Public Affairs Specialist

Seattle CARE Department; Seattle (WA); On-site; USD 68,000 - 79,000; Full time

Job summary

The Seattle CARE Department is seeking a Temporary Public Affairs Specialist to support the 911 Center and Diversified Response divisions for 11 months. Primary duties include processing public disclosure requests with privacy redaction knowledge and compliance with state law.

You will assist with public education campaigns, respond to public inquiries, and help develop social media and communications materials.

Qualifications

• Two years working in public safety, government, or public administration handling or overseeing PDRs, legislative affairs/government relations, community outreach/public education, or a related field.
• Exceptional written and oral communications skills.
• Experience in handling public disclosure requests.
• Meticulous time-management and organizational skills.
• Ability to navigate complex stakeholder relationships.

Responsibilities

• Responds to public disclosure requests in accordance with Washington State law using GovQA portal and applicable exemptions.
• Assist with community outreach and public education campaigns.
• Identify and research issues; compile data to support programs or projects.
• Coordinate planning activities with other departments and community groups.

Skills

Public safety experience

Public affairs communications

Community outreach

Attention to detail

Education

Bachelor's degree in public administration / urban planning

Tools

GovQA

Adobe Acrobat DC

Job description

Position Description

Are you ready for work that is both challenging and meaningful? Bring your enthusiasm for serving the community and join us in transforming the delivery of public safety services!

CARE is hiring a Temporary non benefits eligible short term, Public Affairs Specialist to support the department’s 911 Center and Diversified Response divisions for 11-months. This position’s primary responsibility will be to process public disclosure requests (PDRs) with a focus on privacy redaction, best practices, industry standards, legal requirements/regulations, and prioritization of requests.

This role will also assist the Public Affairs team by responding to requests from the public, participating in education and community outreach initiatives, helping develop social media and communications campaigns, and assisting the department with other public facing work.

The successful applicant will have strong knowledge of public disclosure laws and experience with community outreach/public education campaigns.

Job Responsibilities

• Responds to public disclosure requests in accordance with Washington State law, to include:
  • Working within the City of Seattle’s Public Records Request Portal, powered by GovQA software, to process public requests;
  • Responding within five (5) business days to requests for information and meeting all deadlines for records delivery as determined by department leadership;
  • Working with requesters to occasionally clarify requests to ensure records are responsive to the needs of the requestor;
  • Ensuring the responsiveness of each record to the associated request and determining the appropriateness of applying potential exemptions;
  • Making determinations using state law about necessary redactions and redacting records as appropriate using Adobe Acrobat DC software;
  • Keeping records of time spent on each request, and providing other summarizing information as required by Washington state law;
  • Creating exemption logs, when necessary;
  • Occasionally seeking legal guidance to ensure CARE is responding in alignment with the Revised Code of Washington (RCW), Washington Administrative Codes (WACs), and applicable case law and information;
  • Preserving the confidentiality of records; and
  • Ensuring the responsiveness of each record to the associated request and determining the appropriateness of applying potential exemptions.
• Plans and implements procedures to evaluate and monitor performance of public disclosure requests and other public information inquiries.
• Assist with community outreach and public educations campaigns, including attendance or participation in public forums.
• Identifies and researches issues and impacts of programs, policies or projects; compiles data. May support higher level staff on project or program activities.
• May act as a liaison with other City departments and agencies, business interests, and community groups to coordinate planning activities, including public involvement process.
• Other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

Minimum Qualifications: Requires two years of experience in planning and research related to land use, urban economics, human services, environmental issues, conservation; or other work directly related to City planning and development work; and a baccalaureate degree in planning, urban design, environmental studies, public administration, or related field (or a combination of education and/or training and/or experience which provides an equivalent background required to perform the work of the class).

OR: an equivalent combination of education, training, certification, and experience that demonstrates the ability to perform the position’s duties will be evaluated on an individual basis for comparability to the minimum education and experience requirements.

Must pass a Criminal Justice Information Systems (CJIS) background investigation.

The Ideal Candidate Should Possess

Two (2) years working in public safety, government, or public administration handling or overseeing PDRs, legislative affairs/government relations, community outreach/public education, or a relevant field.

• Exceptional written and oral communications skills.
• Experience in handling public disclosure requests.
• Exceptional time-management skills.
• Self-motivation with strong organization and project management skills
• Meticulous attention to detail, working well under pressure, and meeting deadlines.
• Knowledge or familiarity working in public safety—from various systems and responders to relevant privacy concerns.
• Collaborative and reliable team mentality.
• Proven ability to navigate complex relationships and work effectively with diverse stakeholders.

Work Environment and Physical Demands

• Work is performed in a busy 24/7 call center environment and public safety field response.
• Walking, standing, and/or sitting for long periods of time
• Primary work is performed indoors in an office environment
• Requires working outside normal business hours to attend community meetings or forums.

Compensation And Benefits

The full salary range for this position is $49.25 - $57.31 an hour.

The City of Seattle offers a comprehensive benefits package including vacation, 12 official holidays and 2 floating holidays, sick, and paid parental leave as well as medical, dental, vision, life, and long-term disability insurance for employees. Employees also have the opportunity to participate in a defined benefits retirement program. More information about benefits can be found at https://www.seattle.gov/human-resources/benefits/employees-and-covered-family members/most-employees-plans.

Race and Social Justice Initiative: The City of Seattle recognizes every City employee must play a role in ending institutional and structural racism. Our culture is the result of our behavior, our personal commitments, and the ways that we courageously share our perspectives and encourage others to do the same. To cultivate an antiracist culture, we seek employees who will engage in the Race and Social Justice Initiative by working to dismantle racist policies and procedures, unlearn the way things have always been done, and provide equitable processes and services.

Background Check Requirements

Applicants are subject to a criminal history investigation of conviction and arrest records in compliance with Seattle's Fair Chance Employment Ordinance, SMC 14.17. Applicants will be provided an opportunity to explain or correct background information. Employment is contingent upon the verification of credentials and successful outcome of the background investigation.

Who may apply

This position is open to all candidates that meet the minimum qualifications. The City of Seattle values diverse perspectives and life experiences. Applicants will be considered regardless of race, color, creed, national origin, ancestry, sex, marital status, disability, religious or political affiliation, age, sexual orientation, medical condition, or pregnancy. CARE encourages people of all backgrounds to apply, including people of color, immigrants, refugees, women, LGBTQ, people with disabilities, veterans, and those with diverse life experiences.