Description
The County of San Mateo
Parks Department is seeking a strategic, creative, and community-centered communications professional to lead public information, media relations, storytelling, outreach, and community engagement efforts for one of the Bay Area's largest and most visited park systems, serving nearly 3 million visitors annually.
This position plays a critical role in strengthening internal and external communications, building public trust, supporting transparent engagement, and connecting diverse communities to parks, trails, programs, projects, and services across more than 16,000 acres of parkland and nearly 240 miles of trails.
The
Public Information and Communications Officer will lead strategic communications, public information, and community engagement efforts for the Parks Department, including public outreach related to park operations, emergency events, capital projects, environmental stewardship, recreational programming, and community partnerships. Reporting directly to the Parks Director, the Public Information and Communications Officer serves as a key member of the department's leadership team and plays a central role in shaping internal and external communications strategies for the department.
This position requires occasional evening and weekend availability to support community meetings, special events, emergency communications, and operational incidents. This position is primarily in-person and requires regular onsite presence throughout the County to support operational coordination, community engagement, media response, and departmental initiatives.
The ideal candidate is an excellent writer and relationship-builder who can navigate fast-moving issues, support executive leadership, respond to media inquiries, create compelling public-facing content, and develop inclusive outreach strategies that reflect the County's diverse communities.
ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITIES
The
Public Information & Communications Officer will:
- Develop and implement strategic communication and outreach plans aligned with departmental priorities and community needs
- Design and execute targeted outreach, engagement, and marketing strategies using data, feedback, and performance metrics to inform decision-making
- Pivot communication strategies and messaging in response to emerging issues, public feedback, emergencies, weather events, wildfire mitigation activities, trail closures, and operational priorities
- Serve as a primary point of contact for media inquiries, public information requests, and sensitive public-facing communications
- Draft and coordinate press releases, media statements, talking points, executive messaging, newsletters, and public communications
- Support emergency and crisis communications related to wildfire mitigation, winter storms, public safety incidents, environmental issues, and park operations
- Build inclusive communications and outreach plans that effectively reach multilingual, multicultural, and historically underrepresented communities
- Promote Park's engagement through innovative campaigns, storytelling, events, challenges, newsletters, interpretive programming, and community partnerships
- Collaborate with departmental leadership, partner agencies, community organizations, and stakeholders to align messaging and engagement goals
- Provide strategic direction and creative vision for digital, visual, and graphic design and communications, including supervision and coordination of communications support staff and consultants
- Analyze communication and engagement data to evaluate effectiveness and continuously improve outreach strategies
- Strengthen internal communications and employee engagement across the department
- Ensure digital communications, public-facing materials, and online platforms align with ADA accessibility standards and inclusive communication best practices
- Oversee the development and coordination of brochures, informational materials, signage content, presentations, and outreach collateral that support departmental goals and community engagement
- Provide strategic direction for visual communications to ensure messaging, branding, accessibility, and audience needs are effectively integrated across platforms and materials
- Develop and evaluate communication strategies that increase community participation, public awareness, transparency, trust, and meaningful public engagement
- Provide strategic direction and creative vision for digital, visual, and graphic design and communications, including supervision and coordination of communications support staff (i.e. Graphic Specialist) and consultants
- Work closely with Park Rangers, the Interpretive Team, Natural Resource Team, operational staff, and departmental leadership to support public education, storytelling, visitor engagement, emergency communications, and community outreach efforts
IDEAL CANDIDATE
The ideal candidate understands how to translate departmental priorities into effective communication strategies tailored to diverse audiences and communities. They can shape messaging, guide visual storytelling efforts, and provide creative direction that supports public engagement and outreach goals. Experience supporting communications related to public safety, environmental issues, emergency response, infrastructure projects, or operational impacts is highly desirable. The position requires sound judgment, political awareness, adaptability, and the ability to communicate effectively in fast-moving and highly visible public environments.
The
ideal candidate will possess:
- A Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university with major coursework in journalism, communications, public relations, or a related field
- Minimum of four (4) years of professional experience in public relations, public information, media relations, digital engagement or strategic communications
- A track record of developing content for broad audiences through press releases, newsletters, websites, or multi-media campaigns
- Strong storytelling skills with the ability to connect with diverse audiences
- Experience developing content across multiple platforms (beyond just social media)
- Experience supporting communications related to public safety, environmental issues, emergency response, infrastructure projects, or operational impacts is highly desirable
- Knowledge of branding, marketing, and digital communications strategies
- Ability to create inclusive, culturally responsive messaging
- Experience with video content (e.g., reels) and visual storytelling
- Strong writing skills, including articles and public-facing communications
- Bilingual or multilingual skills are highly desirable
Note: This is a limited term assignment. Limited term employees are assigned to assignments not to exceed three (3) years. The selected candidate will receive medical and dental benefits similar to regular employees, and a defined contribution retirement plan. This recruitment may be used to fill future limited term positions.
Qualifications
Knowledge of:
- Administrative principles and practices, including goal setting, program development, implementation, and evaluation.
- Public agency contract administration, County-wide administrative practices, and general principles of risk management related to the functions of the assigned area.
- Organizational and management practices as applied to the analysis and evaluation of projects, programs, policies, procedures, and operational needs.
- Principles and practices of public information, media relations, and community outreach project and program development.
- Applicable Federal, State, and local laws, regulatory codes, ordinances, and procedures relevant to assigned area of responsibility.
- Methods and techniques for the development of press releases, talking points, newsletters, presentations, business correspondence, and information distribution; research and reporting methods, techniques, and procedures.
- Record keeping principles and procedures.
- Modern office practices, methods, computer equipment, and applications related to the work.
- English usage, grammar, spelling, vocabulary, and punctuation.
- Techniques for effectively representing the County in contacts with governmental agencies, community groups, and various business, professional, educational, regulatory, and legislative organizations.
- Techniques for providing a high level of customer service by effectively dealing with the public, vendors, contractors, and County staff.
Skills/Ability to:
- Develop and implement goals, objectives, policies, procedures, work standards, and internal controls for assigned department.
- Provide professional leadership and direction in managing department-specific communication strategies, media relations, and campaigns.
- Conceptualize messages and effectively communicate in writing, speech, and other methods of communication.
- Develop and maintain effective working relationships with reporters, editors, and other media representatives.
- Interpret, apply, explain, and ensure compliance with Federal, State, and local policies, procedures, laws, and regulations.
- Effectively represent assigned department in committees and meetings with stakeholders and the community.
- Prepare clear and concise reports, correspondence, policies, procedures, and other written materials.
- Conduct complex research projects, evaluate alternatives, make sound recommendations, and prepare effective technical staff reports.
- Organize and prioritize a variety of projects and multiple tasks in an effective and timely manner; organize own work, set priorities, and meet critical time deadlines.
- Operate modern office equipment including computer equipment and specialized software applications programs.
- Use English effectively to communicate in person, over the telephone, and in writing.
- Use tact, initiative, prudence, and independent judgment within general policy, procedural, and legal guidelines.
- Establish, maintain, and foster positive and effective working relationships with those contacted in the course of work.
Education and Experience:
Any combination of education and experience that would likely provide the required knowledge and skills is qualifying. A typical way of gaining the knowledge and skills is equivalent to a Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university with major coursework in public relations, communications, journalism, business or public administration, or a related field and five (5) years of management experience in public affairs, media relations, or related area.
PHYSICAL DEMANDS
Must possess mobility to work in a standard office setting and use standard office equipment, including a computer, to operate a motor vehicle, and to visit various County and meeting sites; vision to read printed materials and a computer screen; and hearing and speech to communicate in person, before groups, and over the telephone. This is primarily a sedentary office classification although standing in work areas and walking between work areas may be required. Finger dexterity is needed to access, enter, and retrieve data using a computer keyboard or calculator and to operate standard office equipment. Positions in this classification occasionally bend, stoop, kneel, reach, push, and pull drawers open and closed to retrieve and file information. Employees must possess the ability to lift, carry, push, and pull materials and objects weighing up to 25 pounds.
ENVIRONMENTAL ELEMENTS
Employees work in an office environment with moderate noise levels, controlled temperature conditions, and no direct exposure to hazardous physical substances. Employees may interact with upset staff and/or public and private representatives in interpreting and enforcing departmental policies and procedures.
Application/Examination
This is a limited term recruitment. Anyone may apply . A supplemental application form must be submitted in addition to our regular employment application form. The Parks Department will screen materials after the recruitment closes. The department will contact qualified candidates directly for a departmental interview.
All applicants who meet the minimum qualifications are not guaranteed advancement through any subsequent phase of the examination. Applicants may be asked to participate in a pre-interview exercise demonstrating storytelling and outreach approach. All examinations will be conducted virtually or in person and applicants must participate at their own expense.
IMPORTANT: Applications for this position will only be accepted online. If you are currently on the County's website, you may click the
" Apply " button. If you are not on the County's website, please go to
http s ://jobs.smcgov.org to apply
. Online applications must be received by the Human Resources Department before midnight on the final filing date.
TENTATIVE RECRUITMENT SCHEDULE
Final Filing Date: Thursday, May 14, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. PST
Departmental Interviews: TBD
About the County
San Mateo County is centrally located between San Francisco, San Jose, and the East Bay. With over 750,000 residents, San Mateo is one of the largest and most diverse counties in California and serves a multitude of culturally, ethnically, and linguistically diverse communities.
The County of San Mateo, as an employer, is committed to advancing equity to ensure that all employees are welcomed in a safe and inclusive environment. The County seeks to hire, support, and retain employees who reflect our diverse community. We encourage applicants with diverse backgrounds and lived experiences to apply. Eighty percent of employees surveyed stated that they would recommend the County as a great place to work.
The County of San Mateo is an equal opportunity employer. We seek to hire, support, and retain employees who reflect our diverse community.
HR Analyst: Arlene Cahill (Communications Officer - D105)
