Communications Assistant

Prince George's County, MD Government • Full-time • Largo, Maryland, United States • $45.63k - $65k / year • 1w ago

Nature and Variety of Work

Come join our team!

Prince George’s County Government provides a dynamic and inclusive workplace where employees can thrive, learn, and grow across its 30 diverse agencies, all dedicated to serving the County's residents with essential resources and services. Nestled just minutes away from Washington, DC, Prince George's County combines urban vibrancy with serene surroundings, offering an ideal setting to live, work, and enjoy life.

We are Prince George’s Proud!

The Prince George's County Department of Public Works & Transportation (DPW&T) is currently seeking highly qualified applicants to fill a Communications Assistant(Grade G18) position in the Office of the Director.

About the Position:
This is an entry level professional and administrative staff position in the Office of the Director – Office of Communications with the Department of Public Works and Transportation (DPW&T). The incumbent will assist the Chief of Communications and professional personnel with varied administrative, social media, graphic design, and communication activities. The incumbent must be knowledgeable of administrative and social media protocol, proficient in written and verbal communication. Under close supervision, employees perform work assignments in accordance with departmental policies, rules and regulations. This is a Limited Term Grant funded (LTGF) position and requires possession of a valid driver's license at all times.

About the Agency:
The Department of Public Works and Transportation (DPW&T) is responsible for nearly 2,000 miles of County-maintained roadways that range from rural to urban classifications. The transportation infrastructure includes 900 bridges, as well as shoulders, sidewalks, curbs/gutters, stormwater management facilities, driveway aprons and nearly 3,000 acres of grassy area - all of which are maintained by staff of the Department. DPW&T’s workforce keeps the County’s various services moving by performing a myriad of activities which include removing snow and ice from County-maintained roadways, upgrading traffic signals, installing streetlights, clearing fallen trees, unclogging drainage inlets and maintaining stormwater management facilities, as well as performing roadway repairs ranging from potholes and sidewalk trip hazards to bridge repairs and resurfacing projects and more.

Examples of Work

Assists the Communications Team in amplifying the department’s message, programs, and initiatives to County residents, visitors, business owners, and all interested stakeholders.
Assists in drafting, editing and proofreading press releases, media advisories, newsletters, social media content, presentations, and agency related material.
Assists the Public Information Officer with social media content creation, scheduling, and engagement across various platforms.
Conducts basic research to inform communications strategies, initiatives, campaigns, and content development.
Assists in the coordination and promotion of department events and community outreach activities.
Acts as website liaison for the Office of Communications.
Serves as the primary point of contact between departmental website liaisons and Communications, ensuring content is up to date and accurate.
Provides website updates for staff on an as needed basis.
Prepares meeting agendas, takes minutes, and distributes follow-up team correspondence to ensure follow-up on key decisions and tasks.
Maintains and updates contact lists, databases, and event calendars to support outreach and relationship building efforts.
Compiles and formats weekly and/or monthly reports on communications metrics, media engagement, and project updates.
Participates as an essential and critical employee in the Department's Snow and Ice Control Program and emergency weather related special operations.
Performs duties and tasks that may not be specifically listed but are included in the classification level typically associated with this class of work in order to meet department needs using departmental guidelines.

Qualifications

Bachelor's Degree from an accredited college or university in Journalism, Communications, Public Relations or related field PLUS
One (1) year of professional experience in journalism, public relations, or closely related field.

An equivalent combination of education and experience will be considered.

Preferred Qualifications:

Considerable knowledge of the principles and practices of journalism, communications and public relations.
Knowledge and the ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with representatives of the media, managers and employees of the County Government and related governmental agencies.

Additional Information

Job Location:

9400 Peppercorn Place

Conditions of Employment: Upon selection, the candidate must:

Possess and maintain a valid driver's license.
Meet all training and performance standards and demonstrate proficiency as required by the agency.
Wear and use agency protective apparel and equipment in the performance of their assigned duties, if applicable.
Essential employees are expected to report during standard or non-standard hours as operations necessitate, or during emergencies. Essential employees are expected to report or remain at work when other County employees are granted Administrative Leave.
Incumbent is considered to be an ESSENTIAL employee and must conform/perform according to essential employee policy and procedure including required to work during emergency situations, including inclement weather, natural and man-made disasters, etc.

ONLY ONLINE APPLICATIONS WILL BE ACCEPTED

Eligibility to Work:Under the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986, an employer is required to hire only U.S. citizens and lawfully authorized alien workers. Applicants who are selected for employment will be required to provide and verify authorization to work in the United States without sponsorship. This employer participates in E-Verify and will provide the federal government with your Form I-9 information to confirm that you are authorized to work in the U.S., only after an offer has been accepted and the Form I-9 is completed. For information on E-Verify, or if you believe the County has violated its E-Verify responsibilities, please contact the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) at 888-897-7781 or visit their website at dhs.gov/E-Verify.

INTERNAL APPLICANTS: If you are a current Prince George's County Government employee and seeking a promotion, in accordance with Section 16-200 of the Personnel Law, you have the right to appeal a rejection rating within five (5) working days of receiving a rejection notice. Union employees should refer to their respective collective bargaining agreement and/or union representative for their grievance procedure.

Prince George's County Government is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action EmployerCommitted to Diversity and Inclusion in the Workplace

General Plan Information:

The Prince George’s County benefits plan year is from January 1 to December 31.

A spouse (to include a same sex spouse) can be added to the health benefit plans. A marriage certificate and social security number is required to add a spouse.

Children under the age of 26 are eligible for coverage under the health benefit plans. This includes stepchildren and children of the same-sex spouse. A birth certificate(s) and social security number(s) is required to add a child(ren). If you are only adding the stepchildren or child(ren) of a same-sex spouse, you will need to submit a marriage certificate. You will also need to submit the birth certificate of the child(ren) and your spouse must be listed as a parent.

The premiums for health benefits are deducted on a pre-tax basis with the exception of Long-Term Disability, Extra Life Insurance and Voluntary Benefits (Short-Term Disability, Whole Life Insurance, Critical Illness, Accident Insurance, Cancer Indemnity, Hospital Indemnity Protection, Accident Indemnity Plan, Supplemental Dental and Group Legal Services).

New employees must enroll in the County’s health benefit plans within thirty (30) days of the hire date.

The effective date of the health benefits coverage is the beginning of the month following a waiting period of forty-five (45) days from the date of hire.

After enrolling in the County’s benefit plans, employees may only make changes to the plans either during the open enrollment period, which occurs annually (usually each October), and/or during the year, due to a family status change (i.e., marriage, births, divorce and adoption).

Employee Benefits

Prince George’s County is proud to offer employees an attractive and comprehensive benefits program, including the following:

Medical/Prescription/Dental/Vision Insurance Coverage (part time employees are eligible for medical insurance if they work 15 + hours, per week)
Group Term Life Insurance
Long & Short-Term Disability
Flexible Spending Accounts
- Dependent Care Assistance Program
- Health Care Flexible Spending Account
Paid Leave (Annual, Personal, & Sick)
13 Paid Holidays
Retirement Benefits
- Defined Benefit Pension Plan
  - Employer Contribution Rate-11.71%
- Supplemental Pension Plan
  - Employee Contribution Rate (Pre-Tax)-3.48%
- 457(b)
- 403(b)
Employee Discounts
Employee Assistance Program
Voluntary Benefits
- Critical Illness
- Whole Life Insurance
- Accident Insurance
- Legal Services