Public Information Officer 1-2

State of Louisiana; Baton Rouge (LA); On-site; USD 42,000 - 70,000; Full time

Job summary

Louisiana Office of Tourism (LOT) in Baton Rouge seeks a Public Information Officer to support public information strategies and media outreach. This full-time role serves in the Communication Section and requires strong writing and media relations skills.

You will research, write, and distribute press materials, coordinate publicity for events, and manage LOT's digital asset management system, including photos and videos. Occasional travel and after-hours work may be required.

Qualifications

• Three years of experience in public relations, journalism, marketing, content creation, social media management, or graphic design.
• Six years of full‑time experience in any field; OR a bachelor's degree as an equivalent substitute.

Responsibilities

• Research, develop, and write public relations components such as scripts, new releases, newsletters, letters, speeches, brochures, and other promotional materials.
• Gather, prepare, and distribute information about events, sales missions, and other public‑facing information to the media.
• Maintain and update a current list of in‑state, national, and international media for information distribution and for use in developing media missions domestically and internationally.
• Organize, manage, and maintain LOT’s digital asset management (DAM) repository including thousands of photographs and videos.
• Develop PowerPoint presentations and assist with the creation of videos for presentations.
• Prepare talking points and draft speeches for executive offices as needed.

Skills

Public relations

Writing

Communication

Critical thinking

Media relations

Event planning

Social media management

Education

Bachelor's degree

Tools

Microsoft Word

PowerPoint

DAM (Digital Asset Management)

Job description

About This Job

This is a full‑time position located at the Capitol Annex Building in Baton Rouge, LA. It is the mission of Louisiana Office of Tourism (LOT) to market and promote Louisiana as a travel destination for in‑state, domestic, and international visitors. LOT employs a variety of initiatives to accomplish this mission including implementing broad‑based advertising campaigns, sponsoring special events, conducting sales missions into many domestic and international marketplaces, and contracting with international representatives in foreign countries. This position will be part of the Communication Section and will assist in the implementation of the Louisiana Office of Tourism’s public information strategies.

The Louisiana Office of Tourism's vision is to market and promote the brand of Feed Your Soul showcasing Louisiana as a travel destination, increasing revenue generated by the tourism industry and contributing to the economic impact of tourism in all 64 parishes.

The Office of Tourism partners with tourism professionals and industry stakeholders in private and public sectors to extend and enhance their efforts to reach domestic and international consumers and travel trade.

An Ideal Candidate Should Possess The Following Competencies

• Demonstrating Accountability: The ability to take ownership of actions, behaviors, performance, decisions, and outcomes.
• Communicating Effectively: The ability to convey information, ideas, and emotions using structured communication methods that promote understanding and engagement.
• Thinking Critically: The ability to analyze information objectively, identify connections across sources, and form logical, well‑supported conclusions.

Minimum Qualifications

• Three years of experience in public relations, journalism, marketing, content creation, social media management, or graphic design; OR
• Six years of full‑time experience in any field; OR
• A bachelor's degree.

Experience Substitution

Every 30 semester hours earned from an accredited college or university will be credited as one year of experience towards the six years of full‑time work experience in any field. The maximum substitution allowed is 120 semester hours which substitutes for a maximum of four years of experience in any field.

Job Specification

The official job specifications for this role, as defined by the State Civil Service, can be found here.

Job Duties

• Research, develop, and write public relations components such as scripts, new releases, newsletters, letters, speeches, brochures, publications, fact sheets, and other promotional materials. Must have strong writing skills.
• Gather, prepare, and distribute information about events, sales missions, and other public‑facing information to the media.
• Maintain and update a current list of in‑state, national, and international media for information distribution and for use in developing media missions domestically and internationally.
• Organize, manage, and maintain LOT’s digital asset management (DAM) repository. This includes 1000’s of photographs and videos that need to be identified, labeled, and categorized. As new images are added with each advertising campaign, these digital assets must be identified and sorted so they can be easily found and utilized on other projects.
• Search the digital asset management repository for staff for projects when photos and videos are needed for other projects.
• Develop PowerPoint presentations and assist with the creation of videos for presentations.
• Research topics and prepare speeches for the Assistant Secretary.
• Prepare talking points and draft speeches for the Lieutenant Governor’s Office as needed.
• Coordinate publicity for agency‑sponsored events.
• May assist with social media and digital media campaigns.
• Other duties as needed.

Other Special Requirements

• Must be proficient in Microsoft Word.
• Must have excellent writing and communication skills.
• Applicants should have experience drafting press releases.

Position‑Specific Details

• Appointment Type: This is a probational appointment. Current permanent status state employees may be required to accept a probational appointment.
• Career Progression: This position is in a Career Progression Group to a Public Information Officer 2. As part of a Career Progression Group, vacancies may be filled from this recruitment as a Public Information Officer 1 or 2 based on the qualifications of the selected applicant. Please refer to the “Class Specifications” page by clicking here, for specific information of salary ranges, minimum qualifications and job concepts for each level.
• Work Schedule: This is a full‑time position that reports in‑office Monday‑Friday, from 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM. This position may be required to work evenings, weekends, holidays, and/or overtime. This position will be required to travel and drive.
• Location: This position is located at the Capitol Annex Building in Baton Rouge, LA.

Louisiana is a State As a Model Employer (SAME) that supports the recruitment, hiring, and retention of individuals with disabilities.

The Office of the Lieutenant Governor and the Department of Culture, Recreation & Tourism are participants in the E‑Verify system for identification and employment eligibility purposes.

Louisiana as a State, is a Model Employer for People with Disabilities.

For Further Information About This Vacancy, Contact

Katelyn Wale

Department of Culture, Recreation & Tourism

1051 North 3rd Street

Baton Rouge, LA 70802

Fax: 225‑342‑7928

[e-mail]

Louisiana State Government represents a wide variety of career options and offers an outstanding opportunity to make a difference through public service. With an array of career opportunities in every major metropolitan center and in many rural areas, state employment provides an outstanding option to begin or continue your career.

As a State Employee, You Will Earn Competitive Pay, Choose From a Variety Of Benefits, And Have Access To a Great Professional Development Program:

Insurance Coverage

More information can be found at https://info.groupbenefits.org/

Parental Leave – Up to six weeks paid parental leave

More information can be found at https://www.civilservice.louisiana.gov/Parental-Leave/Default.aspx

Holidays and Leave – State employees receive the following paid holidays each year:

• New Year's Day
• Martin Luther King, Jr. Day,
• Mardi Gras,
• Good Friday,
• Memorial Day,
• Independence Day,
• Labor Day,
• Veteran's Day,
• Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day.
• Additional holidays may be proclaimed by the Governor

State employees earn sick and annual leave which can be accumulated and saved for future use. Your accrual rate increases as your years of service increase.

Retirement – State Of Louisiana Employees Are Eligible To Participate In Various Retirement Systems (based On The Type Of Appointment And Agency For Which An Employee Works). These Retirement Systems Provide Retirement Allowances And Other Benefits For State Officers And Employees And Their Beneficiaries. State Retirement Systems May Include (but Are Not Limited To):

• Louisiana State Employees Retirement System (www.lasersonline.org). LASERS has provided this video to give you more detailed information about their system
• Teacher's Retirement System of Louisiana (www.trsl.org),
• Louisiana School Employees Retirement System (www.lsers.net), among others

01

CE: Communicating Effectively – How well do you share information and ideas in ways that others can understand, relate to, and act on?

• I communicate unclearly, use poor tone, and ignore the audience.
• I share main ideas clearly and adapt to the audience when reminded.
• I communicate clearly, listen actively, and explain complex ideas well.
• I craft messages that connect, inspire, and drive action across audiences.

02

CE: Communicating Effectively – Explain your selection by providing specific examples from your experience. Tip: Use the STAR method (situation, task, action, result) to explain how you have demonstrated this competency. Examples from work, military service, volunteering, education, or other life experiences are all valid.

03

DA: Demonstrating Accountability – How well do you take responsibility for your actions, results, and performance?

• I avoid responsibility, deliver poor work, and resist feedback.
• I take ownership when prompted and meet basic expectations.
• I own results, meet standards, and respond to feedback professionally.
• I drive high performance, prevent issues, and model accountability.

04

DA: Demonstrating Accountability – Explain your selection by providing specific examples from your experience. Tip: Use the STAR method (situation, task, action, result) to explain how you have demonstrated this competency. Examples from work, military service, volunteering, education, or other life experiences are all valid.

05

TCr: Thinking Critically – How do you analyze information and draw meaningful conclusions from it?

• I miss key details or oversimplify information, and my conclusions may not be based on evidence.
• I try to analyze information, but I may overlook the relevance or credibility of my sources.
• I analyze key information, consider the evidence, and form logical conclusions based on credible sources.
• I uncover deeper insights by connecting different sources, questioning assumptions, and identifying patterns.

06

TCr: Thinking Critically – Explain your selection by providing specific examples from your experience. Tip: Use the STAR method (situation, task, action, result) to explain how you have demonstrated this competency. Examples from work, military service, volunteering, education, or other life experiences are all valid.

Required Question