Public Affairs Staff Specialist

CAREER DESCRIPTION

Public Affairs Staff Specialist

(STAFF SPECIALIST)

SALARY INFORMATION

In addition to performance-based merit increases, this position is scheduled to receive salary range increases on the following dates:

Effective June 27, 2025 - 4.00% increase

Salary may be negotiable within the range listed above, based on position requirements and successful candidate's qualifications, subject to appropriate authorization.

OPEN TO THE PUBLIC
This recruitment will establish an open eligible list that will be used to fill current and future Staff Specialist vacancies within John Wayne Airport and may also be used to fill positions in similar and/or lower-level classifications throughout the County of Orange.

DEADLINE TO APPLY

This recruitment will close on Mon day, July 29, 2024 at 11:59 PM (PT).

Qualified candidates are encouraged to apply immediately.

The Airport
John Wayne Airport (JWA) has approximately 180 dedicated staff and is home to 11 commercial airlines, two all-cargo carriers, two full-service fixed base operators, and over 440 general aviation aircraft. JWA is owned and operated by the County of Orange and is a modern, 20-gate, medium-hub commercial and general aviation airport. In 2023, JWA served over 11.36 million passengers. Airlines fly to over 40 non-stop destinations. Since 2017, JWA has been consistently ranked first or second in overall customer satisfaction for its size. JWA is one of the top-50 busiest commercial airports in the country in terms of both passenger enplanements and total operations and is also one of the nation’s busiest General Aviation airports.

JWA has an annual operating budget of approximately $145M and, operates as an enterprise fund self- supported/funded agency and receives no monies from the County’s General Fund. These revenues are to operate and optimize the Airport, repay bonds, fund capital improvements, maintain assets, and support aviation planning.

Vision: To be the airport of choice by creating exceptional experiences.
Mission: Connecting People, Places, and Opportunities.

To learn more about John Wayne Airport, click here.
To view the annual report video, click here, click here.
To learn more about the County of Orange click here.

PUBLIC AFFAIRS DIVISION
The Public Affairs Division is comprised of four units:

• Access and Noise
• Communications
• Customer Relations
• Media Relations

The division is responsible for all aspects of government, media and public relations, customer relations and communications at JWA. Public Affairs staff is charged with responding to media and public inquiries; serving as front-line customer service agents; coordinating Ambassador and Tour Guide volunteer programs; planning and organizing museum-quality exhibitions; disbursing information via the Airport website; tracking local, state and federal legislation; enforcing the "Settlement Agreement" educating the surrounding communities about access and noise issues and handling noise complaints.

THE OPPORTUNITY
John Wayne Airport/Public Affairs Division has an exciting opportunity for a Public Affairs Staff Specialist. This is a fast-paced, ever-changing environment that requires a self-motivated and energetic person who can work independently and take initiative to keep projects moving forward.

General job duties include but are not limited to the following:

• Coordinating the Airport's social media program, including content development, posting, and monitoring
• Special event support, including planning and logistics of Terminal activities and department events, photography of special events and taking photographs/video using department photo equipment
• Writing to support the Airport's media/crisis communications efforts, including news releases, newsletter articles and other promotional and collateral materials
• Designing graphic images and managing graphic assets for print and digital use
• Managing an internal communications plan, including social media crisis communication planning
• Interacting with tourism partners and Airport tenants to provide support for various public communications
• Changing work schedule and availability for early morning, late nights, and on the weekends as needed to support public communication needs or special events

WORK SCHEDULE and LOCATION

• The 9/80 flex schedule can be considered but is not guaranteed due to the needs of the department
• This assignment may require occasionally working at night, weekends, and/or holidays depending on special events
• The majority of work is completed on-site at the administration buildings near John Wayne Airport

DESIRABLE QUALIFICATIONS
The ideal candidate will have at least three (3) years of work experience in developing social media content which includes work experience in graphic design, writing and editing, and video creation and editing, and the following programs or similar: Adobe Premier Pro and Canva. Strong candidates will have utilized various communications channels to promote events, including but not limited to print, broadcast media, social media, and websites.

The ideal candidate will succeed in this position by clearly understanding the department's communication goals, thinking strategically about how best to advance them, and supporting the development and implementation of communications programs that achieve them.

In addition, the ideal candidate will possess the following core competencies:

Technical Knowledge | Skills

• Content creation (writing & editing) for effective engagement, performance, and optimization
• Video production, filming, and editing for the creation of short-form video for messaging campaigns and special events, including experience with Adobe Premiere Pro, Apple iMovie, DaVinci Resolve or similar software
• Implementation of social network strategy and campaign goals
• Event photography and videography (creation, editing, and sharing)
• Knowledge and utilization of the following social media platforms: X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, Instagram/IGTV, LinkedIn, and YouTube
• Utilize computer programs such as Microsoft Outlook, Word, and Excel
• Experience with related software such as Adobe CS5 Photoshop, Illustrator and In-Design, and to create graphic designs that showcase/promote the department
• Data analytics and monitoring

Effective Communication

• Organizes, expresses, and communicates ideas clearly in writing and verbally
• Utilizing effective communications skills to define and communicate the Airport’s goals to staff and stakeholders
• Developing effective press releases, articles, website content, crisis communication messaging
• Collaborating with department staff and management to research, develop and implement communications plans for routine and special projects
• Identifies and uses effective communication channels and methods (e.g., presentations, electronic dissemination, social media)
• Utilizes skill in presenting information, analysis, ideas and positions in a clear, succinct, accurate, convincing manner, as is appropriate with the audience
• Fosters and maintains positive working relationships, working cooperatively in groups and demonstrating leadership skills

Data Gathering & Analysis

• Identifies work/project-related issues, problems or opportunities and finds, recommends and implements effective solutions
• Gathers and compiles data using various data collection techniques
• Analyzes and investigates up-to-date information from various sources and in various formats
• Seeks additional resources when gaps and inconsistencies or variances in data are found
• Identifies trends in data
• Researching, evaluating, developing, and recommending opportunities for marketing and advertising plans, as well as overseeing ad development, purchasing and placement

Planning and Prioritization

• Determines necessary sequence of activities and the efficient level of resources needed to achieve short and long term goals
• Maintains a high level of energy and commitment to juggle multiple tasks and priorities, and uses available resources to get more done with less; all without losing focus
• Anticipates problems and mitigates risks
• Coordinates with customers when problems or conflicts occur that might impact the timely completion of work
• Coordinates with others in response to multiple, competing demands to ensure work is completed in a timely manner
• Accepts ownership and responsibility for the job

Adaptability

• Understands and is flexible to changes in work tasks, situations, and environment
• Thinks and acts effectively under pressure
• Persists towards solutions and goals in changing circumstances
• Adjusts timelines, results and expectations appropriately to changing needs
• Sets, commits to, and maintains high standards for quality work and responsiveness in providing administrative services; readily re-adjusts priorities to respond to pressing and changing demands
• Identifies ways to incorporate new practices into existing framework

Minimum Qualifications
Click here for the complete classification for Staff Specialist including the minimum qualifications.

LICENSE REQUIRED
The successful candidate must possess, obtain, and maintain the following licenses:

• Valid California Driver's License, Class C or higher, by date of appointment
• Valid Airport Access Badge with an Airport Driving Endorsement within ten (10) days of employment.

AIRPORT ACCESS REQUIREMENTS
The successful candidate must clear a background check which includes a Criminal History Records Check (CHRC), Transportation Security Administration (TSA), and Security Threat Assessment (STA).

PHYSICAL AND MENTAL REQUIREMENTS

Physical Requirements:
Possess vision sufficient to read standard text and a computer monitor; speak and hear well enough to communicate clearly and understandably in person to individuals and groups and over the telephone; possess body mobility to stand, sit, walk, stoop and bend routinely to perform daily tasks and to access a standard office environment; possess manual dexterity sufficient to use hands, arms and shoulders repetitively to operate a keyboard, utilize office equipment and to write; use a County approved means of transportation to travel to and from County facilities.

Mental Requirements:
Possess the ability to independently reason logically to analyze data, reach conclusions and make recommendations; possess the ability to remain calm and appropriately focused in rapidly changing and difficult situations involving conflict, complex issues, controversy and diverse stakeholder groups and interests; possess the ability to deal calmly and effectively with emotional interactions.

Environmental Requirements:
Possess the ability to handle changing deadlines and competing priorities; possess the ability to interact with varying levels within the organizational hierarchy; possess the ability to work independently in an office environment; possess the ability to travel to outreach sites, work nights and weekend hours.

RECRUITMENT PROCESS
Human Resource Services (HRS) screens all application materials for minimum and/or desirable qualifications. After screening, applicants who meet the minimum and/or desirable qualifications will be referred to the next step in the recruitment process. All applicants will be notified via email of their status in the process.

Structured Oral Interview | SOI (Weighted 100%)
Applicants will be interviewed and rated by an oral interview panel of job knowledge experts. Each applicant's rating will be based on responses to a series of structured questions designed to elicit the applicant's qualifications for the job. Only the most successful candidates will be placed on the eligible list.

Based on the department's needs, the recruitment procedures listed above may be modified. All candidates will be notified of changes in the selection process.

Eligible List
Once the assessment has been completed, HRS will establish an eligible list of candidates. Candidates placed on the eligible list may be referred to a selection interview to be considered for present and future vacancies.

Veterans Employment Preference
The County is committed to providing a mechanism to give preferential consideration in the employment process to veterans and their eligible spouses and will provide eligible participants the opportunity to receive interviews in the selection process for employment and paid internship openings. Please click here to review the policy.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Please see below for important information regarding COVID-19 related recommendations.

Effective April 3, 2023, it is strongly recommended that County employees working in healthcare settings and correctional facilities follow vaccination and booster guidelines provided by the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Please click here to see the latest guidance for more details.

EMAIL NOTIFICATION
Email is the primary form of notification during the recruitment process. Please ensure your correct email address is included in your application and use only one email account.

Note: User accounts are established for one person only and should not be shared with another person. Multiple applications with multiple users may jeopardize your status in the recruitment process for any positions for which you apply.

Candidate will be notified regarding their status as the recruitment proceeds via email through the governmentjobs.com site. Please check your email folders, including spam/junk folders, and/or accept emails ending with "governmentjobs.com" and "ocgov.com". If your email address should change, please update your profile at www.governmentjobs.com .

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Click here for additional Frequently Asked Questions.

For specific information pertaining to this recruitment, please contact Jennifer Ramirez at 714.347.8385 or jramirez@css.ocgov.com

EEO INFORMATION

Orange County, as an equal employment opportunity employer, encourages applicants from diverse backgrounds to apply.

Non-Management Benefits
In addition to the County's standard suite of benefits, such as a variety of health plan options, annual leave and paid holidays--we also offer an excellent array of benefits such as a Health Care Reimbursement Account, 457 Defined Contribution Plan and Annual Education and Professional Reimbursement. Employees are provided a Retirement Plan through the Orange County Employees Retirement System (OCERS).

Please go to the following link to find out more about Defined Benefit Pensions and OCERS Plan Types/Benefits.
http://www.ocers.org/active-member-information

Click here for information about benefits offered to County of Orange employees.

Closing Date/Time: 7/29/2024 11:59 PM Pacific

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