Communications Officer I (AFSCME)

San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District (BART)

Oakland (CA)

On-site

USD 119,000 - 145,000

Full time

6 days ago

Be an early applicant

Application generator

Turn this role into an interview — a resume and cover letter built around what this employer wants.

Get past ATS filters

Benefits offered by this job

Medical Coverage

Dental Coverage

Vision Insurance

CalPERS retirement

Sick Leave

Vacation Accruals

Holidays

Life Insurance

AD&D Insurance

Commuter Benefits

Free BART Passes

Job summary

San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District (BART) seeks a Communications Officer I to join the Media Relations team in Oakland. The role focuses on creating clear, timely public information for riders and the broader bay area, including press releases, passenger bulletins, social media content, and real-time updates during service disruptions.

Ideal candidates will have a Bachelor's in English or related field, at least one year of newsroom or public information experience, and the ability to

Qualifications

Bachelor’s degree in English, journalism, communications, or closely related field.
Equivalent of one year of full-time professional experience in a public information program or newsroom writing, editing, and content creation.
Substitution: additional professional experience may be substituted for education year-for-year.
Must possess a valid California driver’s license and travel within local area; on-call/off-hours work required.

Responsibilities

Prepare written, digital, and multimedia content under tight deadlines for news media and public audiences.
Respond to media inquiries by gathering facts and coordinating interviews.
Support crisis communications, public outreach, and real-time passenger information during disruptions.
Plan events with District staff and coordinate media participation.
Post content on the District’s social media and develop website content and passenger communications.
Edit and develop content for social media, news articles, and publications.

Skills

Writing content

Media relations

Crisis communications

Social media

CMS

Media monitoring

Public speaking

Relationship building

Education

Bachelor’s degree in English/Journalism/Communications

Tools

Content management systems

Media monitoring tools

Social media platforms

Job description

About the Department

Pay Rate

AFSCME Pay Grade 10

$119,184.00/year (Minimum/Step 1) - $144,892.80/year (Maximum/Step 5)

Note: The negotiable salary offer will be commensurate with education and experience.

Reports To

Manager of Media Relations

Days Off

Saturday/Sunday

Who May Apply

All current BART employees and future BART employees

Current Assignment

This job announcement will be used to fill one (1) vacancy.

The Communications Officer I position supports BART's Media Relations team within a fast-paced, high-visibility public communications environment. This position plays a central role in keeping over 200,000 average daily riders and the broader Bay Area public informed about service changes, safety initiatives, capital projects, and District programs.

Current operational priorities for this position include supporting communications around BART's ongoing fleet modernization and station modernization projects, contributing to real-time passenger communications during service disruptions, and assisting with public information efforts tied to safety and security initiatives across the system. This position also supports the District's continued growth in digital and social media engagement, helping to expand reach and responsiveness across multiple platforms during both routine operations and emergent situations.

This position requires availability for on-call rotation and off-hours response, as service disruptions and newsworthy events often occur outside standard business hours. Successful performance in this assignment requires the ability to synthesize complex, technical, or sensitive information into clear, accurate, and timely public-facing content under deadline pressure.

The most qualified candidates for this position will have highly developed competencies in the following areas, which will be reinforced with related work experience and will be articulated during the selection process:

Writing clear, accurate, and engaging content for news releases, social media, and passenger communications under tight deadlines
Responding professionally and efficiently to media inquiries, including gathering facts, coordinating interviews, and preparing background materials
Applying sound judgment to identify and prioritize newsworthy information
Using content management systems, social media platforms, and media monitoring tools effectively
Maintaining composure and accuracy while communicating during crisis or service disruption events
Building and maintaining effective working relationships with reporters, District staff, and the public

Position Duties

Under daily, time-sensitive deadlines, prepares written, digital, and multimedia content that highlights District plans, activities, and programs; disseminates information to the news media and general public through press releases, social media posts, passenger bulletins and news articles.
Assists in responding to media inquiries by gathering information, preparing background materials, coordinating interviews, and providing factual information under established guidelines.
Supports crisis communications by gathering information, writing news releases, and assisting with public outreach.
Participates in planning events with other District staff; contacts media in order to ensure participation; attends events and provides staff support.
Participates in after-hours on-call rotation to respond to media inquiries about service disruptions and other newsworthy events that occur outside of the hours of 9am-5pm.
Posts content on the District’s social media channels regarding service disruptions and other newsworthy events.
Writes and develops content for the District’s social media channels.
Assists in developing website content, multimedia content, passenger communications, and social media content; and edits news articles as assigned.
Assists with maintaining media contact list, including bilingual news outlets; and develops relationships with reporters who cover District news.
Attends Board of Directors and other public meetings at BART facilities and may be assigned to assist with audio/visual needs for those meetings on an as-needed basis.
Contributes creative public outreach ideas to advance District priorities.

Minimum Qualifications

Education: A Bachelor’s degree in English, journalism, communications, or a closely related field from an accredited college or university.
Experience: The equivalent of one (1) year of full-time professional experience in a public information program or working in a professional newsroom as a reporter, producer, or editor responsible for writing, editing, and preparing creative content.
Substitution: Additional professional experience as outlined above may be substituted for the education on a year-for-year basis.
Other Requirements: Must possess a valid California driver’s license and have a satisfactory driving record. Required to work off-shift hours and on-call, including on holidays and weekends, and be able to travel within the local area.

The selected candidate must demonstrate a work history reflecting reliability and dependability and may be required to provide copies of certificates, diplomas, or other documentation required by law, including proof of authorization to work in the United States.

Pre-employment processing will include a background check. This requirement does not apply to current full-time District employees unless the position requires additional evaluations or clearances.

Other Qualifications

Knowledge of:

Methods and techniques of journalism, copy writing, script writing, and editing.
News value and an understanding of what makes something newsworthy.
Operational procedures of television, radio and print news media.
Principles of digital communications and social media engagement.
Content management systems and web publishing tools.
Media monitoring and social media analytics tools.
Principles and practices of public speaking.
Current office procedures, methods, and equipment including computers and word processing and spreadsheet applications.
Basic knowledge of social media platforms.
Methods and techniques of researching and verifying data and information.
Principles and practices for writing clear and concise content.
English usage, spelling, grammar, and punctuation.
Digital media center operations.
Related Federal, State and local codes, laws, and regulations.

Skill in:

Developing and delivering public information materials.
Writing clear and concise content for public information purposes.
Performing under the pressure of consistent deadlines.
Monitoring media coverage and public sentiment.
Using digital communication platforms and content management systems.
Skill in digital media, including the ability to learn operating switching equipment.
Responding to requests and inquiries from news reporters.
Preparing, editing, and proofreading written materials.
Working independently in the absence of supervision.
Researching and analyzing materials.
Typing at a speed necessary for successful job performance.
Establishing and maintaining effective working relationships with those contacted in the course of work.

Benefits

The San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District (BART) prides itself in offering best in class benefits packages to employees of the District. Currently, the following benefits may be available to employees in this job classification.

Medical Coverage (or $350/month if opted out)
Dental Coverage
Vision Insurance (Basic and Enhanced Plans Available)
Retirement Plan through the CA Public Employees’ Retirement System (CalPERS)
- 2% @ 55 (Classic Members)
- 2% @ 62 (PEPRA Members)
- Reciprocity available for existing members of many other public retirement systems (see BART website and/or CalPERS website for details)
Money Purchase Pension Plan (in-lieu of participating in Social Security tax)
- 6.65% employer contribution up to annual maximum of $1,868.65
Deferred Compensation & Roth 457
Sick Leave Accruals (12 days per year)
Vacation Accruals (3-6 weeks based on time worked w/ the District)
Holidays: 9 observed holidays and 4 floating holidays
Life Insurance w/ ability to obtain additional coverage
Accidental Death and Dismemberment (AD&D) Insurance
Survivor Benefits through BART
Short-Term Disability Insurance
Long-Term Disability Insurance
Flexible Spending Accounts: Health and Dependent Care
Commuter Benefits
Free BART Passes for BART employees and eligible family members.