Communications Officer I (AFSCME)

Bay Area Rapid Transit; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 119,000 - 145,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Weekend days off

Job summary

Bay Area Rapid Transit is seeking a Communications Officer I to support the Media Relations team in a fast-paced, high-visibility public communications environment. You will craft news releases, passenger bulletins, and social media content to inform over 200,000 daily riders about service changes, safety initiatives, and district programs.

The role requires coordinating interviews, monitoring media, and producing accurate, timely content under deadlines.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in English, journalism, communications, or a closely related field.

Responsibilities

• 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 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 standard hours.
• 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 and may assist with audio/visual needs.
• Contributes creative public outreach ideas to advance District priorities.

Skills

Writing clear content

Media relations

Crisis communications

Social media management

News gathering

Fact gathering

Interviews coordination

Public speaking

Team collaboration

Education

Bachelor’s degree in English/journalism/communications

Tools

Content management systems

Media monitoring tools

Job description

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

1. 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.
2. Assists in responding to media inquiries by gathering information, preparing background materials, coordinating interviews, and providing factual information under established guidelines.
3. Supports crisis communications by gathering information, writing news releases, and assisting with public outreach.
4. Participates in planning events with other District staff; contacts media in order to ensure participation; attends events and provides staff support.
5. 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.
6. Posts content on the District’s social media channels regarding service disruptions and other newsworthy events.
7. Writes and develops content for the District’s social media channels.
8. Assists in developing website content, multimedia content, passenger communications, and social media content; and edits news articles as assigned.
9. Assists with maintaining media contact list, including bilingual news outlets; and develops relationships with reporters who cover District news.
10. 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.
11. Contributes creative public outreach ideas to advance District priorities.

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.

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.