Assistant Public Information Officer

At Orange County Government, we are proud to serve the public with integrity, honesty, fairness, and professionalism. We develop innovative policies and services that impact Central Florida and shape the future of our community. We believe in hiring the very best. Our workplace experience sets us apart and makes us a great place to work. Our goal is to create an environment of exceptional organizational values, customer service standards, and employee satisfaction. Orange County Government is committed to providing equal opportunity in employment and services to all individuals.

General Functions

Orange County's primary contact for news media, coordinates with key departments, including planning and execution of various events and code enforcement, and others in Public Information roles throughout the County. Works closely with the Mayor's leadership team on requests for interviews with the Mayor and the release of information. Proactively anticipates issues and is responsible for the coordination/dissemination of information to media outlets.

Work is performed with independence under the direction of the Public Relations and Outreach Specialist and is reviewed on a regular basis through observation and achievement of desired results.

Representative Duties/Assignments

• Serves as on-duty PIO for operational support and media inquiries, subject to 24-hour call out for emergency events that have a significant public safety impact.
• Generates proactive media & social coverage for the department; interfaces with Community Risk Reduction Services to educate citizens and visitors about fire and life safety topics via media/social.
• Serves as lead point of contact for Emergency Management, assists in implementing communications strategies for the division, and serves as ESF-14 lead for Fire Rescue as required.
• Establishes and maintains relationships with representatives from the media, the community, department management, employees and public interest groups.
• Provides oversight and appropriate responses for internal staff and external communication efforts; prepares and distributes a variety of internal publications, notices and newsletters; provides writing and editing support for Orange County related activities as needed.
• Assists with editorial planning and engages in research, writing and other activities to provide analysis, recommendations and strategies on communication issues affecting the organization.
• Monitors media reports and editorials pertaining to Orange County for accuracy and disseminates information to Senior Management.
• Assists with ensuring the content for the newsroom as well as breaking news for the web and media distribution.
• Manage Agency's social media presence and assists with capturing photographs for agency publications and special events, as needed.
• Assist with various events such as awards and town halls.
• Serve as backup media contact.
• Oversees day to day of full-time, part-time, and temporary staff under the general direction of the Public Information Officer
• Performs other related duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications

Bachelor's Degree in Communications, Journalism or Public Relations and three (3) years of media relations, communications, public relations, or community outreach experience to include one year of project management experience or an equivalent combination of relevant education and experience on a year for year basis.

Preferences

Bilingual in Spanish.

Experience in Special Event Planning.

Must be NIMS Certified through the FEMA Emergency Management Institute.

Must have successfully completed FEMA's Advanced Public Information Officer training course (E/L0388).

Working knowledge of Adobe Creative Suite, Microsoft Office, Adobe Acrobat, Wordpress, and social media platforms.

Minimum one year supervisory experience.

Open Date: 01/31/2025
Close Date:

This posting is subject to close without prior notice.

From $30.39 to $39.51
FLSA Status: Exempt

Placement based on Education and Experience

Disclaimer: Benefits may vary for employees under collective bargaining agreements.

For more information on Benefits visit - https://www.ocfl.net/EmploymentVolunteerism/EmployeeBenefits.aspx

If you are claiming Veterans' Preference, you are responsible for providing the required eligibility documentation by the closing date of the posting. Please scan and upload a copy of your cover letter and supporting documents, to Orange County Human Resources Division via the secure Box.com folder.

Your cover letter should include the Job ID number you are applying for, the title of the position, your full name and the last 4 digits of your social security number. *If you are a current employee returning from active military service, you may be eligible for promotion preference if the active military service qualifies for Veterans' Preference. Please note that Veterans' Preference applies only to a Veterans' first promotion after reinstatement or reemployment, without exception.

If your education was obtained in the United States, the County recognizes degrees or diplomas which are accredited by an agency recognized by the United States Department of Education (USDE) or the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA). If you have obtained education from a country other than the United States, your degree or diploma must be evaluated to determine the United States equivalency by a member of the National Association of Credential Evaluation Service (NACES) or the Association of International Credentials Evaluations (AICE) at your expense.

Fire Rescue HQ- 6590 Amory Court Winter Park, FL 32792

Resumes are not accepted in place of a completed online application. It is the responsibility of the applicant to provide thedetailed and relevant work experience, which would qualify them for the position.

Please enter all periods of employment, including your current position, duties, hours worked and educational background. Failure to provide complete information will result in your application being disqualified.

The selected applicant will be required to submit to a pre-employment physical, drug test, and a background screening process prior to the start of employment.