The Superior Court of Los Angeles County is the largest unified trial court in the United States. Its 580 judges and commissioners work in one of the 36 facilities within the Court's 12 judicial districts and are supported by 5,000 full-time Court employees. The Court has an annual budget of more than $1 billion. Located in Southern California, Los Angeles County is geographically one of the nation's largest counties, covering 4,752 square miles and, with over 10,400,000 residents, is also one of its most populous counties.

ABOUT THE POSITION:
The Court is seeking dynamic, well-qualified and highly motivated individuals to fill the position of Senior Public Information Representative. This individual will work in a fast paced, high-volume Communications Office that serves high-profile internal and external stakeholders under tight deadlines. The Senior Public Information Representative will also assist the Media Affairs Administrator and serve as a thought partner to help navigate complex media relations issues.

The significance and appeal of the work of a Senior Public Information Representative is magnified by unique aspects of the Court: as the largest trial court in the nation, and with a location in the heart of the culture production industry, the Los Angeles Superior Court handles more high-profile cases than any court in the nation. The Court is a leader in judicial administration across the nation and in California and its communications can have broad impacts on public policy. The Court is one of the largest employers in Los Angeles County: with 5,000 employees in 36 locations, strategic internal and external communications are imperative to ensuring the Court continues to fulfill its mission of providing timely and equal access to justice for all.

The Senior Public Information Representative supports the mission of the Los Angeles Superior Court by providing strategic and public service communications to external stakeholders (including the media) and internally to judges and staff; provides technical assistance and logistical assistance to judges and staff in handling high-profile cases and serves as the project manager and senior writer and editor for the Court’s internal and external publications. A successful candidate will possess strong project-management skills with a holistic knowledge of effective and successful marketing and communications strategies from inception to completion. An understanding of different platforms (such as video, print and digital) is desired.

The Senior Public Information Representative responds to inquiries made on behalf of the general public, media, and/or Court staff and disseminates information related to Court operations and programs in ways that promote public trust and confidence in the judicial branch and the Los Angeles Superior Court. They also research and write complex and technical publications for various audiences in a wide variety of formats, such as articles for newsletters, annual reports, news releases and website content with the goal of delivering effective communications for internal and external audiences. Successful applicants must also possess an experienced understanding of media relations.
This individual must possess exceptional written and verbal communication skills to promote the Court's vision, mission, and objectives in a variety of forums and formats with clear and concise deliverables. Candidates must also possess exceptional copyediting skills and an expert-level understanding of Associated Press (AP) style.

Incumbents must develop an understanding of the Court's strategic communications efforts and of how both internal and external communications contribute to public trust and confidence in the Court. Candidates must have strong customer service skills and experience interacting with diverse communities with the ability to forge and maintain effective working relationships within and outside of the Court. Additionally, successful candidates will maintain composure and professionalism in a high-profile, fast-paced environment.

For a detailed job description, please click here. Please note the requirements in the job description may vary from the requirements in the bulletin. Applicants must meet the requirements stated in this bulletin.

REQUIRED ATTACHEMENTS:
Applicants must attach the required document(s) as an attachment to their online applications in PDF format. The attachments should not exceed 10 MB. The Court will not accept documents submitted by mail, e-mail, or facsimile transmission.

• Portfolio that highlights past relevant work. This may include articles, news releases, media advisories, events, marketing materials, social media content, digital content, or photos.

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS:
To qualify, you must meet one of the following requirements at the time of application:


Option I : Graduation from an accredited four-year college or university with a major in marketing, public relations, communications, journalism, political science, public administration, business administration, or a closely related field – AND –three (3) years of progressively responsible experience researching procedural, legislative, governmental, or similar complex information that includes technical writing, editing and daily news reporting on deadline for newspapers, and/or news releases, web-based communications, and other internal and external publications and communications needs.

Option II: A Master's Degree in marketing, public relations, communications, journalism, political science, public administration, business administration, or a closely related field – AND – one (1) years of progressively responsible experience researching procedural, legislative, governmental, or similar complex information that includes technical writing, editing and daily news reporting on deadline for newspapers, and/or news releases, web-based communications, and other internal and external publications and communications needs

Option III: Seven (7) years of progressively responsible experience researching procedural, legislative, governmental, or similar complex information that includes technical writing, editing and daily news reporting on deadline for newspapers, and/or news releases, web-based communications, and other internal and external publications and communications needs.

Note: Credit for experience is given based on a 40-hour workweek. Part-time experience is credited on a part-time ratio, i.e., working 20 hours per week for two months equals one month of experience. No additional credit is given for overtime .

EDUCATION VERIFICATION FOR OPTION I & II:
To receive credit, a legible copy of your college diploma -OR- transcript(s) (unofficial are acceptable) detailing the degree conferred and the name of the educational institution must be attached to your online application. Otherwise, your application materials will be deemed incomplete and rejected accordingly.

For a list of acceptable accredited institutions or international universities, please visit http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation, www.chea.org/search, or http://whed.net/home.php.

Foreign studies must be evaluated by an academic credential evaluation agency and deemed to be equivalent to degrees from the United States. For a list of acceptable evaluation agencies, please visit www.naces.org or http://aice- eval.org/members/. Foreign studies submitted without acceptable evaluation will be rejected.


DESIRABLE QUALIFICATIONS:

• Serves as the primary writer, editor and copyeditor for various court publications, such as internal newsletters, news releases, notices to attorneys, public service announcements, brochures, reports, flyers, and other communications material by participating in brainstorming sessions, researching information, writing copy and editing content.
• Plans editorial content, writing, and editing for the Court’s internal newsletters, including working with the Court’s Newsletter Advisory Board, in conjunction with the Media Affairs Administrator. Coordinates with senior Communications Office staff for final review, approval, and dissemination of finished works.
• Assists the Media Affairs Administrator and helps assist with the coordination of the Court’s media affairs functions.
• Exceptional written and oral communication skills, with the ability to produce clear, concise, and timely communications-based deliverables on tight deadlines.
• Exemplary copyediting skills with a deep understanding of AP style.
• Fluent in English and Spanish.
• Proven experience orchestrating and managing high-profile public events.
• Exemplary project-management skills, coordinating projects from inception to completion with knowledge of best communications-based practices, editing, layout, digital content, and video production.
• Professional experience interacting with multiple stakeholders while providing excellent customer service.
• Proven experience developing and/or writing for deadline-driven organizations, such as a publication or news outlet.
• Experience working with media, public figures, and/or high-profile individuals or groups.
• Experience in developing and executing communication-based plans that utilize different platforms (such as video, print and digital) to target diverse internal and external audience.
• Public Relations and/or Public Administration experience preferred.
• An understanding of video production, social media and photography.

EXAMINATION INFORMATION:

Part I: Qualifying evaluation of education, training and experience based upon submitted application materials and supplemental questionnaire.

Part II: Applicants who best meet job-related qualifications will be invited to participate in the examination process that may consist of any combination of written, performance, or oral appraisal to further evaluate job-related experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities.

APPLICATION AND FILING INFORMATION:
Applications may only be filed online. To learn how to apply online, please access the Online Employment Application Guide. The Los Angeles Superior Court reserves the right to verify all submitted documentation prior to appointment. The Court will only consider completed applications submitted, along with the required documents, and will reject incomplete applications. A resume will not substitute for a fully completed employment application. To facilitate the full and proper consideration of your work experience, clearly specify what professional experience meets the required job qualifications. When listing your work experience, please specify the beginning and end dates for each job you held and describe your experience for each position.

Please provide a current and accurate e-mail address for the Court to communicate with you about this job opportunity. Human Resources staff will notify all applicants of their application status via e-mail. We recommend that you add info@governmentjobs.com to your SAFE SENDERS list to avoid the notification being filtered as spam mail.

Los Angeles Superior Court is an equal opportunity employer. Applicants with disabilities who require reasonable accommodation to participate in the recruitment process can contact the email address provided below. For additional employment information, please click here (Download PDF reader).

Questions regarding this posting may be e-mailed to abetancourth@lacourt.org.

WHAT TO EXPECT NEXT:
We will notify you of the outcome after each step of the recruitment process has been completed. Applicants who successfully pass each (and all) examination part(s) will be placed on an eligible list that will remain active for approximately six months. Other vacancies may be filled using this list.

Exam No.: R9808C
Senior Public Information Representative

Applications may be filed online at:
www.lacourt.org
OR via the HR computer kiosk at
Los Angeles Superior Court
Human Resources Administration
111 N. Hill Street, Room 203
Los Angeles, CA 90012