Public Education and Communications Division Chief

State Ethics Commission•Boston, MA

26d•$100,000 - $125,000

About The Position

General Statement of Duties and Responsibilities: Reporting to the Executive Director, the Public Education and Communications Division Chief is responsible for the public education, information, and communications services of the Massachusetts State Ethics Commission. Public education activities include conducting educational seminars on requirements of the state conflict of interest law, General Laws chapter 268A, and managing the Commission’s administration of G.L. c. 268A’s education and training requirements. Public information and communications services include creating and managing Commission web content, press releases, media and public relations, publications, annual report, and report of Commission public resolutions. The Public Education and Communications Division Chief position supervises the Commission’s Senior Public Information Officer and Senior Program Coordinator. The Public Education and Communications Division Chief must develop a thorough understanding of the Commission's mission and operations and maintain total fidelity to the Commission’s strict confidentiality requirements. The Division Chief must be capable of effectively representing the Commission in sensitive situations, including negotiations and other dealing with public agencies and private vendors.

Requirements

Outstanding written and spoken communication skills
Ability to coordinate and train participants in educational programs at seminars both in-person and remotely via web-based video conferencing
Ability to quickly learn complex legal concepts and to communicate them effectively to general and professional audiences in clear and understandable plain English
Ability to speak confidently, engagingly, and effectively in public settings with or without prepared texts, and to answer spontaneous audience questions
Ability to design and conduct seminars to train state, county, and municipal employees on the conflict of interest law
Ability to write and edit publications explaining legal materials in clear and understandable plain English
Ability to handle news media inquiries regarding the workings of a civil law enforcement agency
Ability to articulate and communicate the operational procedures and processes of a civil law enforcement agency to a variety of constituents, including public interest groups, the general public, as well as the public officials and public employees covered by the Commission’s two statutes, General Laws chapters 268A and 268B
Ability to supervise professional and support staff in a positive, productive, and helpful manner
Ability to manage, maintain, and update websites
Willingness to travel throughout Massachusetts to educate public employees about the conflict of interest law.
Willingness to work as hard, and as long, as it takes to get the job done
A positive attitude and a friendly sense of humor
Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university; five years of experience as a professional educator or as a professional writer; extensive knowledge of traditional and social media; working knowledge of Massachusetts state and local government; excellent communication, organizational and management skills.
Valid Massachusetts driver’s license and access to a reliable vehicle for statewide travel.
All Commission employees must be sensitive to the confidential nature of the Commission’s functions and must comply with all confidentiality requirements.

Nice To Haves

Thorough knowledge of the Massachusetts conflict of interest and financial disclosure statutes and regulations is desirable but not required

Responsibilities

Manage all public education, information, and communications functions for the Commission:
Conduct conflict of interest law educational seminars for state, county and municipal public employees in-person and via videoconference
Manage the Commission’s administration of the state conflict of interest law education and training requirements\: including, operate and support the Commission’s vendor-hosted learning management system (LMS); provide training course files to public agencies that host the course on their own learning management platforms; respond to requests for assistance and information concerning the statutory education requirements; and respond to helpdesk requests from users of the vendor-hosted LMS.
Conduct marketing encouraging sponsorship of conflict of interest law training programs
Assess the educational needs of public-sector employees by communicating with employees and their employers, conducting surveys, and/or reviewing existing training programs
Analyze information to determine effectiveness and response to educational programs
Prepare and/or oversee the development of content for audio/visual, electronic, computer-based materials, as well as slide decks for public education purposes
Supervise all Division staff, whose duties include the following\: addressing public information queries, including those from reporters; developing and editing the Commission’s external publications, including monthly minutes, annual reports, press releases and other communications; broadcasting/streaming the Commission’s meeting and adjudicatory hearings for public access; and managing the Commission’s website and social media content
Supervise the maintenance of special municipal employee designation files for all Massachusetts municipalities
Other duties as assigned by the Executive Director