Assistant Public Affairs & Communications Officer

Full Job Description

County Administration’s Office of Public Affairs and Communications is looking for an Assistant Public Affairs and Communications Officer to join our team. The office is responsible for countywide internal and external communications and constituent services programs that connect Loudoun County residents, businesses, and communities with information about their government and its services. We are seeking an experienced, senior level professional communicator who has a strong background in communication planning, public engagement, media relations, research and writing, content production, and managing enterprise communications systems and projects.

Loudoun County is a growing organization that serves a large and diverse population that is located about 30 miles northwest of Washington, DC. Loudoun County offers a meaningful career, competitive salary, and a comprehensive benefits package. This position is eligible for teleworking for up to two days per week following initial onboarding. Additional information can be found at loudoun.gov/benefits.

Requirements

The Assistant Public Affairs and Communications Officer will join the senior leadership team of the Office of Public Affairs and Communications and provide day-to-day support to more than twenty other professional communicators within the office and throughout county departments. Under the general direction of the county’s Public Affairs and Communications Officer, the Assistant Public Affairs and Communications Officer leads, plans, coordinates, and executes enterprise-wide communications strategies on behalf of the Office of the County Administrator and all county departments. This position provides strategic leadership for countywide messaging, supervises communications staff, oversees multiple communications programs, and ensures consistency and alignment with county priorities, branding, and engagement strategies across internal and external audiences.

This is an exciting opportunity for individuals with expertise in strategic communications planning, community engagement, public affairs, public information, digital communication (e.g., content production, website, social media, etc.), community outreach, event planning, video production, emergency communications, marketing, media relations, and/or other areas within the field of communication.

The Assistant Public Affairs and Communications Officer’s responsibilities include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Manages the development and implementation of a full range of communications activities that support county programs and services through strategic communication program management.
• Contribute to the office’s routine work, such as writing news releases, contributing to website and social media content, conceiving and managing communications plans, and collaborating on the production of creative and visual content including graphics, videos and publications.
• Collaborates with a team of professional communicators and subject matters experts within county departments to plan and implement communication and public engagement activities.
• Coordinates media relations activities, including fielding and responding to media inquiries as appropriate.
• Conducts complete and thorough research that informs their work.
• Supports crisis and emergency communication responses within the NIMS framework and coordinates development and publishing of the county messages during activations of the Emergency Operations Center.
• Contributes to internal (employee) communications that promote an informed and engaged workforce.
• Manages editorial and visual standards to ensure brand consistency and compliance, as well as compliance with county policies.
• Serves in a leadership role in Public Affairs and Communications; supervising, training and mentoring professional staff
• Researches, plans and executes special projects and initiatives.
• Implements and oversees enterprise communications tools.
• Acts as a trusted advisor to senior county and departmental leadership.
• Acts as the Public Affairs and Communications Officer in their absence.
• Develops and manages budgets, monitors expenditures and ensures fiscal responsibility for a broad range of communications projects.
• Collaborates with consultants and vendors with whom the county may contract to support communication initiatives.
• Provides executive support and collaborates with elected officials and regional stakeholders.
• Performs other duties as assigned.
  

The successful candidate for the Assistant Public Affairs and Communications Officer will be self-motivated, organized, flexible, and creative, as well as adhere to the highest standards of excellence and demonstrate an ability to handle multiple priorities simultaneously. This position requires outstanding leadership and project management skills, as well as excellent writing and content creation skills. This position requires an ability to think strategically, act decisively, and maintain composure under pressure.

The Assistant Public Affairs and Communications Officer also collaborates with the other members of the Public Affairs and Communications team to support countywide priorities. Additionally, this position provides support to the Board of Supervisors and the county’s senior leadership, and for a broad range of projects and initiatives that require communication leadership and support.

Hiring salary is commensurate with experience.

Qualifications

Minimum Qualifications:
Bachelor’s degree in Public Administration, Journalism, Communications, Public Relations, or a related field; four (4) years of related work experience in journalism, communications, media relations, public relations, emergency management, or a related area including one (1) year of supervisory experience; or equivalent combination of education and experience.

Preferred Qualifications:
Master’s degree in journalism, public relations, communication, marketing or other related discipline, and at least five years of related experience. Experience managing communications for a local government, as well as working with senior elected and appointed officials in a communications capacity, will be helpful. Skill in leading multidisciplinary communications teams and managing complex, high-impact projects.

Additional Information

Successful candidates will undergo background checks as required.