COMMUNICATIONS SPECIALIST

Loudoun County Fire and Rescue (LCFR) is a combination career/volunteer organization comprised of approximately 700 employees and 800 active operational and administrative volunteers. The Department is a growing organization that serves a large and diverse population located 30 miles northwest of Washington, DC. We provide a full range of emergency and non-emergency services to approximately 425,000 citizens within a 520-square mile area. Additional information about the Department can be found at www.loudoun.gov/fire.

We seek to hire a highly motivated, effective, and diverse workforce to meet the needs of the County's citizens and visitors and support the Department's core values of Teamwork, Integrity, Professionalism, and Service. Loudoun County offers a meaningful career, a competitive salary, and a comprehensive benefits package. Additional information can be found at www.loudoun.gov/benefits.

LCFR is a member of the LC-CFRS, comprised of 15 volunteer Fire/Rescue agencies and the career department, with the career Chief serving as the System Chief.

Loudoun County Fire and Rescue is searching for an innovative, collaborative, and highly motivated communications professional to support the Loudoun County Combined Fire and Rescue System.

Position responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

• Creating written and visual content and performing other communication-related activities in support of the department's overall communications goals and objectives.
• Researching, writing, and developing content for a broad range of communication mediums such as news releases, publications, social media posts, graphics, photographs, and videos.
• Production of internal and external communication tools such as, but not limited to reports, flyers, posters, invitations, fact sheets, talking points, news releases, videos, marketing materials, and web and social media content; photography; and the publication of that information through the county's various communication channels.
• Coordinate and provide user support for internal communications channels to include the official LC-CFRS Intranet SharePoint Site and Microsoft Teams platform.
• Enhance current online resources and developing new communication platforms (Instagram, Snapchat, LinkedIn, etc.) to increase the LC-CFRS's reach and engagement with the community.
• Assisting in the collection of reporting information related to the system's communication related metrics and performance measures and assisting in the countywide emergency communication preparedness and response activities.
• Serve as back up for the LC-CFRS Public Information Office, developing emergency incident communications and engaging with media and the public.

Due to events and incident response, this position requires working a flexible schedule including working nights, weekends, and holidays and during inclement weather as needed.

Hiring salary commensurate with experience.

Requires any combination of education and experience equivalent to a bachelor's degree in communications or related field and two years of communications experience. Proficiency utilizing various social media platforms, web-based technologies to include content management systems. Graphic design, website design, and audio-visual experience preferred.

Certifications preferred (not required by governmental regulations): PIO Awareness (VDEM), Basic PIO (VDEM), ICS 100, 200, 300, 400, 700 & 800, G0289 Public Information Officer Awareness Training (or IS-29 PIO Awareness on-line course), G0290 Basic Public Information Officers Course (or S203 Public Information Officer or E/L 952 All Hazard Incident Management PIO), G0291 Joint Information System/Joint Information Center Planning for Tribal, State and Local PIOs. Past or current Firefighter or EMT experience is a plus, but not required.

This position is critical in nature and considered essential/emergency personnel subject-to-call during local emergencies for purposes of emergency/crisis management to include being available to respond in emergency situations. In the event of an emergency, employee may be required to work and/or may be assigned to the Emergency Operations Center or elsewhere to carry out the essential functions of County Government. May require occasional stooping, bending, and/or light lifting.

Selection process will be comprehensive and will include application review, panel interview, a final interview, presentation(s) to stakeholder groups and a comprehensive background check to include criminal record check, DMV and fingerprinting.