Job 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. Class 1314 Public Relations Officer is delegated full responsibility for all aspects of the public relations activities of a department. The programs they are responsible for affect a large segment of the general public (e.g., utility users) or a specialized group who directly benefit from the services provided.

Essential duties include:

According to Civil Service Commission Rule 109, the duties specified below are representative of the range of duties assigned to this job code/class 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. 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. 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.
5. Develops and implements public information and public outreach programs, projects and campaigns to keep the staff, management, public, prospective users of services, interested organization 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.
6. Plans, assigns and evaluates the work of subordinate staff in the preparation of public relations and marketing programs and projects.
7. Addresses civic organizations, neighborhood associations, trade groups and other organizations to explain the activities and services of the department. Organizes and convenes com-munity meetings and focus groups and makes presentations.
8. 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.
9. 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.
10. Investigates complaints directed at the department’s operation; recommends corrective action to preclude further adverse action or opinion; may prepare replies to such complaints. 
11. Organizes tours and orientation sessions for the media, visiting dignitaries, trade representatives and the general public.
12. Prepares periodic reports; writes press releases and advisories, maintains a current file of publicity and work-related information, media contacts and other records essential to an effective public relations program.

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.

Qualifications

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS FOR THIS RECRUITMENT

A minimum of one year as a Category 18 exempt appointee in Class 1314 by December 15, 2022. Must be a current exempt employee with the City and County of San Francisco with no break in service.

UNDERLYING MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

1. 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 or a closely related field; AND
2. 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.

VERIFICATION Candidates being offered a permanent appointment will be required to submit verification of having met the underlying minimum qualifications [education and experience] at the time of appointment to the exempt position. Information on how to verify education requirements, including verifying foreign education credits or degree equivalency, can be found at https://sfdhr.org/how-verify-education-requirements

Failure to submit verification will result in disqualification from this selection process.

Additional Information

HOW TO APPLY

Applications for City and County of San Francisco jobs are ONLY accepted through an online process. Visit https://careers.sf.gov/ and begin the application process.

• 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 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.

SELECTION PROCESS: Qualified applicants will be ranked on an eligible list according to length of Cat 18 exempt City service and any other qualifying points such as promotive or Veteran’s Preference in accordance with CSC rules. Work history will be verified through City records which will be the final authority.

ELIGIBLE LIST/SCORE REPORT A confidential eligible list of qualifying candidates will be created and used for certification purposes only. A 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 selection process is subject to change after adoption (e.g., as a result of appeals), as directed by the Human Resources Director or the Civil Service Commission.

The duration of the eligible list resulting from this examination process will be 12 months.

For those candidates that do not have their qualifying 12 months at the time of eligible list posting, you will be placed under waiver on the eligible list and not available for appointment until you qualify. For example, if you were appointed to your Cat 18 position in November, 2021, you would be under waiver until November 2022.

CERTIFICATION RULE The certification rule for this selection process will be Rule of the List.

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. Clerical errors may be corrected by the posting the correction on the Department of Human Resources website at https://careers.sf.gov/.

The terms of this announcement may be appealed under CSC Rule 110.4. Appeals concerning the provisions of an examination announcement must be received by the Human Resources Director within five (5) business days from the issuance date. The Human Resources Director shall rule on all appeals and shall notify appellants in writing of the decision. This decision is subject to appeal to the Commission as provided elsewhere in these Rules.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION REGARDING EMPLOYMENT WITH THE CITY AND COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO

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. Clerical errors may be corrected by the posting the correction on the Department of Human Resources website at https://careers.sf.gov/.

• Information About the Hiring Process
• Conviction History
• Employee Benefits Overview  
• Equal Employment Opportunity 
• Disaster Service Worker
• ADA Accommodation
• Right to Work
• Diversity Statement

HR ANALYST INFORMATION If you have any questions regarding this recruitment or application process, please contact Maggie Lau at Maggie.lau@sfmta.com.

Recruitment ID: CBT-1314-E00021

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.