Transportation Public Information Specialist - Kanawha County bei West Virginia Department of Transportation (WV, WV)

About the Department

The Transportation Public Information Specialist position will serve at the West Virginia Division of Motor Vehicles. This position performs full-performance level work writing, editing, and producing a variety of educational, informational, and promotional multimedia materials. The specialist plans and participates in public hearings and press opportunities; and communication with various media sources will be frequent. This position has latitude to independently choose procedures and guidelines to apply to tasks. This position has the ability to make day to day decisions in their position, but work is reviewed and signed off on by a senior level or manager position. Due to the nature of the position, duties are varied and involve different and often unrelated processes and methods. Performs related work as required.

Position Duties

• Writes and edits brochures, newsletters, departmental publications, consumer and other informational materials; prepares or assists with the preparation of graphics compositions and layout.

• Collects information from a variety of sources and writes news releases covering regular and periodic activities of the department or division for daily and/or weekly newspapers and for non-print news releases.

• Obtains story and feature materials through personal interviews with officials and others.

• Plans and participates in public hearings, and press opportunities.

• Produces and presents, under direction from supervisors, radio and television programs and slide presentations concerning educational, informational, or promotional activities and services.

• Creates high-caliber interactive design, codes and tests communication campaigns for the Web, online advertising and other new media delivery modes, such as PDA’s, podcasts or blogs.

• Composes layouts for web and online campaigns.

• Interprets marketing strategy, objectives and client goals into visual design using a variety of graphic and art media to create professional and effective results.

• Participates in the development and execution of online marketing strategies.

• Answers correspondence and telephone calls pertaining to promotional, informational, or educational matters.

• Attends public meetings and events to gather information for materials written.

• Travel may be required; therefore, a valid driver’s license is required.

Minimum Qualifications

• Knowledge of the methods and techniques of journalism as it applies to publicity materials.

• Knowledge of English grammar use, research techniques, and composition.

• Knowledge of technical procedures used in writing, editing, printing, and marketing.

• Knowledge of radio and television production techniques and programming.

• Knowledge of division or department programs and policies, or of specialized field associated with an agency's educational and/or promotional programs.

• Knowledge of techniques of graphics composition and layout procedures.

• Knowledge of HTML, Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, Dreamweaver/Golive, Flash and Image Ready, and Adobe Creative Suite.

• Knowledge of online marketing trends (such as podcasting, blogging or social networking).

• Knowledge of composition and color theory/application.

• Ability to organize and present a variety of informational and promotional materials in a clear, concise, and appealing format.

• Ability to communicate easily and clearly, both orally and in writing.

• Ability to gather information by research, observation or interview.

Other Qualifications

REQUIRED TRAINING/EDUCATION 

• Bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited college or university with a major in communications, fine arts, journalism, graphic design, marketing, public relations, English or related field.

• Substitution: Experience, as described below, may substitute for the required training/education through an established formula.

REQUIRED EXPERIENCE 

• One (1) year of full-time or equivalent part-time paid experience in a public information dissemination field.

• Substitution: Successful completion of graduate coursework in communications, fine arts, journalism, graphic design, marketing, public relations, English, or related field from a regionally accredited college or university may substitute for the required experience through an established formula.