Public Information Officer

The Position

Job Appointment: Full-Time
Work Schedule: M-F, from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm
Work Location: 888 SW 5TH AVE STE 400, PORTLAND OR 97204
Benefits: Please check our benefit tab for an overview of benefits for this position.
Union Representation: PTE - 17
To view labor agreements, current and future, please visit the Current City Labor Agreements page.
Language Pay Premium Eligible: This position may be eligible for Language Pay Differential for qualifying employees.

Application Material: Please click APPLY to submit your application via the City of Portland’s online portal. You will need to attach a resume and cover letter.

Are you a communications professional with an interest in doing meaningful work that has a real impact on our community?

POSITION SUMMARY

The City of Portland’s Bureau of Environmental Services (BES) is seeking a skilled Public Information Officer to join the Communications team.

• Are you an experienced storyteller with a knack for engaging diverse audiences?
• Do you enjoy the challenge of quick deadlines, multiple projects, and rapid response?
• Are you fascinated by big infrastructure, natural resources, science, and the health of our community, rivers, and streams?
• Are you committed to government transparency, accessibility, and accountability?

If so, consider joining BES, where you can make a positive impact every day!

About the position:

The Public Information Officer (PIO) plays a critical role in advancing the bureau's mission by leading BES’ media relations program and contributing to public relations, marketing, and community engagement efforts. The PIO serves as a key media strategist, adviser, and liaison. This role takes the lead in crafting compelling stories about Portland's critical wastewater and stormwater infrastructure, environmental stewardship, and public works projects. Additionally, the PIO is part of a bureauwide team that is tapped to respond during bureau and city emergencies.

About BES

As Portland’s wastewater and stormwater utility, BES serves more than 600,000 customers. Every resident, business, industry, and visitor relies on our services every hour of every day. We have more than 600 employees who operate, maintain, plan, and improve all aspects of the city’s wastewater and stormwater systems to protect public health and restore the health of Portland’s rivers, streams, and watersheds. We know our commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion in our workforce will result in better service and engagement with our community.

This is an exciting time to join BES. We are reimagining the work we do to ensure it aligns with Our Values:

• We implement equity in our workplace, business practices, and service delivery.
• We value our customers and partners.
• We carefully manage our watersheds, wastewater and stormwater infrastructure, and financial resources.
• We encourage leadership among our employees and in the City and community.
• We support a diverse, collaborative, healthy, and engaged workforce.
• We urge respectful communication and transparency.
• We advance innovative, sustainable, and resilient solutions.

BES is seeking talented individuals to join our team and especially encourages those from diverse racial, ethnic, and socio-economic backgrounds to apply. We are looking for professionals who have experience successfully working with a broad range of individuals and communities. Eligible candidates will have a desire to work collaboratively and creatively to broaden the ways that BES partners with and serves all Portlanders.

The Public Information Officer will have the following roles and responsibilities:

• Leads media strategy and engagement: creates and implements proactive media engagement plans and strategies to promote bureau projects, services, and programs in alignment with the bureau’s priorities; develops relationships with local reporters, producers, and media outlets, including culturally specific media.
• Serves as the lead bureau spokesperson: responds to media inquiries in a timely manner, develops responsive media strategies and messages, identifies opportunities for storytelling that strengthens public awareness and interest in the bureau’s work, and improves participation in and access to BES services and projects.
• Collaborates with Communications and Public Involvement teams: develops media plans and communications strategies that advance bureau priorities and address community needs; provides strategic communications advice for complex community and media issues.

• Writes, edits, and produces timely and informative content: including news and feature stories, media guides, press releases, talking points, and other content for distribution in a variety of formats for diverse external and internal audiences, centering plain language and accessibility.

• Serves as a lead emergency communications planner and responder: implements crisis communications strategies and tactics, including developing and implementing proactive and responsive crisis communications using both Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) National Incident Management System (NIMS) protocols for public information officers as well as usingpublic involvement/public relations best practices. Serves as a lead communications strategist and spokesperson during emergencies and significant events, and participates in bureau and City emergency operations efforts during emergencies.

• Serves as communications consultant and coach for bureau leadership and subject matter experts: provides public speaking and media training, coaching, and guidance for bureau employees and develops talking points and key messages for staff.

The ideal candidate is:

• Collaborative: Values partnerships and maintains relationships to get things done.
• Creative: Always thinking of news ways to connect with diverse audiences and finding new angles and approaches to evergreen content.
• Curious: Enjoys the challenge of taking on new, complex, and technical subject matter.
• Strategic: Anticipates organizational and team needs; prepares for known and unknown risks; maximizes opportunities to promote informative news that resonates with audiences.
• Responsive and level-headed: Remains calm, cool, and collected in times of stress.
• Organized and self-directed: Initiates and drives projects from conception to completion, often with little guidance.
• Emotionally intelligent: Is motivated, passionate, team-oriented, and empathetic.

About the Bureau of Environmental Services

To learn more about the work we do at BES, click on the link: About Environmental Services | Portland.gov

Our BES 10-Year Strategic Plan can be found here: download (portland.gov)
Questions:
Terrol Johnson
Senior Recruiter
terrol.johnson@portlandoregon.gov

To Qualify

All of the following minimum qualifications are required for this position. Applicants must specifically address in their resume and cover letter how their education, training, work experience, and/or lived experience, meets each of the following minimum qualifications:
Experience engaging with reporters, producers, editors, and other members of the media to proactively and responsively share critical information, set organizational narratives, and promote storytelling that resonates with the community.Experience developing and implementing media engagement strategies and emergency response/crisis communications plans designed to navigate complex, difficult, or contentious issues with a high level of public scrutiny. Experience serving as a lead spokesperson and coaching leadership, subject matter experts (SMEs), and key staff on interview skills and strategies.Experience writing, producing and/or editing clear, concise, and engaging digital content, talking points, reports, news releases, features, editorial content, and other communications collateral for diverse audiences, centering accessibility and translating complex technical information into plain language. Ability to develop intentional and trusting relationships with culturally diverse and non-traditional media.
Although not required, familiarity with the following subject matter is beneficial:

• Emergency response and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) National Incident Management System (NIMS), including Public Information Officer standards and protocol.
• Public health and environmental regulations and/or regulatory agencies; utility operations; large infrastructure or construction projects.
• Bilingual/Multilingual skills

The Recruitment Process

STEP 1: Apply online between November 04 , 2024 - November 18 , 2024

Required Application Materials:

• Cover letter.
  • Details are key! The city uses a merit-based system, so your cover letter should be thorough and specifically address each qualification listed in the "To Qualify" section of the job announcement. Your cover letter can exceed one page, to ensure you are able to provide detailed information for every qualification. Follow the instructions, as a subject matter expert will be evaluating your details to confirm that you meet the minimum requirements.
• Resume
• Answer to three (3) Supplemental Questions (click on the Questions tab to preview the questions)
• Optional Application Materials:
• If you would like to request Veteran's Preference, please submit your Veteran documents (ex, DD214-Member 4, VA Benefit Letter, etc.) by the closing date of the recruitment.
• Application Tips:
• Your cover letter can exceed one page, to ensure you are able to provide detailed information for every qualification. A subject matter expert will be evaluating your details to confirm that you meet the minimum requirements.
• Your résumé should support the details described in your cover letter.
• How We Determine Pay: The City of Portland is covered by the Oregon Equal Pay Act . Your salary is determined based on the experience listed in your resume that is directly related and equivalent to the position for which you are applying. It is strongly encouraged to include any transferable experience (paid or unpaid regardless of how recent) to ensure your offer is reflective of all your relevant experience.
• E-mailed and/or faxed applications will not be accepted.
• Do not attach any additional documents.
• Please note, all completed applications for this position must be submitted no later than on the closing date and time of this recruitment.
• You can use AI tools to assist with your job application, but please make sure to personalize your responses to supplemental questions. Avoid copying and pasting. We encourage the use of AI to generate ideas and then tailor them to reflect your own experiences and skills.
• All applications must be submitted via the City's online application process.

BOLI: Equal pay For Workers: State of Oregon
Every worker must get equal pay for equal work regardless of gender, race, age, or other protected characteristics.

Step 2: Minimum Qualification Evaluation: Week of November 18 , 2024

• An evaluation of each applicant's training and paid and unpaid experience, as demonstrated in their resume and cover letter, weighted 100%.
• Your resume and cover letter will be the basis for our evaluation of your qualifications for this position. Incomplete or inappropriate information may result in disqualification.
• You have 14 days from the notice of the minimum qualification evaluation results to let us know if you like to review and discuss your evaluation result. Please read the City of Portland Administrative Rule 3.01 for complete information.
• Additional evaluation may be required prior to the establishment of the eligible list and/or final selection.

Step 3: Establishment of Eligible List: Week of November 25 , 2024

• Candidates who meet the minimum qualifications will be placed on the equally ranked eligible list.

Step 4: Selection (Interview): TBD

• The hiring bureau will review and select candidates to interview.
• Please note, that the selection process may take up to 90 days from the notification of being placed on the eligible list.

Step 5: Offer of Employment: TBD

Step 6: Start Date: TBD

• A start date will be determined after all conditions of employment have been met.

*Timeline is approximate and subject to change*

Additional Information

Additional Information:

Click here for additional information regarding the following:

• Click here for additional information regarding the following:
• City of Portland Core Values

Recruitment Process - Work StatusEqual Employment OpportunityVeteran PreferenceADA, Pregnancy, and Religious Accommodations Did you know? The City of Portland has How to Apply Videos and offers How to Apply Classes once per month. If you have questions after watching the videos you are invited to contact the recruiter listed on the announcement.

An Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer

A Career with the City of Portland offers many Employee Benefits

We offer a comprehensive benefits package, including but not limited to

• Health Care (Medical, Vision and Dental)
• Carrot Fertility
• Wellness Benefits
• Life Insurance
• Long-term disability coverage to eligible employees and their families.
• Employee Assistance Plan
• Flexible Spending Accounts
• Retirement
• Oregon Public Employees Retirement System (PERS), includingcontributions to the PERS IAP plan paid by employer
• Family Medical Leave
• City Paid Parental Leave

AND SO MANY MORE!

Benefits may vary depending on bargaining unit and employment status. Click here to review the many different benefits the City of Portland offers .

Closing Date/Time: 11/18/2024 11:59 PM Pacific

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• City of Portland

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