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Associate Director of Communications

Augusta , Maine , United States | Marketing & Communications | Full-time

Apply by: July 19, 2024

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Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS)Public Service Coordinator IIOpening Date: June 27, 2024Closing Date: July 19, 2024Job Class Code: CA30

Grade: 30 (Confidential)

Salary: $ 69,742.40-$ 94,827.20

There will be a 3% across the board general salary increase effective June 30th, 2024

Position Number: 02000-4163

Location: Augusta, OFI Central Office

Core Responsibilities:

As Associate Director of Communications for the Office for Family Independence (OFI), you will help bring the story of our work to life in a way that builds shared understanding of our programs and impact among the people we serve, the people who work here, and our partners across the state. You will help this Office navigate challenges as well as celebrate successes. And you will ensure that the message is clear when it matters most.

You will be responsible for overseeing the development and delivery of internal and external communications and serve as a liaison to a broad range of committees, work groups, and organizations. You will also support the work of other OFI leaders in developing communications plans, strategies, and products that affect one third of Maine’s population. In this key leadership role, you will also help develop office-wide priorities, maintain strong internal and external partnerships, and continuously assess what’s needed and whether our efforts are effective.

Additional responsibilities:

• Develop and maintain a detailed communications plan for internal and external communications that outlines key messages, target audiences, and timing.

• Ensure that OFI’s internal and external communications are consistent, appropriate, and accessible. Lead office-wide outreach efforts, including e-mail newsletters, webinars, and social media .

• Act as a liaison between OFI and key stakeholders including other DHHS and State components and external organizations. Prepare reports and presentations to explain OFI’s programs, policies, and positions to a variety of audiences including clients, staff, Federal partners, the public, and the Legislature.

• Research, evaluate, and draft rules, legislation, and testimony. Write reports, develop presentations, and summarize information as appropriate for the intended audiences.

• Ensure information about OFI programs, projects, and activities are accessible by and communicated to the public, clients, staff, and stakeholders. Coordinate updates to OFI’s website through program and policy experts across the Office.

• Serve as a designee on a variety of work groups and committees to communicate OFI’s position, develop policies and procedures, and promote stakeholder coordination and cooperation.

• Collaborate in developing organization-wide policies, procedures, and documents. Ensure that OFI’s programs and service delivery systems support attainment of its mission.

• Partner with the senior management team and DHHS leaders to identify and effectively use necessary resources to communicate effectively.

• Partner with a variety of stakeholders for strategic planning, policy oversight, program and operations reviews, and information exchanges.

Minimum Qualifications:

To qualify for this position, your background must include an eight (8) year combination of education and experience in community development, social services, health, communications, and/or public policy.

Preferred experience includes:

• A professional degree in social services, communications, public administration, or other comparable field

• Professional or lived experience with Medicaid, SNAP, and/or TANF

• Communications or public relations related experience

The background of well-qualified candidates will demonstrate the following competencies:

• Knowledge of: state/federal laws, regulations, and rules pertaining to OFI programs; legislative process; public policy development, formulation, and execution; social, economic, and public relations issues affective OFI, its programs, and people served; communications strategy and execution; social media development; history and purpose of public benefits

• Ability to: communicate effectively with diverse audiences; make things that seem complicated easier to understand; write clearly; work effectively in a team environment; work under administrative direction and meet deadlines; prepare and deliver presentations, training, and agency positions; formulate administrative goals, objectives, and plans; and establish and maintain effective working relationships (internal and external).

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Agency information:

TheDepartment of Health and Human Services (https://www.maine.gov/dhhs/) (DHHS) is dedicated to promoting health, safety, resilience, and opportunity for Maine people. The Department provides health and social services to approximately a third of the State's population, including children, families, older Mainers, and individuals with disabilities, mental illness, and substance use disorders. The Department also promotes public health, operates two state psychiatric hospitals, and provides oversight to health care providers.

The Office for Family Independence (OFI) connects Maine families to services and programs that foster health, safety, resilience, and opportunity and help them to meet a wide variety of needs. We determine initial and ongoing eligibility for the MaineCare (Medicaid), Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) public assistance programs, and issue benefits for SNAP and TANF. We also provide services related to training and education, child support, disability determination, and fraud investigation/recovery.

Application Information:

Please submit all documents or files in PDF format.

For additional information about this position please contact Marcus Hatch at (207) 890-6810 or by email at Marcus.Hatch@Maine.gov .

To request a paper application, please contact Ashley Smith at Ashley.Smith@Maine.gov . To apply, please upload a resume, cover letter, and transcript (transcript needed only if education is used to meet the minimum qualifications).

Benefits of working for the State of Maine:

No matter where you work across Maine state government, you find employees who embody our state motto—"Dirigo" or "I lead"—as they provide essential services to Mainers every day. We believe in supporting our workforce's health and wellbeing with a valuable total compensation package, including:

• Work-Life Fit – Rest is essential. Take time for yourself using 13 paid holidays , 12 days of sick leave , and 3+ weeks of vacation leave annually. Vacation leave accrual increases with years of service, and overtime-exempt employees receive personal leave.

• Health Insurance Coverage – The State of Maine pays 85%-100% of employee-only premiums ($10,523.28-$12,380.40 annual value), depending on salary. Use this chart to find the premium costs for you and your family, including the percentage of dependent coverage paid by the State.

• Dental Insurance – The State of Maine pays 100% of employee-only dental premiums ($350.40 annual value).

• Retirement Plan – The State contributes the equivalent of 18.21% of the employee's pay towards the Maine Public Employees Retirement System (MainePERS).

• Parental leave is one of the most important benefits for any working parent. All employees who are welcoming a child—including fathers and adoptive parents—receivesix weeks of fully paid parental leave. Additional, unpaid leave may also be available, under the Family and Medical Leave Act .

  State employees are eligible for an extensive and highly competitive benefits package (https://www.maine.gov/bhr/state-jobs/compensation-benefits) , covering many aspects of wellness. Learn about additional wellness benefits for State employees from the Office of Employee Health and Wellness (https://www.maine.gov/bhr/oeh/) .

  Note: Benefits may vary somewhat according to specific collective bargaining agreements and are prorated for part-time employment.

There's a job and then there's purposeful, transformative work. Our aim is to create a workplace where you can learn, grow, and continuously refine your skills. Applicants demonstrate job requirements in differing ways, and we appreciate that many skills and backgrounds can make people successful in this role.

As an Equal Opportunity employer, Maine State Government embraces a culture of respect and awareness. We are committed to creating a strong sense of belonging for all team members, and our process ensures an inclusive environment to applicants of all backgrounds including diverse race, color, sex, sexual orientation or gender identity, physical or mental disability, religion, age, ancestry, national origin, familial status or genetics.

If you’re looking for a great next step, and want to feel good about what you do, we’d love to hear from you. Please note reasonable accommodations are provided to qualified individuals with disabilities upon request.