Communications Coordinator/Public Information Officer

U.S. Facilities, Inc., a consolidated facility management services company, is seeking a Communications Coordinator to work on one of our projects in Southeast Virginia. The qualified applicant will be responsible for spreading awareness of the research and innovation programs throughout the agency and working with various stakeholders to help further instill a culture of continuous improvement and innovation. This person will work with a multidisciplinary team to communicate statewide innovation efforts, technical research, ongoing departmental projects, and support other departments and initiatives through collaborative communication efforts. The communications coordinator will also play a large role in communicating about the internal VDOT DRIVERS initiative - an initiative to cultivate a culture of innovation and building skills for the future - and will work closely with VDOT's Central Office Communications division. This is to be accomplished on a routine basis as outlined in the following responsibilities:

• Create and write content for regular newsletters for both DRIVERS initiative and VTRC/OSI.
• Serve as the primary communications personnel for the VDOT DRIVERS initiative, including formulating and implementing a communications strategy.
• Create materials such as documents, 1-pagers, flyers, posters, booklets, signage, handouts, and other materials as needed for events and other various purposes.
• Work with other stakeholders to formulate, develop, and lead monthly statewide internal webinars.
• Assist with and/or develop presentations for a variety of topics and audiences.
• Craft statewide marketing emails for a variety of events or promotional efforts.
• Maintain knowledge and awareness of statewide innovation efforts by working closely with the OSI project manager.
• Maintain and organize collection of still images and video footage of innovations and interviews.
• Create videos using Adobe Premiere Pro.
• Maintain intranet SharePoint page for both DRIVERS initiative and OSI.
• Must become familiar with and regularly engage in ideaDRIVER (an electronic employee idea sharing platform) and the agency's innovation process.
• Develop talking points for various leadership stakeholders about innovation-related topics and events.
• Represent VTRC/OSI and DRIVERS at both internal and external events.
• Provide regular communications project updates.
• Regularly develop and refine initiatives, strategies, or processes to further effective and efficient communications efforts.
• Work closely with VDOT Central Office Communications to develop, review, edit and distribute communications strategies and materials.
• Work with district communications personnel on innovation-related topics, projects and initiatives as needed.
• Support multiple internal and external initiatives and projects simultaneously.
• Any other duties as assigned by a supervisor and/or USF Senior Project Manager.

Qualifications:

Education:

• High School diploma or demonstrated equivalent.

Experience/Skill Sets:

• Ability to research, write, and edit technical information for news stories, newsletters, presentations, emails, and other informational purposes.
• Ability to interview internal sources and subject matter experts to ensure information contained in communications materials is accurately obtained, described, and conveyed.
• Ability to conduct on-camera interviews using an iPhone, tripod, and microphone.
• Ability to shoot images and video footage, including b-roll, with an iPhone.
• Ability to work with other stakeholders to collect information and create newsletters and other materials.
• Ability to speak to large audiences in a live setting and deliver presentations.
• Ability to communicate clearly and effectively with various audiences.
• Ability to establish and follow workflow processes as needed.
• Experience in Adobe Premiere Pro, InDesign, Acrobat, Photoshop and Lightroom preferred.
• Light graphic design skills are preferred.
• Experience with Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, Excel, and SharePoint including Microsoft Stream.
• Organizational skills are a must.
• Must have time management skills and be able to support multiple internal and external initiatives and projects occurring at the same time.
• Ability to set and meet deadlines is a must.
• Ability to collaboratively work with numerous teams to develop, review, and distribute communications materials in a timely manner.
• Attention to detail is a must.
• Ability to make sound judgements.
• Must be a self-starter and capable of making decisions with minimal supervision.
• Must be a strategic thinker with the ability to pivot and adapt to changes as needed.
• Must be a forward thinker eager to become aware of, research, test, and adopt new communication methods or tools to increase efficiency.

Work Conditions:

• 90-day probation period.
• VDOT industry training.
• May be subject to short or no-notice work assignments.
• Fast-paced, multi-tasking environment subject to short or no-notice work assignments and exposure to inclement weather.
• Work environment is informal, both team and autonomy oriented, having routine tasks with variable pace and pressure.
• Monitored performance with routine evaluation.

Compensation:

• $30.00 to $37.00 Hourly
• Vacation
• Sick Time
• Paid Holidays
• 401-K

NOTE: This position is designed as essential and, as such, all duties associated with this job are required during emergency situations which may include but are not limited to inclement weather, disaster response and emergency operations. VDOT/Project Management will determine when essential positions are required.

Valid driver's license is required. DMV records check is required. Pre-employment drug screen is required. Fingerprint-based Criminal History Records Check is required.

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