Career Opportunity

Public Relations Officer – Citywide (1314) – (T00102)

Recruitment: REF40669D

Published: May 30, 2024

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About:

5/30/24: The announcement has been extended to accept additional applications. Applicants who have already submitted their application do not need to reapply.

THIS IS A CITYWIDE EXAM

Application Opening: May 13, 2024
Deadline to Apply: 11:59 PM on June 2, 2024 (original deadline)
Apply Immediately. Application filing has been extended at least through June 5, 2024, and will close anytime thereafter.
Recruitment ID: CBT-1314-T00102 | RTF406693D

San Francisco is a vibrant and dynamic city, on the forefront of economic growth & innovation, urban development, arts & entertainment, as well as social issues & change. This rich tapestry of culture and ideas is sustained by our City's commitment to heighten the quality of life for the diverse population of San Franciscans and residents of the greater Bay Area. Our employees play an important role not only in making our City what it is today, but also in shaping the future of San Francisco.

Role description

Under general direction, develops, organizes, directs and evaluates a comprehensive program to inform the public of the activities and objectives of a city department.

EXAMPLES OF IMPORTANT AND ESSENTIAL DUTIES:
According to Civil Service Commission Rule 109, the duties specified below are representative of the range of duties assigned to this job code and are not intended to be an inclusive list.

1. Develops, carries out and interprets policy, methods and procedures relating to the conduct of a complete public relations program.
2. Creates and oversees the development and administration of public relations programs, campaigns and websites for the purpose of establishing and maintaining an effective public relations program, including multilingual and multicultural programs.
3. Analyzes the extent of public understanding and acceptance of the department’s programs and activities through market research projects; this includes identifying specific demographic groupings for programs and activities, setting objectives, developing a detailed plan and strategy and analyzing results.
4. Prepares reports and a variety of written materials for internal and external audiences; writes press releases and advisories, maintains a current file of publicity and work-related information, media contracts, and other records essential to an effective public relations program.
5. Develops, prepares and implements marketing and promotional programs to increase support for and the use of department services through a variety of advertising and promotional strategies such as special events, press events and customer incentives.
6. Creates, develops implements, and evaluates public information and public outreach programs, special events, projects and campaigns to keep staff, management, public, prospective users of services, interested organizations and trade groups informed of the department activities by conducting staff meetings, contacting individuals and groups and issuing information via the press, radio, television, magazines, trade publications, social media, podcasts and other communication media; responds to questions and requests from these various sources.
7. Plans, assigns and evaluates the work of subordinate staff in the preparation of public relations and marketing programs and projects.
8. Addresses civic organizations, neighborhood associations, trade groups and other organizations to explain the activities and services of the department. Organizes and convenes community meetings and focus groups and makes presentations.
9. Utilizes specialized computer software and online platforms to develop and administer websites and social media, and to create and edit videos, photos, and artwork for various publications.
10. Consults with and advises top management on the public relations implications of the department’s activities. Meets with management individually and at staff meetings to advise of public relations implications on proposed actions, media strategies, communications and ongoing programs and activities.
11. Investigates complaints directed at the department’s operation; recommends corrective action to preclude further adverse action or opinion; may prepare replies to such complaints.
12. Organizes tours and orientation sessions for the media, visiting dignitaries, trade representatives and the public.
13. Performs related duties and responsibilities as assigned

Nature of Work: Some positions may be subject to adverse weather conditions, walking long distances, and driving a vehicle to project sites and meetings. May require work on nights, weekends and/or holidays.

How to qualify

Education
Possession of a baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university; AND

Experience

Four (4) years of full-time professional experience in editorial, newspaper, magazine, radio, television, public relations, public affairs, public information, social media, digital engagement, advertising, marketing, or similar work directly responsible for the preparation and dissemination of news and information in a variety of formats for internal and external audiences. This experience must include at least one (1) year of experience in planning and conducting a public relations, public information, or public education program.

Substitution

1. Additional experience as described above may be substituted for the required degree on a year-for-year basis. Thirty (30) semester units or forty-five (45) quarter units equal one year.
2. Possession of a Master’s degree from an accredited college or university in public relations, journalism, mass communications, marketing or a closely related field may substitute for up to one (1) year of the required experience. The degree may not substitute for the one (1) year of required public relations, public information, or public education program experience.

One year of full-time employment is equivalent to 2000 hours. (2000 hours of qualifying work experience is based on a 40-hour work week.) Any overtime hours that you work above forty (40) hours per week are not included in the calculation to determine full-time employment.

VERIFICATION
Applicants may be required to submit verification of qualifying education and experience at any point during the recruitment and selection process. If education verification is required, information on how to verify education requirements, including verifying foreign education credits or degree equivalency, can be found at here.

Note: Falsifying one’s education, training, or work experience or attempted deception on the application may result in disqualification for this and future job opportunities with the City and County of San Francisco.

All work experience, education, training, and other information substantiating how you meet the minimum qualifications must be included on your application by the filing deadline. Information submitted after the filing deadline will not be considered in determining whether you meet the minimum qualifications.

Resumes will not be accepted in lieu of a completed City and County of San Francisco application. Applications completed improperly may be cause for ineligibility, disqualification or may lead to lower scores.

SELECTION PROCEDURE:
After application submission, candidates deemed qualified must complete all subsequent steps to advance in this selection process, which includes the following.

Minimum Qualification Supplemental Questionnaire (MQSQ):
Candidates will be required to complete a MQSQ as part of the employment application. This MQSQ is designed to obtain specific information regarding an applicant's experience in relation to the Minimum Qualifications (MQ) for this position. The MQSQ will be used to evaluate if the applicant possesses the required minimum qualifications.

Written Multiple-Choice Examination (Weight: 100%):
Candidates deemed eligible and admitted to the examination process will be administered a written multiple-choice test designed to measure knowledge, skills and/or abilities in job-related areas which may include but is not limited to; knowledge of basic principles and practices of communications, marketing, and public outreach; analytical ability; organizational ability; program management ability; supervisory ability; human relations ability; and oral and written communications ability.

This is a standardized examination and, therefore, test questions and test answers are not available for public inspection or review.

Candidates must achieve a passing score in order to be placed on the eligible list/score report.

What else should I know?

A confidential eligible list of applicant names that have passed the civil service examination process will be created and used for certification purposes only. An examination score report will be established, so applicants can view the ranks, final scores and number of eligible candidates. Applicant information, including names of applicants on the eligible list, shall not be made public unless required by law. However, an eligible list shall be made available for public inspection, upon request once the eligible list is exhausted or expired and referrals resolved. The eligible list/score report resulting from this civil service examination process is subject to change after adoption (e.g., as a result of appeals), as directed by the Director of Transportation or the Civil Service Commission.

The duration of the eligible list resulting from this examination process will be 24 months and may be extended with the approval of the Human Resources Director.

To find Departments which use this classification, please see https://sfdhr.org/sites/default/files/documents/Forms-Documents/Position-Counts-by-Job-Codes-and-Department-FY-2023-24.pdf

Terms of Announcement and Appeal Rights:
Applicants must be guided solely by the provisions of this announcement, including requirements, time periods and other particulars, except when superseded by federal, state or local laws, rules or regulations. [Note: The correction of clerical errors in an announcement may be posted on the Department of Human Resources website at https://careers.sf.gov. The terms of this announcement may be appealed under Civil Service Rule 110.4. Such appeals must be submitted in writing to the Department of Human Resources, 1 S Van Ness Avenue, 4th Floor, San Francisco, CA 94103-5413 by close of business on the 5th business day following the issuance date of this examination announcement. Information concerning other Civil Service Commission Rules involving announcements, applications and examination policies, including applicant appeal rights, can be found on the Civil Service Commission website at http://sfgov.org/civilservice/rules.

Airport-specific Conditions of Employment:

Transportation Security Administration (TSA) Security Clearance: Candidates for employment with the San Francisco Airport Commission are required to undergo a criminal history record check, including FBI fingerprints, and Security Threat Assessment in order to determine eligibility for security clearance and may be required to undergo drug/alcohol screening. Per Civil Service Commission Rule Section 110.9.1, every applicant for an examination must possess and maintain the qualifications required by law and by the examination announcement for the examination. Failure to obtain and maintain security clearance may be basis for termination from employment with the Airport Commission.

Customs Clearance: This position may require that the incumbent be qualified for unescorted access to the San Francisco International Airport U.S. Customs Security Area. An application for a U.S. Custom Access Seal may be submitted to Customs ONLY after employment has commenced. Employment in this position requires that the incumbent submit an application for, successfully acquire and maintain a Customs Access Seal. Per Civil Service Commission Rule 110.9.1, every applicant must possess and maintain the qualifications required by law and by the examination announcement for this examination. Failure to acquire or maintain customs access, a requirement for this position, may be basis for termination from employment with the Airport Commission. Customs Access Seal requirements and procedures are located in the Code of Federal Regulations, Title 19, Part 122, Sections 181 or 189.

Additional Information Regarding Employment with the City and County of San Francisco:

• Information About the Hiring Process
• Conviction History
• Employee Benefits Overview 
• Equal Employment Opportunity
• Disaster Service Worker
• ADA Accommodation
• Veterans Preference
• Seniority Credit in Promotional Exams 
• Right to Work
• Copies of Application Documents
• Diversity Statement

How to Apply
Applications for City and County of San Francisco jobs are only accepted through an online process.

1. Visit Careers with Purpose | City and County of San Francisco (sf.gov)
2. Type "1314" in to the "Search by class or keyword" field.
3. Click the link to open the Job Announcement.
4. Select the “Apply Now” button and follow instructions on the screen.

Applicants may be contacted by email about this recruitment and, therefore, it is their responsibility to ensure that their registered email address is accurate and kept up-to-date. Also, applicants must ensure that email from CCSF is not blocked on their computer by a spam filter. To prevent blocking, applicants should set up their email to accept CCSF mail from the following addresses (@sfgov.org, @sfdpw.org, @sfport.com, @flysfo.com, @sfwater.org, @sfdph.org, @asianart.org, @sfmta.com, @sfpl.org, @dcyf.org, @first5sf.org, @famsf.org, @ccsf.edu, @smartalerts.info, and @smartrecruiters.com).

Applicants will receive a confirmation email that their online application has been received in response to every announcement for which they file. Applicants should retain this confirmation email for their records. Failure to receive this email means that the online application was not submitted or received.

Exam Analyst Information: If you have any questions regarding the exam process, please contact the exam analyst, Maggie.lau@sfmta.com. ML |CBT-1314-T00112| CPE

The City and County of San Francisco encourages women, minorities and persons with disabilities to apply. Applicants will be considered regardless of their sex, race, age, religion, color, national origin, ancestry, physical disability, mental disability, medical condition (associated with cancer, a history of cancer, or genetic characteristics), HIV/AIDS status, genetic information, marital status, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, military and veteran status, or other protected category under the law.