Assistant Public Information Officer (N9)

Assistant Public Information Officer (N9)

Salary

$52,170.00 - $83,572.00 Annually

Location

Annapolis

Job Type

Full-Time

Job Number

202600278

Department

Mayor & City Council

Opening Date

08/03/2026

Closing Date

8/17/2026 11:59 PM Eastern

• Description
• Benefits
• Questions

Job Summary

The City of Annapolis is seeking a creative, articulate, and media-savvy professional to serve as Assistant Public Information Officer (PIO) within the Mayors Office. Working under general supervision from the Public Information Officer, this position actively drives public outreach, digital media delivery, municipal branding, and executive communications across all City departments and community platforms.

The ideal candidate possesses exceptional writing and editing skills anchored in Associated Press (AP) style, strong editorial judgment, and hands-on digital media production capabilities. Responsibilities include developing digital content, managing the official twice-monthly Mayor's newsletter, authoring ceremonial proclamations and citations, capturing event photography/videography, and supporting press releases and public relations campaigns.

Essential Job Functions

• Digital Media & Social Channels: Creates dynamic content for and maintains the Citys official social media platforms (e.g., Facebook, X/Twitter, YouTube, blogs, and website Content Management Systems).

• Executive Publications & Ceremonial Items: Authors and manages the production of the twice-monthly Mayor's newsletter and drafts ceremonial proclamations, citations, press releases, speeches, letters, and blog posts.

• Event & On-Scene Coverage: Attends City events, press conferences, and public functions to provide live digital communications coverage utilizing basic photography and videography principles.

• Interdepartmental Content Editing: Reviews and edits written content created by other City staff (including departmental letters, grant proposals, and public notices) to ensure consistent municipal branding and message clarity.

• Intergovernmental & Media Relations: Builds and maintains cooperative working relationships with communications counterparts across local, county, regional, and state government entities.

• Public Information & Confidentiality: Supports emergency and routine public information activities under strict confidentiality protocols.

• Legislative & Executive Support: Provides occasional support during City Council meetings and represents the Mayor's Office at public functions as directed.

Qualifications

• Editorial & AP Style Mastery: Thorough command of Associated Press (AP) writing style, spelling, grammar, punctuation, and structural syntax across diverse media formats.

• Digital Publishing & CMS Tools: Proficiency in modern social media management platforms, web Content Management Systems (CMS), Google Suite (Docs, Sheets, Slides, Gmail), and the ability to learn Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop and InDesign).

• Visual Media Production: Knowledge of basic photography and videography principles to capture high-quality digital content during live events.

• Cultural Competency: Strong understanding of, and sensitivity toward, the unique needs and challenges of diverse cultural, racial, and socio-economic groups across the Annapolis community.

• Deadline Management: Ability to organize documents, manage multiple concurrent assignments, and produce accurate content under tight, deadline-driven pressures.

QualificationsMinimum Education & Experience Requirements:

• Education: Graduation from an accredited college or university with a Bachelor's degree in Public Relations, Marketing, Journalism, Communications, Communication Design, Web Design, or a closely related field; AND

• Experience: Some professional experience in public relations, public affairs, marketing, journalism, digital media, or a closely related field.

• Combination Option: An acceptable combination of education, training, and experience that demonstrates the required knowledge, skills, and abilities may be considered.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Multilingual Ability: Fluency or proficiency in Spanish language skills (desired, but not required).

Employment Conditions

• Physical Demands: Primarily sedentary office work requiring standard keyboarding and workstation duties, with light physical effort.

• Environmental & Travel Demands: Requires local travel to off-site community events, press conferences, and public meetings, including occasional evening or weekend hours.

• Sensory Demands: Adequate visual acuity to operate digital monitors, review dense documents, and edit visual media; clear hearing and speaking capabilities for multi-party consultations and public representation.

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

The City of Annapolis Government does not discriminate or retaliate in employment against any person seeking employment or employed in the civil service because of any consideration of political or religious affiliation or belief, race, color, sex, age, family status, national origin, marital status, disability, veteran status, genetic information, sexual orientation, or gender identity.

We offer a complete benefits package to full-time employees including health care, dental, vision, retirement, deferred compensation plans, flexible spending accounts, life insurance, long-term disability, holidays, vacation, and sick leave. Part-time employees who work an average of __ hours per week over the course of a year, receive benefits on a pro-rated basis. To learn more details, visit our benefits page.

01

Which of the following options best describes how you meet the minimum qualifications for the Assistant Public Information Officer position?

• I possess a Bachelor's degree (or higher) in Public Relations, Marketing, Journalism, Communications, Communication Design, Web Design, or a closely related field AND some professional communications experience.
• I possess an equivalent combination of higher education, specialized training, and professional experience providing the required knowledge, skills, and abilities.
• None of the above.

02

For degrees obtained from a university outside the United States, applicants must provide certified accreditation and educational equivalency documentation from an approved credential evaluation service upon the close of this announcement. Does this apply to you?

• Yes, this applies to me and I have attached the required documentation.
• Yes, this applies to me but I have NOT attached the documentation
• No, this does not apply to me (My degree was completed within the United States).

03

Do you possess professional experience writing, editing, and publishing content for public relations, digital media, public affairs, or journalism?

• Yes
• No

04

If you answered "Yes," please specify your official position title, organization, exact dates of employment, and a summary of your public communications duties. Note: This background must also be explicitly detailed inside the Work History area of your application to verify eligibility

05

Which of the following communications and digital publishing tasks do you have direct, hands-on experience performing? (Select all that apply)

• Managing official organizational social media channels (e.g., Facebook, X/Twitter, YouTube, Instagram)
• Writing and editing press releases, executive newsletters, or blog posts
• Drafting formal proclamations, citations, or executive letters
• Applying Associated Press (AP) style guidelines to written content
• Capturing event photography or videography for digital distribution
• Utilizing website Content Management Systems (CMS) or Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop/InDesign)
• None of the above

06

Do you possess conversational or fluent Spanish language skills (speaking, reading, or writing)?

• Yes, I am fluent in both English and Spanish.
• Yes, I have conversational proficiency in Spanish.
• No, I am not proficient in Spanish.

07

The Assistant PIO must quickly draft and adapt messaging across multiple channels while strict AP style and accuracy are maintained. Please describe a situation where you had to draft a time-sensitive public announcement or event update. How did you tailor the content for different platforms (e.g., social media vs. a formal press release or newsletter) while ensuring message consistency and accuracy?

08

In this role, you will represent the Mayors Office at public functions, capture live media, and communicate with diverse socio-economic and cultural communities across Annapolis. Describe an experience where you covered a public community event. How did you ensure your messaging and visual media were engaging, respectful, and culturally inclusive?

Required Question

Employer City of Annapolis (MD)

Address 145 Gorman St # 2R

Annapolis, Maryland, 21401

Phone (410) 263-7998

Website www.annapolis.gov