Public Relations Officer – Office of the Mayor Full Time NEW

Agency Summary

As the head of the executive branch, the Office of the Mayor is responsible for enforcing city ordinances and state laws; appointing, supervising and removing heads and employees of city government departments, agencies and divisions; appointing, supervising, and removing deputy mayors, with appointments subject to City-County Council approval; communicating and coordinating with the City-County Council concerning the financial condition and budget of the city and county; and setting the salaries of city employees.

Job Summary

Position is responsible for the researching and drafting of remarks, press releases, media advisories, and talking points and helps coordinate press conferences and events for the Mayor’s Office. In addition, they will help manage social media and digital efforts including Twitter, Facebook, the Mayor’s Office Web site, the City of Indianapolis e-newsletter, as well as the City-County Enterprise. The Public Relations Officer serves as a communications liaison on core initiatives, events, and appearances of the Mayor. This position reports to the Director – Communications.

Position requires the knowledge or ability to confirm and follow all established city and departmental policies and procedures.

Equal Employment Opportunity

The City of Indianapolis Marion County is an equal opportunity employer . All applicants will be considered for employment without attention to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran, or disability status. We value diversity in perspectives and experiences among colleagues and the residents of this city of whom we serve.

Position Responsibilities

• Craft remarks and speeches for the Mayor of Indianapolis.
• Craft remarks and fact sheets for the Deputy Mayor’s and other cabinet members
• Works with Communications Director to assist in the development of key messages for administration announcements, interviews, etc.
• Work with city communications staff to draft scripts for video production
• Collaborate with Mayor’s Office staff, and outside agencies on mayoral initiatives
• Works with Assistant Director of Communications to coordinate the work of Mayor’s Office communications interns
• Responsible for developing talking points for administration staff (including but not limited to: cabinet members, Mayor’s Neighborhood Advocates, etc.) related to programs, policies, and announcements
• Responsible for coordinating talking points assigned to each speaker for an event to ensure messaging flow and prevent repetition
• Works with Deputy Chief of Staff to ensure proper preparation for each event i.e., when it’s appropriate to write remarks vs fact sheets, name pronunciations, when headshots of key attendees may be necessary, etc.
• Responsible for maintaining messaging platforms that unify communications across the Enterprise
• Develop and maintain Web content, including graphics, for the Mayor’s Office Web site
• Staff the Mayor at events, speeches, etc.
• Take photos at events and appearances
• This list of duties and responsibilities is not intended to be all-inclusive and may be expanded to include other duties or responsibilities that management may deem necessary from time to time

Qualifications

Bachelor’s Degree in Communications or similar field and a minimum of three (3) years’ prior work-related experience is required. Any combination of education and work experience meeting the minimum seven (7) years’ experience is acceptable. Must demonstrate excellent oral and written communications skills and show ability to balance multiple task and deadline assignments. Demonstrate consistent creative ability when presented with projects and events. Must maintain organized records and create reports, utilizing excel spreadsheets as needed. Respectful, courteous, and timely response to public required, either face to face, by e-mail, through correspondence, and/or by telephone, always using professional and courteous language and demeanor.

Must perform a wide and diverse variety of duties and responsibilities with accuracy, attentiveness, speed, and professionalism under the constant pressure of time-sensitive deadlines and expectations of high-quality materials and outcomes. Strong leadership qualities and ability to integrate into team philosophy are required. Knowledge of social media tools including Twitter, Facebook and Flickr are required. Knowledge of Microsoft Office, photo editing software (Photoshop), Exact Target and other software is required. Excellent writing and verbal communication skills are required. Position requires the knowledge and understanding of overall messaging and positions of the Administration. Demonstrate creative ability when presented with unformatted projects and/or ideas. Must be able to work on multiple projects at once and establish and set priorities according to time sensitive information. Must be able to type, update and/or create reports and spreadsheets as needed.

If your qualifications meet the requirements of the posted position, your application will be referred to the hiring agency. Once the agency receives your application, all further communication during the interview and selection process will be handled directly BY THE AGENCY . It is IMPERATIVE that you record the contact information of the individual who is scheduling your interview. City-County HR will not have access to this information, is not involved in the interview or selection process, and can only confirm whether an application has been referred. After selection of the successful candidate, an official offer of employment will be made by HR.

Working Conditions

Working conditions generally entail office environment but also include outside venues for mayoral speeches and appearances, meetings and events.

Physical Conditions

• Sitting at a desk the majority of the day
• Some lifting, carrying, pushing and/or pulling of objects and materials of light weight (5-10) pounds
• Tasks may involve extended periods of time at keyboard or workstation
• Tasks require the ability to perceive and hear sounds and see visual cues or signals
• Tasks require the ability to communicate orally