Public Information Representative I/II - Fire Department

City of San José; San Jose (CA); On-site; USD 90,000 - 118,000; Full time

Job summary

The City of San José Fire Department is seeking a Public Information Representative I/II to support public information and community engagement efforts. You will oversee community outreach programs, develop multilingual education materials, and create content for the Department’s social media channels.

You will coordinate outreach activities with firefighters and staff, promote safety campaigns, and assist with media relations, events, and website updates.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in journalism, communications, advertising, marketing, public relations, public administration, or closely related field.
• Public information/public relations experience may substitute education for up to two years.

Responsibilities

• Oversee and coordinate community outreach programs to build relationships with diverse communities.
• Develop multilingual public education materials and messaging on fire prevention and life safety.
• Create engaging content for social media and digital platforms.
• Support media relations and incident-related updates as needed.
• Assist with internal and external events, press conferences, and department activities.

Skills

Communication

Customer service

Flexibility

Political savvy

Job expertise

Teamwork

Project management

Planning

Initiative

Education

Bachelor's degree in journalism, communications, advertising, marketing, public relations, public administration, or closely related field

Job description

Our diverse and inclusive workforce of more than 7,000 employees play a key role in the success of San José, the heart of the Silicon Valley. All City of San José employees work together as one team to make San José a vibrant, innovative, and desirable place to live and work. Visit here to learn more about our One Team Leadership Values and Expectations, including quality and excellent customer service and here to learn more about San José.

The City of San José is an equal opportunity employer. Applicants for all job openings will be considered without regard to age, race, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, disability, veteran status or any other consideration made unlawful under any federal, state or local laws. The City of San José is committed to offering reasonable accommodations to job applicants with disabilities. If you need assistance or an accommodation due to a disability, please contact us at 408-535-1285, 711 (TTY), or via email at [e-mail].

About The Department

The San José Fire Department's (SJFD) mission is to serve the community by protecting life, property, and the environment through prevention and response. SJFD is a high-volume, high-performance, “all hazard” fire department, responding to approximately 110,000 calls for service each year from 34 Fire Stations. SJFD’s service area includes a number of high-hazard occupancies, including an international airport; a general aviation reliever airport; five major hospitals (including two trauma centers, and five emergency departments); the SAP Center, home of the NHL’s San Jose Sharks (17,500 capacity); PayPal Park, home of MLS’s San Jose Earthquakes and the NWSL’s Bay FC (18,000 capacity); San José State University (the oldest public institution of higher education on the West Coast) with a student population of 36,000; three super regional malls; approx. 100 high-rise structures; and the United States Patent and Trademark Office.

Position Duties

The Fire Department is currently seeking to fill one full-time Public Information Representative I/II in the Office of the Fire Chief. Reporting to the Public Information Manager, the Public Information Representative I/II (PIR) will support the San José Fire Department’s public information and community engagement efforts, with primary responsibility for overseeing the Department’s community outreach program, developing multilingual public education materials, and creating content for the Department’s social media channels. The PIR will oversee and coordinate community outreach efforts designed to build strong relationships between the San José Fire Department and the diverse communities it serves. This includes developing and supporting public education programs, coordinating community presentations and engagement opportunities, and working with firefighters and Department personnel to provide the resources, guidance, and support necessary for effective community outreach. The PIR will develop multilingual public education materials and messaging for a diverse audience, with an emphasis on fire prevention and life safety. Materials and programs may address a variety of occupancies and audiences, including restaurants, small businesses, apartment buildings, single-family residences, and other community settings. The PIR will also develop and promote focused safety campaigns throughout the year, including campaigns associated with holidays, seasonal changes, and emerging fire and life safety concerns. The position will maintain appropriate inventories of public education materials and supplies, including brochures, activity books, and other outreach resources. The PIR will develop engaging, timely content for the Department’s social media channels and other digital platforms. This includes identifying opportunities to highlight Department programs, services, community partnerships, events, safety information, personnel, and other activities that support the Department’s mission to protect life, property, and the environment. The PIR will also support the Department’s media relations efforts, including providing assistance with incident-related media updates as needed and coordinating proactive media opportunities to promote Department programs, safety campaigns, community events, and other initiatives. The position will support internal and external events, press conferences, and other Department activities; provide updates to the Department’s website; and assist with other public information and communications needs as assigned.

Salary range(s) for this classification is/are:

• Public Information Representative I: $88,015.20 – $107,103.36
• Public Information Representative II: $97,144.32 – $118,067.04

This salary range(s) includes an approximate five percent (5%) ongoing non-pensionable compensation. Actual salary shall be determined by the final candidates’ qualifications and experience.

Minimum Qualifications

Public Information Representative I

Education and Experience: Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university in journalism, communications, advertising, marketing, public relations, public administration, or closely related field. No minimum experience required.

Acceptable Substitutions:

Additional years of professional experience in public relations, public information, or other related experience may be substituted for education on a year-for-year basis up to two years.

Public Information Representative II

Education and Experience: Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university in journalism, communications, advertising, marketing, public relations, public administration, or closely related field and two years of progressively responsible professional public information, marketing, or public relations experience. No substitution for education.

Licensing requirements for both classifications:

Valid California driver’s license or the ability to obtain one.

Other Qualifications

• Communication Skills - communicates and listens effectively and responds in a timely, effective, positive, and respectful manner; written reports and correspondence are accurate, complete, and current; well-organized, legible, concise, neat, and in proper grammatical form.
• Customer Service - demonstrates ability to anticipate internal and external customers' needs and deliver services effectively and efficiently in a timely, accurate, respectful and friendly manner.
• Flexibility - makes effective decisions and achieves desired results in the midst of major changes in responsibilities, work processes, timeframes, performance expectations, organizational culture, or work environment.
• Political Skills - demonstrates an understanding and consideration of how actions will affect stakeholders and other areas in the organization.
• Job Expertise – Demonstrates knowledge of and experience with applicable professional/technical principles and practices, Citywide and departmental procedures/policies and federal and state rules and regulations
• Teamwork & Interpersonal Skills - Develops effective relationships with co-workers and supervisors by helping others accomplish tasks and using collaboration and conflict resolution skills.
• Project Management - Ensures support for projects and implements agency goals and strategic objectives
• Planning – Acts to align own unit's goals with the strategic direction of the organization; defines tasks and milestones to achieve objectives, while ensuring the optimal use of resources to meet those objectives.
• Initiative: Exhibits resourceful behaviors toward meeting job objectives; anticipates problems, is proactive, and avoids difficulties by planning ahead; displays willingness to assume extra responsibility and challenges; pursues continuing education opportunities that promotes job performance.

Selection Process

The selection process will consist of an evaluation of the applicant's training and experience based on the application and responses to all the job specific questions. You must answer all questions to be considered or your application may be deemed incomplete and withheld from further consideration. Only those candidates whose backgrounds best match the position will be invited to proceed in the selection process. Additional phases of the selection process will consist of one or more interviews. If you have questions about the duties of these positions, the selection or hiring processes, please contact Laura Black at [e-mail].

Additional Information

Employment Eligibility

Federal law requires all employees to provide verification of their eligibility to work in this country. Please be informed that the City of San Jose will NOT sponsor, represent or sign any documents related to visa applications/transfers for H1-B or any other type of visa which requires an employer application. You must answer all job-specific questions to be considered for this vacancy or your application will be deemed incomplete and withheld from further consideration. Applicants are expected to write their own essays/responses. Please note that applications are currently not accepted through CalOpps or any other third party job board application system. Please allow adequate time to complete the application and submit before the deadline or the system may not save your application. If your online application was successfully submitted, you will receive an automatic confirmation email to the email address you provided. IF YOU DO NOT RECEIVE THE CONFIRMATION, please email [e-mail] and we will research the status of your application.

AI and the Hiring Process

We recognize that Artificial Intelligence (AI) is becoming part of daily life and can be a valuable tool for learning, research, and professional growth. We encourage candidates to use AI responsibly as a support in preparing application materials, live assessments, and interviews. However, we value authenticity, accuracy and truthfulness. Application responses and interview answers must reflect your own knowledge, skills, and experiences. While AI can supplement preparation, it cannot replace the originality and judgment we look for in our employees. This ensures fairness, transparency, and equity for all applicants in the hiring process.