Job Summary

A local public sector organization is seeking a Public Affairs Specialist for a contract opportunity in Palmdale, CA. This role is ideal for a communications professional with experience in public affairs, media relations, community outreach, public relations, or marketing communications.

The Public Affairs Specialist will support strategic internal and external communications, public information, stakeholder engagement, media coordination, and community relations initiatives. This position offers the opportunity to contribute to meaningful public service communications while working with a collaborative team, supportive leadership, and subject matter experts across the organization.

This is a strong fit for someone who enjoys translating technical information into clear, audience-friendly messaging, managing multiple communication channels, and helping build trust with customers, community groups, media representatives, employees, elected officials, and other stakeholders.

Key Responsibilities

- Develop, write, edit, and produce public information materials, including newsletters, fact sheets, web content, social media posts, press materials, reports, scripts, articles, and presentations.
- Gather, review, fact-check, and synthesize information from technical materials, government documents, and internal subject matter experts.
- Support media relations activities, including press events, interviews, site visits, media inquiries, and preparation of informational materials.
- Create and monitor website, publication, advertising, photography, video, and social media content in alignment with communications guidelines.
- Build and maintain positive relationships with community members, customers, employees, media contacts, and other stakeholder groups.
- Monitor internal developments, external news, and public trends to help prepare timely communications and responses.

Compensation and Benefits

- Pay: $40.00 to $50.00 per hour.
- Contract duration: Approximately 3 to 4 months, with potential to extend.
- Schedule: Monday through Thursday, 4/10 schedule.
- Hours: Approximately 24 to 32 hours per week.
- Typical schedule: 7:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., with hours that may vary.
- Location: Palmdale, CA.

Required Qualifications and Skills

- Support public affairs, communications, community outreach, media relations, and public information initiatives.
- Create written, digital, visual, and social media content for a variety of audiences.
- Coordinate communications with internal teams, technical experts, news media, and community stakeholders.
- Help represent public programs, projects, policies, and goals through clear and accurate messaging.

- Minimum of 2 to 3 years of experience in public affairs, public relations, media relations, communications, community outreach, or a similar field.
- Bachelor’s degree in Public Affairs, Journalism, Graphic Design, Communications, or a related field from an accredited college or university.
- Strong writing, editing, proofreading, grammar, spelling, punctuation, and vocabulary skills.
- Ability to translate complex technical topics into clear, simple language for general audiences.
- Experience preparing and distributing public information through websites, publications, advertising, media relations, and social media.
- Knowledge of public information practices, strategic communications, local government functions, and community engagement methods.
- Ability to work on multiple assignments under deadlines in a fast-paced and sometimes unpredictable environment.
- Experience taking photos, shooting video, selecting images, or maintaining content libraries.
- Working knowledge of graphic arts, printing terminology, and tools such as InDesign.
- Knowledge of English and Spanish grammar, composition, spelling, punctuation, and vocabulary.
- Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to build effective working relationships with staff, media, customers, and community stakeholders.
- Ability to work occasional irregular hours for media inquiries or community meetings.
- Valid California driver’s license, or ability to obtain one, with an acceptable driving record.

Preferred Qualifications

- 3 to 5 years of public affairs, marketing communications, government communications, media relations, or community outreach experience.
- Prior experience supporting communications for a public agency, utility, municipality, special district, nonprofit, or government-related organization.
- Experience conducting or supporting on-the-record media interviews.
- Bilingual English and Spanish communication skills.
- Experience with public sector messaging, water industry communications, community meetings, and stakeholder engagement.

Equal Opportunity Employer / Disabled / Protected Veterans

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For temporary assignments lasting 13 weeks or longer, AppleOne is pleased to offer major medical, dental, vision, 401k and any statutory sick pay where required.

We are committed to working with and providing reasonable accommodations to individuals with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the employment process, please contact your staffing representative who will reach out to our HR team.

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We also consider for employment qualified applicants regardless of criminal histories, consistent with legal requirements, including, if applicable, the City of Los Angeles’ Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance. Pursuant to applicable state and municipal Fair Chance Laws and Ordinances, we will consider for employment-qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records, including, if applicable, the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance. For Los Angeles, CA applicants: Qualified applications with arrest or conviction records will be considered for employment in accordance with the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance for Employers and the California Fair Chance Act.