<p>The City of Garden Grove is accepting applications for</p> <p>PUBLIC AFFAIRS SPECIALIST / SENIOR PUBLIC AFFAIRS SPECIALIST </p> <p>Deadline to apply for this recruitment is Wednesday, July 30, 2025 at 5:00 p.m. PST</p> <p>The Community Relations division of the City Manager's Office currently has one (1) vacancy for a Public Affairs Specialist (official title: Administrative Analyst) and one (1) vacancy for a Senior Public Affairs Specialist (official title: Senior Administrative Analyst). The Public Affairs Specialist and Senior Public Affairs Specialist independently perform a wide variety of administrative functions, including conducting public affairs related special projects, studies, and research. Incumbents help develop, implement, and manage strategic communications efforts that keep the public informed, foster transparency, and support community engagement across a variety of platforms. The positions are distinguished by their level of responsibility and autonomy, complexity of assignments and duties, scope and effect, and supervisory/lead responsibilities.</p> <p>The ideal candidate possesses strong analytical, research, and critical thinking skills; communicates clearly and concisely, in writing and orally; works collaboratively in a team; interacts professionally and diplomatically with executives; and provides excellent customer service.</p> <p>We anticipate creating an eligibility list from this recruitment that may be used to fill current and future vacancies for this classification, so apply now!</p> <p>PUBLIC AFFAIRS SPECIALIST: $6,283 - $9,282 MONTHLY</p> <p>Essential Duties</p> <ul> <li>Plan and lead public-affairs-related special projects, studies, and research on City programs, community concerns, and best practices; </li><li>Collect, analyze, and visualize quantitative & qualitative data to inform communication strategies and budget decisions; </li><li>Present actionable recommendations that enhance service delivery, outreach effectiveness, and cross-department workflows; </li><li>Translate City policies into clear public-facing content (e.g., news releases, FAQs, social posts); </li><li>Serve as an internal advisor on public-affairs issues, crisis messaging, and community-engagement tactics; </li><li>Draft procedural guides, talking points, and performance dashboards for executives, Council briefings, and community updates; </li><li>Respond to media and resident questions, ensuring accurate, timely, and culturally competent information; </li><li>Represent the Office of Community Relations at Council, community forums, trade shows, and regional committees;  </li><li>Support on-scene communications during emergencies or special events; </li><li>Maintain City web, intranet, and social-media content; coordinate volunteer or intern teams; and lead special events as needed; </li><li>May be required to work overtime; </li><li>Perform related duties as assigned. </li></ul> <p>SENIOR PUBLIC AFFAIRS SPECIALIST: $6,871 - $10,152 MONTHLY</p> <p>In addition to the above, Senior Public Affair Specialists:</p> <ul> <li>Independently coordinates complex special projects; compiles statistical and financial data for various reports; </li><li>Assists in planning long or short-term business objectives; </li><li>Conducts special surveys in gathering data from other communities on their operations; </li><li>Prepares correspondence for signature; prepares special reports on studies conducted; </li><li>Conducts budget preparation, revision and needs analysis; </li><li>May serve in a lead capacity; </li><li>Performs related duties as required. </li></ul> <p>EDUCATION: Bachelor's degree with major work in Communications, Public Relations, Journalism, English, Advertising, Marketing, or a related field.</p> <p>EXPERIENCE</p> <ul> <li> <p>PUBLIC AFFAIRS SPECIALIST - One (1) year of professional experience in public administration, working in communications, media relations, public affairs, or a related field.</p> </li><li> <p>SENIOR PUBLIC AFFAIRS SPECIAIST - Three (3) years of professional experience in public administration, working in a communications, media relations, public affairs, or a related field.</p> </li></ul> <p>KNOWLEDGE OF</p> <p>Basic principles and methods of public administration, statistical and research methods; administrative survey techniques; computer applications and presentations, including MS Office, Google Workspace, web-content management, and social-media management tools; digital-communication platforms (e.g., Canva, Constant Contact, Hootsuite, CMS); customer service techniques and principles, and supervisory techniques where applicable.</p> <p>ABILITY TO</p> <p>Make sound analyses and evaluations and effectively present findings; perform technical research, evaluate complex data and prepare clear and comprehensive written reports and deliver concise presentations to diverse audiences; work cooperatively and effectively with others; build constructive relationships and exercise tact, diplomacy, and cultural sensitivity; work irregular hours including evenings, weekends, holidays, special events, and emergencies; commit to quality customer service, and lead or supervise employees where applicable.</p> <p>OTHER REQUIREMENTS:</p> <p>California Class "C" driver's license is highly desirable.</p> <p>PHYSICAL DEMANDS</p> <p>The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Incumbents in this classification sit, speak clearly, hear normal voice conversation, see small details, use a 10 key or calculator, and work on a personal computer.</p> <p>WORK ENVIRONMENT</p> <p>The work environment described here is representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Incumbents in this classification work in an open office environment.</p> <p>HOW TO APPLY</p> <p>Online applications can be submitted by visiting:  www.ggcity.org/hr.  Questions regarding this position may be sent via email to ggjobs@ggcity.org.  City Hall is open Monday through Thursday, 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., and every other Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.    </p> <p>The deadline to apply is Wednesday, July 30, 2025, 5:00 p.m. PST</p> <p>Online application packets must include:</p> <ul> <li>a completed online application </li><li>a completed supplemental questionnaire </li><li>an updated resume </li></ul> <p>Your application will be reviewed very carefully, and only those who appear to have the best qualifications will be invited to continue in the selection process. Meeting the minimum requirements does not guarantee an invitation to further testing.</p> <p>THE SELECTION PROCESS</p> <p>Selection process may consist of:</p> <ul> <li> <p>Written performance exam - tentatively scheduled in-person on Thursday, August 14, 2025</p> </li><li> <p>Oral panel interview - tentatively scheduled for in-person on Thursday, September 4, 2025</p> </li></ul> <p>Candidates who may need special accommodations during the selection process must contact the Human Resources Department at ggjobs@ggcity.org at least one week prior to any test dates.</p> <p>APPLICANTS WILL RECEIVE COMMUNICATION THROUGH EMAIL ONLY. Applicants should check their email and spam mail for all notices regarding their status.</p> <p>If there are any questions regarding this recruitment, please contact the Human Resources Department at ggjobs@ggcity.org.</p> <p>NEPOTISM POLICY</p> <p>The City has adopted a Nepotism Policy that may affect the status of a candidate's application.  Please refer to the Garden Grove Municipal Code 2.44.440 Nepotism Policy for more information.  </p> <p>EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER</p> <p>The City of Garden Grove is an Equal Opportunity Employer that does not discriminate on the basis of sex, race, color, marital status, religion, ancestry, national origin, medical condition, non-disqualifying disability, age, sexual orientation, gender identify/expression, genetic information, military/veteran status, or other protected class covered by appropriate law.</p> <p>DISASTER SERVICE WORKER</p> <p>Per Government Code 3100, in the event of a disaster, employees of the City of Garden Grove are considered disaster service workers and may be asked to respond accordingly.</p>