PART-TIME /TEMPORARY Strategic Communications Assistant

Western Municipal Water District; California; On-site; USD 25,000 - 34,000; Part time

Job summary

Western Water seeks a creative and detail-oriented Strategic Communications Assistant for a part-time temporary assignment. The role supports production and design for the Strategic Communication Department and assists with developing news releases, newsletters, and outreach materials.

Responsibilities include coordinating public campaigns, planning community events, and supporting social media content. Requires an associate degree and experience in public information or related fields; drivers

Qualifications

• Associate degree or equivalent in communications, public relations, journalism, marketing, or related field.
• One year of experience supporting public information programs.
• Experience with project management platforms such as ClickUp and Smartsheet.
• Experience with social media and digital communications.
• Knowledge of AP style, basic graphic design, and content development.

Responsibilities

• Assist with development of news releases, fact sheets, newsletters, public service announcements, and outreach materials.
• Coordinate public awareness campaigns and community outreach programs, including deadlines.
• Plan and execute community events, including invitations, agendas, logistics, and day-of support.
• Support social media content development, including photos and short-form videos.
• Maintain department documents and databases to ensure accuracy and policy compliance.

Skills

Attention to detail

Project management tools

Follow directions

Organizational skills

Communication skills

Education

Associate degree in communications or related field

Tools

ClickUp

Smartsheet

Adobe Acrobat

Microsoft 365

Job description

THIS IS A PART-TIME TEMPORARY LIMITED TERM ASSIGNMENT

Hours per week: Up to 29 hours

Proposed Schedule: Up to 8 hours per day

Proposed Work Days: Three to four days per week

Starting Hourly Rate: $18 to $25 per hour depending on experience

PLEASE NOTE

This job posting will be advertised until Monday, November 16, 2026 or upon receiving 50 qualified applicants.

About Western Water

At Western Water, we are customer and community-obsessed! We are on a mission to achieve service excellence by building and delivering memorable customer experiences at every touchpoint. We aim to be mindful and strategic, using data and engagement as the backbone of building a community around efficiently using our most precious resource and understanding its value. Western Water’s Communications and Customer Experience team is at the forefront of creating and delivering extreme value for our customers and partners.

Western Water stands out:

• Western Water is one of the largest public agencies in Riverside County providing water and sewer services to nearly one million people; and
• We see ourselves as more of a business than a bureaucracy; and
• We view our customers as an essential partner in ensuring long-term water security for our region; and
• Together, the Western Water team is focused on being the definitive leader in water and sewer services, upholding the highest level of stakeholder trust.

Western Water is seeking a creative and detail-oriented part-time/temporary Strategic Communications Assistant to provide production and design support to the Strategic Communication Department.

Professional Attributes

• Strong attention to detail and consistency in execution;
• Comfort working in project management or task-tracking tools;
• Ability to follow direction, manage assigned tasks independently, and complete work accurately;
• Openness to feedback and willingness to make revisions;
• Strong organizational and communication skills.

• Assists with the development of customer and public information material including news releases, fact sheets, newsletters, public service announcements, outreach campaign materials, educational resources, and other communications collateral developed by staff and/or consultants.
• Assists with coordinating public awareness campaigns, community outreach programs, and internal communication projects, including managing deadlines and production schedules.
• Assists with planning and executing community events and meetings, including coordinating invitations, agendas, vendors, logistics, materials, setup and breakdown, and day-of event support.
• Supports social media content development, including capturing behind-the-scenes photos and videos, identifying content opportunities, and creating content for Western Water's social media channels.
• Assists with maintaining and reviewing department documents and databases to ensure accuracy and compliance with Western Water’s policies, agreements, contracts, and applicable regulations.
• Demonstrates strong attention to detail, sound judgment, initiative, and the ability to manage multiple assignments, deadlines, and competing priorities in a collaborative environment.
• Communicates effectively and collaborates across departments to gather information, address competing needs, resolve content issues, and support approved digital improvements.

Education and Experience

• Associate degree or equivalent combination of coursework in communications, public relations, journalism, marking, or a related field.
• One year of experience supporting professional support to a public information program, or a related function. (Relevant internships, school projects, volunteer work, or a portfolio may be considered as qualifying experience.)

Required License

CA Class C Driver's License

Desired Experience

• Experience with or knowledge of project and work management platforms such as ClickUp and Smartsheet.
• Experience with of knowledge of principles, methods, techniques and practices of public affairs, community engagement, public information, marketing, outreach, and communication
• Experience supporting social media and digital communications, including capturing photos and short-form videos, identifying content opportunities, and developing engaging content for social media platforms.
• Experience utilizing methods for storytelling, preparing information materials aligned with Associated Press Style guidelines and disseminating them through the various media, including the methods and techniques for graphic design, layout, and print production.
• Experience supporting community events, public meetings, outreach activities, or other special events, including coordinating logistics, scheduling, invitations, notifications, agendas, materials, setup, and day-of support.
• Experience developing customer and public information materials, including news releases, fact sheets, newsletters, media materials, educational content, and outreach collateral.
• Experience using generative AI tools to support research, content development, editing, and other communications workflows.
• Proficiency with Microsoft 365 and Adobe Acrobat. Experience with, or the ability to quickly learn, a website content management system, project/work management tools, web and digital experience analytics platforms, digital design or content creation tools, chatbot or knowledge-base tools, and basic HTML/CSS

PHYSICAL, MENTAL, AND ENVIRONMENTAL REQUIREMENTS

The characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this class. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Physical: Employees are regularly required to use repetitive motion for keyboard use and writing; frequently grasp, reach overhead, hold and reach; sit for long periods of time; occasionally walk, use staircases, stand, kneel, stoop and bend; occasionally lift and carry up to 25 pounds or 60 pounds with assistance; constantly use overall vision; and frequently hear and talk, in person and on the phone.

Mental: Employees should possess the ability to speak, read, and write English, in addition to exercising math and computer aptitude as required. Employees work under pressure with frequent interruptions while communicating and interacting with a variety of Western Water personnel, the public, and others encountered in the course of work. The ability to explain, interpret, and apply related rules, regulations, policies and procedures; and work on multiple concurrent assignments, often within tight timeframes using good business judgment is necessary.

Environmental: Employees primarily work in a temperature controlled office environment subject to typical office noise and settings. Incumbents are expected to use principles of effective safety practices including the use of equipment in a proper and safe manner, use of preventative personal ergonomic techniques, and maintaining safe personal and common workspaces.

Western Water is a tobacco free campus prohibiting smoking and the use of smokeless tobacco products, e-cigarettes, and unregulated nicotine products in any Western Water vehicle and building, which includes any building owned and occupied, or leased and occupied, by Western Water, including, Headquarters, the Operations Center, and any remote facilities owned, leased and/or operated by Western Water.