecutive days, other than for training, any part of which occurred after January 31, 1955, and before October 15, 1976; -or- During the Gulf War from August 2, 1990 through January 2, 1992; -or- For more than 180 consecutive days, other than for training, any part of which occurred during the period beginning September 11, 2001, and ending on August 31, 2010 the last day of Operation Iraqi Freedom; -or- In a campaign or expedition for which a campaign medal or expeditionary medal has been authorized and awarded. Any Armed Forces Expeditionary medal or campaign badge, including El Salvador, Lebanon, Grenada, Panama, Southwest Asia, Somalia, and Haiti qualifies for credit.

A campaign medal holder or Gulf War veteran who originally enlisted after September 7, 1980 (or began active duty on or after October 14, 1982, and has not previously completed 24 months of continuous active duty) must have served continuously for 24 months or the full period called or ordered to active duty.

This also applies to the spouse of such person who, while engaged in such service was wounded, disabled or crippled and thereby permanently prevented from engaging in any remunerative occupation, and also to the widow or widower of any such person who died or was killed while in such service. A DD214, Certificate of Discharge or Separation from Active Duty, or other official documents issued by the branch of service are required as verification of eligibility for Veterans preference. Applicants must submit the documentation for each open competitive exam to qualify for veteran’s credit. More information available at: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/veterans-services/vet-guide-for-hr-professionals/

Accreditation Information: Accredited institutions are those listed in the publications of regional, national or international accrediting agencies that are accepted by the Department of Human Resources. Publications such as American Universities and Colleges and International Handbook of Universities are acceptable references. Also acceptable, if appropriate, are degrees that have been evaluated and deemed to be equivalent to degrees from United States accredited institutions by an academic credential evaluation agency recognized by The National Association of Credential Evaluation Services or the Association of International Credential Evaluators, Inc. (AICE). More information is available at: http://file.lacounty.gov/SDSInter/dhr/070812_PPG123.pdf and http://file.lacounty.gov/SDSInter/dhr/205105_PPG_123_AC E_Resource_Guide.pdf

Background Check: The County of Los Angeles is a Fair Chance employer. Except as otherwise permissible under applicable laws, you will not be asked to provide information about a conviction history unless you receive a conditional offer of employment. The County will make an individualized assessment of whether your conviction history has a direct or adverse relationship with the specific duties of the job, and will also consider potential mitigating factors, including, but not limited to, evidence and extent of rehabilitation, recency of the offense(s), and age at the time of the offense(s). If asked to provide information about a conviction history, any convictions or court records which are exempted by a valid court order do not have to be disclosed.

Career Planning: Resources to help current and prospective employees plan a career with Los Angeles County are available. To explore career paths to and from nearly all job titles, please visit our interactive Career PathFinder application at https://career-pathfinder.hr.lacounty.gov/#/.

Benefit Information: Depending on the position, the successful candidate will enroll in a contributory defined benefit pension plan if the candidate is a “new member” of the County’s defined benefit plan (LACERA) on or after January 1, 2013 (first employed by the County on or after December 1, 2012) – unless she or he established reciprocity with another public retirement system in which she or he was a member before January 1, 2013. It should be noted that County employees do not pay into Social Security, but do pay the Medical Hospital Insurance Tax portion of Social Security at a rate of 1.45%. The Los Angeles County Employees Retirement Association (LACERA) has reciprocal agreements with several public retirement systems in California.

Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990: All positions are open to qualified men and women. Pursuant to the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, persons with disabilities who believe they need reasonable accommodation, or help in order to apply for a position, may contact the ADA/Personnel Services for Disabled Persons Coordinator. Hearing impaired applicants with telephone teletype equipment may leave messages by calling the teletype phone number on the job posting. The County will attempt to meet reasonable accommodation requests whenever possible.

Equal Employment Opportunity: It is the policy of the County of Los Angeles to provide equal employment opportunity for all qualified persons, regardless of race, religion, sex, national origin, age, sexual orientation, disability, or any other characteristic protected by state or federal law. All positions are open to qualified men and women pursuant to the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and the California Fair Employment and Housing Act. The County will comply with all of its obligations under State and Federal laws regarding the provision of reasonable accommodations to applicants.

Los Angeles County Child Support Compliance Program: In an effort to improve compliance with court ordered child, family and spousal support obligations, certain employment and identification information (i.e., name, address, Social Security number and date of hire) is regularly reported to the State Directory of New Hires which may assist in locating persons who owe these obligations. Family Code Section 17512 permits under certain circumstances for additional employment and identifying information to be requested. Applicants will not be disqualified from employment based on this information.

Social Security Act of 2004: Section 419 (c) of Public Law 108-203, the Social Security Protection Act of 2004, requires State and local government employers to disclose the effect of the Windfall Elimination Provision and the Government Pension Offset Provision to employees hired on or after January 1, 2005, in jobs not covered by Social Security. The County of Los Angeles does not participate in the Social Security System. All newly hired County of Los Angeles employees must sign a statement (Form SSA-1945) prior to the start of employment indicating that they are aware of a possible reduction in their future Social Security benefit entitlement. For more information on Social Security and about each provision, you may visit the website www.socialsecurity.gov, or call toll free 1-800-772- 1213. Persons who are deaf or hard of hearing may call the TTY number 1-800-325-0778 or contact a local Social Security office.

Employment Eligibility Information: Final appointment is contingent upon verification of U.S. citizenship or the right to work in the United States. Immigration law provides that all persons hired after November 6, 1986, are required to present original documents to the County, within three (3) business days of hiring, which show satisfactory proof of 1) identity and 2) U.S. employment eligibility.

The California Fair Employment and Housing Act (Part 2.8 commencing with Section 12900 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code) the Regulations of the Fair Employment and Housing Commission (California Code of Regulations, Title 2, Division 4, Sections 7285.0 through 8504) and other applicable laws prohibit employment discrimination based on an applicant's protected characteristics, including race, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, physical disability, mental disability, medical condition, marital status, sex, sexual orientation, age, pregnancy, childbirth, and other characteristics.

COVID-19 VACCINATION: Some County workforce members may be required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19. Successful candidates for those positions/classifications may be required to submit proof of vaccination against COVID-19 or request an exemption for qualifying medical or religious reasons during the onboarding process. Candidates should not present proof of vaccination until instructed to do so by the hiring department.

Updated February 2024