Emergency Management Communications Specialist

Position Information

Bring your public communications experience to the County of Sonoma's Department of Emergency Management and become an Emergency Management Communications Specialist.

Starting salary up to $63.74/hour ( $133,033 /year) and a competitive total compensation package!*

The Position

In the Department of Emergency Management, the Emergency Management Communications Specialist develops public information campaigns on preparedness, emergency messaging, and recovery information. They act as the spokesperson for the department, and staff the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) on a rotating basis during an emergency activation. This position requires flexibility and the willingness to work effectively under adverse physical and/or mental conditions, as needed, during emergency response to include inclement weather, environments subject to sudden changes and/or extremes, noise, close and confined quarters, and stressful situations. The Emergency Management Communications Specialist must also be willing to travel for extensive periods at any time emergencies arise. Additional responsibilities may include:

• Coordinating and participating in disaster and emergency preparedness, and public information committees
• Developing and giving emergency management-related presentations to stakeholders, the community, and neighborhood presentations to stakeholders, the community, and neighborhood groups
• Preparing and maintaining the Department's website and social media content
• Participating in emergency management trainings and exercises
• Working independently on projects, tasks, and with other department divisions for public information campaigns and messaging
• Attending local, State, and Federal meetings, conference, and workshops

As an ideal candidate you will demonstrate the ability to work collaboratively as part of a team, establish and maintain cooperative relationships with government agencies, community groups, and other stakeholders, and thrive working in a fast-paced environment with the ability to shift gears quickly. You are passionate about the field of emergency management, and possess many of the following:

• Knowledge of emergency management programs, and experience in long or large-scale emergencies and disasters
• Experience with the State of California Standardized Emergency Management System (SEMS)
• Completed coursework in crisis communications or emergency management
• The ability to effectively work with stakeholders and agencies to develop, coordinate, and maintain information campaigns, functional response plans and annexes for crisis communications and public information and warning
• Experience with photography, video editing software, and graphic design solutions and platforms
• The ability to lead the Joint Information Center (JIC) during EOC activations and engage in the Joint Information System (JIS) within the operational area and regionally with external stakeholders
• Excellent communication skills with the ability to effectively relay information to a diverse audience and various situations, by giving live media interviews, and public presentations
• Completion of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Professional Development Series certificate is highly desirable, but not required
• Bilingual English/Spanish are desired, but not required

Please note: This position may fill a rotating Department Operations Center (DOC) and or an Emergency Operations Center (EOC) section position during EOC activation/proclaimed emergencies. This can include evenings, overnight shifts, weekends and holidays.

Department of Emergency Management

The Department of Emergency Management is committed to improving the preparedness and resilience of the community. The Department's purpose is to increase the County's capabilities to mitigate against, prepare for, respond to, and recover from county-wide emergencies and disasters. In support of this mission, the Department of Emergency Management is responsible for developing and supporting emergency operation plans for the County, cities, and districts; developing and conducting training and educational outreach programs related to emergency preparedness to the community; and serving as the primary coordination point between County emergency management and Federal, State, and neighboring agencies. The Department of Emergency Management also oversees the County's Emergency Operations Center.
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What We Offer

Working at the County of Sonoma offers expansive opportunities for growth and development, the ability to be a part of a challenging and rewarding work environment, and the satisfaction of knowing you're working to better our communities. You can also look forward to flexible work arrangements and excellent benefits* including:

• Hybrid Telework - A schedule that meets the needs of our staff, department operations, and the communities we serve may be available depending on the assignment
• Salary Advancement - A salary increase after 1,040 hours (6 months when working full-time) for good work performance; eligibility for a salary increase for good performance every year thereafter, until reaching the top of the salary range
• Paid Time Off - Competitive vacation and sick leave accruals, 12 paid holidays, and an additional 8 floating holiday hours per year
• Staff Development/Wellness - Annual benefit allowances of up to $2,000 and ongoing education/training opportunities
• County Paid Health Premium Contributions - 100% premium contribution for the majority of employee-only and employee + family health plan options
• Post-Retirement Health Reimbursement Arrangement - County contributions to help fund post-retirement health insurance/benefits
• Retirement - A pension fully integrated with Social Security
• Incentive Retirement Savings Plan (IRSP) and 457 Voluntary Deferred Compensation - 3%/1.9% of salary County contribution to a 401(a), in addition to the County matching up to 1% of base salary in 401(a), based upon employee contribution
• Paid Parental Leave - May be eligible for up to 8 weeks (320 hours) after 12 months of County employment
• Additional Benefits: Excellent dental, vision, disability, life insurance, employee assistance program, professional development, and more
• Student Loan Debt Relief - County employees may be eligible for Public Service Loan Forgiveness through the U.S. Department of Education
• *Salary is negotiable within the established range. Benefits described herein do not represent a contract and may be changed without notice. Additional information can be found in the Salary Resolution (SalRes) and our Employee Benefits Directory .

This recruitment is being conducted to fill an Emergency Management Communications Specialist position in the Department of Emergency Management. This employment list may also be used to fill future full-time, part-time, or extra-help (temporary) positions as they occur during the active status of the list. Qualified County employees who wish to be considered for future positions should consider applying to this recruitment. The Civil Service title of this position is County Communications Specialist.

Application submissions require the Supplemental Questionnaire to be completed.

Minimum Qualifications

Experience and Education: Any combination of education, training, and experience which would likely provide for possession of the stated knowledge and abilities. Normally this would include a Bachelor's degree in public and/or business administration, communications, journalism, public relations, or a closely related field, and three years of professional level experience working in public/media relations, marketing, or a closely related field including experience developing communication strategies.

License: Possession of a valid driver's license at the appropriate level including special endorsements, as required by the State of California, may be required depending upon assignment to perform the essential job functions of the position.

The position advertised on this announcement requires possession of a valid California Driver’s License.

Bilingual Designation: Designated positions may be required the ability to speak, read, and write a language in addition to English.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

Considerable knowledge of: principles, tools, techniques, and methods of preparing information, news releases, press conferences, and instructional materials, including graphics and written copy; principles and techniques of preparing and disseminating information, including use of relevant social media channels; techniques and methods used in composing and preparing correspondence, memoranda, newsletters, reports, and similar materials; desk-top publishing, web content design and development, graphics preparation/presentation, video/photography, and the operation of related applications and equipment; modern office practices, methods, and computer equipment and applications related to work; and generally accepted rules of English usage, including spelling, grammar, punctuation, and syntax.

Working knowledge of: methods and techniques used in evaluating public attitudes and needs; County program activities and operations, and the relationship of federal and state programs with local government programs.

Ability to: effectively communicate County policies and services to community groups, committees, other agencies and the general public; demonstrate resourcefulness and judgment in the analysis and solution of complex public relations matters; speak publicly and effectively to a variety of diverse community groups; write effectively and edit the writing of others; develop effective marketing and outreach programs to reach diverse target markets; prepare complete, accurate, concise public information materials; select the proper medium to deliver and gather effective public information and feedback; stay abreast of organizational issues and priorities; strategize, develop, and implement a comprehensive media and public relations program for departmental assignments; research and analyze problems; establish and maintain effective relationships; and effectively use computer software such as desktop publishers, presentation software, graphic design, spreadsheets, and databases; develop and manage web pages; compile and analyze statistical information; develop creative and effective verbal and visual presentations; research and prepare technical reports.

Selection Procedure & Some Helpful Tips When Applying

• Your application information and your responses to the supplemental questions are evaluated and taken into consideration throughout the entire selection process.
• You should list all employers and positions held within the last ten years in the work history section of your application. Be as thorough as possible when responding to the supplemental questions.
• You may include history beyond ten years if related to the position for which you are applying. If you held multiple positions with one employer, list out each position separately.
• Failure to follow these instructions may impact your competitiveness in this process or may result in disqualification.

Please visit Getting a Job with the County of Sonoma to review more detailed information about the hiring process, including the application process, examination steps, and department selection process.

Application submissions require the Supplemental Questionnaire be completed.

Responses to supplemental questions will be scored using position-specific criteria. Please provide specific and detailed responses of a reasonable length to allow for a thorough assessment of your qualifications. Responses that state, "See Resume" or "See Application" may be considered insufficient and therefore may not be scored.

The selection procedure will consist of the following examination:

An Application and Supplemental Questionnaire Appraisal Examination (weight 100%) will be conducted to evaluate each applicant's application and supplemental questionnaire for satisfaction of minimum qualifications (pass/not pass); and for educational coursework, training, experience, knowledge, and abilities which relate to this position. Personally identifiable information (PII) is removed from the standard application fields and applicable attachments. This PII blind screening practice redacts a candidate’s personal information that could potentially influence or bias the scoring process. Personal information includes the applicant’s name, former last name, address, phone number, email, driver's license number, school name, education start and end dates, age, date of birth, gender, and race. This PII blind screening practice helps contribute to a fair and equitable examination process.

Each applicant will be evaluated based on the following criteria:

• Relevance of work history, related experience, and achieved level of education and/or training as described in the application and responses to the supplemental questions.

Candidates demonstrating possession of the minimum qualifications will be placed on an employment list in order of most qualified to least qualified based on the achieved score received in the Application and Supplemental Questionnaire Appraisal Examination which evaluates the education, training, experience, skills, knowledge, abilities, and other qualifications that you demonstrate in your application and/or response to the supplemental questionnaire. Please be aware that resumes and cover letters are not typically evaluated in the Application and Supplemental Questionnaire Appraisal Examination. Scores may be adjusted based on such factors as the number of candidates, anticipated vacancies, past practice, and natural breaks in the scores achieved by this group of candidates.

Additional Information

A background investigation is required prior to employment. Candidates referred to departments for a selection interview are typically required to sign authorization and release forms enabling such an investigation. Failure to sign prescribed forms will result in the candidate not being considered further for that vacancy. Reference information will not be made available to applicants.

Additional requirements, such as successful completion of a physical exam, drug screen, etc., may apply, depending on the duties and responsibilities of the position. If you receive a conditional job offer for the position, the requirements upon which the offer is contingent will be outlined in the conditional job letter. You may also review the Job Classification Screening Schedule to determine the requirements for this position.

How to Apply

Applications are accepted online at www.yourpath2sonomacounty.org . Paper applications may be submitted by person, fax (707-565-3770), email, or through the mail. All applications and appropriate supplemental information as outlined in the job bulletin must be received by the time and date specified on the first page of this job announcement. Applications received after the recruitment closes will not be accepted.

The County of Sonoma values diversity and is dedicated to creating a workplace environment that provides individuals with a sense of belonging. We are committed to having a diverse workforce that is representative of the communities we serve. The County is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer where all aspects of employment are based on merit, competence, performance, and business need.

HR Analyst: CA

HR Technician: PB

Important Note: Benefits described herein do not apply to Extra Help positions.

County of Sonoma Benefits: Management*

These are some of the excellent benefits the County offers:

Paid Time Off: Competitive vacation accrual and sick leave accruals; additional management leave annually; 12 paid holidays, and an additional 8 floating holiday hours per year; and may be eligible for up to 8 weeks (320 hours) of Paid Parental Leave after 12 months of County employment.

Health Plan: Choose from nine health plans (three HMOs, three deductible HMOs, and three HSA-qualifying plans) with a generous County contribution to the premium (the contribution amount varies by bargaining unit). For more information, please see the appropriate MOU.

Retirement: Fully integrated with Social Security. For more information regarding eligibility, retirement contributions, and reciprocity with prior public service, please visit https://scretire.org/active-/-deferred/when-you-are-hired .

IRS 457 Plan: Pre-tax employee contribution up to the IRS annual maximum.

Retiree Medical: County contribution to a Health Reimbursement Arrangement to help fund post-retirement employee health insurance/benefits.

Student Loan Debt Relief: County employees may be eligible for Public Service Loan Forgiveness through the U.S. Department of Education.

Plus, excellent dental, vision, disability, life insurance, professional development, and more.

For answers to specific questions regarding the employment process and more details about benefits or retirement, please contact Human Resources at (707) 565-2331. Additional details about benefit and compensation packages can be found in the MOUs located at Labor Agreements & Salary Resolution . For specific information about health and welfare benefits, including plan options, coverage, and premium amounts, go to Human Resources or contact the Human Resources' Risk Management-Benefits Office at benefits@sonomacounty.gov or (707) 565-2900.

*Important Notes: Benefits described herein do not represent a contract and may be changed without notice.

Closing Date/Time: 12/22/2025 11:59 PM Pacific

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• County of Sonoma

• 707-565-8059

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