Public Works Public Information Officer

Job Summary

Make an impact: 
At the City of Salem, we are dedicated to providing high-quality, responsive, and equitable services that meet the needs of our community.  Communication is about building an engaged community. We believe everyone benefits and is best served through open, honest, frequent and meaningful dialog.
 
Learn and grow:
Be part of an organization that provides a friendly work environment, and work life balance with competitive pay, outstanding benefits, and opportunities to develop your skills and grow within the organization.

What you will do:
The City’s Public Works Department is responsible for planning, delivering infrastructure projects, and maintaining Salem’s water supply, sanitary sewer or wastewater treatment system, stormwater drainage, and transportation on roads, bicycles, and pedestrian) systems. Several dedicated fund sources support Public Works’ projects and activities, including delivery of projects in the 2022 voter-approved Safety and Livability Bond. Incumbents have been skilled at translating highly technical and detail-oriented information into easy-to-understand messages for community consumption. This work is often fast-paced or taking place in response to emergency situations, which can occur at any time. During emergencies, the PIO may serve as the Chief Communications Officer at the Emergency Operations Center.At the City of Salem, PIOs and communications professionals from all departments work as part of a highly collaborative communications team. PIOs serve as spokespersons for the City in their areas of expertise, with responsibility on a daily basis for developing, coordinating, and evaluating content, community engagement and educational programs to share the City's story with a broad range of audiences using diverse platforms. The team provides support and advice to the City Manager's Office, Mayor and City Council, and departments, divisions, and work-groups across the City, to foster citizen participation and interest in City government, by using a comprehensive suite of communications tools, including public relations, branding, media relations, web publication, and digital media, as well as other engagement activities.
 
Additional information on job responsibilities:
To be successful in this position, candidates should demonstrate progressive experience in media relations, community and customer engagement, marketing and digital marketing, communications, public relations, or media relations, including ability to:

• Conduct on-camera interviews and maintain effective working relationships with the media;
• Develop multimedia content for integration across multiple platforms, including managing and measuring performance of messages and campaigns to encourage public engagement, working knowledge of new media, social media and web-based methods of communication and engagement;
• Communicate effectively through outstanding verbal and written communication skills tailored to be appropriate for the needs of the audience skills, including listening and public speaking skills;
• Establish and maintain effective working relationships with all levels of management, elected officials, and community to best represent the organization effectively in public settings and with the media; and
• Remain current and/or certified in emergency, crisis and risk management communication techniques and best practices. 

The position will require organized responses to the media or other entities at times outside of the normal 8 to 5 workday, including weekends and holidays. Public sector or local government experience setting strongly preferred.
  
What can we offer you for all your hard work?

• Medical, dental, and vision coverage for you and your family.
• Paid vacation and sick time in accordance with City policies.
• Competitive pay.
• Employer-paid PERS contribution of 6%.
• Opportunity for voluntary pre-tax contributions to a 457b account.
• Health care and dependent care flexible spending accounts.
• Voluntary long-term care.
• Employee wellness and assistance program.
• Employee health clinic.
• Position schedule is Monday through Friday, between the hours of 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m
• Hybrid? Our team follows a hybrid work structure where employees can work remotely or from the office, as needed, based on demands of specific tasks and manager approval. This is subject to change based on business needs.
• The City of Salem offers a comprehensive and equitable base salary within the listed range based on your experience, skills, and education. We encourage you to clearly describe how you meet the minimum qualifications and essential attributes in your application materials. Learn more about Equal Pay.

What are the minimum qualifications? 

• Must pass the pre-employment background check.
• Must have an Oregon Driver license and a driving record that meets the City of Salem's driving standards.
• Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university in business administration, urban and regional planning, public policy, communications, economics, or a related field, and five years of experience in a related field, or any combination of experience and training that demonstrate possession of the knowledge, skills, and abilities as listed, and ability to perform the essential job functions.
• Hiring managers do not have access to view resumes as part of the application review process, please make sure to give detailed information in your application that includes your experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities as requested in the supplemental questions and job advertisement.

Preferred Qualifications: 

• Four (4) years of supervisory or program/project management experience in customer engagement, marketing, communications, or media relations; public sector or local government experience setting.
• Course work in public engagement and communication with emphasis on the public sector.
• Training or certifications in public information practices for emergencies such as National Incident Management System (NIMS) training through Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
• Granicus web-publishing and social media experience.
• Spanish language communication skills.

About us:
The City of Salem is the second largest City in the State of Oregon. Located in the lush Willamette Valley, Salem is the capital city of Oregon with a population over 170,000. Centrally located, Salem is 47 miles south of Portland and an hour from the Cascade Mountains to the east and an hour from the ocean beaches to the west. Salem is an exceptional community for living and working with exciting new and comfortable well-established neighborhoods and carefully preserved historic buildings.

A full-service City, Salem has eight primary departments: Community Services, Finance, Fire, Enterprise Services, Legal, Police, Public Works, and Community Planning and Development. Several departments also have functional divisions within their department. The City has five labor unions and employs roughly 1,350 talented and dedicated staff members.

The Public Works Department values employees and their professional development.  If you are someone that takes pride in collaborating on innovative ideas, proactively responding to community needs, and being a good environmental and financial steward, we look forward to meeting you! The Public Works Department promotes a healthy work life balance, while maintaining the utmost dedication to the health, safety, and welfare of our community, including our team! 

Where can I find out more about the position?
Go to the menu option for Class Specifications and search for Program Manager, II or view by clicking here.
 
How can I apply?
The City of Salem invites individuals of all diverse communities and backgrounds to apply for our available job opportunities as we strive to provide the best service to everyone. The City of Salem is committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all and has a culture that values diversity, equity, and inclusion. We believe that by welcoming differences, encouraging new ideas and views, listening to, and learning from each other, we are better able to serve the community.
 
To apply, click on the green “Apply” button to complete your application.
 
Applicants that meet the minimum qualifications as outlined above but not selected for this position may be placed on an eligibility list, and candidates may be hired from the list. Eligibility lists are valid for six months. The City will send email notifications to eligible candidates about potential hiring opportunities so please ensure your email settings accept our system generated email notifications.
 
You may subscribe for automatic notification of job openings at the City of Salem through the Job Interest Cards – sign up today!
 
For more information about employment at the City of Salem, please visit our website at www.cityofsalem.net/jobs.

THIS ANNOUNCEMENT IS NOT AN IMPLIED CONTRACT AND MAY BE MODIFIED OR REVOKED WITHOUT NOTICE