Communications Specialist (Temp)

The City of Vista, located in Vista, California, is a well-established municipal government organization dedicated to providing excellent public services to its community. Operating from the Vista City Hall, the city administration covers a variety of departments including Fire Administration, which is responsible for fire services and public safety programs. The city values community engagement, transparency, and effective communication with its residents. It offers a work environment that emphasizes professionalism, inclusivity, and public service, aiming to foster growth and development among its employees. This particular job opening is for the Fire Administration Department and is a part-time, temporary position. The role is estimated at approximately 20 hours per week and offers an hourly wage ranging from $27.36 to $33.26. This position is under the TEMP bargaining unit, reflecting its temporary and part-time nature, and is located at Vista City Hall, a central hub for city operations and public interaction.

The Communications Specialist position in the Fire Administration Department plays a critical role in designing and implementing the communication and marketing efforts of Vista Fire Rescue programs and events. Under general supervision, this role involves managing the department's social media presence and coordinating closely with the city's Communications team and Fire Administration to create engaging content campaigns that promote resident participation in public safety programs and community events. A key aspect of this role is digital storytelling, where the specialist is responsible for producing creative and compelling content primarily through video and photography to be used across platforms such as Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and more. This position also involves monitoring social media channels, responding to community inquiries, and ensuring timely communication among stakeholders.

The Communications Specialist will coordinate the production of the monthly Vista Fire Rescue email newsletter in both English and Spanish, overseeing content writing, photographic coordination, and outreach efforts. The role serves as a photographer and videographer for the department, capturing digital assets that support various publications, websites, and other promotional platforms. Collaboration with the Fire Administration team is essential in conceptualizing and executing marketing campaigns that advance the visibility and engagement of Vista Fire Rescue’s programs and events. This role requires a combination of creativity, technical proficiency, and communication skills to effectively manage the department’s public image and outreach efforts.

The ideal candidate will bring a strong background in communications, marketing, or related fields, demonstrated through education and practical experience in digital marketing and social media management. Knowledge of marketing principles, public relations strategies, as well as writing, graphic arts, and audio-visual production techniques, is necessary. Proficiency with communication tools such as Photoshop, Lightroom, Canva, Adobe Premiere Pro, and video editing software is required to produce high-quality digital content. The position requires excellent written and verbal communication skills, the ability to handle multiple projects concurrently, and strong problem-solving abilities to maintain a positive public presence and respond effectively to community concerns. The Communications Specialist must also be detail-oriented, self-motivated, and capable of working within a team to meet deadlines and departmental goals.

Physical demands include regular sitting, talking, hearing, and the use of standard office equipment. The work environment is typically a quiet office setting. Mental demands involve communication, analysis, multitasking, and interacting with a variety of stakeholders including city officials, media representatives, and the general public. This is a temporary role with reasonable accommodations available for individuals with disabilities. The City of Vista is an equal opportunity employer and encourages all qualified candidates to apply.