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job description
administrative and external affairs specialist i/ii
position: administrative and external
department: administrative services
reports to: administrative services director flsa status: exemptpay range: 46/50 date prepared: may 2022incumbent:general description:under general direction of the administrative services director, this position is responsible formanaging the district’s public outreach and community involvement programs, website and socialmedia page(s), water use efficiency and conservation program outreach, various forms ofpublications and communications to employees, customers and the public, updating districtpolicies and communication practices, assisting with state and federal legislative efforts and thepursuit, development, and administration of grants; various professional and administrativeactivities in support of the district’s administration including highly responsible, confidential andcomplex support to the administrative services director, general manager and department heads,coordinates activities across all departments, outside agencies and organizations; oversees specialprojects and assists in managing consultants; acts as the deputy public information officer (pio)and participates in emergency response; and performs related duties as assigned.supervision received and exercised:direction is given by the general manager and administrative services director. Functionalsupervision may be exercised to administrative or other department staff.essential functions: - the following duties are typical for this position. Incumbents may notperform all duties and/or may be required to perform additional or different duties from thoseset forth below to address district needs and changing business practices.
• builds, promotes and maintains positive working relationships with customers, the public, themedia, local and state and federal organizations and agencies, and district staff throughprinciples and practices of excellent communication and customer service.
• assumes responsibility for district public information and education programs, including astrategic, effective, and engaging social media presence while promoting district programsand initiatives; and messaging related to news releases and public awareness campaigns,management of the district’s website, development, production, and distribution ofmaterials, such as news releases, newspaper articles, advertising copy, billing inserts andnewsletters.
• responds to or coordinates responses to media inquiries, prepares news releases, featuredarticles, public notices, and related material for media distribution, arranges mediainterviews and public service announcements, coordinates media activities and events,assists other departments in the preparation of announcements and information materials.
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• plans, develops, and maintains a water conservation education program. This includes allthe program materials necessary to education and promotes water efficiency to customersand the community.
• attends various community and civic meetings and functions to establish and cultivatepositive relationships with other agencies, public officials, community leaders, and otherstakeholders at the local, regional, state, and federal levels in furtherance of the interests ofthe district.
• assist with the pursuit, development, acquisition, and administration of grants for thedistrict from various state, federal, and non-governmental agencies.
• assist with identifying and analyzing proposed state and federal legislation, regulations, andother laws and policies, determining the potential impacts to the district and developingwritten and oral comments and proposed amendments to pending legislation, regulations,and other laws and policies in furtherance of the district’s interests.
• assists with special projects and studies.• assists in the development of talking points and corresponding visuals (powerpoint
presentations and video) for district managers and maintains an organized repository easilyaccessible to staff for broader distribution.
• coordinates and/or leads members of the public or the media on tours of district facilities,projects, and/or lands while providing informative facts and reports specific to such events.
• serves as backup to the board clerk at board or committee meetings, prepares anddistributes all required documents and performs administrative functions for members ofthe board.
• assists with responses to public records act requests.
• recommends and assists in the development of improvements to district policies,ordinances, and procedures related to charges, billings, and other customer-related issues,including drafting proposed policies, procedures, board resolutions, staff reports, andordinances.
• assists in the processing and resolution of claims for compensation presented to the districtby customers and other members of the public.
• serves as the district’s public information officer (pio), interfacing with the public media, and other agencies and stakeholders to provide information on behalf of the district infurtherance of its mission, projects and programs.
• serves as the custodian of the district’s emergency response plan (erp) and takes lead inemergency preparation and communication activities including employee training and
• responds to emergency situations, claims, customer/constituent complaints, and inquiriesrelated to services programs or policies that are not routinely addressed by the customerservice group. Compiles, updates, and maintains computer database files and utilizes theinformation to assist in the preparation of reports and customer notifications.
• maintains statistics and prepares an annual report of educational and community outreachprograms and accomplishments.
• assumes lead role in responding to surveys the district receives annually from awwa,
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• makes presentations at the board of directors meetings.• regular attendance and adherence to a work schedule to conduct job responsibilities.
• performs other duties as assigned or required for the ongoing operation of the district’sbusiness.
qualification requirements:to perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential dutysatisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/orability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals withdisabilities to perform the essential functions.knowledge of:• issues related to the water/wastewater utility industry in general and, preferably, specific to
the district.• project management and organizational skills.• excellent written and verbal communication skills.• communication techniques for providing a high level of customer service to public and
district personnel in person, or via other methods such as correspondence, telephone,digital or other mediums.
• principles of effective communications methods, customer service, community outreach,and public information.
• the public records act, brown act, and other laws and regulations governing theadministration of a special district.
• district water and wastewater rules and regulations and other policies.
• principles of website development and administration, social media, effective publicpresentation techniques to inform a variety of audiences.
• computer applications related to the work, including word processing, database andspreadsheet applications, presentation tools, and familiarity with web-based applications,social media, mobile applications and html formatting and web-based programs such aswordpress.
• business math, analytical and statistical techniques.• work-related planning, assigning, training, review, and evaluation of programs.• standard office methods and administrative practices and procedures, such as letter
writing, report writing and preparing informational materials in visual formats, basic graphicdesign, and incorporating/editing information prepared by others.
• grant writing, administration, and state and federal solicitation processes.• legal requirements and procedures for conducting and governing board meetings, posting
of board notices, and maintenance of official board records.• correct application and usage of the english language, including spelling, grammar, and
punctuation. Strong writing skills are a must for this position.ability to:• understand, interpret, apply and explain broad and complex policy objectives.
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• analyze customer problems, evaluate alternatives, and develop sound conclusions andrecommendations.
• prepare clear, accurate and concise correspondence, records, and reports.• respond tactfully, clearly, concisely. and appropriately with discretion and diplomacy to
inquiries from the public, press or other agencies on sensitive issues in area ofresponsibility.
• communicate effectively with co-workers, management, and outside agency partners orallyand in writing.
• accurately research, interpret and communicate district related facts, procedures, andpolicies to other agencies, media and the public.
• research and organize board minutes, reports, and back-up material.• process documents in accordance with codes and requirements.• prepare accurate minutes and reports from handwritten notes and recorded media.• effectively represent the district to outside individuals and agencies to accomplish the goals
and objectives of the district.• exercise good judgement and maintain confidentiality in maintaining critical and sensitive
information, records, and reports.• provide general administrative assistance to board members and district staff.• use a variety of office equipment, i.e. copy machine, fax machine, postage machine.• understand and carry out oral and written instructions.• establish and maintain cooperative and effective working relationships with those
contacted in the course of the work.• read and write at the level required for successful job performance.• learn and incorporate basic graphic design into written and print media.physical demands:the physical demands described herein are representative of those that must be met by anemployee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonableaccommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essentialfunctions.while performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to speak and hear toeffectively interface with other staff members, board members, and the public; maintain thecapacity to sit at a computer for an extended period of time; walk, stand, kneel, stoop, bend;use hands and fingers to write and to handle, grip, feel and operate office equipment.specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, peripheralvision, and the ability to adjust focus.the work environment characteristics described below are representative of those an employeeencounters while performing the essential functions of this position. Reasonableaccommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essentialfunctions.
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inside: the majority of the job activities are performed indoors in atemperature-controlled environment.
noise/vibration: minimal exposure to noise generated from the operation of officeequipment.
qualifications:any combination of experience and education that would likely provide the required knowledge,skills and abilities may be qualifying as determined solely by the district. A typical way to obtain theknowledge, skills and abilities would be:for administrative and external affairs specialist ieducation/certification:• a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university with major course work in
english (writing), communication, public related, marketing, or a related field.• active certification as a california notary public is desirable.• must possess a valid california driver’s license, have a satisfactory driving record, and be
insurable by the district, to operate district vehicles.experience:
• five years of increasingly responsible experience in areas such as public and media relations,customer service, water policy, education and community outreach related work including atleast two (2) years of lead or supervisory experience is preferred. Experience with a similarpublic sector water utility is highly desirable.
for administrative and external affairs specialist iiin addition to the qualifications above, the administrative and external affairs specialist ii has:• two years’ responsible experience similar to administrative and external affairs specialist i with
the tuolumne utilities districtadditional requirements:• eligible to work in the united states.work hours:typical hours are 7:00 a.m. to 4:00 pm, monday through friday. Subject to change as requiredto meet the needs of the district. Must be willing to work overtime and attend meetingsoutside of regular working hours.
i agree to adhere to the requirements stated in this job description.___________________________________________________ ____________________________________approved by general manager: approval date: _____ / _____ / _____
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