Communications Officer ; AFSCME Job San Francisco area,California USA,Creative Arts/Media

Position: Communications Officer I (AFSCME)

Pay Rate

AFSCME Pay Grade 10

$/year (Minimum/Step
1) - $/year (Maximum/Step
5)

Note:

The negotiable salary offer will be commensurate with education and experience.

Reports To

Manager of Media Relations

Days Off

Saturday/Sunday

Who May Apply

All current BART employees and future BART employees

Current Assignment

This job announcement will be used to fill one (1) vacancy.

The Communications Officer I position supports BART's Media Relations team within a fast-paced, high-visibility public communications environment. This position plays a central role in keeping over 200,000 average daily riders and the broader Bay Area public informed about service changes, safety initiatives, capital projects, and District programs.

Current operational priorities for this position include supporting communications around BART's ongoing fleet modernization and station modernization projects, contributing to real-time passenger communications during service disruptions, and assisting with public information efforts tied to safety and security initiatives across the system. This position also supports the District's continued growth in digital and social media engagement, helping to expand reach and responsiveness across multiple platforms during both routine operations and emergent situations.

This position requires availability for on-call rotation and off-hours response, as service disruptions and newsworthy events often occur outside standard business hours. Successful performance in this assignment requires the ability to synthesize complex, technical, or sensitive information into clear, accurate, and timely public-facing content under deadline pressure.

The most qualified candidates for this position will have highly developed competencies in the following areas, which will be reinforced with related work experience and will be articulated during the selection process:

Writing clear, accurate, and engaging content for news releases, social media, and passenger communications under tight deadlines
Responding professionally and efficiently to media inquiries, including gathering facts, coordinating interviews, and preparing background materials
Applying sound judgment to identify and prioritize newsworthy information
Using content management systems, social media platforms, and media monitoring tools effectively
Maintaining composure and accuracy while communicating during crisis or service disruption events
Building and maintaining effective working relationships with reporters, District staff, and the public

Under daily, time-sensitive deadlines, prepares written, digital, and multimedia content that highlights District plans, activities, and programs; disseminates information to the news media and general public through press releases, social media posts, passenger bulletins and news articles.

Assists in responding to media inquiries by gathering information, preparing background materials, coordinating interviews, and providing factual information under established guidelines.

Supports crisis communications by gathering information, writing news releases, and assisting with public outreach.

Participates in planning events with other District staff; contacts media in order to ensure participation; attends events and provides staff support.

Participates in after-hours on-call rotation to respond to media inquiries about service disruptions and other newsworthy events that occur outside of the hours of 9am-5pm.

Posts content on the District’s social media channels regarding service disruptions and other newsworthy events.

Writes and develops content for the District’s social media channels.

Assists in developing website content, multimedia content, passenger communications, and social media content; and edits news articles as assigned.

Assists with maintaining media contact list, including bilingual news outlets; and develops relationships with reporters who cover District news.

Attends Board of Directors and other public meetings at BART facilities and may be assigned to assist with audio/visual needs for those meetings on an as-needed basis.

Contributes creative public outreach ideas to advance District priorities.

Education

A Bachelor’s degree in English, journalism, communications, or a closely related field from an accredited college or university.

Experience

The equivalent of one (1) year of full-time professional experience in a public information program or working in a professional newsroom as a reporter, producer, or editor responsible for writing,…