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Public Information Representative III - Internal Communications

Position Number: 3719054
Location: San Jose, CA
Position Type: Public Relations, Marketing and Communications

Public Information Representative III - Internal Communications

Valley Water

Salary: $123,052.80 - $157,622.40 Annually

Job Type: Full-Time

Job Number: 01562-E

Location: CA, CA

Department: Office of External Affairs

Closing: 1/8/2023 11:59 PM Pacific

Description
Overview:
Are you a communications professional with a passion for storytelling to help bring people together? Are you an accomplished writer and video editor with a track record of producing persuasive communications materials to engage various work groups? If so, check out our Internal Communications Public Information Representative (PIR) III opportunity.

Valley Water provides safe, clean water to the nearly two million residents of Santa Clara County. We enhance streams and watersheds through creek restoration and habitat protection, provide flood protection, and partner with other agencies to provide trails and open space for our community. We manage 10 dams and surface water reservoirs, three water treatment plants, an advanced recycled water purification center, a state of-the-art water quality laboratory, nearly 277 acres of groundwater recharge ponds, and more than 275 miles of streams.

You will find that we are serious about what we do and care for the community we serve. We put people first, celebrate diversity, drive innovation, and do good in the communities where we live and work.

The Internal Communications Public Information Representative (PIR) III will help keep Valley Water's workforce connected, informed and engaged. They are part of a team of two devoted to the internal communications functions at Valley Water such as managing the internal website, producing compelling internal video series, helping coordinate and present virtual town hall meetings, producing the bi-weekly internal employee email "News You Can Use," and drafting, distributing and tracking all employee communications. The PIR III will also help plan and manage Valley Water employee events.

The ideal candidate is an accomplished multimedia professional with experience producing compelling video, written and social media content. They have superior communication and interpersonal skills, can establish strong working relationships with units and people throughout the organization, and will seek opportunities to identify new effective tools to foster employee engagement. This position is part of a deadline-driven, fast-paced team of professionals at Valley Water who are expected to problem solve and offer solutions to enhance the success of the unit through internal communications efforts.

In addition to a routine work schedule, this position can involve night and weekend work. In the event of a crisis and Emergency Operations Center activation, this position will be required to support the needs of the Public Information Officer (PIO) Branch.

This position is eligible for a hybrid telework schedule, typically working 40% remote and 60% onsite.

Key Responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

Develop, shoot and edit video projects that make an impact.
Lead video and editing efforts for Valley Water social, web and other platforms.
Develop persuasive public written materials and messaging (blogs, newsletters, project collateral, social media posts, etc.).
Take highly technical information and convert it into communication that is easy to understand to the communities Valley Water serves.
Assist with news media relations.
Lead editing of online content project pages.
Develop and manage the unit's budget and work plan.
Plan and manage employee events

Ideal Candidate's Background Includes:
Applicants whose experience and background best match the ideal experience, knowledge, skills, abilities, and education are considered ideal candidates for the position. To determine the top candidates, each applicant will be assessed based on the ideal candidate criteria as listed below.

Ideal Experience:

Five (5) years of experience in communications, public relations/outreach, video production, writing, journalism and or editing.
Video experience should include produced video content that is of a professional caliber and has been aired/broadcasted/shared publicly.
Writing/editing experience for established publications, news organizations, government agencies, and businesses.
Event planning experience.

Ideal Skills and Abilities:

Expert story-telling abilities and proven public relations strategies.
Ability to craft influential messages and shape public opinion.
Superior written and verbal communication, interpersonal, and organizational skills.
Sound political instinct and attention to details.
Work well in a fast-paced environment with high volume projects with tight deadlines.
Ability to build collaborative relationships with internal stakeholders.
Perform a variety of public outreach and community relations activities.
Commitment to racial equity, diversity and inclusion.
Plan and strategize in a collaborative setting to create outside of the box solutions and innovative ideas.
Demonstrate a high level of knowledge, judgment and professionalism in representing Valley Water to the public and media.
Ability to jump into and master any task and to think on one's feet quickly.

Ideal Knowledge:

Principles, techniques, and methods of public information, education and volunteer outreach, and community relations.
Principles and practices of program development and administration.
Methods and techniques of graphic concepts, design, web and video design, and print production.
Procedures utilized in preparing information for dissemination through various media.
Public education strategies, curriculum, and learning processes.
Principles of budget preparation and administration.
English usage, spelling, grammar, and punctuation.
Proficiency in Adobe Creative Cloud Premiere Pro or comparable video editing software programs.

Ideal Training and Education:
Equivalent to a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university with major coursework in communications, journalism, public relations, video production, writing, editing, or a related field.

Required License or Certificate

Possession of, or ability to obtain, an appropriate, valid California driver's license. Individuals who do not meet the driver's license requirement due to a disability will be considered for a reasonable accommodation on a case-by-case basis. To review the Classification Specification, please click here (Download PDF reader)
Office of Communications unit (Position Code 0517)

COVID-19 vaccination requirement:
*To protect our most valuable assets, our employees, as well as the communities we serve, Valley Water requires all newly hired Valley Water personnel to be fully vaccinated (for COVID -19) or to be formally excused from the requirement through the **reasonable accommodation process (for details, see bottom of job posting)
Valley Water Telework Program: Eligibility for telework will depend on the type of work performed, operational needs, and the ability for the employee to perform the essential functions of their job duties while teleworking. Employment with Valley Water requires employees to live within 150 miles of their primary physical work location located in San Jose, California by their start date.

Selection Process

(1) The selection process may include one or more of the following: application review, application assessment, performance exercise, written exercise and/or interview.
(2) The Employment Application, Qualifying Information Questions and/or Supplemental Questions will be evaluated based on the ideal candidate criteria listed above. Resumes are highly recommended.

NOTE: Position and start date is subject to availability of funds. Valley Water retains the right to repost this position as deemed necessary.
Consideration may be given to existing applicant pools within the same classification.
COVID-19 vaccination requirement:
* Fully vaccinated means (1) it has been at least two weeks since a person has completed the entire recommended series of a COVID-19 vaccine, and (2) the person has provided proof of vaccination in a form consistent with the requirements for verification of vaccine status in the State of California's July 26, 2021 Public Health Officer Order.
**Limited Exemptions to Vaccination Requirement
An individual who has been provided a job offer may request a reasonable accommodation to the vaccination requirement if they:
1. Have a contraindication recognized by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) or by the vaccine's manufacturer to every approved COVID-19 vaccine. A contraindication means a condition that makes vaccination inadvisable;
2. Have a disability and are requesting an exception as a reasonable accommodation based upon this disability; or,
3. Object to COVID-19 vaccination based on their sincerely held religious belief, practice, or observance.
Valley Water's Equal Opportunity Non-Discrimination Policy is available for review upon request.

Valley Water will make reasonable efforts in the examination process to accommodate persons with disabilities. Please advise Human Resources in advance of any special needs by calling 408-630-2260.

Please be aware that once submitted all application materials become the property of Valley Water and will not be returned. Human Resources staff are not authorized to make copies of application materials for applicants.

To apply, please visit https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/scvwd/jobs/3834888/public-information-representative-iii-internal-communications