Government Affairs and Communications Director
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THE COUNTY |
Orange County is a dynamic region in Southern California, home to over 3 million residents and 34 cities. The County offers a thriving economic climate, stunning beaches, world-class attractions, and a diverse population. As one of the premier public sector employers in California, the County of Orange offers professional development, a collaborative work environment, and the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of its residents.
Click here for more information on the County of Orange.
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COUNTY EXECUTIVE OFFICE |
The County Executive Office (CEO) supports the Board of Supervisors, oversees County operations and strategic priorities, and provides leadership to 22 departments and approximately 18,000 employees. The CEO is organized into five divisions, including CEO Budget and Finance, CEO Information Technology, CEO Real Estate, the Chief Operating Office, and Human Resource Services.
Click here for additional information on the County Executive Office.
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THE OPPORTUNITY |
The Government Affairs and Communications Director is a senior manager position serving as the County’s principal strategist for government/legislative affairs, communications, and community relations. This position will provide direct management of the CEO Legislative Affairs Director and the CEO Public Information Manager, as well as their teams, integrating legislative advocacy, stakeholder relations, media engagement, and strategic messaging into one cohesive, forward-thinking unit.
The ideal candidate will be a visionary and collaborative leader who excels in aligning internal communications, public information, and legislative priorities across a complex organization. This position will lead high-level strategic initiatives, promote transparency and trust, and support the County’s mission to serve the public through effective governance and communication.
KEY DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
- Serve as principal advisor to the Chief Operating Officer and CEO Executive Team on strategic government relations and communications.
- Lead and mentor both the CEO Legislative Affairs and CEO Communications Directors and their respective teams.
- Develop and implement a countywide strategic communications and legislative engagement plan.
- Coordinate executive messaging across departments to ensure consistency, accuracy, and alignment with County goals.
- Cultivate strong relationships with federal, state, and local elected officials, media representatives, and community stakeholders.
- Represent the County at legislative hearings, media briefings, intergovernmental meetings, and public forums.
- Guide issue and crisis communications, ensuring rapid, transparent, and accurate messaging during emergencies or high-profile events.
- Oversee contracts, consultants, and initiatives related to legislative advocacy and media strategy.
- Champion innovation and continuous improvement in government transparency, branding, and civic engagement.
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DESIRABLE QUALIFICATIONS AND CORE COMPETENCIES
The ideal candidate will be a seasoned professional with a background and understanding of municipal governments and possess the following:
- Bachelor’s degree in Public Administration, Political Science, Communications, Journalism, or a closely related field. Master’s degree preferred.
- A minimum of eight (8) years of progressively responsible experience in communications, government affairs, public relations, or community relations, including at least four (4) years in an executive or senior leadership role within a complex organization.
- Proven experience supervising a multidisciplinary team, including the ability to build cohesiveness, provide strategic leadership, and align individual and team performance with departmental and organizational goals and objectives; experience leading large teams and/or multidisciplinary units is highly desirable.
- Demonstrated success developing and implementing large-scale communication and legislative strategies.
- Experience managing teams of professionals across disciplines, with a proven ability to coach and inspire high performance.
- Expertise in federal, California state and local legislative processes, public sector communications, and policy development.
- Ability to thrive in a high-stakes, politically sensitive, and fast-paced environment.
In addition, the ideal candidate will have proven experience related to the following key competencies:
Ability to see the big picture, align competing priorities, and navigate political environments with tact.Strategic Leadership
Strong understanding of the intergovernmental landscape and adeptness in dealing with elected officials and external agencies.Political Acumen
Outstanding writing, editing, public speaking, and media relations skills.Communication Excellence
Forward-thinking with a readiness to adopt emerging communication technologies and advocacy tools.Innovation and Adaptability
Builds trust and rapport across internal teams, elected officials and their staff, community partners, and media outlets.Relationship Management
SELECTION PROCEDURE
Human Resource Services will screen all resumes to identify the qualified candidates who meet the minimum qualifications. Those applicants will be referred to the next step and notified of all further procedures applicable to their status in the competitive process.
Resume Screening | (Refer/Non-Refer): Resumes will be screened for qualifications that are highly desirable and most needed to successfully perform the duties of this job. Only those candidates that meet the qualifications as listed in the job bulletin will be referred to the next step.
Performance Examination | (Weighted 100%): A performance examination is a test in which applicants demonstrate their skills and knowledge by performing job related tasks rather than selecting answers from a list. It is designed to assess how effectively applicants apply their knowledge, skills, and abilities in realistic or simulated scenarios. A panel of job knowledge experts evaluates performance using standardized criteria. Only the most qualified applicants will move forward to the next step in the recruitment process or will be placed on the eligible list.
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