Community Relations Specialist

Alachua County Sheriff's Office (FL); Gainesville (FL); On-site; USD 42,000 - 56,000; Full time

Job summary

The Alachua County Sheriff's Office is seeking a Specialist to support community outreach, event planning, and partnership development. You will coordinate logistics for community events, schedule personnel, and prepare reports in collaboration with the Community Services team.

Under supervision of the Government and Community Relations Manager, you will build relationships with diverse communities, give speeches, and help disseminate information through public briefings and media outreach.

Qualifications

• High School Diploma or GED required.
• Associate's Degree or higher preferred.
• Mentoring experience is preferred.
• Preferred majors: Public Relations, Sociology, Psychology.

Responsibilities

• Update the Community Services calendar daily with events, scheduling personnel, and purchasing supplies.
• Schedule and attend meetings and events beneficial to the ACSO mission.
• Establish community partnerships to support outreach programs.
• Develop community contacts county-wide to address community needs.
• Plan and coordinate activities involving public participation and coordinate with the PIO for information dissemination.
• Make speeches and conduct presentations on behalf of the Sheriff's Office.
• Coordinate outreach programs and special events.

Job description

Highly responsible professional work requiring a combination of specialized knowledge and experience regarding law enforcement, community outreach programs, and event planning. Responsibilities include helping with planning and coordinating the logistics for all community events, developing community partnerships, and providing community outreach. The Specialist is responsible for helping with the scheduling, planning, and implementation of community outreach programs. The Specialist will further establish and maintain open communications and good rapport between the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office (ACSO) and the communities we serve.

Work is performed under the supervision of the Government and Community Relations Manager. Performance is evaluated through conferences, observation, results obtained, oral/written reports, and appropriate employee performance appraisals.

• On a daily basis, ensure the Community Services calendar is updated regarding all Community events, such as:
  1. event planning
  2. scheduling personnel
  3. ordering and purchasing needed event supplies
  4. maintaining event records
  5. creating reports as requested
• Schedule and attend meetings/events beneficial to the ACSO mission and those requested by Community Services
• Establish community partnerships to help support and fund the community outreach programs
• Establish community contacts within all areas of the county to address the needs of the community and create and/or facilitate programs that will best serve citizens in those areas
• Plan, conduct, and coordinate activities which involve public participation or information dissemination; work closely with the ACSO Public Information Office (PIO) to ensure proper and timely dissemination of information to the public
• Make speeches and conduct presentations on behalf of the Sheriff's Office
• Assist with the coordination and/or facilitation of special details or events, including a large variety of outreach/educational programs

*This section of the job description is not intended to be a comprehensive list of duties and/or responsibilities of the position. The omission of specific job functions or tasks does not absolve an employee from being required to perform additional tasks incidental to or inherent to the position.

EDUCATIONAL REQUIREMENTS:

• High School Diploma or GED Required
• Associate's Degree or better Preferred

Preferred Major(s):Public Relations, Sociology, Psychology, or other related field

EXPERIENCE AND TRAINING:

• Mentoring experience is preferred
• Type 30 cwpm or better
• Knowledge of Microsoft Office products and Adobe Photoshop/Creative is preferred

CERTIFICATION AND LICENSING:

• Current, valid Florida driver license

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:

• Sit/stand for long periods
• See/hear at a normal range
• Speak, read, write, and understand English fluently
• Ambulate independently
• Lift/carry 25 pounds
• Bend and squat
• Manual dexterity
• Drive a vehicle

• Good interpersonal skills
• Good public speaking skills
• Considerable knowledge of the current practices and principles of English grammar
• Good writing and computer skills
• Strong self-discipline and the ability to multitask
• Ability to draft and disseminate information through written or electronic disbursements and conduct singular or mass-media briefings
• Skilled in handling or solving potentially difficult situations
• Considerable knowledge of the principles of public relations, including the mechanics of planning and scheduling public participation programs
• Skilled in dealing with a wide variety of individuals in order to successfully communicate ideas and initiatives
• Ability to establish and maintain an effective working relationship with the administration, co-workers, other agencies, and the general public