Communications Specialist

Starting Hourly Wage: $25.11 - $29.89

Job Summary

The Communications Specialist supports the county’s communications strategy as established and guided by the director of constituent services. The work requires writing and disseminating publicity material via press releases, social media accounts, and media engagement, responding to inquiries from the public and media outlets including public record requests, and coordinating constituent outreach events. The principal duties of this class are performed in a general office environment. Limited field work will be required at off-site locations within the County.

Key Responsibilities

Public Communications:

• Establish and report on all communication-related processes, strategies and outcomes aligned with the established goals of the Director and Board of County Commissioners (BOCC).
• Generate press releases, social media posts and other forms of external communications to effectively educate and inform constituents.
• Monitor and update Canyon County website for current information, improved aesthetics, and ease of use for constituents.

Public Records Requests:

• Work with the county’s legal staff as necessary to fulfill public records requests.

Public Outreach:

• Coordinate events and public appearances.
• Respond to media inquiries, arrange interviews, and act as a spokesperson for the county.
• Monitor and report on constituent feedback.
• Work in a collaborative and professional matter with other departments and offices within the county on joint projects.
• Seek opportunities to facilitate the interaction with constituents to help educate and build trust on assigned initiatives.

Other Duties:

• Performs all work duties and activities following County policies, procedures, and safety practices.
• All other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

Skills and Abilities:

• Ability to effectively tell a story on complex events or complex pieces of information.
• Ability to collaborate with multiple offices generating content and publishing public facing material.
• Proficient in camera and video-recording technology
• Develop and implement a communication strategy that includes media outreach and social media content creation.
• Research and analysis for press releases and assigned projects.
• Maintain records of media coverage and collate analytics and metrics.
• Adhere to the AP style guide, ensuring a high-quality and error-free copy
• Work well under pressure and meet tight deadlines
• Support and evaluate results of communication campaigns with the team.
• Maintain poise and professionalism in the face of constituent criticism.
• Expertise in latest industry software such as Visio, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Acrobat, TechSmith Snagit, and Adobe InDesign

Special Qualifications

• Must be available evenings and weekends.
• Idaho driver’s license.
• Must successfully complete a background investigation

Education and Experience

• High School Diploma or GED equivalency required; bachelor’s degree in communications, journalism, public relations, or related field is preferred.
• One or more years of experience in an office environment required.
• Content-generating experience in various social media platforms
• Any equivalent combination of experience and training providing the knowledge and abilities to perform the work.

Essential Physical Abilities

• Clear speech with or without accommodation, to effectively convey detailed or important instructions or ideas accurately, loudly and/or quickly
• Sufficient clarity of hearing with or without reasonable accommodation to enable the employee to hear average or normal conversations and receive ordinary information
• Visual acuity, with or without an accommodation, to read instructions, review and organize documents
• Requires sufficient personal mobility and physical reflexes, which permits the employee to function in a general office environment to accomplish tasks.
• Ability to lift 20 lbs.

Disclaimer

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform the primary job responsibilities satisfactorily with or without reasonable accommodation. The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being assigned to this job. They are not intended to be construed as an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties and skills required of individuals in the job. This job description is not an employment agreement and/or an expressed or implied employment contract. Management has the exclusive right to alter this job description at any time without notice.

Canyon County is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Employment decisions related to recruitment and

selection is made without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability or genetics.