Gov & Com Relations Associate

Richland County Government • Orlando, FL

13d • Hybrid

About The Position

The purpose of this role is to support and maintain the mission of the County’s Government and Community Services Department by improving the quality of life for Richland County constituents through outreach, advocacy, strategic programming, and education. This position develops, promotes, and maintains professional, collaborative, and cooperative relationships with internal (County staff and Council) and external stakeholders (elected and appointed officials, business community, schools, and designated community agencies). It engages and involves the public in policies and practices that directly impact communities, measures the impact of initiatives through surveys, reports, and involvement, and effectively communicates accurate and essential information to all audiences in conjunction with other County departments. This role serves as an outlet between the County and its constituents, customers, and partners, and works to continuously improve public involvement in the government process. This position is also responsible for ensuring GCS programs and services delivered are consistent with the Richland County Mission to provide essential services, efficiently and effectively, in order to improve the quality of life for its citizens with minimal bureaucracy, with integrity, and within the parameters and power set forth in applicable federal, state, and local laws.

Requirements

• Associate Degree in Public Administration, Political Science, Business Administration, Communications, Education, or a closely related field.
• Two (2) years of related work experience.
• Any combination of education and experience that meets the requirements for performing the essential functions of this job.
• Must possess a valid state driver’s license.
• Demonstrated understanding of political processes (local, state, and federal).
• Strong organizational skills.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills.
• Demonstrated ability to work with multiple constituencies and demonstrate diplomacy.
• Demonstrated ability to research, analyze, and recommend strategies for program and policy development.
• Synthesizing or integrating data or information analysis to discover facts or develop knowledge or interpretations; then recommending changes to policies, procedures, or methodologies based on new facts, knowledge, or interpretations.
• Collaboration, coordination, communication, negotiating, and exchanging ideas, information, and opinions with others to formulate policy and programs or arrive jointly at decisions, conclusions, or solutions; persuading or influencing others in favor of a service, point of view, or course of action as well as continuous interaction with general public concerns; giving information, guidance, or assistance to people to directly facilitate task accomplishment; and may give directions or assignments to helpers or assistants.
• Experience working with equipment such as computers for data entry, copiers, telephones, or similar equipment.
• Performing work involving the application of principles of logical thinking to diagnose or define problems, collect data, and solve abstract problems with widespread unit or organizational impact.
• Using addition and subtraction, multiplication and division, and/or calculating ratios, rates and percentages.
• Reading professional literature and technical manuals; interacting and speaking to diverse groups of employees and other public and private groups; and writing manuals and complex reports.
• Continuous, close attention to detail for accurate results and frequent exposure to unusual challenges.
• At least beginner-level experience using MS Office Suite, email, online search, online survey, and file conversion software or applications.

Responsibilities

• Represents the Department and County in various meetings with boards, commissions, civic groups, and officials of other agencies; provides assistance to community agencies, community groups, and appointed/elected officials; and acts as a liaison between such groups/agencies and Richland County government.
• Works with other County departments to receive and respond to public inquiries, concerns, and complaints regarding the services, programs, and personnel of the County.
• Participates in Department marketing and public relations efforts; makes public presentations to inform the public about Department projects and programs; and receives public input.
• Assists co-workers with projects and assignments as necessary.
• Attends training, conferences, seminars, workshops, etc., as necessary to enhance job knowledge and skills; in-county travel is required.
• Performs general administrative duties as required, including: preparing reports and correspondence; entering and retrieving computer data; preparing spreadsheets; copying and filing documents; answering the telephone; etc.
• Assists in developing departmental policies and procedures.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Education Level: Associate degree