Public Information Officer IV

DEPT OF TRANSPORTATION

Driving the future of transportation with a diverse and innovative team!

Job Summary:

The Arizona Department of Transportation is seeking a Public Information Officer IV to oversee external communications about incidents impacting highway travel and manage agency social media. This position will supervise and direct a team of four Public Information Officer IIs.

This position serves as a lead resource for the agency during unplanned incidents, making external communications decisions about high-visibility events, often with no supervision. This position is ADOT Communications & Public Involvements' primary liaison with staff at ADOT’s Traffic Operations Center, emergency response personnel and PIOs at other agencies during emergency incidents that impact highway travel.

Typically, this position will work regular business hours Monday-Friday. Because unplanned and impactful highway events can occur at any time, this position will be called on to work outside of regular business hours when those events occur, which can include evenings, weekends and holidays. The team of four PIO IIs that this position manages staff the Traffic Operations Center from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Job Duties:

• This position will guide their team’s creation of engaging enterprise content for social media, including videos, and ensure that social media best practices are being followed.
• This position will work with their manager, the Assistant Communications Director for Digital Communications, to develop and track performance goals for their team that align with agency priorities.
• This position is in the Office of Digital Communications, which is part of ADOT Communications & Public Involvement.
• Supervise and direct staff, prepares staff scheduling, ensure proper coverage for 17-hours per day - 7 days/week operation, fills in during staff shortages; reviews/approves ETEs, develops & tracks team performance goals, complete employee evaluations that align with division & agency goals. Provides regular media/interview training to PIO IIs. Manage training & career development for direct reports.
• Manages agency social media strategy. Assigns/reviews content, ensuring it aligns with agency messaging, meets professional standards. Keeps staff up to date on trends/digital editing tools with the aim of producing engaging social media. Tracks social media analytics, using data-driven approach to guide creation of engaging content. Creates content, including videos, for social media platforms.
• Other duties as assigned as related to the position.

Selective Preference(s):

Bachelor's degree in Communication, Journalism, Public Relations or a related field; three to five years of experience in communications, community relations, public relations or a related field; supervisory experience.

Pre-Employment Requirements:

This position requires driving or the use of a vehicle as an essential function of the job and the following requirements apply. Any employee operating a motor vehicle on State business must possess and retain a current, valid class-appropriate driver’s license, complete all required training, and successfully pass all necessary driver’s license record checks. The license must be current, unexpired, and neither revoked nor suspended. Employees who drive on state business are subject to driver’s license record checks, must maintain acceptable driving records, and must complete all required driver training. An employee who operates a personally owned vehicle on state business shall maintain the statutorily required liability insurance (see Arizona Administrative Code (A.A.C.) R2-10-207.11).

Must be able to pass background check for Arizona Criminal Justice Information System (ACJIS) certification.

All newly hired State employees are subject to and must successfully complete the Electronic Employment Eligibility Verification Program (E-Verify).