Public Information Officer - Oklahoma Tourism & Recreation Department

State of Oklahoma • Oklahoma City, OK

1d • $50,000 - $60,000

About The Position

OTRD is seeking a full-time Public Information Officer for the Oklahoma Tourism and Recreation Department in Oklahoma City, OK. As an employee with the Oklahoma Department of Tourism and Recreation you will enjoy: A comprehensive Benefit Package with a generous benefit allowance to offset the cost of insurance premiums for employees and their eligible dependents. The Oklahoma Department of Tourism and Recreation will match up to 7% towards an employee’s Defined Contribution retirement plan. Our employees receive 11 paid holidays, 15 days of paid annual leave, which increases with every 5 years of service, and 15 days of paid sick leave. Additionally, employees will receive longevity payments based on their years of service with the State of Oklahoma. The salary range for this position is $50,000-$60,000 based on experience.

BASIC PURPOSE: The Public Information Officer position is responsible for researching, writing and editing various materials for media, and presenting information for OTRD. This position will also establish, develop, and maintain contacts with media outlets, as well as prepare and distribute news releases. This position reports to the Director of Communications and is also responsible for assisting in managing the performance measurement and reporting functions of the Oklahoma Tourism and Recreation Department.

Requirements

• Strong verbal communication skills and ability to gather, synthesize and share information from a wide cross-section of Travel Promotions staff.
• Knowledge of and experience with creation of email and presentation templates, as well as web development interfaces.
• Established computer skills including word processing, spreadsheets, database applications, social media, communications platforms, and webpage organization.
• Strong writing and problem-solving skills are required along with sound judgment, critical thinking, high-level professionalism, and organizational skills.
• Ability to utilize research and use data to solve business problems.
• Highly motivated, able to work independently and in teams.
• Knowledge of Microsoft Office Suite and general knowledge of office equipment.
• Ability to perform consistently in a fast-paced, multi-task environment with frequent interruptions.
• Ability to appropriately handle confidential information.
• Education and experience requirements consist of a bachelor's degree in journalism, communication, marketing, English, or a related field; or an equivalent combination of education and experience.

Nice To Haves

• Preference will be given to the applicant who possesses a strong creative vision and ability to develop visually appealing presentations and other materials.
• Knowledge of Oklahoma and state-wide attractions, meeting venues, culture, dining, and lodging preferred.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate earned media opportunities and maintain relationships with members of the media and stakeholder groups.
• Write and edit press releases, fact sheets, talking points, annual reports, newsletters, articles, infographics, and other materials.
• Monitor and assist the OTRD Social Media Manager with social media content and ensure social media monitoring and public responsiveness.
• Serve as a liaison to industry partners and travel writers.
• Help with the facilitation of open records requests
• Prepare analytical research for infographic sheets, press releases, requests for research by industry partners, and presentation purposes.
• Prepare and respond to story idea requests from travel writers.
• Collect and review economic and travel industry data for use in developing marketing programs.
• Evaluate performance on a national, regional, and local level.
• Assist with research report creation including analysis, data entry and chart/table creation in Excel/PowerPoint.
• Make recommendations on research outcomes to staff, advertising agency and industry partners using in-depth analysis of historical, current, and future market data.
• Compile, analyze and accurately report on the performance of Travel Promotions goals and metrics on a monthly/quarterly/yearly basis for distribution to internal and external stakeholders.
• Assist with internal OTRD communications
• Comfortable in a fast-paced environment and working through crisis communications when necessary.

Benefits

• A comprehensive Benefit Package with a generous benefit allowance to offset the cost of insurance premiums for employees and their eligible dependents.
• The Oklahoma Department of Tourism and Recreation will match up to 7% towards an employee’s Defined Contribution retirement plan.
• Our employees receive 11 paid holidays, 15 days of paid annual leave, which increases with every 5 years of service, and 15 days of paid sick leave.
• Additionally, employees will receive longevity payments based on their years of service with the State of Oklahoma.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level