Career Opportunity

Public Relations Officer (Bilingual - Chinese/English) – San Francisco Public Works – (1314 PEX)

Recruitment: RTF0137951-01134125

Published: August 15, 2023

Apply using SmartRecruiters, the City and County of San Francisco's application portal.

About:

Specific information regarding this recruitment process is listed below.

Application Opening: Tuesday, August 1, 2023
Application Deadline: *Applicants are encouraged to apply immediately as this recruitment may close at any time, but no earlier than Tuesday, August 8, 2023.
Compensation Range:  $107,016 - $140,088 Annually
Recruitment ID:  RTF0137951-01134125

San Francisco Public Works (Public Works) has a far-reaching portfolio with a $453 million annual operating budget, an active capital portfolio that exceeds $3 billion and a workforce of 1,700-plus employees. The department operates around the clock, touching every neighborhood in San Francisco. The staff designs and manages the construction of civic buildings and streets; cleans and greens the right of way; maintains civic buildings; manages multi-million-dollar bond programs; trains people for jobs; keeps the right of way free of hazards; paves the roads; repairs bridges and public stairways; expands accessibility; and works at the forefront addressing some of San Francisco’s biggest challenges. With a mission to enhance the quality of life in San Francisco for residents, visitors and business owners, Public Works is committed to providing outstanding public service through an equity lens.

Please visit the “About Us” section of our website at https://www.sfpublicworks.org/about to learn more about the department’s core values, Racial Equity Initiative, leadership team, history, budget and more.

Public Works currently has a vacancy for the position of Public Relations Officer (1314) within our Communications and Public Affairs Division.

Communications and Public Affairs
The communications and public affairs team keeps the public and our staff informed of the department’s services, projects and programs through print and broadcast media, social media, podcasts, videos, websites, community meetings and other platforms. The team oversees press relations; manages internal communications, external communications, and government relations; produces award-winning digital journals, videos and podcasts; briefs elected officials; provides construction outreach services; and troubleshoots constituent concerns. The team also organizes special events to celebrate project milestones and staff achievements.

Appointment Type: Permanent-Exempt (PEX), Category 18. This position is excluded by the Charter from the competitive Civil Service examination process and shall serve at the discretion of the Appointing Officer and not exceed 36 months.

Role description

San Francisco Public Works’ commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion extends to how we communicate with residents, businesses, community and government partners, elected officials and our own staff. This position, part of the department’s communications and public affairs team, plays a key role in advancing that commitment and keeping San Francisco’s diverse constituency informed about the work of our dynamic organization.

With the guidance of the Director of Policy and Communications, as Public Relations Officer, you will support media relations, translation and interpretation services, public service campaigns and constituent services focused on the Chinese-language community. The position will entail both rapid-response communications and longer-term strategic communications to provide community members, elected officials and other constituencies with timely and accurate information related to San Francisco Public Works’ projects, programs and people. Your well-developed customer service skills allow you to be comfortable asking questions and listening to the concerns and ideas of others. With the responsibilities and projects you will encounter, being self-motivated and able to thrive working collaboratively in a team environment can aid in your successful experience in this role.

Important and Essential Duties: 
As a Public Relations Officer, your duties may include but are not limited to the following:

• Support cross-functional activities, including but not limited to assisting in public information campaigns; crafting social media content and press releases; developing targeted media pitches; and taking videos and photos.
• Provide translation and interpretation services for Chinese-language communications.
• Offer in-person community outreach and respond to inquiries from members of the public, other governmental agencies and elected officials and their staff.

How to qualify

Minimum Qualifications:

Education:
Possession of a baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university with major coursework in public relations, journalism, English, mass communications, public administration, public policy or a closely related field.

AND

Experience:
Four (4) years of verifiable full-time professional experience in editorial, newspaper, magazine, radio, television, public relations, social media, digital engagement or advertising.

This experience must be equivalent to job code 1312 Public Information Officer for the City and County of San Francisco and 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 (up to a maximum of 2 years). 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 or a closely related field may substitute for up to one (1) year of the required experience.

Desirable Qualifications: The stated desirable qualifications may be used to identify job finalists at the end of the selection process when candidates are referred for hiring.

• Possession of a baccalaureate degree in translation or interpretation
• Bilingual proficiency in English and Cantonese and/or Mandarin languages
• Ability to cultivate and maintain partnerships with community organizations, business associations and neighborhood groups
• Demonstrated experience in providing translation and interpretation services in Cantonese and/or Mandarin
• Excellent verbal and written communications skills
• Experience in effective storytelling to communicate with a diverse audience; experience in video production is highly desirable
• Exceptional organizational and time-management skills to thrive in a fast-paced, high-demand environment
• Ability to translate complex, technical information into clear, accessible and compelling information for a general audience
• Advanced customer service ability and skills
• Keen interest in troubleshooting constituent concerns with the goal of providing excellent public relations
• A proven self-starter who also can work collaboratively in a team environment
• Possess a curiosity and willingness to keep current on the topics most relevant to the San Francisco Public Works’ portfolio and an awareness of when issues should be elevated to department leadership.

Verification of Education and Experience:
Applicants may be required to submit verification of qualifying education and experience at any point during the recruitment and selection process. More information can be found at: https://sfdhr.org/information-about-hiring-process#verification

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. 

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.

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

The selection process will include an evaluation of applications in relation to minimum requirements. Depending on the number of applicants, the department may establish and implement additional screening mechanisms to comparatively evaluate the qualifications of candidates. If this becomes necessary, only those applicants whose qualifications most closely meet the needs of the department will move forward in the recruitment process.

Minimum Qualification Supplemental Questionnaire (MQSQ):
Candidates may be required to complete an 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.

Applicants who meet the minimum qualifications are not guaranteed advancement through all of the steps in the selection procedure.

What else should I know?

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
• Right to Work
• Copies of Application Documents
• Diversity Statement

Statement on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion: At the City and County of San Francisco, we share a commitment to a diverse, inclusive and equitable community. Each member of our organization is responsible and accountable for what they say and do to make San Francisco an inclusive and equitable place to live and work by employing fair and just practices to and for all.

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.

If you have any questions regarding this recruitment or application process, please contact the analyst, Kristi Sevilla, at kristi.sevilla@sfdpw.org.

CONDITION OF EMPLOYMENT:  All City and County of San Francisco employees are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 as a condition of employment. Someone is fully vaccinated when 14 days have passed since they received the final dose of a two-shot vaccine or a dose of a one-shot vaccine. Any new hire must present proof of full vaccination status to be appointed. Any new hire who will be routinely assigned or occasionally enter High-Risk Settings, must provide proof of having received a COVID-19 booster vaccine by March 1, 2022, or once eligible.

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.