Lead Communications Specialist*

Job Description:

Lead Communications Specialist*

Description

The Job

We offer a competitive salary with step/pay increases every six (6) months of approximately 2.5% up to top salary step.

FUTURE SALARY INCREASE *
3.0% Effective February 2026

The Human Services - Program Development Division (PDD) is recruiting for a Lead Communications Specialist* to develop, implement and advise management regarding public relations and marketing programs using a wide variety of media and graphic materials. Media Specialists write and distribute informational and educational materials; promote, publicize, and occasionally participate in events, activities and educational and outreach programs; and develop and maintain social media content. They also research and analyze information to develop written documentation, reports, graphs and press releases and prepare marketing analysis and business marketing plans; schedule commercial television and radio airtime, and printed ad space; and may supervise a small staff in the preparation and dissemination of information. The Lead Communications Specialist* will assist with overseeing high-profile design operations and projects; prepare policies and procedures; and provide guidance and leadership to staff.

The eligible list established will be used to fill current and future vacancies within Human Services - Program Development Division (PDD).

Key responsibilities for a Media Specialist II are as follows:

Content Creation and Social Media Management:

• Write, compile, and submit information related to media requests and other public inquires.
• Manage and maintain department’s social media platforms, regularly update platforms with engaging content.
• Monitor online discussions and trends related to San Bernardino County and designated department assignment.
• Identify opportunities to leverage emerging platforms and trends to reach new audiences.

Visual Media Production:

• Create visually appealing graphics, images, and videos.
• Collaborate with design and content created with the County’s Administrative team for reviews, updates, and approvals.

Campaign Development:

• Collaborate with department administration to plan and launch multimedia campaigns that promote new initiatives/campaigns, events, educational programs, fundraising initiatives, and more.
• Take a leading role with Media events including preparing media packets, information, agendas, follow-up videos, etc.

Reporting and Analytics:

• Monitor and analyze the performance of multimedia content using analytics tools.
• Provide regular reports on engagement metrics, audience demographics, and content effectiveness to inform future strategies.

Collaboration:

• Work closely with the community education, communication, marketing, and public relations teams to ensure consistent messaging across all channels.
• Collaborate with internal stakeholders to gather information, insights, and stories related to department projects.

For more detailed information, refer to the Media Specialist II job description.

* Salary increases contingent upon Property Related Revenue and/or statewide Proposition 172 Sales Tax Collections performance.

EXCELLENT BENEFITS & RETIREMENT

HEALTH BENEFITS PAID TIME OFF RETIREMENT BENEFITS Medical & Dental: Family Coverage
- Vision: Employee Coverage
- Premium subsidies
- Flexible Spending Account: Pre-tax account for qualified healthcare expenses - Up to 4 weeks accruable vacation with cash-out option
- Accruable sick leave
- 15 paid holidays
- Perfect Attendance Leave
- Flexible Schedules, dependent upon department assignment - Generous Pension
- 457(b) Deferred Compensation Plan
- Retirement Medical Trust Fund
- Retirement Reciprocity, dependent upon position assignment
County Paid Life Insurance - AD&D Insurance - DCAP Account - 529 Savings Plan - Short & Long Term Disability - Wellness Program - Commuter Services - Employee Discounts - Annual Tuition Reimbursement

NOTE : C licking the following link for more Employee Benefits information: SB County BBOU: General

CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT

• Pre-Employment Process: Prior to appointment, applicants must pass a background investigation, including fingerprinting, and verification of employment history and education.
  
• Travel: Travel throughout the County is required to perform duties in the community. Employees will be required to make provision for transportation and may be required to use personal vehicles (mileage reimbursement is available). At the time of hire, a valid California Class C driver license and proof of automobile liability insurance must be produced and maintained for the individual providing the transportation.
  
• Shifts: Some positions may require incumbents to work some evenings, weekends, and on-call.
  
• Sponsorship: San Bernardino County is not able to consider candidates who will require visa sponsorship at the time of application or in the future.

Minimum Requirements

Applicants must meet both the Education and Experience requirements: Education A Bachelor's degree in English, Communications, Journalism, Business/Public Administration, Marketing, Public Relations, Mass Communications, Television/Broadcast Production, or other closely related field.

Note: Qualifying degrees or coursework must be completed at a college or university accredited by any accrediting association recognized by the United States Department of Education. Degrees or coursework completed outside the U.S. must be accompanied with an evaluation report from a reputable credential evaluation service showing equivalency to degrees or coursework completed at a college or university accredited by any accrediting association recognized by the United States Department of Education. -AND-
Experience Three (3) years of progressively responsible experience in one (1) or more of the following areas:
Writing and editing educational/informational brochures or promotional materials for internal or external publications Organizing, coordinating and overseeing outreach programs to promote organization events and activities High resolution digital photography Videography, which included video editing, set design, and post production activities.

Note: Qualifying experience must also include extensive experience with creating and posting content for a variety of social media platforms within a business/agency setting. Posting content to personal social media accounts is not considered qualifying.

Desired Qualifications

The ideal candidate will have extensive experience:

• One (1) year of lead or supervisory experience over a support services staff
• Executing internal and external videography requests, including pre-production, production, and post-production editing
• Creating high performance social media content, which included developing a strong branding strategy to increase community engagement
• Utilizing advanced features of Adobe Creative suite or similar design program
• Drafting communications utilizing proper grammar with the ability to edit others' written materials
• Presenting information verbally to audiences of varying sizes
• Working in a government/public sector setting and responding to major incidents
• Working with media in crisis and breaking news situations
• Capturing high resolution photographs at a variety of events

Candidates who have completed Public Information Officer training are also highly desired and encouraged to apply.

Selection Process

Application Procedure :
Please complete and submit the online employment application and supplemental questionnaire by 5:00 pm, Friday, May 30, 2025 .

To ensure timely and successful submission of your online application, please allow ample time to complete and submit your application. Applicants will be automatically logged-out if they have not submitted the application and all required materials. Once your application has been successfully submitted, you will receive an onscreen confirmation and an email. We recommend that you save and/or print these for your records. Please note, if you do not receive an onscreen confirmation and an email acknowledging our receipt of your application, we have not received your application.

All communications regarding the selection process will be via e-mail. Applicants are encouraged to check their email frequently to learn additional information regarding this recruitment. Check your Government Jobs account for notifications. Update your firewalls to allow e-mails from San Bernardino County through governmentjobs.com. Update your Spam, Junk, and Bulk settings to ensure it will not spam/block/filter communications from e-mail addresses with the following domain "@hr.sbcounty.gov". Finally, be sure to keep your personal information updated. Taking these steps now will help ensure you receive all communications regarding this recruitment.

Evaluation Procedure:

There will be a competitive evaluation of qualifications based on a review of the Application and Supplemental Questionnaire only . It is to your advantage to provide as much relevant and detailed work experience as possible in both your work experience and supplemental questionnaire.

Resumes will not be accepted in lieu of the application and/or supplemental questionnaire . Completing your application with statement such as "see/refer to resume" or "see attached" rather than completing your work history may affect your eligibility or competitive evaluation score.

Additional Information and Resources:
If you need technical assistance, review the Government Jobs online application guide or contact their Toll-Free Applicant Support line at (855) 524-5627. Please note that Human Resources is not responsible for any issues or delays caused by your internet connection, computer, or browser when submitting an application.

Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) / Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA): San Bernardino County is an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) and Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliant employer, dedicated to ensuring equal employment opportunities for all employees and applicants.

ADA Accommodation: If you have a disability and need accommodations during the testing process, please submit the Special Testing Accommodations Request Form (Download PDF) within one week of the recruitment filing deadline.

Veterans' Preference: Eligible veterans, their spouses, or widows/widowers who are not current County employees may receive additional Veterans' Preference points. For details and instructions on how to request these points, please refer to the Veterans' Preference Information (Download PDF) .

For more important details, review the Applicant Information and County Employment Process

Administrative Services Unit

The County of San Bernardino offers a range of benefit programs for employees and their eligible dependents. These include health, dental, vision, and life insurance, as well as a variety of voluntary benefits. Programs and benefit amounts vary and are based on bargaining unit, family size, hire date, plan selection, and number of hours worked.

For a summary of benefits, please click here .

Refer to the appropriate MOU, contact the County's Employee Benefits and Services Division at (909) 387-5787 or visit the Benefits website for more detailed information at hr.sbcounty.gov/employee-benefits/ .

Closing Date/Time: 5/30/2025 5:00 PM Pacific

Salary:

$65,873.60 - $90,542.40 Annually