Community Engagement Specialist - Bilingual Required

Salary : $88,240.20 - $123,536.28 Annually
Location : Ventura and will require travel throughout Ventura County, CA
Job Type: Full-Time Regular
Job Number: 0453CEO-23AC (MM)
Department: County Executive Office
Opening Date: 09/28/2023
Description
OUR COUNTY AND COMMUNITY
Ventura County is located on California's "Gold Coast," approximately 35 miles northwest of Los Angeles and 20 miles southeast of Santa Barbara. Residents enjoy rolling hills and sweeping ocean views in a nearly perfect Mediterranean climate with an average annual temperature of 74.2 degrees. The beauty and weather combined with a wonderful quality of life are among the many reasons our residents choose to call Ventura County "home."
Ventura County is a "general law" county, governed by a five-member, elected-by-district Board of Supervisors. The Supervisors appoint a County Executive Officer (CEO) to oversee the County budget, day-to-day operations, as well as to advise, assist and act as an agent for the Board of Supervisors in all matters under the Board's jurisdiction. County operations have an operating budget of approximately $2.7 billion with a staffing allocation of over 9,000.
THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE OFFICE
The County Executive Office is responsible for the recommendation and/or implementation of Board Policies, the preparation and administration of the County budget, the recruitment and retention of a high-caliber workforce and the negotiation and administration of contracts with a number of Labor Organizations. The Office also has extensive interactions with local cities and other public jurisdictions within the County, representatives of the state and federal governments, as well as community-based organizations. In conducting business, the Office strives to provide high quality services in a fiscally prudent manner, while consistently fostering a culture of collaboration among agencies to better integrate and coordinate services, and actively promoting diversity and inclusion to reflect and engage the community.
THE POSITION
Under general direction of the County's Public Information Officer, the position manages engagement strategies which foster public understanding and awareness of County goals, programs and services encompassing everything from health care and social services, to public safety, public works, airports and animal services. Dedication to transparency, inclusivity, diversity and strong ethics is paramount in this role.
THE IDEAL CANDIDATE
The ideal candidate will thrive in a collaborative and fast-paced professional environment. They will be an engagement-driven strategist who is committed to serving the community. In this position, the candidate will inform and contribute to the development of communications plans that support County services to all including the bilingual (Spanish/English) population
The County is looking for a Community Engagement expert who can navigate a dynamic and matrixed organization, collaborate with internal and external stakeholders, elected officials and county executives, as well as be accountable to service providers and residents that value community-driven programming.
The selected candidate excels at facilitating and navigating politically sensitive conversations on complex issues that involve stakeholders with varying needs, and developing relationships that will help advance inclusiveness and engagement countywide. This role is vital to creating a value-based, collaborative and innovative culture that successfully partners with stakeholders to equitably serve the diverse needs of residents in Ventura County. This position requires direct knowledge and understanding of Community Engagement and messaging strategies to engage with Latino and Indigenous members of our County. Additionally, this role will require strong knowledge of various modern communication tools and methods and the ability to prepare, facilitate and present information in a professional manner within the community.
The successful candidate will demonstrate mastery of the following competencies:

• Oral & Written Communication
  
• Analysis & Problem Solving
  
• Building Collaborative Relationships
• Customer Service Orientation
• Facilitation of Community Meetings
• Valuing & Building Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
• Strategic Thinking
• Adaptability/Flexibility
• Tactful Navigation of Sensitive Situations
• Bilingual Spanish Required

Payroll Title: Agency Public Information Officer II
Bilingual Incentive - This position is eligible for a bilingual incentive up to $1.32 per hour (Level III).
Educational Incentive: Incumbents may be eligible for an educational incentive of 2.5%, 3.5%, or 5% based on completion of an Associate's, Bachelor's, or Master's degree that is not required for the classification.
The Agency Public Information Officer II classification is not eligible for overtime compensation.
TENTATIVE SCHEDULE
OPENING DATE: September 28, 2023
CLOSING DATE: Continuous
APPLICATION REVIEW and BILINGUAL TESTING: Applications will be reviewed immediately and on a frequent, continuous basis; qualified applicants will immediately be scheduled to take a Spanish/English Bilingual Level III examination to confirm fluency before proceeding to the Oral/Practical examination.
ORAL and/or PRACTICAL EXAM DATE: To be determined
Examples Of Duties
Duties include but are not limited to the following:

• Supports the Public Information Officer in the County Executive Office in addressing challenging, complex, and sensitive issues related to County services, programs, initiatives, mission and goals that affect the community.
• Builds successful community, non-profit, county and city partnerships that will strengthen the County's support to residents, through regular meetings with stakeholders including, but not limited to: residents, churches, schools, community advocates, health care and social service providers, and other government entities to communicate needs, furnish or obtain information and/or explain services, policies and procedure.
• Works with stakeholders to promote practices that are fair and equitable in communication, engagement, service delivery and implementation of policies particularly for rural, low income, and disadvantaged communities in Ventura County.
• Elevates voices of residents and diverse communities in internal program/service discussions; connects stakeholders to services.
• Develops effective community outreach strategies and campaigns, in coordination with the County Executive Office and County agencies;
• Works effectively with diverse groups of different ages and socio-economic backgrounds; listens to and manages challenges with tact and compassion.
• Coordinates and facilitates meetings and presentations, to provide customer service assistance to stakeholders.
• Prepares staff reports and responds to inquiries from internal/external stakeholders.
• Tracks data and efficacy of campaigns.
• Evaluates and develops process improvement recommendations.
• Assists in the development of materials, including writing and producing letters, talking points, reports and research.
• Interprets, explains, and ensures compliance with federal, state, and local policies, procedures, laws, and regulations.
• Professionally navigates challenging situations that have public and political implications.
• Performs other related duties and special projects as assigned.

Typical Qualifications
These are entrance requirements to the examination process and assure neither continuance in the process nor placement on an eligible list.
EDUCATION, TRAINING, and EXPERIENCE
Any combination of training, education and experience in the public or private sector which has led to the acquisition of the required knowledge, skills, and abilities. Examples of qualifying education and experience are:

• Bachelor's Degree in public administration, political science, communications, sociology or a related field, and
• Three (3) years of professional experience in Community Engagement, public relations, communications or similar relevant experience that includes one (1) or more years of experience with a public or large complex private sector organization. Additional related experience can be substituted for the education on a year-for-year basis.

NECESSARY SPECIAL REQUIREMENT

• Written and verbal bilingual skills in English and Spanish.
• Must possess a valid CA driver license.
• Excellent written communication skills must be demonstrated in the completion of the employment application and supplemental questionnaire.
• Must be willing and able to work varied hours, including evenings and weekends, as needed.
• Ability to effectively speak in public both in English and Spanish as a participant, facilitator, and/or presenter.

DESIRED

• Language skills with Tagalog, Vietnamese, and/or languages indigenous to Mexico.
• Familiarity with County, city and public sector services, jurisdiction and legislative processes.
• Proficiency with Adobe Creative Cloud, including: InDesign, Photoshop, and Lightroom

Supplemental Information:
Work is performed primarily in an office environment, but incumbents may be required to visit various County departments/agencies on a regular basis and meet offsite with business and community leaders, staff of other governmental organizations, and the public. Ability to travel and attend evening and occasional weekend meetings and events outside of regular business hours.
Recruitment Process
FINAL FILING DATE: This is a continuous recruitment and may close at any time; therefore, apply as soon as possible if you are interested in it. Your application must be received by County of Ventura, Human Resources no later than 5:00 p.m. on the closing date.
To apply online, please refer to our web site at www.ventura.org/jobs. If you prefer to fill out a paper application form, please call (805) 654-5129 for application materials. Our address is: County of Ventura, Human Resources Division, 800 South Victoria Avenue, L-1970, Ventura, CA 93009.
NOTE: If presently permanently employed in another "merit" or "civil service" public agency/entity in the same or substantively similar position as is advertised, and if appointed to that position by successful performance in a "merit" or "civil service" style examination, then appointment by "Lateral Transfer" may be possible. If interested, please click for additional information.
Applicants must provide sufficient information under the Education/Work experience portion of the application and supplemental questionnaire in order to determine eligibility. A resume may be attached to supplement your responses in the above-referenced sections; however, it may not be submitted in lieu of the application.
SUPPLEMENTAL QUESTIONNAIRE - qualifying: All applicants are required to complete and submit the questionnaire for this examination at the time of filing. The supplemental questionnaire may be used throughout the examination process to assist in determining each applicant's qualifications and acceptability for the position. Failure to complete and submit the questionnaire will result in the application being removed from consideration.
APPLICATION EVALUATION - qualifying: All applications will be reviewed to determine whether or not the stated requirements are met. Those individuals meeting the stated requirements will be invited to continue to the next step in the screening and selection process.
TRAINING & EXPERIENCE EVALUATION: A Training and Experience Evaluation (T&E) is a structured evaluation of the job application materials submitted by a candidate, including the written responses to the supplemental questionnaire. The T&E is NOT a determination of whether the candidate meets the stated requirements; rather, the T&E is one method for determining who are the better qualified among those who have shown that they meet the stated requirements. In a T&E, applications are either scored or rank ordered according to criteria that most closely meet the business needs of the department. Candidates are typically scored/ranked in relation to one another; consequently, when the pool of candidates is exceptionally strong, many qualified candidates may receive a score or rank which is moderate or even low resulting in them not being advanced in the process.
NOTE: The selection process will likely consist of an oral and/or practical exam and writing exercise, which may be preceded or replaced with the score from a Training and Experience Evaluation (T&E), contingent upon the size and quality of the candidate pool. In a typical T&E, your training and experience are evaluated in relation to the background, experience and factors identified for successful job performance during a job analysis. For this reason, it is recommended that your application materials clearly show your relevant background and specialized knowledge, skills, and abilities. It is also highly recommended that the supplemental questions within the application are completed with care and diligence.
SPANISH/ENGLISH BILINGUAL SKILLS EXAMINATION - PASS/FAIL: Qualified candidates will be scheduled to take a standardized bilingual skills examination by an outside contractor to certify written and verbal bilingual proficiency. A score of 70% or higher must be obtained for the Bilingual Level III designation to be assigned. Attainment of Level III certification is required to be considered for this position.
ORAL EXAMINATION AND/OR RELATED WRITING EXERCISE- 100%: A job-related oral examination will be conducted to evaluate and compare participating candidates' knowledge, skills, and abilities in relation to those factors which job analysis has determined to be essential for successful performance of the job. Candidates must earn a score of seventy percent (70%) or higher to qualify for placement on the eligible list. As part of the oral examination, cand...