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Program Manager I (Public Relations)

Employer
Montgomery County Government
Location
Wheaton, Maryland
Closing date
Mar 6, 2023

Program Manager I (Public Relations)

Montgomery County Government

Department of Environmental Protection

2425 Reedie Drive, Wheaton, MD 20902

Salary Range: $62,873 - $103,034

The mission of the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) is to enhance the quality of life in our community by protecting and improving Montgomery County’s air, water, and land in a sustainable, innovative, inclusive, and industry-leading way while fostering smart growth, a thriving more sustainable economy and healthy communities.  

DEP is seeking to fill a Program Manager I to handle Public Relations for the Department of Environmental Protection.   The Program Manager I for Public Relations will be responsible for the planning, development, and implementation of strategic communications to enhance and increase public awareness of DEP’s mission and programs. The position will also be responsible for planning and coordinating DEP’s involvement in County activities and events such as GreenFest, the County Agriculture Fair, and the Gift Outside the Box campaign.  

The primary focus of the Public Relations Program Manager is promoting a positive public image in the media and providing essential information during a crisis. This includes identifying newsworthy stories and developing press materials and messaging to increase resident engagement and encourage the public to become committed long-term partners in the restoration and protection of our environment while positioning DEP as a national leader on environmental policy and performance as well as an organization that provides excellent service to external and internal customers.  

 The Public Relations Program Manager will develop and coordinate marketing strategies such as media campaigns and major special events to facilitate and support DEP’s campaigns and outreach efforts.  This includes developing, overseeing, and administering news media content (press releases, media advisories, etc.) designed to engage the news media to generate media coverage with the intent to build awareness and engagement among residents and businesses in Montgomery County. This media outreach will be done in a manner that is inclusive and focused on understanding the demographics of the target audiences for the messages.   

Key responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

• Writing press releases, media advisories, speeches, blogs and talking points.

• Responding to media inquiries.

• Developing and implementing strategies and procedures for working effectively with the media.

• Planning and hosting press conferences and media events to announce major news, new programs, or address crises.

• Maintaining good working relationships with media organizations.

• Collaborating with program managers to ensure a cohesive public image.

• Speaking directly to the public or media to address questions and represent the organization.

• Leading, planning, and coordinating DEP’s participation in large-scale events and campaigns to ensure DEP is prepared to participate with staff and volunteers.

• Producing and disseminating the bi-weekly internal Environmentions newsletter, monthly external My Green Montgomery, and quarterly Green Business Certification digital newsletters.

• Collecting and posting newsletter statistics.  

• Creating videos and images for use on social media and the web.  

• Responding to queries from social media and Ask DEP (website Q&A).

• Supporting the Communications and Public Engagement team in written and administrative tasks including assistance with writing social media and web content. 

The ideal candidate will have exceptional written and verbal communication, a strong understanding of the news media/social media, the ability to understand what makes a good news story, experience in communications and public relations strategies, and experience developing outreach campaigns and strategic communications planning. 

This position requires the ability to work tactfully, effectively, and equitably with people from diverse backgrounds and roles.

This position will sometimes require work outside of regular office hours including nights and weekends.   

This position requires possession of a valid driver’s license and the ability to drive a County vehicle to take materials to off-site events, attend meetings and perform work assignments at locations outside of the office. 

To ensure a positive workplace and to comply with federal, state and County laws, the incumbent is responsible for completing mandatory trainings within the first three to six months or within the specified timeframe.

For information about Montgomery County’s comprehensive benefit offerings, please visit the MCG Careers Total Rewards webpage and check out our competitive benefits!

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

Experience: Considerable (3 years) of professional experience in communications, public relations, journalism, or related field. 

Education:  Graduation from an accredited college or university with a bachelor’s degree. 

Equivalency: An equivalent combination of education and experience may be substituted

License: Possession and maintenance at all times of a valid driver’s license from the applicant’s state of residence. 

PREFERRED CRITERIA

The applications of those individuals meeting the minimum qualifications will be reviewed to determine the extent, relevancy of training, and experience in the following areas:

• Experience developing a plan to secure media coverage, writing media advisories, press releases, and successfully conducting media pitching.  

• Experience identifying opportunities to create and plan media events, devising media event agendas, writing talking points for speakers, preparing staff for media interviews. 

• Experience gathering reports for media hits and maintaining media lists with local, national, and trade reporters. 

• Experience with video/photo shooting and editing using Adobe Cloud Creative Suite or similar, and creating content to use on social media, websites and to share with news media. 

• Experience with newsletter and blog writing. Experience with software such as Gov Delivery and MailChimp is a plus. 

• Experience with CMS Systems and WordPress applications.

Candidates may also be required to provide a writing sample.

If selected for consideration for this position, you may be required to provide evidence that you possess the knowledge, skills, and abilities indicated on your resume.

Montgomery County Government offers competitive salaries and excellent benefits.

To view the complete job announcement and to apply, please visit our website at 

 https://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/HR/Recruitment/MCGCareers.html 

and click on the “Search for Jobs at MCG” tab.

Read the full job description under the “General Professional”  Job Category.

Interested candidates must create an online account in order to apply.

The requisition number is IRC57077.

This Recruitment Closes March 6, 2023

  All resume submissions must address the preferred criteria for the position, which are listed in the full advertisement, preferably in a separate section of the resume. Applicants are strongly encouraged to review the Resume Preparation Tips listed under the “Resources” tab on the Office of Human Resource’s MCG Careers webpage.

EOE. M/F/H.

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