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Senior Public Information Specialist

Charlotte's local government, with more than 7,000 employees and a $2.39 billion budget, works hard to ensure that the community will be a winning city for everyone – a truly remarkable place to live, work, learn and play.

Charlotte Water is an enterprise department of the City of Charlotte and one of the largest public water and sewer service providers in the southeast with 300,000 customer accounts and over 1000 employees. Our service area includes the City of Charlotte, Mecklenburg County and the towns of Huntersville, Cornelius, Davidson, Mint Hill, Matthews and Pineville. Charlotte Water's FY 23 budget is $535M and a five-year capital program of $2.5 billion. We enjoy the highest credit ratings from all three major credit rating agencies as a result of sound financial planning and management and strong support from our City Council. We value competent, skilled candidates with a customer service focus to work in a team environment.

This Public Information Specialist Senior position is based in the Communications Team of Charlotte Water, the community's water and sewer service provider, and reports to the Public Affairs Manager. This highly visible position with diverse responsibilities requires an experienced, innovative individual to serve as one of seven individuals responsible for the communications and messaging for Charlotte Water.

Major Duties and Responsibilities

• Provide comprehensive program management of water and wastewater education programs related to water chemistry, water & sewer policies, and Safe Drinking Water Act regulations including but not limited to the Lead & Copper Revised Rule (LCRR), Consumer Confidence Report (CCR), etc.
• Engage with Charlotte Water customers at community events, in neighborhoods, and at public meetings
• Work with other communication staff to set and ensure effective and consistent design and content for Charlotte Water outreach.
• Interact with reporters and other members of the local media to educate residents about water quality, Safe Drinking Water Act requirements, sanitary sewer overflow reduction, biosolids, contaminants of emerging concern, lead and copper regulations, and other community issues.
• Serve in collaborative role with divisions and serve as needed on corporate and department teams to address the education needs of organizational and strategic initiatives.
• Some evening and weekend work expected

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Excellent written, verbal, and public speaking/presentation communication skills
• Proficient in Microsoft Office products
• Familiarity with Safe Drinking Water Act regulatory requirements including the LCRR and CCR
• Experience with Adobe Creative Suite preferred
• Environmental education or public relations certifications a plus
• Bilingual a plus
• Ability to work collaboratively and to build relationships
• Ability to prioritize and handle a large number of diverse projects and issues simultaneously
• Publication design skills
• Copy writing skills and knowledge of AP style

Qualifications

Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Natural Resources, Environmental Science, Environmental Policy, Communications, Journalism, Marketing, English, or related field or equivalent experience
• Prefer background in environmental science, environmental education; water/wastewater outreach; education program development; environmental policy; or non-profit/ government experience.

Minimum Qualifications

• High school graduate or equivalent
• Seven (7) years experience in communications which can include: outreach, communication, marketing, website publishing, public speaking, technical writing, or journalism.

OR

• Associate's Degree in Natural Resources, Environmental Science, Environmental Policy, Communications, Journalism, Marketing, English, or related field or equivalent experience
• Five (5) years experience in communications which can include: outreach, communication, marketing, website publishing, public speaking, technical writing, or journalism.

Licenses, Certifications or Registrations:

• Requires a valid driver's license.

How To Apply

Apply online here: https://www.jobapscloud.com/oec/Charlotte/Jobs/Bulletin?R1=2404&R2=207200&R3=01

Federal law requires employers to provide reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities. Please tell us if you require a reasonable accommodation to apply for a job.

You are welcome to visit the City of Charlotte Human Resources Department lobby where we have workstations available. Our office is located at 700 East 4th Street, Suite 200, Charlotte, NC 28202. Our hours are Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. (EST), excluding official City holidays.

Anyone seeking an accommodation to apply for a job may call (704) 336-2285 for assistance or you may email questions to CityHrJobPostingsNotify@ci.charlotte.nc.us.