Public Safety Information Officer IV

The Fairfax County Sheriff's Office is seeking an experienced and strategic leader to oversee its Public Affairs program. This position creates and implements a comprehensive communications plan to address the agency's needs in areas such as community engagement, social media strategy, media relations, and intra- and inter-agency communication. The role also involves supervising a Public Information Officer team, including an Information Officer III and a sworn PIO. A key responsibility is ensuring the department remains in full compliance with state and national accreditation standards, Fairfax County procedural memoranda on public information, and the Virginia Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) regarding news media and public requests. Working closely with the uniformed public information office supervisor, this role oversees and actively participates in daily operations, including preparing and disseminating information to the community, responding to media and citizen inquiries, and coordinating with department entities to release detailed information or address media needs. This role demands exceptional organizational skills, a proactive approach to managing multiple priorities, and the ability to gather, analyze, and distribute vital information during both routine operations and emergency events.

(The illustrative duties listed in this specification are representative of the class but are not an all-inclusive list. A complete list of position duties and unique physical requirements can be found in the position job description.)

• Serves on 24-hour call, with responsibility for notifying County officials of significant incidents;
• Makes decisions under pressure and deadlines regarding information that may be released to the media;
• Coordinates and provides information regarding emergency incidents and other sensitive matters to the news media;
• Plans, directs, and executes publicity campaigns designed to inform citizens about various county programs, events or legislation;
• Supervises the work of subordinates engaged, in public information activities;
• Establishes and maintains effective working relationships with members of the media;
• Responds to requests for information regarding agency/County programs;
• Provides assistance to agency/County staff as to the most effective means of communicating information to the general public, government employees, and other target groups;
• May interact directly with the Board of Supervisors and County Executive's Office on behalf of the department;
• Provides strategic communication leadership for the department/division.

(The knowledge, skills and abilities listed in this specification are representative of the class but are not an all-inclusive list.)

• Knowledge of public safety area of expertise: fire and safety, police, public health, emergency management;
• Knowledge of the principles and methods of public affairs work;
• Ability to write clear, concise and effective informational material and skill in editing written material;
• Detailed knowledge of the requirements of the media regarding content, format, and timing of official releases;
• Broad knowledge of the principles of public administration and public relations as applied to public safety issues and local government operations;
• Ability to plan and execute photographic coverage of complex events;
• Ability to adapt broadly defined policy guidance to specific situations with a minimal amount of supervision;
• Ability to work under pressure;
• Ability to participate in meaningful interchange of views on matters of critical importance to the County;
• Ability to plan and review the work of others;
• Ability to establish and maintain effective relationships with the public, the press, and County employees;
• Ability to speak extemporaneously on a broad variety of County-related issues and occurrences;
• Ability to develop and maintain effective working relationships with County government;
• officials and representatives of the media;
• Thorough knowledge and understanding of the National Incident Management System.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:
Any combination of education, experience, and training equivalent to the following: (Click on the aforementioned link to learn how Fairfax County interprets equivalencies for "Any combination, experience, and training equivalent to")
Bachelor's degree in communication, journalism, public relations or related field or field of public safety specialization (fire, police, health, safety), plus at least 7 years of progressively responsible experience in management and supervision which includes 5 years as a media or communications professional or first responder communicator to include four years of social media experience.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor's degree in Communications, Public Relations, Journalism, Marketing, Criminal Justice, or a related field. A master's degree is a plus.
• 5-7 years of progressive experience in public affairs, media relations, communications, or law enforcement-related public outreach.
• Previous experience in law enforcement, government, or public sector communications is highly desirable.
• Comprehensive understanding of Virginia Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and accreditation standards for public agencies.
• Strong knowledge of media relations strategies, social media management, and public information dissemination.
• Proficiency with social media platforms (e.g., Facebook, X, Instagram, LinkedIn) and analytics tools to measure social media impact.
• Competency in graphic design software (e.g., Adobe Creative Suite) or video editing tools for content creation.

The appointee to this position will be required to complete a criminal background check, credit check and driving record check, psychological exam, and polygraph exam to the satisfaction of the employer.

CERTIFICATES AND LICENSES REQUIRED:

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:

SELECTION PROCEDURE:

Panel interview and may include exercise.

The population of Fairfax County is very diverse where 38.7% of residents speak a language other than English at home (Spanish, Asian/Pacific Islander, Indo-European, and others) and we encourage candidates bilingual in English and a foreign language to apply to this opportunity.

Fairfax County Government prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions, age, marital status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetics, political affiliation, or military status in the recruitment, selection, and hiring of its workforce.

Reasonable accommodations are available to persons with disabilities during application and/or interview processes per the Americans with Disabilities Act. Contact 703-324-4900 for assistance. TTY 703-222-7314. DHREmployment@fairfaxcounty.gov. EEO/AA/TTY.

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