PUBLIC INFORMATION ASSOCIATE

Position/Program Information

EXAM NUMBER
C1607A

TYPE OF RECRUITMENT: Open Competitive

We welcome applications from anyone.

If you have questions about working for LA County, including current open recruitments, tips on creating a resume or acing an interview, career planning, or any other general information, please visit our website at https://hr.lacounty.gov/

For more information about the amazing benefits offered by Los Angeles County, please visit us here: https://hr.lacounty.gov/benefits/

APPLICATION FILING PERIOD:
The application filing period will begin on Tuesday, March 11, 2025, at 8:00 a.m. Pacific Time (PT) - Continuous. We will keep accepting applications until the position is filled. The application window may close unexpectedly once we have enough qualified candidates.

Essential Job Functions

A Public Information Associate is responsible for performing a combination of the following essential job functions:

• Develops digital media content for web and social media platforms.
  
• Develops and maintains contact lists for various media outlets, including hyperlocal and ethnic media outlets.
  
• Coordinates and assists with public information-related special projects, research, events, and programs requiring knowledge of community and/or department concerns and issues.
  
• Researches and reviews new and emerging media as an avenue for use in community outreach and public communications.
  
• Establishes, develops, and maintains interactions with the media, community groups, and department managers to proactively provide information on departmental affairs.
  
• Receives and responds to public information inquiries from the public regarding available services; prepares correspondence in response to inquiries, general complaints, and recommendations relative to the County's various programs and activities; and consults with appropriate staff members to secure pertinent facts and information.
  
• Handles intake and response to media requests for information under the California Public Records Act, in coordination with departmental management, County Counsel and the department’s Public Records Act coordinator.
  
• Assists in analyzing and evaluating data to develop appropriate communications recommendations for management.
  
• Assists in developing and maintaining internal communication projects.
  
• Prepares releases, web and social media posts, and related materials that may be delivered through press conferences or other communication channels.
  
• Serves as liaison between the department and media representatives.
  
• Monitors and tracks issues affecting the department, monitors media channels, and informs management accordingly.
  
• Assists in assessing effectiveness of communication efforts.
  
• Assists in maintaining departmental website’s public information content.
  
• Manage a photo archive of key word-searchable photos as needed.
  
• Staff public information booth and make presentations to community groups as needed.
  
• Assist with emergency and crisis communications as needed.
  
• Drive to different sites, as needed.
  

Requirements

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS

A Bachelor's degree* from an accredited college or university with a major in Communications, Journalism, Public Administration, Public Relations, English or a closely-related field -AND- Two years in a staff capacity** in public relations administering a public information program or professional experience as a journalist within a media organization. One additional year of the required experience will be accepted for each year of college.

OUT-OF-CLASS EXPERIENCE OR WITHHOLDS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED FOR THIS EXAMINATION. REQUIREMENTS MUST BE MET AT THE TIME OF APPLICATION FILING AND CLEARLY INDICATED ON THE APPLICATION.

PHYSICAL EXPECTATIONS

Physical Class II - Light: This class includes administrative and clerical positions requiring light physical effort that may include occasional light lifting to a 10 pound limit and some bending, stooping, or squatting. Considerable ambulation may be involved.

LICENSE

A valid California Class C Driver License or the ability to utilize an alternative method of transportation when needed to carry out job-related essential functions.

Some positions may require a valid California Class C Driver License to perform job-related functions.

SPECIAL REQUIREMENT INFORMATION
*To receive credit for your education, include a copy of your official diploma, official transcript, or letter/certificate from an accredited institution within five (5) business days from the date of filing your application. The document should show the date the degree was conferred and be in English; if it is in a foreign language, it must be translated and evaluated for equivalency to U.S. standards. For more information on our standards for educational documents, please visit: https://file.lacounty.gov/SDSInter/dhr/070812_PPG123.pdf and https://file.lacounty.gov/SDSInter/dhr/205105_PPG_123_ACE_Resource_Guide.pd

Note: If you are unable to attach the required documents, you must e-mail them to Mortega@dpw.lacounty .gov within five (5) business days from the date of filing. Please include your name, exam number, and exam title in the email.

**Staff capacity- work in an advisory capacity to line managers to provide program and administrative support. This work includes assisting and supporting administration by doing research analysis and making recommendations to line managers on matters such as: utilization of personnel; allocation of fund; workload and workload fluctuations; and programs and procedures for accomplishing work objectives.

Additional Information

EXAMINATION CONTENT :

This examination consists of two (2) parts:

PART I: A multiple choice and/or simulation assessment(s) weighted 75% measuring:

Professional Potential, Achievement, Willingness to Learn, Working Relationships, Analyzing Information, Learning Quickly, Generating New Ideas, Using Time Efficiently, Working to High Quality Standards, Adapting to Change, Coping with Uncertainty, Responsibility, Deductive Reasoning, and Reading Comprehension.

MULTIPLE CHOICE TESTS AND SIMULATION ASSESSMENTS ARE NOT REVIEWABLE BY CANDIDATES PER CIVIL SERVICE RULE 7.19.

Candidates must meet the Minimum Requirements and achieve a passing score of 70% or higher on Part I in order to proceed to Part II.

PART II: An Evaluation of Training and Experience (T&E) weighted 25% assessing competencies gained in the following areas:

• Experience performing public information and engagement program responsibilities
• Experience delivering presentations
• Experience with online public information and communication software applications
• Experience preparing public information and engagement program documents

Candidates must meet the Minimum Requirements and achieve a passing score of 70% or higher on each weighted part of the examination in order to be placed on the Eligible List.

NOTE: All notifications including invitation letters will be sent electronically to the email address provided on the application. It is important that you provide a valid email address. Please add Mortega@dpw.lacounty.gov , klent@hr.lacounty.gov , info@governmentjobs.com , talentcentral@shl.com , and donot-reply@amcatmail.com to your email address and list of approved senders to prevent email notifications from being filtered as spam/junk/clutter mail.

Transfer of Test Components:

• Applicants who have taken identical components recently for other exams may have their scores automatically transferred to this examination.
• This examination contains test components that may be used in the future for new examinations and your test scores may be transferred.

Test Preparation

Study guides and other test preparation resources are available to help candidates prepare for employment tests. While the guides will help you preparing for the test, we advise you to review all related materials that you deem necessary.

• An interactive, Online Test Preparation System for taking practice tests may be accessed on the Department of Human Resources website at http://hr.lacounty.gov/ . Please click on "Find A Job" and then "Job Search Toolkit." Test preparation information is located under the "Employment Test Assistance" section.
• Additional online practice tests are available at https://www.shldirect.com/en-us/practice-tests/ . You can also access test preparation for the computerized portion of the test by going to http://www.shldirect.com/practice_tests.html .

TRANSFER OF TEST COMPONENTS:
If you have taken identical components recently for other exams, your responses may be automatically transferred to this examination. This exam contains test components that might be used on future exams, and your responses could be transferred to that exam.

TESTING ACCOMMODATION: If you require an accommodation to fairly compete in any part of the assessment process, contact the Testing Accommodations Coordinator at TestingAccommodations@hr.lacounty.gov . We require a completed “Request for Reasonable Accommodation” form as well as supporting documentation from a qualified professional justifying the request. The sooner you contact us, the sooner we can respond and keep you moving through the process.

ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION

Applications will be processed as they are received and added to the register list accordingly.

SPECIAL INFORMATION The County of Los Angeles is a Fair Chance employer. Except for a very limited number of positions, you will not be asked to provide information about a conviction history unless you receive a contingent offer of employment. The County will make an individualized assessment of whether your conviction history has a direct or adverse relationship with the specific duties of the job, and consider potential mitigating factors, including, but not limited to, evidence and extent of rehabilitation, recency of the offense(s), and age at the time of the offense(s). If asked to provide information about a conviction history, any convictions or court records which are exempted by a valid court order do not have to be disclosed. Qualified applicants with arrest or conviction records will be considered for employment in accordance with County Fair Chance Policies and the Fair Chance Act (Gov. Code Section 12952).

VACANCY INFORMATION
The list of successful candidates created from this exam will be used to fill vacancies throughout Public Works as they occur.

APPLICATION AND FILING INFORMATION

Fill out your application completely. The acceptance of your application depends on whether you have clearly shown that you meet the REQUIREMENTS . Provide any relevant education, training, and experience in the spaces provided so we can evaluate your qualifications for the job. For each job held, give the name and address of your employer, your job title, beginning and ending dates, and description of work performed. All information included in the application materials is subject to VERIFICATION at any point during the examination and hiring process, including after an appointment has been made.

IMPORTANT NOTES :

• FALSIFICATION of any information may result in DISQUALIFICATION or RESCISSION OF APPOINTMENT.
• Utilizing VERBIAGE from Class Specification and/or Requirements serving as your description of duties WILL NOT be sufficient to meet the requirements. Doing so may result in an INCOMPLETE APPLICATION and you may be DISQUALIFIED.

APPLICATIONS MUST BE FILED ONLINE ONLY. APPLICATIONS SUBMITTED BY U.S. MAIL, FAX, OR IN PERSON WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED.


Apply online by clicking on the green “Apply” button at the top right of this posting. You can also track the status of your application using this website.

Plan to submit your online application well in advance of the deadline as you may be required to verify your email address. This only needs to be done once per email address, and if you already have a job seeker account on www.governmentjobs.com/careers/lacounty, you can verify at any time by logging in and following the prompts. This is to enhance the security of your online application and to ensure you do not enter an incorrect email address.

Computer and Internet Access at Public Libraries: For candidates who may not have regular access to a computer or the internet, applications can be completed on computers at public libraries throughout Los Angeles County.

All notifications including invitation letters will be sent electronically to the email address provided on the application. It is important that you provide a valid email address.

Please add the below email addresses to your email address book and list of approved senders to prevent email notifications from being filtered as spam/junk/clutter mail. Test scores cannot be given over the phone.

• mortega@dpw.lacounty.gov
  
• klent@hr.lacounty.gov
  
• info@governmentjobs.com
  
• talencentral@shl.com
  
• noreply@proctoru.com
  
• donotreply@amcatmail.com
  

While applicants have the ability to opt out of emails from LA County, please be advised that if you unsubscribe, you will not receive any email notification for any examination for which you apply with Los Angeles County. Regardless of whether you choose to unsubscribe, you can always check for notification by logging into governmentjobs.com and viewing your profile inbox, which saves a copy of MOST notices.

Los Angeles County will not consider claims of not viewing or receiving notification to be a valid reason for late test administration or rescheduling of a test component.

PLEASE REVIEW YOUR APPLICATION CAREFULLY AND COMPLETELY PRIOR TO CLICKING THE "SUBMIT" BUTTON.

Note: if you are unable to attach required documents, you must email them to mortega @dpw.lacounty.gov within five (5) business days from the last day of filing. Please include your name, exam number, and exam title on the documents.

SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER: Federal law requires that all employed persons have a Social Security Number, so please include yours when applying.

COMPUTER AND INTERNET ACCESS AT PUBLIC LIBRARIES: For candidates who may not have regular access to a computer or the Internet, applications can be completed on computers at public libraries throughout Los Angeles County.

NO SHARING OF USER ID, E-MAIL, AND PASSWORD: All applicants must file their application using their own user ID and password. Using a family member or friend's user ID and password may erase a candidate's original application record.

ANTI-RACISM, DIVERSITY, AND INCLUSION (ARDI): The County of Los Angeles recognizes and affirms that all people are created equal and are entitled to all rights afforded by the Constitution of the United Stares. We are committed to promoting Anti-racism, Diversity, and Inclusion efforts to address the inequalities and disparities amongst race. We support the ADRI Strategic Plan and its goals by improving equality, diversity, and inclusion in recruitment, selection, and employment practices.

CLICK HERE FOR ADDITIONAL EMPLOYMENT INFORMATION

CONTACT INFORMATION:
Department Contact Name: Monica Ortega

Department Contact Phone: (626) 458-2141

Department Contact Email: Mortega@dpw.lacounty .gov
ADA Coordinator Phone: (626) 458-2141
Teletype Phone: (626) 282-7829
California Relay Services: (800) 735-2922

For detailed information, please click here

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• Los Angeles County

• (800) 970-5478

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